Vamos a echar de menos...

1. Taking notes on graph paper

2. Judias blancas

3. Escamplero (especially our amigos: no teeth, Irish wannabe, and Beth's gym buddy)

4. Humming homeless woman on the way to school

5. Metro dive

6. Being the only people talking on the metro

7. Croquetas

8. Corte Ingles

9. Sainz de Baranda

10. 79 cent vino rosado

11. Victor

12. MC's butterfly tendencies

13. No pasa nada, but really PASA

14. Pollo con manzanas

15. Tortilla de patata

16. Stealing fruit and lying about it

17. Our mini white fans (MC is going to miss them too)

18. MC's orange dress and brown winter skirt

19. MC's fake front tooth "CHICASH"

20. Fighting over who gets to take the straightener and blow dryer for the weekend

21. Being called "Bath", "Becan", and "Be..."

22. Glass jugs of water in the fridge

23. Pepe

24. Alicia and Nacho being so cute together

25. Ghali

26. Guzman el Bueno

27. Dia, Comprado, Open Cor

28. Cafe con leche

29. Our Pasteleria

30. Sweating Susie

31. Sleeping with our feet hanging off our mini beds

32. Everything mini

33. Carbs

34. Racing old women for Communion

35. Barajas

36. Medhi

37. Becca's blue Gap Kids pants and Limited Too dress

38. Starchy laundry

39. Angel, the doorman

40. "Proxima estacion..."

41. Shin splints, therefore not working out

42. Creepy old men

43. Limpieza

44. Mahou

45. Not knowing Megan... SIKE, love you novia

46. Ten cuidado con las puertas!

47. MC flickering the lights while we shower

48. Raul

49. Retiro Park

50. PDA

51. Metro de Madrid

52. Beggars on the metro

53. Musicians on the metro

54. Our school being the size of a Barbie play house

55. Ginny

56. Saying "z" and "c" like "th"

57. Rolling our R's

58. Helado

59. Staining the desk with our waterbottles... oops!

60. Burning the chair with our straightener... oops!

61. Living on top of each other

62. Running with our keys in our shoelaces

63. The Fortress after MC changed the locks

64. Skype

65. No privacy

66. Powerade and State Farm waterbottles... who are we kidding, those aren't going anywhere.

67. Huge box full of food on top of the wardrobe

68. Being turned down by locals because of our accent

69. Pinocchio pizza

70. Drinking in public/on the metro

71. Jamon

72. Almorose

73. Ponering la mesa

74. Shaving our legs once a week

75. Being Isabel y Rebecca

76. Ohmigosh Megon!

77. Spanglish

78. Sunny weather, never rain

79. Zara

80. Plaza de Doctor Laguna 12, 5F

81. Sol

82. Magdalenas

83. Using euros

84. Becca's rash

85. Darren Parker

86. Making whole loaves of PBJ for the weekend

87. Being SO stingy

88. Making friends/Becca's future employers/Jess' future husband while traveling

89. Sangria

90. 1.90 euro harras at Escamplero

91. Making dinner for less than a euro each

SHARKS!!!!!

As finals approach, we have been spending some time in the good ol' fashon American Starbucks where we can jam out to Christmas Carols while reved up on caffeine. On Thursday we did just that and afterwards, our Moroccan friend Ghali had us over for tea, shesha, and good company...don't fret for a second...shesha is an all natural dried fruit herb. The next morning we took our time getting ready for our ultimo weekend viaje.

Dashing Through the Snow? not quite....to ROMA we go. 25 estudiantes from Joe's are studying in Rome this semester! We stayed with Lexi, Jenna, and Kerri, who couldn't have been better hostesses. Upon arrival, we got ready for an evening out, Italian style, and hopped on the tram, which unfortunately wasn't full of Little Drummer Boys like our Madrid metro. We met up with the other pack of St. Joe's friends to Rock Around the Christmas Tree.

The next morning, we bundled up for a day in the Winter Wonderland of Rome. Oh Baby, It Was Cold Outside! We had an authentic tour of one of the oldest cities in the world with the help of friend and Rome expert, Santa Baby, aka Charles Tribe. He took us around the entire city while providing us with some interesting tidbits, which he learned from his art/history class. We saw the Roman Forum, the Colosseum, Pantheon, Victor Emmanuel, Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain (yes, we nearly got handcuffed by the popo after a polar bear swim...thanks a lot, Sara)... and many other sights that we stumbled upon. How we had time for it all in The Little Town of Bethlehem... I mean, Rome? One never knows. After the full day, we went back to Lexi's to get ready for an authentic Italian meal with our fabulous hostesses. The meal consisted of focaccia bread (FJ...yours still dominates), vino, and delicious pasta dishes...we needed a break from the "pizza-only" diet that we had had thus far. Enlightening the chicas on MC stories proved for some serious entertainment.

Being the shesha extraordinaires that we now are, we met some more at a favorite huka place, then headed out to one of their favorite bars. At Scholars, we ran into a fellow SLU estudiante...bizarre!...and some other St. Joe's pals. T'was a phenom time... surely not a Silent Night.

After only a three hour sleep, we woke up to see the Vatican. To our dismay, the Sistine Chapel is closed on Sundays...what Catholic FREAK thought that was okay? Instead of being sour, we counted our blessings (and said some prayers for you CI!). We went to Mass (Hark! The Angels Did Sing!) and toured around St. Peter's Basilica before hanging out with Pope Ben. At noon, he came out to give a blessing and included a loud "YO DER!" for his babygirls (us) in English! Now that's The Meaning of Christmas.

On Sunday night we crashed the Roman SJU good-bye family dinner at another quaint Italian restaurant. We didn't feel bad though, as Jenna assured us it was O Come All Ye Faithful. Cannolis and all, it's safe to say, we won't be the best looking ladies for Christmas. The evening ended up with the Rome students completing one of the last things on their "to-do" checklist... jumping in fountains... after our extravaganza in the Trevi, we did not take part.

Singing the Christmas Blues, the weekend was brought to a sad close when we left on Monday morning. Rome was the perfect final trip, especially thanks to our gracious hostesses.

Our noses were stuck in books for the first half of exam week. Last night, we took a break from studying to enjoy a Moroccan meal with some friends. If you ask what our favorite ethnic food is we will enlighten you, describing our Moroccan entrees. According to Ghali, that's not even possible. Immediately upon returning home, Beth found the nearest Moroccan restaurant to St. Joes. Hope you guys can't wait to accompany us. Today, we did some last minute Christmas shopping and plan on a full evening, ESTUDIARING! Sooner rather than later, We'll Be Home for Christmas. But fret no further, we will be back on Tuesday for our FINAL BLOG ENTRY: SPECIAL EDITION. Already in the works...

Linner = Lunch + Dinner

Only three more blogs left? Could it be true?! and WORSE! OUR SECOND TO LAST WEEKEND IN MADRID!!! Terrible yet verdad. On Wednesday after class, our amigo let Becca drive his hot pink (aka maroon) station wagon home...buen idea? probs not. On Thursday we met Ben's work associate who resides in our home town. He took us out for some tortitas con nata at Vips...why had we not known about these delic, cheap, better-than-pancakes treats before? Afterward, we got the hook up at Kapital again through Beth's Lebanese amigo. We danced the night away with some of Beth's classmates who accompanied her to Brussels and other friends.

On Saturday, we took a day trip with Suzy aka our gurlcrush to Toledo. Oops...forgot to bring MC back some Mazapan (tradic Toledan dessert). She was not a happy camper. Sorry we're not sorry. Exploring the ador, baby, quaint, historic, Jewish, hilly, windy, religious, Moorish, artistic, sunny, architecturally pleasing, Catholic town made the day of Satur a great one. That night, we went out with some girlyboos to the gay city section, Chueca. Beth is singing Jessica Simpson Christmas carols in my bed right now, loud enough for MC to come hit her across the face. Anything to shut her up. NO REGLAS! \m/ (to be viewed as the symbol emo freaks use at rock concerts...grassy ass Crimp.)

Finally buckling down for exams, we spent 6 hours fueled up on caffeine in Starbucks on Sunday. Raul, you are the bane of our existence. This weekend, we are Rome bound. If its true what Sara says, "if Rome had a river of chocolate flowing through it, it could be confused with heaven," we will surely be fat when we return. Until then, we have officially stepped into Christmas (admission's free, thanks Elton). MC loves our blaring seasonal tunes, but unfortunately hasn't put up a tree or decorations :( We are considering doing the decorating ourselves with construction paper snowflakes. Happy Advent! Luegooooo.....

Merry Christmas you filthy animal

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1121345647

100 Cats

The itinerary stated clearly the plans for Monday and Tuesday. Derek and Kane took the hour bus to Toledo on Monday and to Segovia on Tuesday while we were in class. After their trips which they claim were “beautiful, gorgeous, stunning in every which way, and definitely a potential hot spot to raise a family,” (I too, thought it was a little strange that they were THAT enthused) we met them at Escamplero and went out.

On Wednesday, the chicos roamed around the city, parking themselves on the bench with the most entertainment around…the typical Spanish PDA sesh proved to be entertaining at the very least. After we got out of class, Jess, Meg and I (Beth left for Brussels), brought the boys back to MC’s humble abode…and humble she was, offering them dinner. Although frightened by the nutty old women, they were sure not to pass up the free meal. Once we established that there was a futbol game on TV, Mary Carmen scurried around situating us on the couches to watch while shoveling food down our throats. After the victory, we all fought for who could get the bathroom first. Sike. No one threw up but we sure as hell wanted too. After dinner, we hung out in the house and packed for the upcoming weekends activities.

At around 12 A.M., Derek and Kane said their farewells to Megan and Jess who were spending the weekend in Paris. Although we had to tear Michael away from his beloved novia (oh my gosh, meangan!), we somehow managed to get to the bus station in time for our overnight drive to Granada (anything to save a few Euro.) Thankfully, we slept the whole way on the bus, and awoke bright and early in the quaint Moorish city. We spent the rest of the morning as tourists and visited cities Cathedral. Afterward, we went back to the hostel to check into our room and take a siesta. The rejuvenating nap gave us the energy we needed to hike up a mountain…note to self: never go on vaca with an ROTC student and Rugby stud. Upon reaching the top, we could see an incredible view of the entire city. When we returned, we showered and got ready for the tapas tour that the hostel had planned. Everyone in the hostel hopped from bar to bar as we sampled just about every Spanish tapa known to man. Granada is one of the only cities left in Spain that still gives you a free appetizer with every beer…talk about a cheap, filling meal. Our new Australian and French Canadian friends (who Kane, again, swept off their feet), helped make the evening a delightful one.

The next morning we woke up, packed a loaf of PB&Js, and headed off to the Alhambra. One of the top 10 tourist attractions in Europe is a symbol of the Moorish retreat during the Christian Reconquista. The Moors’ great palace consists of four sights clustered on top of a huge hill. The detailed artwork and architecture which clearly showed the Moorish obsession of water (we almost through Kane into quite a few waterfalls) were incredible. The sight took the entire day to explore, so by the time that we were finally finished, we needed a siesta. Afterward, the hostel provided a FEAST for a measly 5 Euro. Beginning with carrot soup, Salad, Patatas Bravas, Paella (4 yards in circumference), and triple chocolate brownie made us never want to leave Oasis hostel. That night, we went to a bar for a few drinks.

On Saturday morning, we woke up to check out of the hostel. We got our usual cup of café con leche, and then headed to the bus station. When surrounded by good company, the 5 hour long bus ride only seems to take 2. When we got back home, I packed a suitcase of gifts (don’t even think about it family!) and went to Pinocchio’s for dinner. MC offered the boys a bed for the night (good etiquette yet again) because my babygurls were still gone. After the night out with Suzy, I took the boys to the airport in the AM, and we sadly bid our farewells.

We missed you, Knuty!

MC's chicas were reunited last night after another weekend of separation (tear). Jess and Meg were in Paris, while Bec took the visiting chicos south to Granada... she'll tell you all about that soon. I went to Brussels with my political econ class to see the European Union and have some fun in Belgica! We took off from Madrid and arrived at our very nice hotel late Wednesday night. After getting settled, a few of us went out for a couple Belgian brewskis. It happened to be karaoke night at the nearest little bar, so we endured some painful croons but enjoyed some drinks and sang along before heading in for the night.
We had an early wake-up call Thursday morning for a meeting at the European Parliament. The Spanish parliamentarian we were there to meet was busy, but we got the tour from his assistant, and briefly greeted him in passing after creeping in his office. Next we headed to a quaint part of the city for a quick lunch. Being the good friend that I am, I risked my life for a Brian Dearborn photo shoot, and barely escaped death by a moving car. We went on to our next meeting with lobbying firm Business Europe, and then back to the hotel for a brief siesta before dinner.
Knut, our professor and frequent visitor of Brussels, took us out for a typical Belgian meal. It would have to suffice for Thanksgiving dinner for the Americans in the class. We enjoyed mussels, Belgian fries (don't even think about calling them French in Belgium), and of course some more Belgian cerveza. Delish. Dinner turned out to be quite the cultural experience, as we all used the paper table cloth to teach and learn ridiculous words and phrases in different languages. Fat and happy, we headed to see Grand Place (gorgeous at night! Check out the pictures) and Mannequin Piss, Brussels' famous statue of a little boy peeing (??). Whatever they're into... Then we passed a lucky Belgian statue, which some of us were bold enough to touch. (So I'm either going to get married within the month or never at all... Eeek.) Knut took us to one of his favorite Brussels bars, The Coffin, where we drank beer out of skulls and Knut told us about his days as the lead singer in a death metal band. Needless to say we all got to know our each other pretty well this weekend.
Another early morning on Friday, we met with two more EU lobbyists from different industries, then took the tram out of downtown to visit the Estonian embassy. Suburban Brussels in the fall was beautiful and reminded us of home. After an interesting chat with the ambassador, we headed back to the EU Commission building, where we had our final meeting with a Swedish commissioner. For dinner, Knut took us to another little Belgian place for some more authentic food and beehs. That night some of us went out to the popular club You and danced the night away euro-style.
We took a trip out of town on Saturday, to the beautiful city of Brugge. The old-Europe city was all ready for Christmas, and we all got in the spirit, doing some shopping, and tasting the seasonal hot wine. We visited a shop that makes their own chocolate, and of course enjoyed lots of samples and spent lots of money. It was worth every euro and every calorie. Back in Brussels, we went out for dinner and another fun night hanging out with people from our class.
Sunday morning we got up to visit King Leopold's museum of stuff he collected from his own personal African colony, walked around a little park outside Brussels, and finally enjoyed an authentic Belgian waffle. Seriously packing on the pounds this weekend between the waffles, fries, chocolate, and beer. How all Belgians aren't obese I'll never know.
The trip came to a close with our flight back to Barajas, where we said tearful goodbyes to our new friends. I headed back to MC's to be reunited with my long-lost roomates. Tonight, Rowan and Owen (Jess' and my Aussie friends that we met in Granada) are in Madrid, so we are going to meet them and show them our stomping grounds. Check ya laterrrrr.

Gracias a Dios por ser Espanol

Los chicos arrived Friday A.M. so Betha met them at the areopuerto bright and early. We took the chaps to their Hostel in Sol where we left them for a few hours to take a serious siesta. Afterward, Derek and Kane met us for dinner at our favorite pizza place, Pinocchio, where we ordered our beers by the litro via our own table's tap...so college. Our Euro getup threw the boys for a bit of a shock..Euro meets American with our spandex under dresses topped with Northface jackets...mind you, all four of us dressed in uniform. Afterward, we took the boys out for their first Spanish clubbing experience. Derek and Kane's lack of dancing skills made it obvious that the Spanish clubbing scene that we have become so used to is far different from the American college bar scene.

The next morning, the boys slept in still struggling from the time change. They diverged from the itinerary schedule, which had a full sightseeing day planned ahead. When they finally woke up, we met them with bocadillas and watched one of the many manifestaciones that was going on in Sol because it was the weekend anniversary of Franco's death. We then made way to Real Madrid's futbol stadium where we spontaneously bought tickets for the Spain vs. Sweden Eurocup qualifier. (Shout out to Sergio Ramos!) We went home to get ready briefly then got on the metro again, only to get robbed for the second weekend in a row. The metro was packed with Espana fans presenting a perfect opportunity to unzip Becca's purse and steal her clutch containing all of her valuables. Madrid: 2. Becca: 0. SORRY Collins. Once we found our perfectly situated stadium seats, her worries disappeared. Becca and Jess wore their Espana flags proudly and Kane bought an obnoxious horn (shocking) to cheer their team to victory!

On Sunday, we met the boys at MC's before heading to Mass and the Prado. Derek spoke of all of the artist painting techniques, while candyKane tried to make a run for it with Valezquez's most famous piece. Afterward, we treated MC and CO (Pepe and his GF) to a traditional Thanksgiving meal. To our dismay, Corte Ingles was lacking in the turkey inventory, so chicken had to suffice. With MC buzzing around in our faces insisting that her frozen beans were better than ours and SHE knew how to make mashed potatoes, we still managed to enjoy a hearty meal. After dinner, we helped Derek and Kane plan their day trips to Segovia and Toledo on Monday and Tuesday. The next weekend Betha was torn into two. Becca took Derek and Kane to Granada while Beth attended a class trip to Brussels. Hold your horses...new posts are a comin'.

Check ya later!

Guzman El Bueno is so Beautiful

Its been a busy week, so we have finally had time to sit down and blog about our latest Madrid happenings...we know you've been sitting on the edge of your seat, dying of curiosity. This past weekend, our gracious Irish hostess, Suzy (lax super star), came to visit the city we have come to call home. MC was a pretty gracious host herself by offering Suzy lodging...put that one down in the books. On Thursday we took her to Escam where we met some of Plaza de Doctor Laguna's classiest. After hearing an original freestyle and beat box and many beautiful comments about how beautiful our eyes were... how beautiful our metro stop was... and how beautiful the English language is... from toothless jovenes, Suzy began to question our standards. Not to worry, Suzy's opinion was quickly swayed when we brought her, VIP style, to the most popular Discoteca this city has to offer, Kapital. Thanks to our friend Albert, we bypassed the line and got in free of charge. He led us up to a VIP room, on the second of seven themed floors. In true Fabulous Life Of Betha fashion, there were already bottles chilling in for us when we got to the club. We boogied with Becca's Marketing class, many of whom sport the Last Samurai Euro ponies (something not to be tried at home).

The next morning, we woke and took Suzy on a grand tour of Madrid. Beginning in our favorite pasteleria, we ventured to Sol, The Royal Palace, the Cathedral, and Retiro Park. That night, we met our other friend Suzy (fellow Madrileña) who also had friends visiting for the weekend, at a bar in Sol. After jumping into cabs to switch party scenes, a misunderstanding led to Suzy (SJU) and Becca being split up from Meg and Beth. Becca and Suzy decided to take a cab home, but as per usual, the cab driver tried to take advantage of them by cruising around and racking up the meter. When the girls protested at the end of the ride, the driver forgot what his mama taught him- boys don't hit girls. Thankfully Suzy came out unscathed, but not before taking a few slaps from the taxista while protecting, not the lacrosse goal, but Becca. Why come to Madrid if you don't experience it to the fullest? She sure as hell did. The cops came, and in between a few dramatic sobs, the story was told. Madrid: 1.

On Saturday we woke up to go shopping to indulge our newly-aquired Euro fashion sense. To our dismay, we couldnt find any spandex or skinny jeans that suited our tastes. But at least we still got some money in the bank... swizz beatz styleeee. On the way home, we were surprised to hear a metro boyband playing the crowd-pleaser "When the Saints Come Marching In"... better known as "When the Hawks Come Flying In." As proud Hawks, of course we belted out the lyrics, and became part of their metro show. After a quick siesta, we headed out again. To our shock, Escamplero was closed, so we had to choose another Plaza de Dr. Laguna jump-off. We stepped into Viejo Estilo, and realized why we had never been there before... we found ourselves surrounded by some grandads after work, cigars and pianist included. Megan took a turn showing off her musical talent, stunning the crowd with some Coldplay classics. As bumpin as the bar was, we decided to leave after one cerveza and lots of bar snacks. We went out again with Suzy-squared and Co. to Madrid's famous cave bars. Fun was had by all!

On Sunday we had another cultural day, beginning at the famous Prado Museum. Our art appreciation does in fact extend beyond van Gogh. We brought the Madrid-packed weekend to a close at the Real Madrid game Sunday night. Robinho (pronounced RRRRRRRRRROBINHO, rolling your Spanish "r" of course) dazzled us with his fantastic fútbol skills, scoring 2 of RM's 4 goals in their win against Mallorca. Although we loved Mallorca's crystal blue waters and crazy clubs, we're still Madrileñas at heart. You know we aren't the chicks to do anything halfway... we rocked our Real Madrid jerseys, of course.

Monday morning we bid Suzy farewell and began another jam-packed week of schoolwork... and we thought Joe's was hard. MC's four oceanographers kept busy completing a project on seaweed (yes, we're serious... we never knew there was such a school of information on the subject.) The school week flew by as usual, and we sit here awaiting the arrival of Darrell and Kane VERY early in the mañana!

News Flash

Spotted:
B & B both donning (gasp!).... leggings. What's next? Skinny jeans? Oh wait, they've already tried them out too. Guess the plain Janes couldn't resist Euro fashion forever...

till next time...



you know you love me

xoxo

2440 or Amsterdam...same diff.

Shocking news: we did not be win the "best halloween costume" for 2007. Even more shocking, we did not even dress up because these lame Spaniards don't celebrate what most would consider the best college holiday. Instead, we spent the day packing for Amsterdam and feasting on Kit's halloween package and Deb's halloween candy (you jerks are making it hard for us to come back looking sexy.) Thursday morning we caught our flight to Frankfurt and would not have minded staying one night in the German city with all of the tall, blonde, blue eyed Aryans. Our delayed flight eventually took off and after a quick 45 minutes, we landed in the Dam of Amster.

Upon our arrival we found our hostel. Room 11 or Anne Frank's hideout...same diff. We left Megan at home with her parents for the weekend so the two of us and Jess were crammed in a 2x4 with only one bunkbed and a matress laying the ground. The only benefit of our hostel was that it was in the center of everything so we met our friends (who were staying in a different hostel) at a bar close by. After deciding to call it a night, we were drawn by the blue strobe lights and Dutch anthems booming from inside bar Surprise. When we entered, we were literally surprised. After watching huddles of Dutch men belting out their country's jams, followed by favorites such as "It's Raining Men," by the Spice girls, and ABBA's "Dancing Queen," we looked around to realize that we were the only chicas in the bar...SURPRISE...it was a gay bar. A wild time, nonetheless, we stayed longer than expected pretending to know the words to the Dutch songs and making some Dutch friends. DUTCH.

Our friend, Matt from Joe's (who is teaching English to little German kinder) also met us in the land of the Nethers (we told you that you would get some airtime). We met him for the free breakfast of bread and butter at the hostel then off we treked to fulfill Beth's seventh grade dream of visiting Anne Frank's humble abode...and humble it was...but not quite as humble as our 2x4. We toured the mini quarters and at the end we sent our Padres some video footage of our cultural activities. We lifted our spirits by sampling Amsterdam's famous crapes...which were less than stellar. The waffles were far more superior. We topped off our day of culural experiences by visiting the Van Gogh museum. Mesmerized by some of Vanny's materpieces, Becca finally found a favorite painting called "Sunflowers." Don't worry Kit, I'm not stealing your favorite flower...my new favorite now also comes from one of Goghseph's paintings, "Irises." Next, we went back to our hostel for a brief nap before a night on the town.

We got dolled up...in what most would consider not such a "Betha" outfit...spandex and skinny jeans have grown on us madrilenas. We lent our 2x4 and shower con flipflops to our homeless Spanish friend, Victor. Surprise! We got a few dranks at Surprise, the Escamplero of Amsterdam. Then we headed to Amsterdam's biggest club, Escape. Anne, you would have definately wanted to escape. On stage there was a combination of dancing mimes dressed as transvestites with clown faces on. For some reason, we didn't think it was weird at the time. We boogied through the night to the techno beat and had a romantic walk home as the sun was rising.

BAGELS! We had them for breakfast! We walked around and nearly died several times as Amsterdam's crazy women bikers swooshed past us. Lee Ann, you would have fit in perfectly because everyone was just as sick at bike riding as you. Come to think of it, we give you more props. The beach chair, towel, and beach bag in hand, radio on the shoulder, and one (or both) of us on your handle bars is hard to beat. You go girl! Unfortunatly the bike rental places were sold out so we didn't get to bike around in true Dutch fashion. We visited the infamous Red Light District...when in Amsterdam. A serious EEF had by all. Jess was lured by the legal prostitution but being the good Catholic girls that we are, we said, "NO JESS, PLEASE NO!" Kidding, the trashy sluhas were easy to pass up...even for Matt.

After a full day of city gandering, we went out again and met some London lads. They did not hesitate to bust the chops of an Italian creep who remembered Beth from the night before. He came to be known as "The Godfather." Despite popular belief, Beth must have some killer dance moves, unforgettable to middle aged Euro men who pick their nose...AND wear glasses. (NOTHING to worry about, Tombase!) We woke up early to get to the airport...but apparently, not early enough. We officially had our first "sprint to the gate" airport run. (Beth is laying on my best doing situps right now.) We made it just in time for our flight back to MC's house. This weekend, Suzy will be visiting from Ireland so we will get a chance to repay her for the awesome time she showed us there.

Bringing mullets home...

To Mallorca, Beth and Jess go.
So for the second weekend in a row.
We were seperated once again
Your daughter I severely missed, Ben.

Megan and I stayed at home.
our only connection to the two were by phone.
We decided to get a lot done.
and hang out with our Mallorca friends for fun.

Kit sent an enormous gift
By golly, it was hard to lift.
Heavy with cookies and candy galore
the book and DVDs made this weekend not a bor.

She is my best friend and number one sister
and boy do I miss her.
The sweetest gal I know
In Costa Rica we thought of getting a tatoo on our big toe.

Megan had an infection in her ear
So this weekend we didn't drink much beer.
One on one time with MC
We should have charged a fee.

Did I think getting a haircut here
I would be in the clear?
In Spain, girls have mullets too
I didn't want one, but the hairdresser had not a clue.

Kiterooski...you really are the best EVER!
In our backyard Dad set up tether.
Can't wait to see you and the the greatest fam of all time
Over Christmas break we will be together...100% better than fine!

“We didn’t come to learn about Oceanography, we came to learn how to love.”

I am back. Back again. I am back. Without Beth, my friend. Betha will not be in full force throughout this blog excerpt. We were split up for the first time all semester. Shocking, I know. Our Oceanography class is too grande to take everyone on the class trip together, so Megan and I went to the Baleric Islands without Jess and Beth, who will be going next weekend.

Megan and I met the rest of the class at the airport on Thursday morning. After the hour long flight, we took a bus to our hotel. The lobby’s glass walls overlooked massive cliffs and the royal blue Mediterranean Sea. After settling into our room, we met most of our classmates on the pool deck, which again, was completely gorg. Here, we got to know everyone whom we didn’t recognize from class (we sit in the front row). Raul took us to the cliff, located beside the pool, where several of our classmates started jumping off. The forty foot fall was enough to personally pass up. After feasting on the hostel’s delic dinner buffet, we got ready for a night on the town and invited everyone into our room for a United Nations pregamming party. We walked down our street toward a local bar and ran into, none other then our charmingly guapo Spanish prof. Every girl blushing, we wondered, who would be bold enough to take a picture with him? You shall ponder no longer…it was yours truly and few other chicas. Check out the pictures to see exactly WHY we sit in the front row. At the bar, we took over the microphone from a local fav, Margo.

The following morning we took the bus to Michael Douglas’ property. Here, we watched a short video on Michael Douglas (who has done a lot of work in preserving the island from tourism), and a show about the Archduke of the island. After getting café con leche with our new best friends, we walked around the small town of Valdemosa. Next, we took the bus to go scuba diving. Yes, we got licensed and all… the U.S. is far too uptight on liability issues…or maybe Europe is extremely lax. Regardless, we watched a 10 minute film on what not to do while submerged under 10 meters of water, and headed out to the boat, wetsuit, gogs, and flipper in hand. Each group of four had their own Mallorcan instructor who did not hesitate to continuously crack inappropriate yet hilarious jokes on all of us. Once we reached our scuba destination and mustered up the courage, strapped on our air tank then fell backwards into the crystal blue water. We swam with Diego (hand in hand) to the shallow end for a little practice. Our group had quite a few problems with getting used to the sport (imagine that) but Diego was very patient. Once our breathing was under control we linked hands and swam around the ocean blue. After being spotted by our classmates, we let go of one another’s hands (besides Megan with her death grip to Diego) and floated around the mysterious habitat. Diego showed us how to play with squid and octopi (who thankfully refrained from inking us). After 32 minutes under water, we found our way back to the boat and descubbad. We went to the beach for a little then feasted on the unlimited supply of ice cream (Collins girl at her finest slash fatass) which made for a rejuvenating meal. After showering (room flooded) we again had people over for drinks, then out we went for a more low key night in Palma De Mallorca.

On Saturday we woke up early and took the bus to the north cost of Mallorca where we boarded a boat to begin our voyage to a smaller Balearic Island called Cabrera. We took a hike up a hill toward an old Spanish castle which was originally used to look out for Pirates. Raul (what a smarty) told us that during the Spanish/ French war, Spain put 12,000 French prisoners on the island and forgot about them. After two years (I think), there were only 2,000 prisoners left because of disease, starvation and cannibalism. Major EFF. We explored the island then snorkeled for a while. Finally, we ate lunch on the boat and headed back to Mallorca. I PROMISE, I’M ALMOST DONE! After a short siesta, we got ready for our last night in Mallorca. Another pre-party in 725 (did I mention, the elevators were SO fast in the hotel) we went to one of the most famous clubs on the island called BCM. We cut many a rug on the dance floor and had an unforgettable time.

On Sunday, our scuba instructors took us kayaking, so we decided to leave behind the only two jerks in the class (muhaha). Megan and I jumped into a double kayak and played around with our friends who were jumping off cliffs, the top of the boat, and swimming in caves. The rest of the day was spent hanging around the hotel before our flight home.

All in all, I honestly can’t say if I have ever had a better weekend. I am completely J of Beth and Jess and might hide in their suitcase when they leave on Thursday. Double dog dare me…

Curious... by Britney Spears

You might want to sit down for this one… For the first time in ages, Betha was forced to separate this weekend. It was a devastating 4 days in both of our lives, but somehow we got through it. So, we are going to have to blog solo…. Twice the excitement for you guys to read!

Without our partners in crime in Mallorca for the weekend, Jess and I decided to take a trip to the south of Spain to see Sevilla and Granada. We woke up EARLY Friday morning to catch a 6 hour bus to Sevilla. Our hostel turned out to be the Ritz Carlton of hostels, complete with rooftop terrace and a pool. Even more luxurious, Jess and I had our own room with a balcony: the honeymoon suite for our romantic weekend together. We freshened up and then headed out to do some sightseeing. First we visited Seville’s Cathedral (the third largest in the world, according to Rick Steve’s). Apparently Christopher Columbus is buried there… probs not really him though. Next we walked to the Alcazar… check out the pictures, it must have been a tough life living there. After an afternoon of sightseeing, we headed back to get ready for a flamenco show. Sevilla is known as the home of Spanish flamenco, and the show was awesome from our front row seats. Back at the hostel, we hung out on the terrace and made some Swedish friends before heading out for a night on the town. First, we hung out in a plaza full of bars with people packed in the streets. After making some Spanish friends, we joined them at a bar/club, but the 40-something crowd clad in business suits wasn’t really our scene, so we made our way to another bar before heading in for the night.

The next morning we caught another early bus to Granada, but wishing we had more time in Sevilla. Our hostel was another palace… if you ever need to find a decent hostel anywhere, Jess Westlake is your girl. We found our way through the skinny streets, filled with shops with plenty of Moroccan influence, and headed up to La Alhambra. After a serious hike up the mountain, we arrived, out of breath, to check out another gorgeous palace. Jess and I plan on modeling our first homes after La Alhambra or the Alcazar. Check out the pictures, but they don’t do it justice!

Back at the hostel, we continued living the life with a 4 course feast cooked by some of our hostel friends. We also found out the hostel bar was hosting a "Transvestite Night" pregame that night. Fat and happy from our first meal of the weekend outside of PBJs on white bread, we showered, got ready, and watched the Rugby World Cup championship with our new Australian friends. It turns out, they had stayed at the same hostel as us the night before in Sevilla. Small world... literally! They had recognized us from Jess' vintage clothing the day before. Anyway, after the game, we enjoyed a hilarious and rowdy pregame with guys dressed as girls and girls dressed as ridiculous girls. Fortunately or unfortunately, Jess and I didn't dress in costume, but we still had a ball, then went out to spend the rest of the night at the club with our new friends.

Sunday morning, we woke up to check out of our hostel and enjoy some leftovers from the night before. Risotto for breakfast is the new cure for the hangover... who knew? We spent Sunday with our Australian pals on a self-guided tour of Granada, which led us on another steep hike to a breathtaking view of the city. We took a few paparazzi snapshots of the gypsies that live in the mountains... their houses may lack 4 solid walls but they sure don't lack creativity. Unfortunately, it was time to go, but it was tough to end such an awesome weekend. After another hideously long bus ride, we had a tearful reunion with Meg and Bec back at MC's and stayed up exchanging stories of our weekends. According to Megan and Becca, Jess and I have an incredible trip ahead of us this weekend in Mallorca... can't wait!

www.picasaweb.google.com/bethj917

"I cannot believe its today, laddie"

TOP O' THE DAY TO YA! Last weekend, we ventured to our ancestors old stomping grounds...Ireland! Suzy Herlihy (fellow laxer breh) is studying abroad in Galway. She took us under her wing and proved to be quite the hostess with the mostest. We skipped classes (got our priorities in check) and boarded a plane to Shannon Thursday mornin'. (Debbie O'Jenkins, the remainder of this blog is to be read with your killer Irish brogue.) After landing, we found our way to the bus station to hop on the earliest bus to Galway. Suzy greeted us with rosy cheeks, no warts. She was very kind, and sort of witty...very sweet and VERY pretty. We dropped our luggage off in her abode before taking a tour of the quaint city. We stopped for some Irish fish&chips (BYOB Blumbers-- Irish cider.) That evening, Suzy took us to a popular Irish pub where we Jigged the night away... (hardshoes and all) to a live Irish cover band...it's true, the Irish sweat U2. We met some of Megan's friends from Nova (eef) who are also studying in Galway. We were pleased to find that it was okay to eat dinner by 7, go out by 9, and return before sunrise.

We woke up early the next morning to catch a ferry to the Aran Islands. Suzy had class so the four of us (still not sick of eachother yet) got ready for an adventure to see some of Ireland's most famous sights. After rented bikes, we took off like the cast of "Now and Then." Looking fashonable in our rain gear (check out the posted pictures) we rode through the incredible rocky and green countryside. The inhabitants of the Aran Islands still speak traditional Gaelic. No maps in hand and a strong sense of direction (Becca led the way...probs not though), we found our way to Dun Aonghasa, an ancient Celtic fort built by Celtic tribesmen circa 2000BC. The ruin was at the peak of a huge cliff where Becca showed us some of her dive team expertise. Kidding, but we did hang off the edge and wished MC was there so we could throw her over. Our picnic was enjoyed thoroughly. We did a little gift shopping, then hopped on the ferry. Sweet talking to a ferry driver leprechaun resulted in free access to the pot of gold...Lion Candy Bars.

When arrived home, Suzy had a gourmet dinner waiting. Thanks, babygurllll! Afterward, we headed out for another night on the town where we met some more of Suzy and Megan's friends, some Aussies, and Brits. We are totes becoming some international socialites. Again, we danced the night away at some pubs and clubs. Our roomate found her future hubby (he's from BOSTON and in DENTAL school!) and couldn't resist another dance floor makeout. (She will remain anonymous but we can tell you one thing...it was neither of us, nor Megan...and MC wasn't with us.)

Saturday morning we got a taste of Irish flavor at Galway's Farmer's Market. The rest of the day was spent walking around the adorable city, shopping and taking in the sites. Suzy showed us her campus (it was no SLU). That night we went to another pub with a really fun live band to enjoy a few pints. We met some lads who were celebrating a stag party aka bachelor party. They had already lost the bachelor but didn't hesitate to extend the wedding invite to us. Our Irish dancing skills were not quite stellar in comparison to the moves those Irish blokes taught us. Again, we had a ball!

Sunday morning we woke up and got bagels only to meet our Irish friends from the night before. We wallowed in our recovery together and left them with a friendly "Cheers!" We went to church in the Galway Cathedral. The first Mass that we could actually understand! We traveled through the night into Monday morning and arrived home just in time to take our Oceanography midterm...hopefully Raul will be generous when grading. We are making plans for Jess' Birthday weekend so you know the blog will be good.

"La Merce" actually means Jessica Westlake

Back from Barcelona and missing it already!! We scheduled our trip for La Merce festival, which promised to be an eventful weekend. We flew in late Thursday night and caught a cab to our hostel. We were thrilled to find that Rick Steves treated us right with the suggestion of yet another perfectly situated hostel downtown, right off Las Ramblas. Exhausted from the travel and 2A.M. arrival, we decided to take a quick walk around town then hit the hay. After a sound sleep on our bunk beds we woke to spend the morning on the famous (again, topless) beaches. They weren't quite as beautiful as Valencia's (SORRRY Barca) but we still had a nice nap on the beach. Before long, we were awakened by Asian ladies offering a one-of-a-kind "Masaje Masaje" and Moroccan's trying to pawn off "Cervezas y Coke lite." Lee Ann, you wouldn't have been able to resist.

That afternoon we met up with the rest of our traveling entourage, Brian (Aka Dad) and Helpless Alex. They were staying with some of Brian's friends who are studying abroad in Barcelona for the semester. They led the way to the construction sight of Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia. We took more than a handful of pictures of the unfinished cathedral. The architecture was different than any we had seen before. Incorporating turtles and fruit into portrayals of Jesus and biblical scenes were some of Gaudi's wacky designs. Afterward, we went to a cafe for sangria and a chocolate chip cookie (incomparable to Becca's finest.)

Walking home through Las Ramblas, we caught a glimpse of some of Barcelona's finest athletes in one of the La Merce parades. After a little souvenir shopping, we made our way home through some smaller backroads to avoid the madness. (Sit down for this Andy and Uncle Jimmy.) We ran into none other than TH14...YES! Thierry HENRY!! For those of you who are less saavy in the European soccer world, Henry (pronounced "on ree") is one of the best athletes in the world. Thank God for our roomate, Megan, or we would have walked right past him. We walked sheepishly past him to confirm that we were not delusional, then argued over who would make the first move. Finally, Megan had the guts to approach. After affirming our belief, the rest of us spoke up and joined. Without a camera or paper, we resorted to having him sign Becca's tanktop. Uncle Jimmy, you will have to duke it out with our friend Andy because he has already claimed the paraphernalia. He asked for our numbers and offered us front row seats to his game the following day. Sike. We wish. We bid him farewell after a nice chat, which was good enough for us. Giggling and giddy, we headed home. In true college student fashion, we made Friday night's dinner and Saturday's lunch at the hostel for less than ONE EURO each...this is something to boast about! It was no gourmet meal, but the spaghetti dinner and a loaf's worth of PB&Js were suitable.

We followed suit of the rest of the festival goers and bought a 6 pack to enjoy while walking around to see La Merce's performers. We watched a concert and parade of oversized figures of Ferdinand and Isabella's court. We then headed to a nearby restaurant for sangria GRANDE and tapas. We were pretty stelth at smuggling in our own cervezas for a periodic secret sip...sooo college. Afterward, we met up with our Barcelonian hosts to finish the night with some late night hooka.

On Saturday we walked to Gaudi's Park Guell...we repeat...what a whack job. He now tops our list of favorite architects...surpassing all the other architects that we know (thats how you know he must be pretty dag on fantastic.) The afternoon turned into night as we roamed Las Ramblas taking in all of the La Merce festivities. The drummers on stilts, dancing groups in the streets, and marching bands made for a pretty bumpin atmosphere. Kit, check out the picture of us with the women dressed in fruit...I nearly got away with the necklace to send home to you for a birthday gift. Sorry to disapoint you, but I was caught by the surrounding crowd and was booed away.

That evening made for the most memorable experience of the trip. After making friends with some of our hostel mates (did you know Sinbad had a twin?... with whom we became very chummy) and consuming the remaining peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, we headed out to the fire run. You can not imagine what went down...because it would never be legal in los Estados Unidos. A fire run actually means just that...running from fire! Everyone else came prepared, fully clothed and covered (goggs recommended.) The characters from the previous nights parade walked through the streets spitting fire at the crowd, who was LOVING every second of the thrill. We, on the other hand, screamed until we lost our voices and laughed so hard we cried...or were those tears of fright? Check out the video because our words don't do it justice. After the fire run we met some Irishmen at a bar while we watched our boy, Henry, lead FC Barcelona to a victory over Sevilla.

With only two hours of sleep, we were awakened by our alarms to catch the bus to the airport. After what seemed like a lifetime of traveling, we finally arrived back at MC's crib. We slept for quite a bit of the day before skyping and watching The Notebook (IN ENGLISH!) via Megan's computer.

A long week of exams awaits us so wish us luck!

Disclaimer: You just got GOT! Our meeting with Henry was fabricated as a hoax on our friends (Sorrryyyy Andy). Ashton Kutcher taught us well.

Here's the link for the pics again with the videos added...
http://picasaweb.google.com/bethj917

Hips Don't Lie

After Valencia, we couldn't imagine the thought of another cerveza... at least for another few nights... so we stuck to the books for a little while. Thursday night we went out with some friends from SLU to a packed and very American bar, so afterward we decided to check out to our first discoteca, Pacha. Apparently ranked #4 in Madrid, Pacha has a reputation for charging insane cover charges (up to 120 euro!!) however, we managed to slip in for free. Inside, we experienced a freaky lightshow and techno dance party.

The next morning we got up to meet some madrileños for lunch. Sara (thanks for the contact, Ben!) and the Collins' family friend, Alfonso, took us to Tio Pepe... it was far different from our own in Baltimore. The three hour lunch went by quickly. We had a great time practicing our Spanish and learning some fun facts about Spain from Alfonso. Did you know it was a Spaniard who invented the mop?... and the yo-yo? Strangely enough, we found out that Alfonso could have been our dance partner the night before... he had been at Pacha too. During lunch, he held his own at the table, despite being surrounded by 5 girls, and was quite the entertainer. We left lunch with some new recommendations and new friends... and we all improved our Spanglish that day.

We started out Friday night at our jump-off bar, Escamplero, which is located just below our apartment building. We frequently go there to get 1.90euro massive haras of beer (served in cool mugs, which we plan on smuggling by the end of the semester). We have become regulars at Escamplero and the bartenders have gotten to know us pretty well. Afterward, we planned on meeting a new German friend who Becca met in class via passing notes...it will never get old. The night proved to be unsuccessful when our cab driver took us on an expensive detour through Madrid. After 25 minutes of aimless driving (should have been there in 5), we found ourselves back toward our house and decided to call it a night because of the upcoming festivities that were to come.

We had a pretty nice little Saturday, no we didn't go to Home Depot, but instead Corte Ingles. Bought some toiletries, you know, face masks... stuff like that. There was even enough time to hit up a pasteleria for cafe con leche. After running errands, we got ready to begin the birthday celebration of Beth and our dear friend Alex. Although he is uncomparable to Grace, he sufficed for Beth´s birthday accomplice this weekend (his birthday is the day prior). We headed off for tapas and sangria. After enjoying patatas alioli, calamari, and BEEF (pronounced in a low manly grumble) we were not quite satisfied...did you know they have BK here...and better yet, they serve beer!? Next, we headed to a small bar where we were taken care of generously by the tenders. After the birthday chillin were a-chillin we ventured on down to our next destination...another discoteca. Palacio Gaviria: the Vatican meets nightclub. It was like partying in Aurora's castle. We danced the night away with Kanye West's protege and plenty of Argentinians. The night ended with us trying to convince the Argentinians that we too were of Argentinian decent, and Kanye that we would NOT have a drink with him the next day. All in all, the birthday night was one hellova bash.


We spent Sunday lounging in the park, reading Robert Frost aloud to one another and braiding each other's hair. Don't worry Anne and Deb, we made it to mass at school later on that evening.


Sunday night, Mary Carmen (from here on out referred to as MC) prepared a birthday feast! She insisted we invite friends (none other than Alex, Brian, and yes, a new one to add to the crew, Chad.) The boys swept MC off of her feet, literally, twirling her around in a post dinner dance party. On the menu was shrimp, ensaladilla, chips & dip, paella, an assortment of pastries, and Pepe's famous sangria. Did we mention previously that we thought we'd be losing weight while we're here... that got shot to hell quite a while ago. We ended the weekend with one final glass of sangria at, you guessed it, Escamplero.


Last night, we met up with Sara again, who took us to Cumbre Flamenca. We watched in amazement the talented cantantes and dancers. Maybe if Becca had continued her Irish Dancing she could have strapped on her hard shoes and given them a run for their money. And if only Beth continued with church choir she could have provided some vocal accompaniment. Mom and Dad, you gave up on our artistic talents too early. There was definitly some potential. (Eeef!) It was really cool to see and appreciate that Spanish tradition. Check out the videos posted with our photos.

We are about to go pack for our weekend in Barcelona... blog ya laterrr!

The Fabulous Life of Darren Parker

YOOOOO WE'RE BACK!!! Welp, just got back from a weekend in beautiful Valencia! Traveling with our two roomates and two stellar studs (Alex and Brian, congrats on your first and last shoutout... sike, more to come) we woke up early Friday morning and hopped on the train (oopss I mean bus, sorry Meg), strapped on our eyemasks and slept through the 4 hour trip. When we arrived in Valencia, being the gentlemen that they are, Alex and Brian offered to carry our bags on the trek to the hostel. Oh wait, no they didn't! Anyway, the 6 of us found our way "Home" (the name of our hostel) all by ourselves... even though halfway there we were wondering if we were going to be the next victims in Hostel 2. We checked in and were surprised to find that our hostel was pretty dag on legit. We headed straight for the beach and made out with the sun and had a little fun. The beach was exceptionally long and the water was warm and blue. Unlike OCMD, we could actually see our toes at the bottom.

On our way home we stopped for some cheap wine, bread, and jelly, to compliment the PB that we brought to save a little dough. We came home, got ready for the evening, and headed up to the roof deck of our hostel for some "Party Time!" It was really cool how all our hostel-mates circled around to meet new people from all over the world. We met some Aussies, Belgians, Oregonians, Italians, and our favorite of all, a British lad by the name of (you guessed it) Darren Parker. He also happened to be our roomate in the hostel... more on him in a little bit. After a few drinks and meeting some cool people, we walked one block to the main street where all the nightlife goes down. We had the biggest, most international dance party of our lives. Our most conservative roomate happened to be not-so-conservative when we were shocked to find her having one hell of a dancefloor-make-out sesh with our new Belgian buddy.

The next morning we woke up and went to the common kitchen to make some PB&Js for the beach, only to find the PB stolen. So much for hostel ettiquette. The jerks left the J so our jelly sandwich has to suffice. For some strange reason we decided that a 4 mile run to the beach would be a great idea. We wanted to make sure we still looked dec as hell in our suits. We forgot to mention previously that bathing suit tops are not commonly found on the beach in Valencia. Unfortunately for our friends Brian and Alex, we decided to keep our tops on (don't fret FJ and Ben...), so they were forced to take a gander at the older women who were more comfortable with their bodies. After a couple hours of sunbathing, we met up with Darren and walked around the city to see the popular tourist attractions. The cathedral, which claims to house the Holy Grail, was one of our favorites. We enjoyed a typical Valencian dinner of paella in the Plaza de la Virgen.

After dinner we went back and met up with more of our hostel friends for a few drinks before another night on the town. Spending the entire day with Darren made us feel close enough with him to bring "Betha" out in full form. Kit, our Fabulous Life impersonations were superb... thanks for those hours of lessons. Midway through the night, we tried to find the infamous club, Indiana (thanks, Paiva, for the suggestion!) but it was 15 euros to get in. We bagged the idea and went back to barhopping closer to our hostel. The next morning we went to another Spanish mass at the cathedral and were again pushed around in the race for communion... what is it with these Catholic Spanish women? We hit the white sand beach for the last time, checked out of our hostel, and made the trek back to the bus station. All in all, the weekend was a success. Valencia: 1!

FINALLY

The pictures are up!

http://picasaweb.google.com/bethj917

We'll just keep updating these albums so keep checking!

Wedding Crashers & Blood and Guts

On Friday night we walked to a tapas bar that was recommended to us. After ordering authentic Spanish Sangria we were forced to whip out our pocket dictionary (inconspicuously hiding it under the table). Webster wasn't as helpful as we had hoped. Any suggestions for next time, Uncle Ken or FJ?

The next morning we woke up for an early bus ride to Segovia, which is about an hour north of Madrid. First fun fact for the day was that the town was famous for FOOD. (You know we were LOVING that!) Apparently, people travel great distances simply to have lunch at one of the most famous restaurants in Spain- Candido. There are also numerous bakeries which we did not hesitate to visit for breakfast before the tour began. After the obvious, cafe con leche and chocolate filled croissant, we met again with the rest of the group. First, we saw some of the last remaining Roman aqueducts. Remarkably enough, they could still be used today. (Check out how touristy we are with the picture link below.) We then walked along cobble stone roads (Derek, we know you would have been a better mason) through the narrow streets lined with quaint buildings and shops. Ben, you would be proud, we toughed out a serious hike down and then back up a LARGE mountain in dresses and flipflops. At the bottom, we saw a great view one of Ferdinand and Isabella's castles, The Alcaczar. We treked back up to see a closer view of the architecture and eat lunch. After finding a cute restaurant we realized that service in Spain is not quite up to Nick's Fish House standards...we got our lunch on "spanish time." Next, we went to tour a famous monestary. Unfortunately for the lucky couple and fourtunatly for us, a wedding was scheduled for the same time as our tour. We followed our tourguide through the church (literally) while the wedding was in procession, and got quite a few evil stares on our way into an alcove. Then, our tourguide didn't hesitate to lead us through the church on our way out while the newlyweds were saying their "I do's." Finally, we toured a Gothic and a Romanesque cathedral, picked up some souveniers, and called it a day.

When we got back to campus, we walked immediately to the grocery store to pick up our trusty $.75 bottles of wine. After dinner, we headed out for a night in La Latina. Our Senora's son, Pepe, has been recommending places for us to go out that our less touristy. The next morning we woke up to attend our first mass in Spanish and were again, culture shocked when we found ourselves having to fight through the crowd to receive the Eucharist. Organization is not a Spanish forte.

That night we attended our first Bull Fight at Las Ventas. For only 8 euro we somehow managed to score great seats in the shade. We sat ten rows back in the same section as honored Spanish guests, where the matadors are instructed to kill the bull. (We think the guy selling us tickets hooked us up a bit.) Since we arn't exactly animal lovers, we were some of the few Americans able to stay for the whole event. The fight was a lot more ceremonial than expected and reveals so much of the Spanish tradition. It was a really cool experience and definately recommended to those of you who also don't have a soft spot for animals. Sike...but it is something you should see at least once in a lifetime.

Today we began our first full week of class and look forward to our weekend trip to Valencia.

P.S. FJ, would you mind sending us an extra pair of your volleyball knee pads? They will come in handy when we decided to splurge of a pair of popular roller skates.

Japris and Mullets

Finally finished our first full week in Madrid! Our two roomates, Megan and Jess, came back from their orientation trip in La Manga on Monday. Apparently we didn't miss much... the only day of the summer it rained in La Manga happened to be the day they were there. We were all planning on going out that night but lost electricity mid-blowdrying. So instead we wound up staying in and catching up by candlelight. The next day we caught some rays in Retiro Park and played paparazzi to some hardcore PDA couples and MULLETS galore. (Check out the pics.) We went to campus to buy our books- no half.com in Spain unfortunately. That night we got down on the dancefloor with some Spaniards and met some more SLU students out in Plaza del Sol. Wednesday we started class. All 4 of us are in the same Oceanography class... the semester has started out on the right foot with a class cancellation on the first day. Little did we know, Beth brought her infamous sleeping antics to Madrid with her. For those of you who have experienced it, her sleepwalking is no surprise, but for our señora it was a bit of a shock to find Beth walking into her room in the middle of the night! (See Becca for details.)
Once again we spent last night practicing our español with some chicos out in Sol. It's true: Spaniards are VERY close-talkers! After getting lost in the park on another run, we spent most of today getting better aquainted with the city running errands. Becca barely made it home in one piece. She tumbled down the stairs in the Metro, shook it off with a bit of laughter, only to find herself bumping down the stairs again on her big a**! Tripping twice down one flight of stairs... a feat only Becca could master. Tonight we are experiencing a truly Spanish tradition by grabbing tapas and sangria at a local tapas bar. We will definitly be in before the Spanish norm of 5:30 am... we have an 8:30 am bus departure from school to Segovia for a day trip tomorrow. Check back soon to find out how it went!

xoxo Jorts (I fit right in, apparently Japris are dec plus here) and BBG Collins

we met the sun in Madrid...

Since our last update, we have adjusted to the time difference surprisingly well and are taking full advantage of the siesta schedule! We think we are becoming quite aquainted to the culture and the Spanish way of things- by the looks of us, no one would know we were American.... except for the fact that Beth is the only blonde in the country. But really, the style and dress is not as different as we expected.

We had our first truly Spanish adventure the other night when took the bull by the horns and went out by ourselves around our neighborhood (all of our new friends are away on orientation trips for the weekend.) We tried out a couple mini dive bars and settled on the one we found most unique. We met two Spaniards who gave us some drink suggestions and started chatting. It began a long night of practicing our Spanish- 3 hours, aren't you proud?! We were! It was pretty funny and they were very helpful and patient. After only spending two euros (we're pros at getting guys to buy us drinks- proud of that one too) we said our farewells and 'agreed' to meet up with them the next day to watch a futbol game- didn't happen. Sorryyyyyyyy.

The next morning we woke up and went for a run around the most beautiful park in Madrid (Parque de Retiro) which is right by our house. We are really lucky to be near such a great place to run- and lay out or do our homework once school starts. Besides the SERIOUS PDA couples making out every where you look, it makes for a scenic workout. Later that day, we met up with some people on campus and went for a walking tour of center city. Our tour guide (a fellow SLU student) was really nice and casual. We saw the main squares (Plaza Mayor, Sol, Palacio, etc). The city's architecture is sooo beautiful and intricate- even the post offices and banks are unique. We ate at a little street cafe (which are EVERYWHERE and so quaint)- check out the pictures!

We came home for a quick siesta before dinner at 9. The food is pretty different but most of it has been very good. They eat so many carbs here- we could never survive if we were on the Atkin's diet! We went out that night with some people we met from school (turns out we aren't the only people who didn't go on orientation trips this weekend). We hit up Plaza de Sol again and while we were out we met more SLU students through the people we came with. Definitly a good time had by all- we are getting used to going out at midnight and coming in at 5:30. Siestas are obviously very necessary... or sleeping in til 2:30pm like we did this morning will suffice.

Today we had another carb-filled breakfast before another run around el Parque. We went to mass on campus and then out for some cafe con leche with some more new friends- if you haven't noticed, we're pretty popular here. We just finished another huge late dinner with Berger cookies for dessert- don't worry, we brought them as a gift, Madrid didn't copy the Baltimore tradition. Tonight we are going to take it easy and watch a movie with our senora- and probably Skype a bit. Come back in a few days for more!

Collins Jenkins outttttt

Our first update from España!

Today is our second full day in Madrid and we are loving it more every minute! We arrived safely yesterday morning around 7 am Madrid time after a longgg uncomfortable flight! We met our mini senora, Maria Carmen, at the airport and met our other two roomates Jess and Megan, who also happen to go to St. Joes (Jess: fellow laxer). It was a nice surprise to find out they would be living with us. Our new home is a mini little apartment on the 5th floor near Parque de Retiro in the southeast part of the city. We got settled and took a much needed 6 HOUR NAP in our mini beds before our senora showed us around our neighborhood. We saw our first (of many) Euro makeout sesh's on a sidewalk bench. Serious tounge. We ventured throughout the hood in and out of mini little stores to find things such as clean and clear facewash and oreos...whoever said Europe sets the trends? Much to our suprise, our shower was also a warm one, and they don't serve warm milk.

For dinner, Senora Carmen made her speciality soup and rice with green peppers and chicken. The mini portions were actually quite satisfying. For desert we had our first mini helado which satisfied our overwhelming chocolate craving. After dinner, all four of us got ready for a night on the town. Somehow we found our way to the metro and from there, around the city to finally land at La Plaza Del Sol. We met up with a few friends who we had met on the airplane. We walked around stopping in just about every bar possible and having a drink. Most bars had someone outside luring us in for a free shot...who would we be to turn it down? We also had our first cerveza which (shocking)...was mini. The bars didn't get crowded till around the time we had to leave.

This morning, we woke up VERY early for orientation. Got showered and rushed out the door to hop on the metro. Senora Carmen pretended she knew where she was going, but knew no more than us. After about an hour of searching and asking for directions (at one point we didn't believe there to be an actual St. Louis) we found our destination. On the way we saw more of the city and despite our tired eyes, appreciated it all. Orientation was pretty standard. Learned a few things and finally got our much needed mini cell phones. After a mini lunch of paella and salad, and of course, pan, we left our newly met friends and roomies to begin the trek home (oops, forgot to sign up for an orientation trip like the rest of them.) We got home saftely and took three hour siesta. Then we decided a nice jog would be dec as hell so we made our way to the most famous public park of Madrid (not so mini) which is only a five minute walk from the apartment. Retiro Park is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! We went for a nice run then walked into town to get some fruit and Chocolate Special K.

After showers and dinner (tortilla de patata, yumm) we sit here writing our first blog entry and stalking our only other friend who also forgot to sign up for an orientation trip. We talked to some local Spaniards for recommended hot spots, so we plan on taking the train to a place called Tribunal which is apparently like Sol, a fun and packed square with lots of people and lots of bars. Looks like we're in for another fun night out in Madrid...!!

¡Hola!

To our family and friends:
We created this blog so we can keep you updated on our adventures abroad and share our pictures! Also, you will be able to comment on our posts and pictures so we can keep in touch! Hopefully we will be able to keep up with it and we hope you check it out!
Lots of love,
Becca and Beth