day 17: home sweet brooklyn

it's time. 

stocking up on fuel before we sit on our bums for 8+ hours.

iberia airlines food > American Airlines food

still airplane food.

we each watched 3 1/2 movies on this flight. 

my brain hurt after all that viewing...

(i recommend watching admission with paul rudd and tina fey)

back in nyc...

i <3 bk.

its been real blogger world...

see you all in person. 

sooner than later, i hope. 

kisses

xx

day 16: rest.

oh my gosh, best-laziest day. EVER!

we roll outta bed for desayuno at the hotel at around 9:15. 

we roll back into the hotel room, still not fully awake. 

i get my groove on with more of mastin kipp's extravaganza interviews. 

gina gets her groove on by rolling up into a human burrito to continue her breakfast interrupted snooze. 

at close to 1, gina gets up to start the day, 

and i slide into the bed for a little cat-nap. 

the next thing i know,

it's 3 pm. 

and gina's stretching herself awake alongside me. 

oh my gosh. soooooo what i needed. 

without skipping a beat, 

we note today's itinerary, "hotel, pool, dinner"

and dress in our swimmies with easy-to-remove outfits on top. 

this is my ocean's 11. 

so i was going in prepared.

i googled 'sneaking into hotel pools' 

and a lot of helpful results were noted: 

1. get the lay of the land - check. we were there yesterday and scoured the place. 

2. act like you own the place - check. i decide ill just follow gina's lead. "just be cool," gina advised. 

3. no backpacks, it's a dead giveaway youre not staying at the hotel - check. i dump a few items into gina's purse and leave my sad looking 2 ton bag at the hotel. 

4. be prepared to give a hotel rm number in case someone asks - check...we have a rough idea of how the room numbers work...we'll go with an even number, gina says. ok, room 214, i volunteer. 

on the way to the hotel, 

i suggest a small bite since we'll be pooling-it til dinner time. 

not tapas. chicken salad sandwich & a roast beef sandwich. safe. and tasty. 

my heartbeat becomes more audible as we approach the hotel. 

gina leads the way and i try the hipster-nonchalant-tight-lipped look on for size. hm, it fits. 

on the way down the stairs, we fall behind an older gentleman. 

in swim trunks!

bingo. 

we casually walk behind him and trail him into the pool area. 

we.are.in. 

thats the way it's done. a natural. 

"that was too easy," gina remarks while floating in the majestic chlorine clear pool water. 

i just giggle with delight. 

'hoy es un buen dia' 

an ELLE magazine en espanol. 

it was all we could find, thanks to gina's persistence. 

if anything, i felt more secure and authentic - 

"now they'll REALLY think im staying here!" i couldnt help but think to myself. 

and just as casually as we walked into the pool area, 

we walked back into the hotel, ready for our epic meal. 

starting with awesome drinks. 

mine was called 'stormy love' and gina's was 'chiquita'

both muy bueno. 

2 drinks just doesn't cut it here. 

so we absolutely had to order a really delicious chocolate milkshake. 

'the best american club sandwich' claims the menu and a burger. 

all epic. all. epic. 

desserts in spain < desserts in france

mmm, 

today was the perfect, restful end to a very long and loaded trip. 

over dinner, gina apologized, "sorry if i ruined your trip."

i told her there isn't a bad feeling attached to any moment during the trip, 

that i loved this trip. 

i said her to, "i hope you trip wasn't ruined."

she agreed that there were no regrets on this trip. 

pero..

we are ready to go home to brooklyn.

16 days away feels like...16 months. 

paris feels lightyears away. 

brooklyn feels...gosh, i wonder whats changed since we've been away? ;)

tomorrow we're OFF. 

the thought is just as exciting as the first day we left for paris...

bisous & besos

xx

day 14: final round

madrid -> sevilla. 

today's shift from one place to another

reflects the shift in our attitudes. 

gina and i are at ease with each other. 

it's funny...

gina seems to be making an effort to enjoy herself - it seems effortless, in fact

and i am enjoying things as they come without putting so much effort into being a manic-tourist. 

we found ourselves on the same page. 

taking time to notice and appreciate where we are

balanced with the admittance of how "traveled out" we are. 

gina's attempt to lead us to a tapas restaurant for an early lunch 

is unsuccessful. 

and im glad. 

because i finally admit, "im over tapas."

i want brunch food. 

a simple egg and cheese sandwich is all i want...it would be so perfect right now. 

so we seat ourselves at a tapas place that serves free-range chicken eggs. 

while gina orders a chorizo and scrambled egg breakfast, 

meat and seafood do not appeal to me this morning

so i order eggs with garlicky elver. 

with fresh orange juice and a goat cheese salad. 

and this is what i got. elver = baby eels. [spotty disapproves.]

yeah, i didnt know...i just assumed it was some kind of vegetable. 

when the plate of elver over my eggs was set in front of me, 

i involuntarily responded with, 

"uuh...what is that...??" 

the waitress responded with something in espanol as if to clarify, noting my confusion (aversion).

i politely nodded to which she seemed satisfied with as she walked away.

i tried to be open-minded and took a nibble or two. 

ok, not bad. 

texture of eggs. even had the taste of egg whites. 

i swallowed. 

didn't detect any resistance in my esophageal muscles. 

then promptly eased the elvers off my eggs off to the side of my plate...

which were then eased off of the side of my plate onto a smaller plate and finally covered with a napkin.

i suddenly felt as though the elvers were thrashing about in my stomach, 

hundreds of them nibbling away at my appetite. 

gone in a flash. 

i don't remember the last time i left half of my meal on my plate. 

but i will never forget this unfinished meal. 

or what elvers are. 

my desire for a good ol' american breakfast completely shattered, 

we turn to chocolate to inject some pleasure back into my tastebuds. 

the chocolaterias serve thick hot chocolate that you dip churros in!

it wasn't heaven on earth, 

but it was enough to coat the nausea. 

nausea coated, 

heavy belongings hugging our torsos [more like a gentle death grip], 

we are off to our final train ride to sevilla...

[after that brunch, im with you, buddy.]

i got to watch 'wreck it ralph' on the train. 

gina kept mentioning it throughout the trip

and she later revealed that she was wishfully thinking about 'wreck it ralph' being shown 

and *poof*

there it was. on the screen. 

gina = master manifester

such a sweet movie. right up there with 'how to train your dragon' 

family fun film, inconspicuous adult humor, cute animation, and tear-jerking/heart-warming message.

the total opposite of my brunch. 

in sevilla, 

im running on fumes. 

nearing the end of our trip, 

i am tired, i haven't had a proper meal all day, and i must readjust to a new space. 

at this point, spanish food is the last thing i want. 

so i didn't hold back on the spaghetti pesto dish - 

a nice italian restaurant, san marco. 

all of my senses were delighted at this restaurant. 

the live classical guitar, the "authentic bath vaults studded with star shapes", delicious nonspanish food...

and the mandarin sorbet. gina's ice almond parfait was a miss but it was no elver. 

near-midnight stroll through sevilla's labyrinthine streets. 

and i slept hard this evening...

much needed rest for the final round.

besos

xx

day 15: wabi-sabi

sevilla.

sevilla is lovely. 

the streets are narrow cobblestone paths and the architecture is sprinkled with colorful personailty. 

a single row of buildings will contain a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes...

it's very...

wabi sabi. 

wabi sabi is a term i came across while listening to mastin kipp's interview with arielle ford. 

arielle ford is the author of wabi-sabi love among many other inspiring feats. 

wabi sabi is a japanese expression that means perceiving the perfection in the imperfections guided by 3 ideas: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, nothing is perfect. 

i love it! :)

sevilla is wabi sabi. 

there is no rhyme or reason to the way the streets are set up, 

the buildings have no congruitiy, and the gregarious mass with cervecas in hand crowded in the plazas and in front of churchs all seem so...wabi sabi. 

so we set forth in a wabi sabi way, spirits high and rested. 

no maps. 

just go. 

we set out with the intention of getting lost. 

this bookstore was difficult to enjoy...everything was en espanol.

sometimes getting lost also means taking chances on the restaurants. 

this meal was terrible. 

there was no wabi sabi here. 

it was just whack. 

the plaza de espana was unreal! 

like a flying giraffe. 

hard to believe it exists...but it does. 

and thank goodness. wonderous. 

the parque de maria luisa was just across the way. 

lots of little paths led to scrumptious bits, like this tree. 

so sevilla gets hot. 

really really hot. 

and we had been walking for hours by this point.

we were sweaty, exhausted, and sun-scorched...

in other words, the wabi-sabi affect was rapidly declining.

and then the hotel alfonso XIII happened. 

it went like this: 

on our way back, gina spotted a starbucks declaring that she'd like a frappacuino, 

her words slurring through the soupy heatwaves. 

i happened to read through the guidebook about sevilla (i would), 

and remembered something about a super-sweet (direct quote from the guidebook, i swear) hotel that was once a palace back in 1929. the notes indicated that it's a great spot to stop in for a drink to "admire the gracious Moorish-style courtyard." 

it happened to be on the corner we were standing on. 

not too keen on starbucks and curious enough to stop in for a look at the hotel, 

i mentioned this to gina. 

she obliged albeit with very little interest. 

greeted by a friendly doorman, AC, and the llavado, 

gina's interest was quickly piqued and i was relieved of my aching bladder. 

grand. just grand. 

we plop into the fancy chairs for expensive drinks while oo-ing and ah-ing over the hotel. 

our 2 freshly prepared tropical drinks....

...quickly turned into 3 drinks, croquettes, and the highlight of gina's trip. 

i asked her how her frappicino was. 

she contentedly answered, "this is life."

this serendipitous occasion redeemed the terrible lunch we had earlier.

and every other hiccup. 

we had a smashing time. 

wabi-sabi compounded. 

we spent the rest of the time exploring the rest of the hotel, 

savoring our time in the luxurious space. 

including the pool.

yes, they have a pool. 

in this sweltering 90+ degree weather, the pool was the perfect refuge. 

an unattainable refuge. 

might as well have been a mirage...

we reluctantly ended our self-guided tour of the hotel and stepped back out into the sevilla sauna. 

i couldn't get the piscina off of my mind...

i've been dying for a good swim. 

so why don't we, one of us must have suggested to the other. 

because by the time we have reached our pool-less hotel, 

we have decided that tomorrow we would return to the hotel for a swim and a nice dinner. 

it's no ocean's 11, 

but i'm already planning out our escape in case we get caught...

will we make it...?

*shrug*

to be continued...

despite the pool-tease, 

our willingness to get lost 

found us in an unexpected treasure and a really entertaining day. 

wabi sabi!

besos 

xx

PS oh right! we went to see a flamenco performance later this evening, which was cool. and our dinner beforehand...ugh, more tapas. i was not thrilled about this, especially after this afternoon's traumatizing lunch. but tapas dominates...defeated, i ordered the least tapas-like items on the menu...

chicken over red rice with spicy sauce. it was good - yay!

spotty is suspicious...

bull burger. it was good - yay!

spotty warms up to the food at this venue...

vegetable rollitos. much like an eggroll. it was good, although it had seafood in it and the waiter said it was all verduras. but it was edible and delicious - yay!

spotty happily dives in...

day 13: mierda

shit hit the fan today. 

it was backed up...

i could feel it building but couldn't release it. 

and then it just exploded. 

and when shit hits the fan, 

you can't ignore it. 

because it's there. 

and it stinks. 

not a pretty picture im painting. 

and it wasn't. 

so gina is still having bouts of headaches, remains disinterested in the remainder of our trip, and is homesick.  

and i'm trying to keep it together, bite my tongue, and try my best to enjoy our trip. 

like here at lunch in old madrid: 

wild asparagus

and chicken in garlic with potatoes (yuuuuum!!!) & trout with ham and garlic (yuuuuuuck!!!!)

or here at the jeronimos church behind the el prado museum:

a little tasty treat after a long museum walk - strawberry tartelette (these are SO good!)

but at parque del retiro, it all came crumbling down. 

down by the entrance of the parque before shit went down 

and even here, things are ok

but soon after...

it got to the point where i was in tears saying, "i want to give up. i want to give up..."

and gina wants to go home early. 

we go our separate ways: gina heads back to the hostal. i stay by the pond staring down at a duck sitting in front of me telepathically communicating to it to console me. true story. 

on the walk back to the hostal, i start to get nervous about whether she made it back ok or not...apparently i wasn't that nervous because i stopped in a couple of clothing stores to check out their sales. needless to say, they were difficult to enjoy and i walked out empty-handed both times. 

as soon as i walked into the hostal, i confirmed with the receptionist that mi hermana was in the room. 

gina and i were both a lot calmer.

the time apart gave us the chance to clean up our shit. 

clear the air. 

this SO had to happen. 

and once it did, 

we had a really nice time together, 

which we haven't really had since the last couple of days in barcelona. 

ok the pics are shitty quality but this moroccan restaurant was really tasty!

cucumber yogurt and falafels

cous cous with dried fruit

shit hits the fan once in awhile. 

how we choose to deal with the aftermath is what counts, i feel. 

the line that gets me every time is,

"do you want to be right. or do you want to be happy." 

it helps me to sort out my thoughts a little more clearly. 

especially since i have a tendency to want to be right. 

this practice kills my ego - leaves me feeling butt-naked vulnerable. 

but in exchange for a lighter heart and a more open mind. 

once the mess was dealt with, 

our dynamic flowed with more ease. 

our evening ended with a pleasant stroll through the chueca neighborhood. 

shit emptied, bellies full. 

palacio de cibeles. this whole area was stunning...

this experience made me think about how 

we resist or try so hard to get rid of difficult/uncomfortable/hurtful situations 

and

we indulge or try so hard to retain pleasant/comfortable/painless situations. 

naturally so. 

duh. 

however, 

words of the wise are all the same: 

just be. let it flow. without resisting or indulging. and trust the process. 

si? 

si. 

off to bed ahora para mi.  

for the record: im grateful for ALL the experiences that ive had with my sister 

[although some are difficult to admit...heh.] 

besos

xx

 

day 12: dust

the exhaustion of traveling really bore into me today.

so i was a bit cranky when we arrived in madrid. 

also, trying to travel with someone who seems disinterested in the exploration and simply not enjoying one's self is frustrating and depressing. 

after paris, gina hasn't been too keen on the rest of the trip. 

she's been dealing with heat exhaustion, exhaustion, missing her boyfriend, being homesick...

and im sure she has her own qualms about traveling with her big sister who wants to 

see everything, do everything, eat everything (actually she fully participates willingly in the eating part. there's that, at least.)....

luckily, the less attractive qualities of this particular travel have been soothed by new friendly faces and sound-bite conversations: who? where? why? when? how? seriously? no way?! 

another awesome aspect of traveling: meeting people!

theres 

-jackie, a UVM [benny, represent] grad who studied blood clotting and dropped by barcelona after a blood clotting conference in amsterdam

-abby from Australia, traveling alone

-3 [good lookin'] aussie friends traveling all over europe for 4 months, a hiatus from university 

-anna, from brazil, now working at the barcelona hostel with eriky, a french dude with a hip-hop edge

-a father traveling alone scoping out spots he could eventually retire to after sending his son and daughter back home from their travels together in israel

-a handsomely rugged brazilian who pilots hot air balloons all over europe and festivals, living on a diet of beer and olives 

-pedro and his maestro, street performers, have played concerts all over europe on their cimbalom

-and others...

im still loving it. 

i love being in a new place.

i feel expansive...

curious, jolted, hungry, satisfied, enchanted, found, excited, connected, self-sufficient.

and then...

disoriented, exhausted, nervous, violated, lonely, helpless, lost, etc....

i feel all those things too. 

these feelings, derived from fear, serve more as a "compass" as mastin kipp of the daily love puts it. 

and its showing me where i am and where i can choose to go. 

i can either choose to stay in this state or i can choose to move out of it and onto something that serves myself and others in a loving way. 

it makes sense to me. 

this human experience is all inclusive. 

expansive, enveloping all there is. 

im listening to alexi murdoch while i write this and his song, "shine" comes on...

the lyrics...

"well I didn't come here
looking for a soul
and I'm tired of watching dust
collecting on a bowl
I'm a spirit trying to be human
I'm just a spirit trying to be human"

...catch my attention and i have to stop typing to just listen. 

it's all happening perfectly.

everything is happening perfectly. 

right, liam? ;)

some comfort seemed necessary. 

before departing for madrid we are at 'brunch&cake'

both the brunch and the cake were "satisfying" as gina put it. 

gina's scrambled egg and ham "bagel" sandwich with avocado and mushrooms

my warm apple salad with poached eggs accompanied by a strawberry/brie/caramelized onion sandy

a gigantor oreo cake!

cena en madrid. 

tapas...

starting with iberico ham and traditional spanish omelette

the iberico ham didn't live up to the hype...

this calamari comes in 2nd after can majo's beating out cerveceseria's calamari

and the mushroom risotto was pretty bueno

pedro and his maestro kickin' it on the cimbalo

nearly half-moon. 

did you see the same moon tonight? 

view from our hostel. 

tomorrow is another day, eh? 

more living to be done.

more shredding to be done [in the words of allison :)]. 

more taking responsibility for own happiness...

im ready. 

bring it.

besos, loves. 

xx

day 11: yo soy la tourista

it feels like we've been away for longer than 11 days.

a touch of familiarity goes a long way...

like green juices! 

we went to a place called teresa carles, 

a vegetarian spot. 

we walk in and the first language i hear is korean. 

and everyone looks like they live in bk. 

felt like my 'hood. 

and i liked it!

mushroom/coconut meat/seaweed/avocado ceviche, 5 stars

melon/ginger/cheese cold soup, 3 stars [too gingery and liquid-y]

mini burgers and fries, 5 stars

eggplant mille feuille, 5 stars

it was a delicious slice of nyc

and because gaudi was such a hit yesterday, 

a second date was quickly arranged for the early evening...

casa batllo

casa mila [check out the statues on top. you'll never guess which one spotty is]

cool finds in the casa mila gaudi gift shop

and then cerveceria catalana for tapas - you were right shari...

probably the best tapas ive had. 

gracias for the rec!

fried green peppers. spotty is golden after about 3 sips - had 1 sip too many. 

the calamari. meh. can majo's calamari melted like butter so its a tough dish to follow...

spotty's still sloshy. 

fried Camembert with almond crust and raspberry jam. 

"cabreaos" style eggs. 

think shoestring fries with runny eggs broken up and mashed around all up in the potatoes. 

lemon cream cake. spotty is now spooning as he fades...

the magic fountain

color/music/water show

believe it. 

barcelona<3

so all day i was poking fun at myself for being such a tourist. 

i carry the bible-thick spain fodor's guide with me, 

ornamented with post-it tabs and dog-ears, 

under my arm or under my nose. 

i also bust out the spanish language guide on occasion. 

i pretty much look like a dorky tourist. 

*cut to scene of minna looking up at casa batllo reading the fodor's guide description aloud to gina assuming she is interested*

and tonight on the way home from the magical water fountain show, 

i almost got pick-pocketed. 

my nose in my fodor's book, 

looking up info about the magic fountain and montjuic, 

i step into the subway car

and some young looking blonde dude starts to say something over my shoulder

to someone he knows i assume

i glance over briefly and as my eyes come to rest back at the person in front of me

i notice that punk-ass trying to sly his hand into my unopened bag. 

i punch his stupid-arm away and i hear gina yell, "HEY!!"

i know, i know. 

i was the perfect target. 

i was reading by my massive guidebook, 

my bag was unzipped, 

and i was distracted by his tactic of yelling over my shoulder. 

luckily, 

i wasn't a victim...

boy, 

i am SUCH a tourist. 

on the ride back to our place, 

i replayed the scene with dramatic revisions: 

1. i grab his wrist and twist it so hard it breaks and i push him off the train as i spit in his face yelling profanities

2. i punch him in his face and jump off the car while i shove him to the ground and beat the crap out of him

3. he runs with my wallet and i chase after him, tackle him to the ground, and cause a great big scene with yelling and kneeing him into the dirty subway floor until the cops arrive and cuff his ass

and all the while, 

i kept intercepting my thoughts with wonderings about how compassion would come into play..

"what would the Dalai Lama have done?" kept coiling around these unproductive playbacks...

the experience spooked me a bit. 

i kept my hand on my bag for the rest of the ride home. 

im grateful to have experienced pick pocketing in this way...

must be more mindful...and keep my eyes open. 

speaking of keeping my eyes open, 

my friend allison sent me and gina off on this trip with some love: 

thank you, friend. 

in case you were wondering, 

yes, 

this trip shreds ;)

besos

xx