To Spain

January 3rd

The early departure was indeed tiresome and sad as we flew from Madrid to Frankfurt, Germany, and then to Dallas and then OKC. The flight seemed to take forever as we were all anxious to get home and get a good night's sleep in our own beds before school the next day.

I spent the trip sleeping, listening to my iPod, watching movies, chatting, and thinking about how much I would miss Spain. I wanted to stay for another month, our trip was just not long enough.

Today, I think about some of the little things about traveling to a different country and all the experiences that go with it. I remember the Swiss chocolate (Milka) that I bought on the airplane. It is still the best chocolate ever (and luckily I found some at Disney World 5 months later).

I think about the street performers and the exotic things they did. I think about the late night hot chocolate and churro treats. I reminisce on such things as the chapel in Barcelona where Christopher Columbus first announced his discovery.

The amazing streets and alleys and shops and the black market selling knock off Luis Vutton purses and Polo cologne. I think about our great guide Antonio and all the sponsors that helped make the trip possible. A big thank you to them for making the trip one of the best vacations and experiences I have ever had.

I think about the food and how we did not like most of it. I remember Ben Britton eating corn nuts at 3am and that still makes me chuckle. Ben was eccentric, but cool. All the people that went were just really great people and I love them all.

Los Conquistadors was so amazing that I cannot even describe the joy and happiness I had when hanging out with these guys. To Mitch Cook for his tireless preparation and flawless execution. To all my fears of being robbed (I never felt remotely threatened or in danger). To VIPS for showing us a true Texas burger unlike any burger I have ever had. To the idea that they serve tap beer at Burger King. To Magnum for opening my eyes.

To the greatest New Year's Eve I have ever seen. To the long and boring plane flights, for without them we would have never made it. To all the museums and Dali and Picasso, now I appreciate you more fully. To the Spanish people for being so interesting and beautiful. To Barcelona for being so glorious and beautiful and to Madrid for enlightening my mind.

To Spain for changing my life.

Trainspotting

December 30th

Still on the Spain trip and still absolutely loving it.

Today, we arise early for travel from Barcelona to Madrid. If I recall correctly, it was about a six hour train ride. The train was nice though as it was spacious and comfortable with TV's and a restaurant. Not too bad, but we were all sad to leave Barcelona because it was so amazing.

The train station was wonderful and if I am not mistaken it can be seen in one of the backdrop shots in The Bourne Ultimatum. We left the station and took a bus to our hotel.

This hotel was quite different than the Barcelona hotel. This time we had a four person room that included the student members of our small group - DH, Kevin, JP, and I. Also, this hotel was situated right in the middle of downtown. We were less than 2 blocks from the cultural heart of Madrid and the town square. O, and right across the street was a movie theater.

The hotel was nice and we almost succumbed to the temptation of rest in the comfy beds after a long day's travel, but we knew that Madrid night-life would be calling our names. We had a nice dinner at the hotel and then hit the streets for a look at shops and malls in the area surrounding the town square. It was amazing! And there were so many people everywhere!

After an incredible look at night-time Madrid, we headed back to the hotel after stopping for a Tapas treat and some more great hot chocolate. The spacious room was more than adequate for four exhausted guys. We went to bed with great anticipation for the next day as we would be experiencing New Year's Eve at one of the best parties in Europe and even the whole world.

The Thick of Things

December 29th

We rose early for another great day in Barcelona. This was the day of museums and more sightseeing. We visited the Museo D'Arte, which was an incredible sight. The museum holds some of the works of the greatest European artists including the homegrown Pablo Picasso.

After a very insightful and well-guided experience at the museum, we hopped on the bus for a destination for lunch. We had many disappointing meals so far, but the lunch we had that day was terrific. It consisted of soups and breads.

The Spanish have a very different eating schedule than Americans. Instead of the three meals, Spain starts the day with a pastry breakfast or frequently a brunch, then lunch at midday, then an afternoon snack, a late dinner around 8 o'clock, and finally a trip around the local bars enjoying tapas and elegant deserts. It is very fascinating!

After lunch we spent the day in our small group touring more of Barcelona. We visited Government buildings (in which I almost got arrested for walking into an open building, pretty scary when you can't understand the security guards...), an artifact museum, more shops, and another dinner at the hotel. After dinner, we went back out to do more exploring.

We visited the Pablo Picasso Museo devoted entirely the Picasso and his life works. It was extremely amazing! We then broke back into small group for a night on the town. We visited the Salvador Dali museum, which was very unique. We went into the church, where we saw the most magnificent night view.

We went to the local coffee shop and got the thickest hot chocolate you could ever imagine. We also enjoyed fresh-squeezed orange juice. (Actually we went to this place every night). We also went to Hard Rock Barcelona to get T-shirts.

We went back to the hotel for check-in and supposed curfew. However, our trip leader thought it would be awesome to take his little group out after curfew. We caught a cab and rode to downtown to see a jazz concert. When we got to the little pub, he decided it was too shady and smokey. We then hiked back the twelve blocks stopping for knickknacks and treats along the way.

The End of Travel

On December 27th, we finally reached our destination of Barcelona, Spain. After the many long hours of traveling, we spent a few hours getting acclimated, had dinner, and then made up our rooms to prepare for a night of much needed sleep.

Upon arrival at the airport by way of Germany, we got into a bus that took us to the hotel. I do not know what I was expecting, but the area around the airport was I guess you could say, "shocking." It appeared underdeveloped but a closer look revealed heavy construction in every direction.

So, the drive to the hotel was indeed very interesting as we took in the sights and enjoyed the atmosphere (once we got outside the airport area, it was amazing!!). The bus trip was very exciting, but we were all very tired.

We explored the hotel and had dinner and then fell victim to the comfortable beds in our 3 person rooms. Classmate and buddy Kevin Pojezny, underclassman weirdo Ben Britton, and I shared a cozy room with a lookout over the hustling town of Barcelona.

We went out early as we knew we would rise early to explore this intriguing foreign country.