Amsterdam

My trip to Amsterdam was the first time I have ever traveled to another country, completely alone.  I booked my flight and hotel the night before I left, and by 7:30 in the morning I was on the plane.  I honestly was not nervous about the trip, I was filled to the brim with excitement. Also, I couldn't help but to feel proud of myself for taking such a leap.

Once I landed, and figured out the public transportation system, I was on my way to the city center.  My backpack and I were somewhat overwhelmed while we were strolling down the main street. I mean, I had absolutely no agenda or obligations. My adventure was at the sole mercy of my own mind and whim.  So I began to walk, I walked for hours soaking in the culture and aura of the city. Yes, there were endless marijuana dispensaries, and of course, the legendary red light district. But the true cultural beauty of Amsterdam is so much deeper than that.

The canals were the first thing to catch my eye. 
 They, along with the buildings lining the banks, really contributed to the historic tranquility of the city.

The moment I stumbled upon the area where my hotel was located, I fell in love with Amsterdam. The Rijksmuseum, Van Gough Museum, and the Stedelijk contemporary art museum all bordered a massive green lawn where the landmark letters " I AMSTERDAM"  stand.

I spent the remainder of my first day having a picnic on the grass, journaling, and weeping with happiness. At that moment, I was so comforted by my own self reassurance that I made the right decision to go to Amsterdam.  I knew I was alone, but safe in my own world, enjoying the atmosphere around me.

I spent most of my second afternoon enjoying the nine streets area. There was so much culture and art that lived within that area, it felt like an array of countries in one. I perused through a few small galleries. My favorite one was called Peter Pappot, it was there that I discovered a new favorite artist of mine, Kees Van Dongen. The gallery next door was selling breathtaking Picasso pieces, the least expensive was priced at only €9.000.  Needless to say, I did not purchase a Picasso. Although, I did purchase a small elephant sculpture from an artist named Ria Janssens.

The flower market was the next gem on my path. The pictures do not give nearly enough credit to this floral wonderland.  I fell was instantly infatuated with the tulips, they were all so simple and perfect. 

Someday, I will have a section in my garden filled with tulips sprouting from bulbs purchased in Amsterdam.

(only proof  to show I was there)

Following the flower market I went to the Van Gough Museum. It was everything I thought it would be. At one point, I felt like his eyes in his self portraits jumped off the canvas to read my soul.  

I was slightly disappointed that the Sunflowers collection was off in London for the time being.

Overall, the museum was a great display of Van Gough's work and life, and an incredible experience for me.

On my last night, I had another relaxing journaling session in the park. At one point, an old man came and sat next to me. He asked me where I was from and what I was studying. 

As children, we were taught to never speak to strangers. I cannot imagine how many innocent conversions I would miss out on if I followed that society built law as an adult.  I talked to him for about an hour. He told me about the history of Amsterdam, his time in the navy, and stories of his worldly travels.  He spoke on his outlook on life and how he believed that the animals were the ones who had everything figured it out. 

 "I like animals. They are spontaneous. They are how they are." 

 Shortly after he said those words to me, he shook my hand, and left for his night shift. 

The conversation was a pleasure to share with him.

I took a final walk around the museumplein, and retired to my hotel.

 The next morning, I was on a flight back to Barcelona.

Thank you, Amsterdam, for teaching me more about life and myself than I thought would be possible in one weekend.  A part of my heart will always live on that green lawn.

Written at 5pm, at Cafè Carmela. Barcelona.

Big Event Barcelona

Last weekend I had the opportunity to participate in the first international Big Event.  For those of you who are unaware, the Big Event is a Texas A&M service project involving over 10,000 students.  Our Big Event here in Barcelona was only about twenty strong, but we still managed to help out the community.  

All afternoon we worked on small projects for the Vallcarca neighboorhood of Barcelona.  I was with the group who worked in the garden.  

It felt so great to be able to spend time in such a unique  garden.  

We build a fence in the front of the garden out of wooden pallets and planted some pretty flowers.  A few hours into our work, some of the community members called for a break to have tea and treats.  

I felt so welcomed by the people, they were all nice and down-to-earth.

They were satisfied with the work that we did there and thanked us many times.  Even though our Big Event was on a much smaller scale, I feel like we made an important impact.  

Ps.  Thank you Celso Rojas for the wonderful photos.  

Priorat : Gran Clos Winery

" Vines, like people, often reach their peak in the face of adversity. "

Our adventure on Monday was one of the best experiences of my life.  

My parents, Jerry, Ellen, and I traveled to the Priorat wine region, near Tarragona, to tour the Gran Clos winery.  My dad distributes their wines in Texas, which allowed him to put this day trip together.  We took a train from Barcelona to meet Xavier, the general manager of the Gran Clous.  He picked us up in Tarragona and drove us to Priorat, about an hour away.

On the way to the winery, we stopped at their main estate.  Xavier explained the area to us and their meticulous growing and harvesting process.  Gran Clos' philosophy is centered around the idea of quality over quantity.  Each vine is carefully examined before harvested to achieve optimal ripeness. 

Following the estate, we drove to the main winery facility where we were shown the fermentation process by the winemaker himself.  

We tasted the wines at different stages of fermentation straight from the barrel.
The soil, the location of the vine on the land, and the type of barrel the wine is stored in has a mind blowing effect on the taste of the wine.
 It was really special to hear someone so passionate about the wine making process explain it all. 

After we tasted wine from about ten barrels, we had a great lunch with Xavier.
  The combination of the two events led to the most solid naps on the way back to Barcelona.

I am so thankful for the kind people at Gran Clos.  

They made us feel so welcome in their winery and in their city.  

This day was truly unforgettable.  

Montserrat

On Saturday, my parents and my Aunt Ellen and Uncle Jerry arrived in Barcelona!  I cannot believe they are all actually here.  Once we were all together we headed to La Rambla to have drinks and catch up.  

I really enjoy being the fifth wheel with these four.  

We walked around the center of the city during the afternoon and afterwards we made our way to Gracia to see my little home, have dinner, and plan our trip to Montserrat for the following day.  

On Sunday, we took the train from Barcelona to beautiful Montserrat, a mountaintop monastery.  Once we got there we took an air tram up to the mountain.  

^ speechless. 

 We had a little lunch in the village and took in the view for awhile.  

The weather could not have been better.  

The cathedral was extremely unique; the walls were lined with chandeliers and no two were the same.   This was without a doubt my favorite church in Spain so far.  

This corridor next to the church was completely lined with candles and smelled like lavender incense.

  I was blown away by the ambiance.

  

I adored the overall feeling of Montserrat, I am so happy that I got to experience such a peaceful place.