Katie's Travel Blog

Hola familia y amigos!

Hope this message is finding you all well and enjoying the spring weather, I know I am in Barcelona! I am writing to tell you all a little about my trip to Florence, Italy the 4th-6th (a little late I know). Anyways, I LOVED Florence!! If I wasn’t studying in Barcelona I really think Florence would be my second choice. This was my first time in Italy and it was everything I pictured it to be and more. It was so adorable. Florence is a very cute, artsy little town. Because 3 of my best friends are studying there, I was able to stay with them in their apartment. I arrived on Friday late afternoon and they picked me up from the airport and we went back to their apartment. We all went shopping and made dinner together and caught up, since I hadn’t really gotten a chance to talk to them much this semester. The next morning we got up early and walked around Florence, we went to the Duomo, Piazza de Michelangelo with AMAZING views of the city, the Ponte Vecchio, and the Boboli gardens. I loved loved loved it, definitely one of my favorite cities I have visited. It was also so good to see my friends, being all together again made me realize how lucky I am to have such amazing people in my life. Studying abroad has given me a whole new perspective on life, and one of the things I have truly realized is how blessed I am to have such amazing friends and family. Being out of your comfort zone really makes you appreciate everything and everyone you have in your life so much more.

Today, April 23rd, is a special holiday in Barcelona called Dia de St. Jordi. St. Jordi is the patron saint of Barcelona and this day celebrates the legend of St. Jordi. The legend goes that St. Jordi slayed a dragon to rescue a princess from a tower. Now-a-days, El dia de St. Jordi is basically like Valentine’s Day in the United States, except with a few different traditions. Here, it is tradition for boys to give girls a rose and girls to give boys a book. This is common for husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend, and father/daughter. I’m not exactly sure why that is the tradition but it’s kind of cute! So today all the main streets are COVERED in stands selling roses. It’s actually very pretty! Also, today the weather is absolutely gorgeous but I can’t enjoy it because I have a final paper to write. I have finished all of my finals besides this paper for my international management class, which is turning out to be the hardest of them all! I really wish I didn’t have to spend my last days in Barcelona studying! I can’t believe that my time here is coming to an end. I feel like I blinked and it is over. I have been in tears at least once every-day this week thinking about leaving. Although I am going to miss all the friends I made here so soo much, I think I am going to miss the city the most. I honestly feel like Barcelona is one of my homes, just like I feel about my actual home and about IU. Not knowing when you can next return “home” is heart-breaking.

I leave to go on my backpacking adventure this Saturday. My friend Cara and I are going to Brussels, Amsterdam, Prague, Salzburg, Munich, and Interlaken over the course of 2.5 weeks. I am very excited and think this will be a great way to end an unbelievable semester. I am going to try to write a few times during this trip if I can get to a computer. Love and miss you all!

Katie

Friends and Family:

I’m sorry it has been so long since I have written but I will try to catch you up on the happening of my life in the recent weeks! My spring break, Semana Santa, was from March 14th to March 23rd. For the first 5 days of my spring break I went to the Canary Islands (Islands off the coast of Africa). We stayed at an all-inclusive place which we got a really good price for so I was a little nervous to see what the place was going to be like and what the food was going to be like. I was very pleasantly surprised! This place was very nice! The Canary Islands were very cool, very different than any other beach vacation I had taken. The islands had much more of a desert-y feel, which makes sense I guess since they are right off the coast of Africa! One of my favorite things we did was ride camels! That was definitely an experience. We got to the place where we were to get on the camels and saw all these camels lined up and all these men in turbans…they reminded me of the men from Aladdin! They kept making fun of all of us because we were screaming when the camels were jerking! It was very fun/funny. There is not much to report on the rest of my time in the islands, a lot of relaxing, tanning, and swimming!

When I came back from the Canary Islands I met the Andersons in Valencia on March 19th. This was the last day of the festival of Las Fallas which symbolizes the beginning of the bull fighting season. We walked around during the day and saw all these huge, incredible floats throughout the city! We weren’t sure what they were made of but we were guessing some type of plaster or paper mache. All the floats were so detailed and cool looking! On the last night of Las Fallas (the night we were there) they burn all the floats. After walking around for the majority of the day and going out for a nice dinner we prepared to watch the floats burn. They don’t start to light the floats on fire until 12 at night so we picked a float we wanted to watch burn and waited for the action to start. We watched them as they draped the floats in dynamite and splashed it with gasoline. Eventually they lit it on fire and it was unlike anything I have ever seen!! It burned very quickly and made the LOUDEST boom I have ever heard! We all jumped! It was so cool to watch this!

A few days later my parents and Kelly came to Barcelona! It happened that their time in Barcelona overlapped for a night with the Andersons so we all had dinner and went to the “magic fountains,” a fountain light show. I loved having my family in Barcelona because I could show them the city that I love so much! I showed them the port of Barcelona, the Arc de Triomf, several famous parks, my school, Gaudi buildings, museums, and we even went to a Barca soccer game! We also did a day trip to Montserrat, a monastery on top of a mountain an hour outside of Barcelona. They story goes that a millennium ago a wandering mountaineer claimed he saw the image of the Virgin Mary in these mountains. The monastery was founded in 1025. We ascended the mountain in a cable car which was a little scary as we were dangling hundreds of feet above jagged rocks and peaks! When we got to the top there were tons of areas to explore. We hiked around and explored the area all day. Another one of my favorite things I did with my family was visiting Sagrada Familia, a cathedral that was designed by Gaudi. Gaudi worked on the cathedral up until the end of his life in 1926 and although another architect has taken over the project it is still nowhere near being finished. It, however, is still one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen! I love Gaudi’s ideas, designs, and the symbolism he puts behind everything. I NEED to come back to Barcelona to see the completed building because I fell in love with it. Maybe my future husband can take me there for my 40th birthday because the estimated completion date isn’t until 2026!! I had so much fun with Mom, Dad, and Kelly and they only bad part was that Danny couldn’t be there!

My family left March 28th and the following weekend we had a wine tasting trip planned by my program on Saturday and a boat trip on Sunday. On the wine trip we went to Penedes which is a famous wine country in Spain. First we got a tour of the grounds and saw the grape fields. All the grape plants from this vineyard were shipped from Italy, where they in turn are planted in the fields in Penedes. We saw the plants growing but we didn’t get to see any grapes because the owner informed us they don’t harvest them until October. We then got a briefing on the entire wine making process and how the process differs when making red wine, white wine, or Cava (Spanish Champagne). After this came the fun part, the wine tasting! We started off with white wines, then reds, then the cava. We learned the proper way to taste the wine, and what things to look for when tasting it. The whole process was so interesting and fun and I took lots of notes so I can wow you all with my wine tasting skills when I come back to the states !

On Sunday we had a boat trip off the coast of Barcelona, Costa Brava. There were probably around 40 of us on this trip and we had a huge sail boat! It was a very fun day but a bit cold to be sailing. We stopped 2 times so people could swim but it was freezing, I was wearing jeans, a sweater, a jacket, and a scarf!! Some of the boys, however, decided to be brave and jump in. The faces they made after jumping in because they were clearly shocked at how cold it was! The sites we got to see on the coast were beautiful!

This weekend I am visiting 3 of my best friends from school who are studying in Florence, Italy. I am SO excited to see Florence and of course to see my friends! I will try to write promptly upon my return!

I also apologize for any spelling errors and/or typos because I dont have time to proof read!

Much love from Spain to the US,
Katie

Family and Friends,
Again, I am sorry that it has taken me so long to write! School is picking up more than ever. We just finished midterms. My classes have become more challenging than I was expecting and I even had to pull an all-nighter to finish one of my papers! It gets kind of hard balancing school and still traveling and seeing Europe!
Anyways, I visited Paris February 21st to the 24th. Words cannot describe how much I love Paris but I’ll try to recap my 3 days there:

We left Barcelona on a Thursday afternoon and arrived in Paris late afternoon, checked into our hotel, etc. A group of about 13 of us went so it was quite a group! After checking in and eating dinner we decided to see the Eiffel Tower at night. I was so excited to see the Eiffel tower because it is something you always see in books, movies, pictures, etc. I caught my first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower all lit up through the window of the metro and immediately got teary eyed. I don’t exactly know why, but it was so moving! At that moment it really hit me that I am in Europe seeing all these things first hand that most people only get to read about. It really made me feel so grateful for my life and all the opportunities I have been given! We proceeded to go up the tower and saw the city all lit up at night. Needless to say it was GORGEOUS! We topped off an already perfect night with warm chocolate crepes. YUMM! Life doesn’t get much better!

The next morning we got up early to go to the Louvre. We spent 3.5 hours just wandering around; there is so much to see! We of course saw the Mona Lisa and other Da Vinci works. We also saw French, Spanish, and Italian paintings and various sculptures and Egyptian art. I really could get lost in there for hours and never be bored! After spending the morning admiring art work we ate our picnic lunch on the steps of the Louvre and then headed to the L’arc de Triomphe. We ended up getting a little bit lost on our way there but it was great because we stumbled upon on these cute little French neighborhoods and shops! I felt like I was walking around on a movie set, everything was so cute! I found myself really wanting to live there! After seeing L’arc de Triomphe and the tomb of the Unknown Soldier (under the arc) we headed back to the Eiffel tower to see it during the day and take some pictures. We ended the day back at the Louvre (our tickets were good for the whole day) so we wandered around more and when we left it was dark out and the Louvre looked really cool all lit up. Make sure you look at my pictures!
http://community.webshots.com/user/katiemullspain

Saturday we got up early once again and went to Notre Dame. This was another very moving experience for me. The cathedral was beautiful inside and out. There were many people from all over the world sitting, praying, and talking quietly. We sat there for a long time just taking in the atmosphere.

After Notre Dame and eating lunch we headed to La Basilique de Sacre Coeur. I really did not know what this was, but I had seen it in my tour book and my mom told me she liked this area when she went. I’m so happy she mentioned that because this ended up being one of my favorite parts of the whole trip! I guess mother does know best! Haha. Anyways, up until this point in the trip the weather had been a little gloomy and cold. However, as we walked up to the Basilique the clouds literally disappeared and it was nothing but blue skies. I was in awe of the beauty of it all! We started to climb the stairs and as we neared the top we heard music and saw a large group of people. It turns out that there was a concert going on! We sat overlooking Paris, listening to music and singing along with other young people from around the world for hours. People were singing and talking in many different languages but everyone was having a fun time being together. This was one of my favorite Europe moments thus far. Overall, Paris was amazing. I had so much fun and want to go back!

I also am continuing to LOVE Barcelona. I have had many opportunities though field trips with my classes and with my program to see more of Barcelona. Every day I can’t believe how lucky I am to be in such an amazing city. The weather is almost always sunny, it is nestled between mountains and a beach, and it has so much to do both day and night! The city is the perfect size, not to big, not to small. Although I love the places I visit on my trips, I always can’t wait to come back home to Barcelona. A few of my friends and I were talking about eventually having to leave the other day and we all almost started crying. I just keep telling myself that I still have lots of time left!

Since going to Paris I have been on a day trip to Valencia in Spain and this past weekend I went to Amsterdam in The Netherlands. Both were so fun and I will write about them later! This Wednesday I leave for spring break, we are going to the Canary Islands (islands in between Africa and Spain). Then I am meeting the Andersons in Valencia for a night for a semana santa festival and then Mom, Dad, and Kelly are coming in 11 days from now! I could not be more excited to see them!!
Hope all is well with everyone!
Lots of Love,
Katie

I’m sorry it has been so long since I have updated, I have been very busy! School is really picking up; I have lots of projects due and even have midterms coming up! Over all I am really liking my classes and finding them a nice change of pace from my IU classes. The 2 classes that I am really enjoying are International management and Spain and Cataluña through the Arts. My management class is taught by an Irish man who might be my favorite professor I have ever had. He is so interesting and has had so many life experiences that he is able to relate to class material. The other class, Spain and Cataluña though the arts, is very interesting as well because it is unlike any other class I have ever taken. I am learning so much about European history and art. Our professor is very open to class discussion and I have learned so much about Cataluña (the area of Spain I am in). We also take field trips very frequently in this class so I have the opportunity to go to Barcelona’s best museums with our own personal tour guide! Classes are a lot less structured here though, so I am a bit nervous for exams because I really don’t know what to expect!
Last weekend my program took us on a weekend trip to Madrid. It was so so fun! We took the train there which took about 4 hours. After checking into our hotel we went a walking tour through the city. The next morning we went to El Prado, a very famous museum in Madrid. It contains works by Spanish artists such as Goya, Greco, and Velazquez. Going to this museum was an unbelievable and moving experience for me. I had been learning about many of these works of art since high school and seeing them in person was absolutely amazing. We had a tour guide who was very interesting and knew so much about the pieces, I could have stayed in there all day! After the tour of the museum we went to park, Madrid’s equivalent to central park and had lunch. We had perfect weather so it was a very nice day to walk around. After lunch we went to el palacio real, the royal palace. The royal family does not live there anymore; it’s basically just a museum now. This was also amazing and beautiful! That night we went to a discoteca called El Kapital, the largest discoteca in Europe! It is 7 floors, each playing a different type of music. It was so fun and we stayed there into the early hours of the morning!! I updated my picture website with a few more pictures of Barcelona and Madrid and you can see them at this link:
http://community.webshots.com/user/katiemullspain
This past weekend I had 3 of my best friends from school who are staying in Florence come visit, it was great to see them and we had a blast! I’m planning on visiting them in Florence in early April. Overall I am absolutely in love with Spain and Europe. Every day I feel like I need to pinch myself because I feel like I am living in a dream world. I really am having the time of my life here!! Next weekend I am going to Paris, so I will write after that! Love you all!

Like I mentioned before, I moved from the dorms to a homestay on saturday. I actually got the chance to meet my senora, Maria Teresa, on Friday before she came to pick me up. Right away she was so nice! It was a little awkward because neither of us knew what to say and she does not speak one word of english. She came with her son to pick me up on saturday at noon. He son has a car which was nice and he was able to help me with all my bags. On the car ride we talked about her family...she has 3 kids and they are all grown with their own kids. Her son looked about 30 and he was the youngest. Im not sure how old she is...i would guess 60ish. Her son knew a little english so if i was struggling he was able to help. She lives in an apartment, we are on the 3rd floor. I was a little nervous when we arrived at her place because the outside of the building looked a little run down. But the inside is so nice!! My room is adorable and the rest of the house is small but very nice. There is my room, another unoccupied room, my own bathroom, her room and bathroom, the kitchen, and living space. I took a few pictures of the apartment and will load them on my picture website and post the link tomorrow.
Maria Teresa is the sweetest lady ever! I love her already. She is always checking to make sure I am ok and when she heard me coughing she ran right away to get me medicine. She is also a good cook, I like everything she has made so far. The only thing is she gives me SO much and I feel bad not eating it! This morning for breakfast she gave me a grilled ham and cheese sandwich (they call that a bikini here, i dont know why), 3 muffins, 3 pieces of some chocolate cake thing, little cookies, a granola bar, coffee, and juice. Even for dinner she gives me huge portions and when i don't finish something she asks if i dont like it, which is not the case! She has been so helpful, she walked me to the metro the first time, offered to take me to the market with her, etc. This is the first time she has ever had a student living with her, and the housing directors of my program said usually the senoras go above and beyond what they have to do and spoil their first students! Maria Teresa said she decided to take a student because she felt lonely being home alone all the time. She doesn't work, and I'm not sure if she is widowed or divorced, but I can tell she is happy to have someone around. It has been a little hard talking because I realize there are so many things I dont know how to say and I think she gets confused sometimes when I talk. But im sure that will get better as i learn more. Overall I am very happy with my decision to move!
My internet goes in and out here, sometimes i am able to pick up a weak signal, but other times i get nothing. Right now it seems to be working pretty well, knock on wood that it continues! Tomorrow I start the rest of my classes, up until this point I only had spanish and one other class. My 3 other classes start this week, and I think thats going to come as a rude awakening because I have gotton used to having a lot of free time!
Hope all is well, love you all!
Katie