In the Swing of things

Beach House

2011-07-19T21:54:00.002-07:00

This post is a little late seeing as this was at the end of May. I just got busy with studying for Canadian boards (which I passed!) and recent travels to post.

Memorial day long weekend, a few of us from class headed to the Washington Coast to stay at one of our professors beach house. We left on a Saturday morning for the 2.5 hour drive. Brian, Mark and myself were off by about 10am even though the plan was to leave by 9. I can admit it was me that was late this time.

Myself, Mark and Brian

We made a little stop in Astoria for lunch at the "Wet Dog Astoria Brewing Company". We sat outside in the sun while sipping on samples of beer and eating clam chowder and left right as it started to rain.

Once we made it out to the beach house we went for a walk on the beach. I could spend all day at the beach just running in and out with the waves or sitting on the sand, there is just such a positive energy the ocean gives off! That evening we had barbecued oysters followed by a BBQ and games.

The rest of the weekend involved plenty of eating, walks, more eating, looking at eagles and watching the sun set. A really nice break from the rush of the city.

Coeur D'Alene

2011-06-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

I am currently in Coeur D'Alene listening to an announcer yell off " You are an Ironman!" over and over again as runners make it through the finish line. It is really a spectacular event and how much goes in it is really amazing. I have been here for three days now with a group of chiropractors treating the athletes at the ART tent. These athletes are really amazing (and a little crazy), the amount of time, money and effort that have put in to being here is quiet impressive. The event itself is a 2.4mile swim, 112 mile bike and a 26.2mile run totaling 140.6 miles all in one day.

I have a whole bunch of pictures that I will add to this post soon.

Century

2011-05-29T23:40:00.000-07:00

We made it to the beach! 104 miles from Beaverton to Pacific city!

The ride was a lot of fun and I couldn't have done it without Brian, Becky and Margie all taking their share of the work. We set a pretty good pace the whole way but made short breaks at all the rest stops. There were rest stops almost every 15-20 miles and each stop had plenty of treats to keep us going. At some of the rest stops we weren't even really hungry but were snacking for the sake of snacks being around. Definitely happy with my first century and am excited to get some more long rides in soon! Blue B performed well with her new fancy blue stripped tires and nobody in the group had any technical bike problems on the ride! Good thing seeing as I did not bring a spare tube or pump with me.

Weekend around PDX

2011-05-18T22:24:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago a couple of my good friends came to visit, (Kalya coming from Nashville and her sister, Tai, driving up from San Francisco). They both made it in on Thursday night and I had a weekend of activities planned out! I say activities but all the places I had mapped out involved food, either happy hours, breakfast places or dessert places! Those three things involve some of my favorite things to do in Portland so why not share it with friends!

We managed to do a pretty good tour of the whole city. We started with the SE (my neighborhood) and went for a nice lunch on Friday at the "Bread and Ink Cafe". A great little restaurant with a somewhat french take on the menu. We followed the afternoon wondering down Hawthorne and Belmont to window shop and grabbed a mini cupcake at "St Cupcakes"- I went for the red velvet as I can't seem to turn down cream cheese icing these days.

I directed the girls off to Powells Book store in the NW as I went back to school for an exam. We met back up in the Pearl at Henry's for a simple pub like evening and ended the night with Voodoo donuts.

Saturday was filled with more Portland classics. We headed to the SW to "Mother's Bistro" for breakfast, followed by a nice stroll through the Saturday market and than made our way up to the PSU farmers market. We sampled everything from the cheese curds to the lavendar infused caramel! Yum. My favorite sample of the day was the fresh apply juice!

We headed back to the NW to check out the shops and went for a late lunch/happy hour at "Jo Bar". I had never been to this restaurant and we were all really happy with our choices with a lot of variety around the table. You really can't turn down happy hour prices for such great food, and I really liked the presentation of it all.

With such a busy morning and afternoon we went back to my place to just relax for a an hour while we came up with a plan for the evening. The original plan was to tackle three dessert places in a row. First crepes at "Le Happy" followed by Waffles at the "Waffle Window" and finish the night with pastries at "Pix". Well the plan fell through after we ordered two sweet crepes and needed something savory in between. So we found ourselves at "Bridgeport Brewery" for a late dinner and a sampler tray of beer.

We finished off the busy weekend with a Sunday hike/walk in Forest park from Lower Macleay Park to Pittock mansion. It was such a beautiful day out so the trail was busy with families, dogs and the regular runners. We ended the hike with my Forest park tradition of treats at Boulangerie de St Honere but this time we had lunch first before dessert at Kenny and Zukes.

The view of Mount Hood from Pittock Mansion

That evening headed over to the Alberta district for happy hour at "Ciao Vito" and of course we couldn't forget dessert so grabbed some slices of pie from "Random Order" coffee shop (another one of my favorites in Town)!

Definitely an awesome weekend with great friends and good food!!

Mileage..

2011-05-08T22:49:00.004-07:00

Again this year I have signed up for the American Lung Associations ride "Reach the Beach". Last year my friend Margie and I did the 55 mile (88km) distance and this year we thought we should do the full distance of 104 miles!! (167km). I also convinced a few other friends (Brian and Becky) to join along! To make this possible I have been trying to put in more mileage, trying to follow some of Cyrus' exact advice "more time in the saddle!". This has been challenging with continuous exams at school and the weather being well...continuous rain. I have told the group that if the day of the ride is a wet rainy day I will meet them at the beach in my friendly purple van! Riding in the rain for such a long distance is just really no fun at all. But that being said that doesn't mean we haven't had some sunny days and great rides!

On the weekends we have been trying to fit in at least one long ride. These long rides often involve hills. I am trying to get over my dislike of hills and I know they are often worth a great view. Like this past ride up the historical highway along the Columbia river gorge.

B-Blue not shying from the view of the Columbia Gorge

A few weeks ago we happened to stop at this colourful sight!

I will update you on the next two weeks before the ride. This weekend being wet and windy a postponed ride is in the works for a hopeful dry Tuesday.

Busy busy! Fall is here!

2010-10-27T16:24:00.010-07:00

Again I have slowed down on posting on here.
I had all these good intentions but once school picked up it was really hard to just sit down and type about my trip which felt so long ago.

It took a couple of weeks to get back into school mode (well not sure I am in school mode or not-but I have to be there). We have started the initial clinic phase of the program, this is exciting but also a little stressful as next quarter I will be right in the clinic treating student patients and doing freshman physicals on new students!

Back in Portland I am trying to take advantage of the nice weather when it is around and I have also started climbing lots. Just been indoor climbing so far but it has been a great time. I am trying to climb 3 times a week and so far with my schedule it is working out! I have never really experienced something like climbing before with such a mental and physical challenge! I love it! Hopefully can get outside before the real winter comes, thinking of heading to Smith Rock with some friends soon! Last weekend a bunch of us participated in the "Muddy Buddy" race! Phil and I were team McMuddyRoo!We were up real early to drive out to Estacada area to McIver state park and get ready for the race. This event was awesome, but very very cold. I started the bike component while Phil ran and than moved on to the first obstacle which was the low crawl. Than I started running and Phil grabbed the bike and we kept alternating until we reached the mud pit which we crossed as a team! The other obstacles involved balancing beams, a small climbing wall and an inflatable slide! My fingers didn't feel warm until we were back in the car driving back to Portland. A great race but brrr!
After rinsing off with the very cold water. We warmed up with some beer and snacks and waited around for the medal ceremonies!!
The following weekend a few of us headed to the "Roloff Farms" (from the TV show- Little People Big world). We went to buy pumpkins from their pumpkin patch! It was a gloomy day in Portland but we convinced the guys to head out and we all had a great time. We finished the evening with dessert waffles for dinner from the waffle window! Yum yum! What a great festive day!

Lots of Pumpkins!
Julia, myself and Sonia!

Back from the UK

2010-09-22T09:27:00.006-07:00

The trip was amazing! Three weeks was a perfect amount of time. I stayed with great friends and was welcomed in all their homes! It is so nice travelling and staying with friends! It feels more like a home away from home.

Week 1 in London and Wales :
I flew into London and met up with Marlene and Bronwyn (who both swam with me in Edmonton). We stayed with Marlene who is working in London as a high school English teacher. Trying not to nap and overcome the jet lag Bronwyn and I headed out to see the Tower of London. We spent more than 4 hours there, wondering around, taking a detailed tour by one of the Beefeaters and viewing the crown jewels and armory. Headed home for a little BBQ and enjoyed an early evening and bed by 9pm.

The next two days in London were filled with checking off all the tourist sights. We went on a walking tour, went to Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar square, the London Eye (didn't go on it), London bridge, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Shakeapeare's Globe theatre (where we watched the play Henry IV - and had to leave early because we got too cold), Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden, Harrods, St James Park and made it to the Nottinghill Carnival parade.

Each evening we were pretty tired so settled in at home and watched a couple of episodes of Mad Men. A great way to end the busy days in London.

Monday at 2pm we were off to Swansea, Wales where Bronwyn lives. She works at the university of Swansea and Monday was a holiday and she took Tuesday off as well so she could show me around for the day. Monday evening we did some groceries and than watched cheesy movies set in Ireland to prepare for my coming week.

Tuesday we headed up to the Gower, a beautiful national park area where people go hiking, surfing, picnicking and to watch the sheep of course. Up to this point the weather was really amazing! Barely saw any clouds and wore my sandals most of the time!

Wednesday I was off to Bristol on my own to explore the city and than was leaving for Dublin the next morning.
I will give you the details of Bristol (really the Bristol aiport in my next post.

Here are the pictures of London, Swansea and Bristol!

Off to the UK...

2010-08-26T06:44:00.003-07:00

Everything is packed and ready to go, now just a few last minute errands and I am off this afternoon leaving for London at 3pm. I have heard mixed reviews about the comfort with the airline I am traveling with but I am sure it will be ok. I mean it's only an 8 hour flight so as long as I can get some sleep I should be fine (I am just very thankful I am not tall).

All my flights and some buses are booked. London to Bristol, Bristol to Dublin, Dublin to Edinburgh, Edinburgh to Berlin, Berlin to London, London to home but other than that nothing is too planned. I am hoping to make it to some highland games while in Scotland and see the Guinness Brewery in Dublin but that's pretty much all I have organized.

I should rush off to those errands now..

Cheerio (as they would say in England- well at least in cheesy movies, I will let you know if they really do say this)

Summer in Calgary

2010-08-16T23:12:00.007-07:00

I am leaving on my trip to the UK in less than 2 weeks so I am trying to get the most out of Calgary before I go. It seems so easy to forget the beauty of this city, but lately I have been putting a big effort to do the things I have loved so much here.

First I went to Lake Louise area with my dad and his friends (Peter and Anne)to go on a hike. We went to takakkaw falls and hiked up along Iceline path for a few hours. A great hike even with all the weather, which included rain, hail, more rain, sunshine and a rainbow (not a double rainbow but I was happy the rain was gone). We spent the night in Field which turned out to be a really nice little town. I have never explored Field past the visitors center which is right along highway 1 so I was very surprised with the character this place had. Cute little coffee shops and supposedly a world renowned restaurant in the Kicking Horse Lodge.

Peter, Dad, Anne at the beginning of the hike

The next day we went to Lake louise itself and walked around the lake. Always a great sight. On the drive home we stopped into Banff for a to make a quick surprise visit with my cousin Rene (he is working for a parks Canada museum)but sadly we just missed him going on his break. We were in Banff for no longer than 30 mins and I was very happy to leave. I wasn't impressed with Banff, and never really have been. It has become way to touristy with high fashion shops and expensive restaurants, which in my mind is not the way to experience the Rocky Mountains.

A few days later feeling bad I didn't get to meet up with Rene we arranged to meet up in Canmore on his days off and than head back to Calgary. The weather wasn't on our side for the Haling Peak hike in Canmore so we explored the town and did a little clinic searching. I have thought of working in Canmore as a Chiropractor for a while now and just wanted to scope what kind of clinics were out there. We went back to Calgary and I thought of some Albertan/Calgarian things to do for Rene to get the full experience. This list involved: Enjoying some good Alberta beef for dinner, the next day going to the Calgary tower, and ... well it sort of stopped there as we weren't that interested in going to the zoo or Heritage park.

The Calgary tower was great, even though it isn't the tallest building in Calgary there is still so much to see. It was interesting to see all the construction going on downtown and how big the city has really gotten (just a little too big for my liking). Later that day I dropped Rene off on highway 1 so he could hitchhike back to Banff for work the next day (don't worry he made it back safely). Later that afternoon I went for a run in Edworthy park along the Douglas Fir trail. I can't believe I have never explored further into this park until now, it's a new little world to discover!

The glass window in the Calgary tower

Rene playing some chess

To continue on the Calgary fun I went rafting down the elbow river this weekend. Finally we had a sunny day and I had to take the opportunity to be outside! It is hard to resist floating down the river, such a relaxing couple hours.

Random Order

2010-08-05T12:59:00.002-07:00

Lindsay enjoying the streets of Vancouver!

The mystery knitter in Calgary

Foot and leg molds my the bow river.

Calgary Stampede 2010

2010-07-22T23:01:00.001-07:00

I have been in Calgary now for a couple of weeks, getting right back into teaching bootcamp and have been helping pack up the house to move. Which all lead up to a well deserved stampede weekend.

Justin and I headed to the grounds early Sunday morning to get in free before 9am, there were thousands of people there just going in and turning right around to get a stamp to show up later in the day. We waited over an hour to get a stampede breakfast but after realizing the line was just zig zagging around the grounds and was going to take forever we just decided to do a the tour around the grounds and leave for our stamp.
All in our Cowboy dress! Yee- haw

AND THERE OFF!! The chucks are such a thrill.

Headed back that evening to watch the Chuckwagons and the grandstand show. I have always loved the chucks and have followed the riders and teams, knowing which names are always on top! Justin, Terrell, Blake and I were making cheap bets on who would win each heat. A great time had by all. I had a great time watching the grandstand show this year too, they had a couple great acts that really impressed me (motorbike tricks and even some the floating drummers).

I really love the Stampede experience and how the whole city really takes over the country feel. To end stampede week I headed up to my cabin's fire hall for a great stampede breakfast with free pancakes, bacon and sausages! A perfect end to the busy week.

Men who swim

2010-06-28T23:18:00.006-07:00

I found this while perusing the site "Directors Notes". A documentary on a mens Swedish synchronized swimming team. It took me a while to realize this was not a mock-umentary, this is the real thing.
Men who swim

It's been a while

2010-06-28T08:29:00.011-07:00

I am back in Calgary for the summer and with that a bit more time to keep this blog better updated. I got re-inspired after my friend started a blog for her trip to South East Asia and my brothers wife started one of her own for their travel journeys.

My trip back to Calgary began with the "check engine" light appearing the day before I planned to leave. After getting some things in the car checked out and nothing really damaging found I decided to just go for it and drive. I mean the worst that could happen is I am stuck on the road... I have AMA and friends only a few hours away as a last resort. I did get a little anxious whenever I thought I heard a strange noise from the car to find out it was just the car passing me or a change of beat from the song playing.

Well that's enough writing for now.

Here is a video I put together of this past Sasquatch Music Festival.

Spring in PDX

2010-04-26T10:58:00.000-07:00

Spring is my favorite time of the year! Birds chirping, flowers blooming, sunshine, big fluffy clouds and even the smell of rain. I have been taking more walks in the neighborhood to enjoy the ever changing gardens. One specific house nearby has a beautiful garden and I like to check if anything new has popped up every so often.

I have set a new goal to ride 4 days a week. Riding to school involves a lot more planning for the day ahead but it is definitely worth it when I do make it up early enough. The first four weeks of this quarter are done and I have 7 weeks til I head back to Calgary for the summer. Plans are in full swing with family reunions, Regina bound for Canada day, a trip to Europe??, bootcamp and of course Stampeding.

Commuting in PDX

2009-10-22T21:49:00.004-07:00

It is the end of week 3 of being back in school and I have thus far managed to stick to my quota of riding to school 3 times a week. I love the commute! However that being said it has only rained one morning and I live in Portland. Which means I have really lucked out. It isn't that bad as long as I am prepared to get wet.
The ride takes me about 40 minutes and is about 15km's so yes seems slow but that includes all the stops with lights. I am still trying to find the most direct route but so far this is pretty good. Really makes me appreciate Portland's bike lanes and path system.
(writing- Oct 22th)
...
The commute stories continue:
Now into week 7 of school, having gotten into a minor basketball collision on my road bike two weeks ago and now the second flat in a week, my luck on a nice peaceful commute has gone. However I am still sticking it out! I have gotten some nice rain pants and new pedals on my bike so I still have some things to look forward to. I am getting frustrated with all the glass on the road but nothing I can really do on that end, may have to look into kevlar tire liners to prevent this from happening.

(Nov 18th)

How time goes by

2009-09-23T09:20:00.004-07:00

I have been back in Calgary for 3 months now and have stayed pretty busy. I gave myself plenty of time to enjoy the summer but worked hard and did a good job on saving up for school. I head back to Portland on Tuesday with a 14 hour drive ahead of me and a week to get organized before school starts up.

I have a busy few weeks once I get back including of course school, Canadian thanksgiving festivities (celebrating with all the other Canadians from school) a concert on the 16th and then I head to San Francisco for a music festival on treasure island! I am really excited about this festival and I get to see MGMT, Passion Pit, Girl Talk and many more! Also I get to hang out with an old roomie from Edmonton! Can't go wrong with good music and good people around.

The last week here in Calgary will be busy with last minute errands and packing up, but I can't turn down the opportunity to go on a nice relaxing raft down the Bow today in this beautiful 30 degree weather.

Enjoy this indian summer!

The evening sky in Calgary during the Tour de Bowness

Check it!

2009-08-13T21:19:00.008-07:00

Filmed in the wonderful PORTLAND OR.

It's been a long time

2009-06-29T08:32:00.020-07:00

I know it has been a while since I last wrote here but things just get so busy. I have managed to accomplish a lot this past few months.

This list is in no particular order:

1. Finished my first year of Chiropractic college!

2. Went to Sasquatch music festival on May long! This probably needs more than one line- but oh well. It was such an awesome weekend!

3. Swam in an open water swim race (this has been something I have feared for a while- not knowing whats underneath me is scary)

4. A day before finals did a sprint triathlon! and didn't stress about studying for finals as I would have in the past.

5. Went to Hood River to check out the Mt Hood Classic -crit (Cy's team wasn't there but it was still a good time)

6. Hiked in Forest Park in Portland, one of the largest urban parks in the US.

7. Went to Sunshine Coast to visit family

8. Watched a Portland Timbers soccer (fotball) game!

(Natalie, Lindsay and I)

9. Went to Bagby hot springs

10. Met up with Kalya in Mazatlan Mexico! A well deserved break for the both of us from the busy life of school.

11. Went to the Oregon coast with Dani!

Bike lane on the go!

2009-02-24T13:55:00.003-07:00

This would come in handy in Calgary! Your very own laser bike lane!

Back on the bike

2009-02-21T14:38:00.006-07:00

My road bike, "B-Blue", has been in my room for over a month without being moved. She's been more like a clothing rack than a bike lately, so I am happy to say I finally took her out for a ride! I mean I didn't spend the money for a really expensive clothing rack!

Nothing to crazy today, just a trip down to Christine and Steph's for a birthday breakfast and then a few hills sets up Rocky Butte on the way home. It always feels so good to go out and ride and this city is great for that. The winds were a bit strong or I was just tired but it was still a good time. Also I love wearing all the spandex, just putting it on gets me excited to go out for a ride. I need to get some more cool jerseys but well see what Cyrus will be able to part with first ... (??It was just my birthday Cy??) I love the speed and smoothness riding B-Blue, especially comparing her to my commuter one-speed which I use all the time. In regards to the commuter, I have yet to name her but I feel as if I need to add some spark to her, I am thinking red bar tape. I will keep you posted on that maybe with before and after pictures, haha everyone likes before and after pics!

This weekend so far has started off right, going to get a little studying in and then see where the evening takes me.

Back in Portland

2009-01-21T19:14:00.010-07:00

We are right into week 3 of our 2nd quarter and things are moving along quickly. The first week of classes were an experience that's for sure. We had four of our finals to finish off which were squeezed into our already busy schedule. In the end it wasn't all that bad and nice to get over with. Many of the other quarter students had two weeks of exams so I have nothing to complain about. Since then I have been busy trying to get into a routine of workouts and studying but I have yet to perfect this and seem to be all over the place.

Talking about working out I have started to go XC skiing again. The last time I was on skis really was probably grade 9 so it has been a while thats for sure. It is crazy to think my brothers are national level XC ski racers and I haven't been on skis since grade 9, Oh well. Over break I went once to Canmore and have gone a couple times by Mt Hood here in Oregon. The first day at Mt Hood we went around Trillium Lake, I fell a few times going down the first big hill and still have a few good bruises. I am blaming it on the boots being too big. The week after a group of us headed up to Teacup Nordic Center for a nice ski! It was such a beautiful day and we had a great day out on the snow!
Dani and Julia (Mt Hood in the back!!)

Dani and I

I am hoping to go up a couple times again this weekend, but this all depends on how I am feeling as I feel a cold coming on. (Cy has put the perma sick spell on me I am sure). I am taking all the oil of oregano, hot drinks and vitamin C that I can handle so hopefully I get past this.

Home for the Holidays

2008-12-28T10:41:00.005-07:00

Every time I come back home it feels as if I haven't really left in the first place. The only thing that really changed was the season.

Arriving in on Thursday Dec 19 at 9:30pm to -36 C was a big chill. I was definitely not prepared for the cold which made it hard to motivate myself to do really anything the next day except for the fact that my dad and I were going to the nutcracker that evening (a christmas tradition for many years now) which I was excited for. This year the nutcracker had a new artistic director who changed the sets and lots of the costuming. It was very well done, less childish than the past few years and all the sets were so beautiful, and was set in more of an imperial russian time. The nutcracker is such a fun story and brings me right back to my childhood when I wanted to be a ballerina.

The next day Jenn, Ashley and I got out in the cold to go to Heritage park for the 12 days of christmas. This is something we had done the year before and had fun doing it and have now started a new holiday tradition. The 12 days of christmas is really for the little ones but it is fun bringing out the child in you every once in a while. We wrote letters to santa, even saw santa himself, enjoyed some cinnamon buns, and wondered the streets to look at the houses on display. I love how all the staff get so dressed up in the old fashioned clothing and really get into character. It was a fun afternoon.

Snow days!!

2008-12-17T01:18:00.003-07:00

I know I said I would update you all on that crazy weekend but I need to rant first about the most recent snow days...

You would think I would be excited about a snow day in Portland, on any other regular week it would be nice to take a break from school but no not this snow day! A snow day (actually so far two) during finals week is not cool.

I now have 3 exams that have been postponed for the first week of classes next term. Now I am going to have to lug my notes with me back home and then feel bad when I don't look at them at all during the break and have to cram the first week back.

Frustrating!!!

Holiday Ale and Hockey

2008-12-09T00:05:00.006-07:00

This past weekend was very eventful and a lot of fun! A great weekend before we have to really hammer hard for finals.

Friday we started off with the Holiday Ale festival in downtown Portland. Sonia, Dani and I were on a beer sampling mission as we were on a tight schedule. We had to head to the hockey game after, so we only had an hour and a bit to get through some long lines and lots of beer. We all bought a mug and 10 tickets, which means either 10 beer samples or 2 full mugs and 2 samples. We scoped one of the shorter lines and filled our mugs to the top.
Dani chose the Jim 2008, Sonia the Babushka's Secret and myself the Shot Put Stout. All dark beers but the Jim 2008 was more like bourbon/jager in beer (yuck). We drank these beers while waiting in the next line. Having trouble finishing off the heavy beers we let many people pass us in the line while giving then advice on not trying the Jim 2008!! This time we thought a lighter beer would go well, except again Dani was unlucky with her beer (can't remember the name) and Sonia and I were satisfied with the "Pour les Bons Voeux" lighter beer.

Dani not impressed with her beer :(

Not that we are skilled in beer tasting at all but a fun time was had, I just wish we could have taken more time to enjoy it.

Back on the Max we go (after taking some very Canadian themed photos with Beavers!!) we were off to the Portland Winterhawks versus the Calgary Hitmen hockey game at the Rose Garden. Here we met up with about 15 other WSCC students and had fun watching Calgary win 5-1. Go Calgary Go.

Me with Tomahawk the mascot.

I really should get back to my studying for finals which are coming up next week. I will continue on with the crazy eventful weekend soon (probably again as procrastination).

In Montreal for American Thanksgiving

2008-12-03T13:20:00.004-07:00

This past weekend I went to Montreal during the american thanksgiving break! I know I should have stayed and experienced a true american thanksgiving but a trip out east in Canada was much needed! I had been saying I would go visit my friend Ashley for a few years now and my mom living closer to that end of the country I thought it would be a good opportunity! Also all the flights within the US were expensive but once you crossed the border they weren't bad at all. The trip to Montreal round trip was the same price as what it is costing me to go back to Calgary over the christmas holidays!

My journey to get to Montreal was a long one. First a 6 hour drive across the border from Portland to Vancouver, a fun little evening with Neeka and then early in the morning I was in a cab and off to the airport. A nice sun set over the mountains in Vancouver!
At the airport waiting for my flight I got a call from my mom just asking how the journey has been so far. I wasn't fully prepared for the weather I would experience in Montreal so I asked for mittens, socks, long underwear and just thought I would ask for home made cookies too. Once I got into Montreal Ashley met me at the airport and we were right in the middle of traffic so went straight to dinner and then met up with some of her friends at a bar. Nice to meet some of her friends and just hang out. After getting back and dropping my things off we went to grab dessert. Yummm the french have really mastered desserts!! I guess you can't go wrong with chocolate fondant and caramel though!

The next morning I met my mom at the train station and we went and found our little B & B! A cute place, great location and yummy Parisian breakfast! After my mom gave me my winterizing supplies and some homemade squares (yay!!), we went to old Montreal and did a little bit of the touristy thing. That evening we headed up to Laval, a small suburb of Montreal, to visit some family friends. It was really nice to see them all and we enjoyed a nice meal with good company!
In Old Montreal
The Welsch's

Saturday had breakfast at the B&B, a second breakfast with Ashley and then wondered the busy shopping streets of Montreal and then dinner with my mom, Ashley and my cousin Ana. From there headed back to the B&B for dessert and tea and then Ashley and I went to a Pascale Picard Concert at the Metropolis. She is from Quebec, it was a good show, although I was expecting at least some songs in french but no luck. It was fun to go to a show in montreal though, the music scene is so much better there then Calgary! Well at least for the music I like.

Sunday wondered a bit more of the streets and went to get some true Montreal bagels!! yum! Sesame seed bagels fresh out of the stove! My mom left that evening back to NB and then Ashley and I went for poutine and then met up with Ana for dessert. All in all a great time was had in MONTREAL!! and yes still my favorite city in Canada!

Now just two more weeks of school, 6 final exams and home for Christmas holidays!!!

A Portland Chinook

2008-11-07T23:15:00.006-07:00

I know chinooks in Portland aren't really possible seeing as they don't have the snow to melt and you wouldn't be able to see a chinook arch from the clouds, but today was what I would describe as a "Portland chinook". The rain just stopped and it warmed up all of a sudden, it was great! It was still cloudy but was a nice welcome from all the rain this past week.

I know what you are all thinking... "what are you doing living in Portland if you already need a break from the rain?". Well there hasn't been a whole lot of rain but I am just not fully prepared for it yet . I still have to put the fenders on my bike and get a bit more rain gear. I luckily do have a couple of pairs of rain boots now. Every time I put them on they make me smile! I mean I need some way to make the rain enjoyable!

I have decided however that my brothers have the right idea. Working out in snow is much better than in rain, I mean snow is cold but rain is wet (yes that is an obvious statement). Working out in wet is way worse than working out in cold! Which again is why I need more rain gear before I am fully satisfied with the rain out here.

Multnomah Falls

2008-10-24T12:49:00.009-07:00

Two weeks ago a group of us headed up towards Multnomah Falls! The drive was no longer than 40 minutes from our door to the falls and once there we hiked up to the top!
The falls are pretty touristy but not as many people go up to the top! The whole thing was pretty impressive and I am pretty sure I will go back often. They say in the fall with all the leaves changing colours it looks really nice and in the winter it often freezes so that would be cool to see. None of the pictures do any justice of the falls or views so when you come visit me , we will have to go and see them!

Julia (from West Virginia), Tammy (Edmonton- going to PSU) and Sonia and I

On the way back we drove on the "historical highway" which is a winedy beautifully scenic road. It was such a nice clear day and really nice to get some fresh air!

Back to the Student Life

2008-10-07T16:20:00.008-07:00

I have finally gotten settled in, the fridge looks like someone lives there and the cupboards are full. It took me pretty much the whole two weeks with many trips to Ikea, winco (grocery store), safeway, costco, the phone company and target to get everything I needed.
Once everything was unpacked there were definetely things I had noticed I forgot back home. Mainly the legs of the futon, making it pretty much useless, so having to sit on the floor on a mattress in the living room was fun.

School started last thursday with a 2 day orientation and official classes started Monday. Orientation went well, there are 93 students in my class, 20 of which are Canadian! Met a whole bunch of people and it seems like a cool group, and we will get to know each other really well over the next four years that is forsure.

Monday classes we have lecture from 7:30am until 12:40 all in the same classroom. No real moving for 5 whole hours, blah that was intense and we went through a lot of material. Pretty much all anatomy terminology but I need to refresh my memory from last year to really get a handle on it all. So I was studying already on the first day, sweet! The rest of the week is random in scheduling but I always start at 7:30 so that will be a challenge to get used to for a while. I am trying not to start drinking coffee but well see how long that will last.

Hampton Hall- which is where I spend most of my day!

School will be intense but I know I will be happy with the end result!

Crash

2008-09-27T22:38:00.003-07:00

I had my first real crash today, not a little fall while at a stop light when first riding with bike shoes or something a good road rash, bruised up crash!

My brother said "well at least now you have popped your crash cherry", I really hope it is out of my system for a while. I have seen some pretty intense crashes and I was lucky I didn't get banged up worse. I ended up cycling over a train track and slipping in the track and boom I am face down on the ground, that explains the gist of it . Chipped a tooth and my right side is pretty scratched up and I have some intense bruising to show for it all but otherwise I am OK!

I was riding with a group of women from "Sorella Forte" and they were really helpful! Got me some ice, waited til I was ok to move and drove me home. The rest of the day I spent lounging around and icing pretty much my whole body.

The bruising is getting some good colour to it now, but hopefully the swelling on my lip goes down a bit. I am sure going to look nice for the first day of class this Thursday!

I'm sure I won't be off my bike for too long, I mean I live in Portland now, how could I not go riding. Although from now on I am pretty sure I will be much more cautious on train tracks.

This was a few hours after the crash, the bruising is getting pretty ugly now :(

The City of Roses, City of Bridges... Portland

2008-09-25T19:28:00.010-07:00

While I am sipping my peach strawberry protein smoothie (made from my new magic bullet- thanks bub!!) I thought this would be a perfect time to give everyone an update!

I have officially moved to PORTLAND OREGON!

Sarah and I left Calgary on Friday morning. Didn't get much of an early start but we were off at about 10:30 after filling up gas and last minute errands. Really without Sarah I don't know if I would have made it to Portland, first off it is a long drive I would have been lonely and I am not very good with directions so without Sarah figuring out the map I don't know where I would be right now. (Sarah if you're reading this, THANKS again). We made a few quick stops but once in Coeur D'alene we had a shopping trip to Target!! Then drove a little further and spent the night in Spokane.

Here is the one and only picture of the trip. I don't know why I didn't take a picture of the intense packing job of the van but it was pretty sweet, fit everything in, even my road bike!

Leaving Spokane, I just wanted to be in Portland but we still had 6ish hours to go. We ended up taking a slight detour for not being too observant and missing signs but oh well it was a really nice scenic route! As I have said before, you find some real cool things when you get a little lost. Once in Portland it was pretty much unload the van and get things figured out! I felt slightly bad because I had all these things I had to get done while Sarah wanted to check out Portland! We did get to see a bit, went down to the Pearl District, took the trolley on the whole loop to get an idea of downtown, went to Portland State University. We found a really awesome vegetarian restaurant/ yoga studio and had dinner there! It was sooo good!! It will be a regular I am sure!

Sarah left Monday afternoon and from then on I have pretty much been unpacking, organizing and doing some necessary grocery shopping and errands! Those first few grocery trips to stock up on things always seem so pricey and the fridge still looks empty. Oh well, I just have to give it time and will have it all figured out.

I have been exploring the bike paths a bit and love how there are bike lanes pretty much everywhere! Love how cycle friendly this city is!

Here is a picture from one of the pathways near my place, right beside the Columbia River with a view of Mt Hood.

The place I am living in with Sonia is pretty nice, decent size rooms a nice living room with french doors and it is only 10 blocks away from campus! I will get pictures up soon!

You can see Mount St. Helens (on the left ) from our balcony, you just have to ignore the big freeway right outside.

Classes don't start until Thursday so just going to do some exploring and I am going on a few group rides with a cycling team this weekend! I will keep you all posted!

Finishing things off

2008-09-09T15:22:00.002-07:00

I am here at the office packing up little by little. I ended up taking on the same idea as my brother and leaving all my work clothes at the office and riding to work. It has been great except for now I have all this stuff I need to take home. I have 3 more days left so it's coming to an end!! Yay, I have gotten the office thing out of my system and am so ready to get back to school and start learning again!!

Sonia and I have found a place in Portland and have gotten things organized with that. Such a weight off the shoulders to have a place figured out. Although we still have yet to see it and have no idea what the floor plan is, but it is better than nothing at all! We aren't tied down to anything so if it isn't what we want we can move if need be.

I will keep you all posted on the official move, which is next Friday!! AHHHH so soon!

Umbrella!

2008-08-21T14:33:00.004-07:00

After scimming through the BBC website I came upon this picture and it made me smile! Hopefully I will be able to swim outdoors before the summer ends or who knows maybe in Portland before it gets too cold!

Ongoing house hunt

2008-08-20T23:08:00.003-07:00

It has been almost 3 weeks since Sonia and I went to Portland to look for a place to live. Things in Portland were rushed but we managed to see a lot. We found a place we liked right away but knew we had to keep looking if things didn't work out with this particular place. It is always hard trying to look for a place after you have already set your mind about another, we kept comparing every place to it.

As of last week the place we wanted fell through and we were back to the drawing board. We have a few options available but obviously they aren't our first choice, but as the rolling stones sing, "you can't always get what you want, but you get what you need". In the end I think it will all work out, I mean its just first year, I have 3 more years to find the place I really want!

After only a day and half in Portland I was off to Vancouver. Originally I had planned to take the Amtrak train to take a nice scenic route, however the train was going to be delayed by 6 hours so I ended up taking the greyhound. Eight hours later I arrived in Vancouver at 3:30 am, blah! Luckily Edwin was only just starting to doze off and was so nice to come pick me up at the station. In Van I went shopping along Robson, went to the beach, watched the fireworks in the evening, helped assemble some furniture for Edwin's new condo, watched the Pride parade and hiked up Grouse mountain. All in all a great time. I will definitely be going to Vancouver as much as I can once I move to Portland.

House hunting..

2008-07-30T22:13:00.004-07:00

I am off to Portland tomorrow to look for a place to live, Sonia and I only have a day and a half to get through apartment viewings, a school tour and more apartment viewings! I am hoping we find a place alright. Wish us luck!

In other news I have been back on the road to recovery from my surgery, still not feeling 100% but getting there. Right now I am debating whether or not to withdraw from a sprint triathlon August 10th, but I will make that decision closer to the date. I haven't been in the pool in a very very long time, and my endurance has decreased drastically so it would definitely be a challenge. Well see?

Just was packing and listening to some music and this one song came on which reminds me of my brother Cy. Not the lyrics at all just the guy singing. This isn't Dan le Sac from "Thou Shalt Always Kill" but sounds similar to me. Maybe it's because they are both from the UK, but its a fun song. Check it out, it is called Wearing my Rolex by Wiley

What would we do... Usually drink, usualy dance, usually bobble!"

Have a good August long !

Numb

2008-07-03T19:26:00.003-07:00

So I know it has been a very long time since I last posted here and not sure anyone even checks this anymore but I felt a need to record how I am feeling these days.

After having surgery to remove a cyst in my neck a week ago, I think I am doing pretty good. I have been very protective though and ended up tensing up my neck muscles real good which has added to the pain and annoyance. I have also started to notice that right underneath my chin it is almost starting to feel numb. I am not sure if this is due to me trying to slowly pull at the steri-strips or just part of the normal healing process but it is a very strange feeling.

Now I am just worried about what it will look like when I fully remove the strips.

Fingers crossed it turns out ok!!

Wow its been a while

2008-02-26T19:51:00.003-07:00

Well I haven't written on here in a very long time, but really it's because nothing that crazy and exciting has happened. I have found a sweet job that keeps me busy and will help me save up for school. It is nice because I work in the same building as my brother so I get to see him much more often than before. Well before which consisted of when I lived in Edmonton so being in the same city does help with that.

I have developed a nice routine, I am up every morning at 7, with a 5 minute snooze and on the bus by 7:50. Home by 5:30 and have all evening to do whatever.

Trying to stay healthy is my main priority, and I am having a hard time with this. I seems no matter what I try I still get sick so easily, I guess the curse Cy put on me of calling me "perma sick" has seemed to stick.

Back in Calgary

2007-12-12T13:38:00.000-07:00

Back in Calgary… has been very uneventful. I have been applying to jobs, working out here and there and catching up on the TV shows I missed while in Spain (pretty much just The Hills). Well I guess not fully uneventful, I did go up to Edmonton for my convocation!! I can now officially say I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology. Only one step towards the end though, now comes the planning for September.

I have been back a little more than a month now and things have gone by so quickly, Christmas is only 2 weeks away and it feels like it should still be September. I guess when you are in Madrid and just hanging out all the time until November you kind of miss all the hustle of things. So that is where I am now, trying to get back into the swing of things…

Things I learnt and loved about Espana!

2007-11-28T11:20:00.001-07:00

1. Lunch is eaten at 2 or even as late at 4. When I first arrived I had a hard time with this but now I am so used to it. Also one thing I really enjoyed is lunch is the bigger meal of the day, whereas dinner (at 9-10ish) is very small and often just protein. This makes sense as you can use the day to burn off the calories of a large meal compared to going right to bed after.

2. People know how to parallel park!! You really can’t park any other way, but still you have to know how to do it. I would have a little trouble in this department that’s for sure.

3. Traffic circles make sense here, and people know how to drive in them! It keeps traffic moving, which in Madrid is very necessary. I would think of the new traffic circles they just built behind Western on 18th ave in Calgary and it makes me laugh.

4. Transit is amazing! The metro runs throughout the whole city and is comes on a very regular basis. I think the longest I ever had to wait for a train to come was 5 minutes. Also they have buses that run to all the nearing cities and sites for very good prices. For a trip from Madrid to Segovia (comparable distance Calgary to Red Deer) it was 12€ (~$17) round trip. I am pretty sure greyhound doesn’t offer the same deal. Also these above buses run very often. Yes I know the large population in Madrid an area does help in this but I was still very impressed.

5. In Spain, Spanish has a slightly different accent than Latin America Spanish (which is what most of us in North America would have learnt or heard). I only note this as when I first arrived I found myself having a hard time saying all the words with z’s and c’s with a “th” sound. Also when hearing the word and then seeing it writing with a “z” was also very confusing, but now I have gotten very used to it and yes Plaza is not pronounced pla-za, but pla-tha!

6. Fruit and veggies are so yummy. When I came back to Calgary I grabbed a pear and then almost had to spit it out as it just tasted very pulpy. I never realized how horrible the fruit is we get until experiencing fresh fruit on a daily basis.

the yummy Tortilla a Patata

2007-11-04T04:24:00.000-07:00

(this is not my photo, but just thought you guys should get a visual)

The tortilla a patata is a Spanish specialty, it is a potato and onion omelette. It sounds so simple but sometimes its the simplest things that are the best! It is sooo yummy!! So my last morning Andres taught me how to prepare it, and it was my turn to try it out. It isn't the easiest thing to make, well everything is easy until you get to the flipping part. My first attempt at flipping didn't go so well as I lost half of the tortilla on the counter/sink, luckily managed to salvage it and it wasn't a total disaster. Andres helped with the flipping the second time, but now I have the basics and will just need to practice!

Last week in Madrid

2007-11-04T04:06:00.000-07:00

These last few days I have managed to keep myself busy. On Oct 31 was my last day with a transit pass so I had a few things on my list. I ended going to the Prado museum, they had just opened up a new exposition and it was free, so I mean what was I going to lose. It ws super super busy though (because it was free) so it was hard to really appreciate it all. From Prado I headed to Plaza de Castilla, all I wanted here was a photo and then I headed back downtown to Gran Via. Gran Via is the street with all the main shops and things, I just wanted one last look of european fashion before I left.

Oh I forgot to mention... being halloween the kids got all dressed up for school, it was fun to see them in costumes. Rebeca's whole class had to dress gothic so she was all in black, Diego was a mad scientist, Jamie was a millionare (his whole class the same), Marcos a indian, Patri was half man half woman (it was a pretty sweet costume) and Sarah was a black dressed bride. In the evening I went along with Marcos, Patri and Sarah trick or treating. Halloween here isn't very popular so it wasn't the same as back home. We went for about an 1 and half and maybe 6 or 7 houses gave out candy. I was trying to explain to the kids that we used to fill pillow cases with candy when used to go!! However although the lack of candy.. one house felt bad so they gave us a full box of ferrero rocher chocolates, mmm now that is a sweet halloween candy.

The kids don't get the 31st off school but Nov 1 is a holiday here so no school Thursday or Friday. It was nice to spend my last few days with the kids around! Thursday evening we went ice skating. Rebeca really enjoys going so was pretty excited. I haven't been on skates for almost 2 years now so I was worried I would fall, but it went well, I even taught the kids how to skate backwards a bit. 3 hours of skating and my feet hurt but it was fun to get some activity in with the kids before I leave. Also another thing that made me happy at the rink was there was a huge poster of Kipper!! yay Go Flames Go!!! I am sure the people don't really know who he is but I sure was excited about it.

Weekend in Rota and Cadiz

2007-11-04T03:49:00.000-07:00

This trip was originally planned to be super super busy, I had hoped to go to Sevilla and see a few other things but in the end I ended up just going to Cadiz and Rota and just hanging out on the beach and things. It was nice to just relax a little nearing the end of my trip, but since I didn't get to see Sevilla and Grenada yet it just means I will have to come back!!

Once in Rota we spent a few hours at the beach then headed to Cadiz by ferry. I little 30 min ride over to Cadiz and then we wondered to find our hostal. Once getting organized at the hostal we went to roam our surroudings. A few of the girls had been to Cadiz already so they knew a few spots but we pretty much just wondered until we could find food. Lunch was umm ok but the ice cream made my day. I really can't turn down a good ice cream! The big group of us (8girls) ended up splitting up a little to explore things so Kristin, Jodie and I decided to be tourists and check out some of the sights. In the end our sight seeing turned into a search for churros (fried dough that you dip into chocolate mmm), but we were not successful at this. Churros are more of a breakfast thing it seems. One back at the hostal we made some pasta and enjoyed some cheap wine and sangria(from a box hahaha). The evening was filled with tyring to find the popular spot in town, botellon (big bottle) and the discoteca. Botellon is where all the young people (15-24) meet up and bring their own drinks and just hang out until about 3am when the discotecas open. This was very interesting, its like a party without the host. There were at least a few hundred people here so it was very eventful.

The next morning we enjoyed some yummy churros con chocolate (mmm finally I got to try to joys of churros) and then just lazied around Cadiz until our ferry back to Rota. That evening just went to the beach, watched a little spanish television and ordered chinese. My last day in Rota was purely relaxing, woke up late, headed to the beach then just in teh evening headed back to the dreaded bus station to go to Puerto Santa Maria and take the 7 hour night bus back to Madrid. In the end I managed to get some sleep this time but it wasn't that great.

Bus ride to Rota

2007-11-02T09:29:00.001-07:00

As I mentioned in my last post I just came back from the south of spain (Cadiz and Rota, in Andalucia, Spain).

I have found it more expensive to travel within Spain so when my friend Kristin found this bus that goes for only 36 euros I was so there. The only problem is the bus ride is 7 hrs, so I decided I would take the night bus so it wouldn't affect my days and I could just sleep on the bus. The bus left the bus station at 12am but I had to purchase my ticket and was worried it would be sold out so I got to the station at about 10:30. The bus station isn't really a nice place so I was happy to get on the bus. However when I realized what seat I had I wasn't so happy. You don't get to choose your seat when purchasing your ticket (well maybe you can but I wasn't really in the mood to complicate things when getting my ticket) so I was stuck with sitting right behind the driver. This was horrible as it was nearly impossible to get some sleep. The driver had a radio on and a fan so I was freezing the whole time. Once I finally got into a somewhat comfortable position and was almost asleep the bus stopped at some random restaurant and gas station to refuel. I was so confused with what was going on because the driver made everyone get off the bus. I wasn't sure where we were and what was going on really, I was worried I had missed my stop and this was the last stop and I had no idea where we were, but I eventually figured it out but really all I wanted to do was sleep!! Another 3 hours and we made it to my destination. Well I say destination but really here at el Peurto de Santa Maria I had to wait for another bus to get to Rota (where Kristin lives). There were 4 or 5 buses that go to Rota so I thought at least one would come in time, however this was not the case and I had to wait 3 hours at the bus stop. I was so tired at this point but once at the bus station in Rota I thouth I would find my way to Kristins on my own. I had some awesome directions so managed my way quite easitly, however since I was dressed for the cold nights and the bus ride I was in many layers, so when I got to Kristins doors I was sweaty and tired (not a pretty sight when giving hellos). Once at Kristins it was nice to sit that's forsure!!

Three days in Paris!

2007-10-30T10:10:00.000-07:00

I have had a busy last couple of weeks thats forsure... I just got back from the south of Spain but I think I should first write about my trip to Paris. I had decided to go to Paris to visit my friend Greg (who had lived in res for a term as an exchange student from france), and also how could I turn down the opportunity of visiting Paris, especially whent the flight was only 26 euro.

Travelling:
I had booked my flight a month in advance and managed to get a great deal on my flight but since its a cheap airline the flight times aren't always the best. The flight was departing at 5:30am on Sunday the 21st. This would have been ok but to make it to the airport from where I am it is very difficult. I had to catch the last bus from Pozuelo at 11:30pm and then take the metro to the airport. I made it to the airport at about 1am and then just had to wait until ryan air opened for check in. This evening was probably the worst night of my entire time here in spain. I was right in the peak of a brutal cold and could barely swallow as it hurt so much, so trying to sleep on the airport floor wasn't going to happen. Those 4 hours at the airport went soo slowly but once on the plane things were fine. Again being a ryan air flight they often don't go directly to the main airport and you have to take a shuttle to Paris. The price of the shuttle was the same as the flight, pretty ridiculous really. The shuttle only took an hour though so wasn't a big deal.

Day 1:
Once in Paris I enjoyed my first croissant before meeting up with Greg. The croissant was amazing, just melted in my mouth, I dont know why they can't be the same everywhere. Once finding Greg we headed to his place, which by the way is in such an awesome area, literally a 10 min walk to la Cathedral de Notre Dame!! I felt bad as Greg had to get up a bit early to meet me at the station because when we got to their place, Mathilde (Gregs girlfriend) and some friends were still sleeping. We had a yummy breakfast of some almost pure butter croissants and chocolate croissants and then headed to a little market to get some things for lunch. This was an excellent Sunday as it wasn't too busy or anything and nice to just visit with friends. When I first arrived it was hard to go into french mode as I have been in Spanish country for so long. I kept answering things with "Si" and "Gracias" at first, but once I got into it speaking in french it wasn't that bad. I was really happy to practice french again, although I have lost a lot of my vocab. That evening Greg, Mathilde and I went to go see the movie "Michael Clayton" at a theatre along Champs Elysee! Got some good photos of l'Arc de Triomphe here, but since we took a little while here we almost didn't get a seat in the theatre. The movie was pretty good and was in english, but had french subtitles so was hard not to read them, but it was interesting to see the translations of things.
Day 2:
This was the frist day of being an intense tourist in Paris. I am really not a fan of looking like a tourist but sometimes you just have to have your camera and map out. The night before Greg pointed out a few places I should really see and I sort of planned out what i would do. I got a lot done this day so that my last day could be a bit more relaxed. I first went to the Cathedral de Notre dame and saw things around here, then went to check out La musee Louvre. I am actually pretty sick of museums and things so didn't actually go inside but got some pictures of the pyramids of course. I don't regret this, it was so busy and I find museums take a lot out of me. From here went to Concorde and L'opera. Opera is a beautiful area and this is where all the fancy shopping takes place!! Then off to la tour Eiffel. (Here is a pic of the view from the top)
I really wanted to go up and decided the more financially appropriate way was to take the stairs. I highly recommend the stairs!! There was barely a line, it was cheap and you get to see so much more. They have posters along the way with tidbits of information and you can take your time and enjoy it. The elevators looked packed and there was a 45 min wait, I didn't have the time for that, so when you are deciding between stairs or elevator, take the stairs! After this I did more quick stops to some tourist spots, such as Les Invalides, and more of la Seine.

Day 3:
I had less to do on my list as I rushed through lots the day before. I spent a few hours at Le chateau Versailles. It was a little longer to get here but well worth it. My transit pass however wasn't valid for this region but I wasn't going to pay more on top of the pass I purchased so I just hopped the gate (both ways going and coming back, nobody seemed to notice). I ended up getting lost (not literally) in the gardens of Versailles. They were awesome, many paths and things. I ended up exploring the Orangerie, and nobody was there, it was actually kind of strange with the amount of tourists all up top they didn't seem to come down. It was nice to be able to just relax here in the gardens, and I was a fan of all the fun shaped bushes. The rest of the afternoon I returned to Champs Elysee to actually go on the Arc de Triomphe, becuase the day before it was closed, but again there was a memorial of some sort but I was able to get some cool photos, nonetheless. Also I went to Montmarte to see the Basilique de Sacre Coeur, this was beautiful and I highly recommend going to check this out. It was nice as there was some guys playing some cover songs right on the steps and there is a great view to admire. Enjoyed some yummy eclairs and croissants throughout the day and just spent the evening at Greg and Mathildes place. Greg had some friends over and it was great practice for my french again.

The trip back to Madrid went problem free, so no stories of sleeping in the airport here.

The whole 3 days in Paris were great. I really tried to not let my cold affect my trip and I think I got a lot out of the three days. I got a little taste of the Parisien lifestyle and it was nice to see some old friends. I have been super lucky to have great friends to let me stay with them! Thanks Greg and Mathilde!!! I Had an awesome time.

Day trip to Segovia

2007-10-25T09:14:00.000-07:00

This was a similar trip like Toledo, a short bus ride away (well it was supposed to be 1.5 hr trip but it only took an hour) and lots of walking to see the sites. Segovia is known for three main things, the Aqueduct, Alcazar and the cathedral, so those were pretty much what I went to see. I had found a nice guide online of how to get to A to B with what roads to take and such to get to the next site but I always seem to get a bit lost when looking for the street signs (they aren't as easily displayed on sign posts like in Canada, often they are on the wall of the building in small print). However even though I got lost a few times I found everything in the end. The aqueduct was pretty easy to find, I mean you really can't miss it, its huge!! Pretty cool how its just right there in the middle of all the hustle of the city.

From here I went to the Cathedral which is right at the plaza mayor (main square). I was very impressed with this cathedral and I must say I have seen my share of cathedrals here in spain. There was a small market going on in the main square which was a mini version of El Rastro, pretty much all the same stuff.

Then off to Alcazar! This was the castle that inspired Mr Walt Disney himself for Cinderella. It was really beautiful! I didn't go inside but I walked down the hill to get some better shots. Just to remind you all this is the middle of October and by the middle of the afternoon it was at least 24 degrees out, so it wasn't to easy to get good photos as the sun was right above the Alcazar. This just means you will all have to go and check it out yourselves!! Also if you do ever get a chance to go, I recommend getting a little lost haha, I know that sounds strange but you can find some cute little places and things to see along the way that you probably wouldn't have if you stuck to the main plan. This has become sort of my little moto of travelling. I mean not getting stressfully lost or anything but just turning down a different street than planned, you don't know what you may find.

Out of both small day trips, I enjoyed Segovia more. It is hard to explain the difference between the two (Toledo and Segovia) but I just had a better feeling about Segovia. Perhaps it was the time of year I went with less tourists around and all the fall colours which I love so much, but who knows.

Ahhh home in 10 days, crazy... update of Paris to come...

Working out...

2007-10-18T16:49:00.001-07:00

Workouts have become a bit random as I have been having some problems with my knee. Of all things I should know what to do with it and I know I really shouldn't run when my knee hurts. I have read up on some things and have decided to do some quad strengthening and some specific stretching, I have found this has helped a little on my runs. I can now go 40 mins withour pain presenting but to make it 60 is not very fun so I haven't pushed myself.

However I did promise myself I wouldn't put on weight this trip which I think I am still doing ok (the yummy desserst aren't helping though) but I have definatly noticed a decrease in my aerobic fitness.
Going to have to get into the training mode when I get back thats for sure (too bad there will probably be snow on the ground so I won't be able to go on some nice rides, oh how I miss you roadie B.

Although runs have had to be altered a bit I have found a great route and I sort of have a routine now. I run for 25 mins and then do some intervals or a strength circuit at the football field or track and then another 20 minutes running. The break from running in between is really nice for my knee and I get a chance to do my 30 pushs up a day, no no not 30 in a row (well not yet that is!!) and some core work.

Also I really can't complain when I go for runs when its 20 some degrees and only 11am, so far October's weather has been great, but you can tell fall has arrived as the evenings get quite cool and the leaves have started falling. Oh I love the colours of fall!

Day to Day...

2007-10-14T09:16:00.001-07:00

I realized I haven't posted about my day to day living here in Pozuelo. I ussually wake up a little late around 9:30 or 10 (I feel a little bad about this, because I don't see the rest of the family as the kids and parents are up at 8 to get ready for school or work). I ussually enjoy a breakfast of cereal and cola coa (chocolate milk) or lately some magdelenas (muffins) and then either try to go for a workout (more about this next post) or set off to Madrid to do some exploring, reading, shopping and what not.

Since October the kids get home at about 5:30 but these are some busy kids. The day does not stop for them after school, I mean I know my brothers and I were a busy family with skiing and swimming but for example Diego has music, swimming and choir all on one evening, but don't forget he has futbol 3 times a week as well. So to figure out all 6 kids (the cousins to) the parents have a schedule of where each kids is and who picks up who when. It can get very complicated Im sure, and after seeing the organization I really appreciate my parents for all the driving to and from swimming and skiing they had to do. While one kid is going out the door another one is coming in, I help the kids with what I can with their homework ( really only English and french) and hang out with them. Enjoy a dinner at around 9:30 and then watch some TV with the family.

Wow things are going by fast, three weeks to go ahhh crazyness.
Miss you all!

Weekend in Soria

2007-10-12T05:38:00.000-07:00

(The kids in Quintana Redonda)

This past weekend I went with the family to the north of Spain, Soria. It is a 2 hour drive north of Madrid. The drive up was fun as I sat beside Diego and Rebeca who were either singing or playing on their psp. I wanted to see what diego was playing but I would get a little dizzy whenever I looked at the psp. All in all the drive went well and before we got to the house we went looking for a restaurant/bar to get dinner. We went to a typical Spanish cerveceria, where you can order food, tapas and drinks. Also kids are allowed in the bar and everybody smokes. In Madrid I haven’t really found smoking a big problem but here you could tell more people smoked. The bar was busy with a wide variety of people, young and old. This old man was bugging Diego with a live crab and kept tapping Diego’s shoulder with it, and beside our table was another man playing on the slots machine while watching the tv program above, he was so focused on pressing the slots button but all at the same time ordering drinks, talking to his family and watching tv. Once we got to the small village Quintana Redonda we got settled, made our beds and went to bed.

The next two days the family took me to many small villages and sights.
We went to the villages where the kids grandparents were from. Deserted little villages, really nice though! Where the grandmothers house was, there was fruit that had been planted years ago. Apples, pears, plums, grapes and raspberries, it was nice to be able to just pick it right off the tree and enjoy.

Also on the trip we went to the main city Soria, which is the biggest city in this region. It has a cathedral called Santo Domingo where you can go to the side of the cathedral and buy desserts and sweets from the nuns. I would have never known about this if I hadn’t been with the family that’s for sure. It was really interesting, you weren’t allowed to see the nuns and they had this sliding closet where you would place your money and they would switch it with the boxes of desserts.

In the evening while in Soria everyone heads to the main square and street and walks down to enjoy a chat or drink. We went down to get some of Soria’s mantequilla (butter, either plain or sweet, which is a particular Soria specialty). The sweet butter is almost like icing mmm and really good on these little muffins (called magdelenas). While walking back we ran into Celia’s aunt and uncle so sat down to have a drink with everyone. Saw a few more sights along the trip including some old roman buildings and other cathedrals and castles. Pretty cool to just drive around and spot castles and things every few minutes.

This trip I enjoyed some good times with the family, great food and desserts (can’t forget the desserts!) and beautiful scenery. A weekend well spent!! and very different than all the bustle of the big city.

Mmm dessert!

Thanks again Andres and Celia for letting me come along!!

OSLO!!

2007-10-09T03:15:00.000-07:00

Travel day:
I didn’t want to be late for the flight like last time when we went to Barcelona, so I left really early. Took the bus, than the metro and got there with two hours to spare. Two hours would have been fine at the airport but with a delay of 2.5 hours, I was really ready to leave the Madrid airport. The flight was about 3 hours and went smoothly. Being a cheap ryanair trip the flight doesn’t go directly to the main Oslo airport, but to a smaller airport a little ways away, however buses are set up to go directly to Oslo. A nice hour and a half ride to Oslo, and I finally made it at around 12am. Once I got to the bus station I wasn’t sure where I would find Giso, but it was super easy and I was so excited to see her. After such a long day of traveling I was happy to see a familiar face.

Day 1:
Woke up a little late but had a great breakfast of pumpkin bread. Went walking around to some touristy spots, including the palace, the port, the downtown streets and the Feria chocolate store. A very different place than Madrid that’s for sure. Things remind me of Canada with the nature and fall colours. However you do know you are in a Scandinavian country with the many blond heads bobbing around everywhere. The fashion is similar to Spain, many skinny jeans and things but more scarves and layering. It also feels very athletic here, Cy and J you would love it!!! Everyone is on bikes and there are helly hanson and bjorn dhaelie apparel shops everywhere. I can't imagine what it would be like in the winter, you can tell they are very fit people that’s for sure. It took me a while to actually believe I was in oslo, i still can't believe I went, of all places I really would have never thought I would go to Norway on this trip. Its Awesome.

Day 2:
went to the Vigeland Park which had lots and lots of sculptures of people intertwined together and the famous sculpture of a boy complaining. A really nice park, would like to go on a run in this park one day. I think I plan to return here, I really like OSLO. In the afternoon Giso had one class at the university of Oslo so I went with her to check it out. You can tell I sort of miss school when I was excited to go look at the U. It was a nice fall day with many people sitting out with their friends having a coffee. The campus was really nice, more sculptures and nice buildings.

Day 3:
We went to the 1952 Olympic ski jump, and xc ski location, Holmenkollen. This place really reminded me of the Canmore Nordic centre. The ski jump was cool, and such a beautiful spot in the city. Lots of tourists here, but I am sure in the winter it must be a popular spot for skiing. The rest of the day just looked around at shops and things and then headed back to Madrid in the early evening. The whole time I was there I was super lucky with the weather, as it was 14-15 and sunny most of the time! ahh oslo is beautiful.
A great little trip, and I recommend you all to go for a visit if you ever get the chance!

(Thanks again Giso for everything!!)
A link of more photos, here

La Vuelta!

2007-10-04T02:12:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday was an awesome yet very long day. The night before the parents had a fiesta for Andres’ birthday and we were all up very late. I managed to get up early to prepare and head to Madrid so I would get a good spot for the last stage of La Vuelta. The reason I left early was because I was unaware of the actual time the cyclists would come through and I was worried I would miss it. I have had this event on my calendar since I knew I would be going to Madrid, so there was no way I was going to miss it. The day before, I had even scoped out where I would go and knew what roads would be blocked off and things. Yes I know somewhat geeky to prepare like this in advance but as I mentioned before there was no way I was going to miss this. The awards stage!

Once I had arrived to the correct location (11ish) there were many people already around and setting up around the barricades to watch the cyclists. All these spectators had come early to watch the younger cyclists do a race prior to the real thing. I was actually glad I got to see this, as it was very different than the races I have seen in Alberta, mainly by the mere numbers of cyclists both boys and girls. They must have all been under 18 and all had super nice bikes and sponsored teams, with their team trucks and vans, pretty impressive really. After the girls race the road cleared a little, I wandered (not knowing I wasn’t allowed) on the road and took some photos of the awards stage. It was nice being so early because there were only huge cyclist fans and tourists who were more interested in the statue and fountain in the middle of the street and weren’t quite sure why the road was all closed down. It was really interesting seeing these tourists trying to figure out what all the hype was, especially because at this point all that was going on were young cyclists, and really no media had come yet. Another thing I found interesting was that during the juniors races the advertisement were different than that for La Vuelta, immediately (I really mean immediately, this was a speedy process) after the youngins race was over billboards and more adds went up and replaced the ones from the jr races. At this point I had found out that I had at least 4 hours before la vuelta, so I walked down the street to get some lunch and just roam the area. The final stage finished with 5 laps around the busiest streets in Madrid. I am very surprised they could actually close the streets but luckily it was a Sunday because otherwise I don’t think it would have been allowed. The street has the huge museum Del Prado, the national library (seems boring but it is really quite nice) and faces towards the Metropolis building up on Gran Via. (which is why all the tourists would be in this area because there would be lots for them to do). Yay for free stuff!

After lunch (2pm) I set up along the barricades to get ready for the cyclists. More people had started coming so I got a spot along the railing but a bit further from the finish line than I had hoped (I would have managed to get so much more free stuff from all the different team girls as they would always stop only a few meters away from me). Waited at this spot for a good 3 hours until the cyclists actually came by (5:30pm). My legs were so tired of standing but there was no way I was giving up my prime spot. The race was awesome, I have never seen such speed and the sprint to the finish was intense. It was hard trying to get photos because I wanted to watch more than take photos, but luckily we saw them more than once so I had enough opportunity to do so. I don’t really know how to explain the race and the final laps so I will describe it in 6 words: speed, cheering, spandex, expensive bikes, and did I already say speed!
You could tell that this race was a grueling 21 days because most of the guys looked pretty skinny, I mean after that much cycling pretty sure anyone would be skinny but still.

After the race I went to see all the team buses and things, it was pretty cool to see all the bikes stacked on the cars and gear everywhere. I felt like I was in wonderland with everything around me. It was a very exciting feeling.

A link with more of my photos here

Esta de Moda en Espana

2007-09-27T10:04:00.000-07:00

A quick hello to all those reading... I love all your comments, hope all is well in Alberta, NB, Vancouver (Jennifer), Montreal(Ashley), Israel (Laurence), Australia (Morgan), Tennessee (Kalya) and wherever you all are at the time.

Well I thought I would give you an idea of the style and fashion here in Madrid. Right now it seems the “in thing” to wear are these pants with very low crotches. Known in the fashion world as drop croth pants. This sounds strange and it really is. First being the summer many women are wearing these in a sort of cropped version. They look pretty comfortable but really that is all I think I like about them. They look almost as if there is a large saggy bum and way to much material in the front that they forgot to cut off. As I mentioned in my last blog I wanted to buy a pair just to show you all, but I really don’t think they look good. I am sure after saying this though in a year or so everyone will have them in N. America and I will be debating sporting the fashions (similar to how I didn’t like skinny jeans and now I have a pair, but these I really don’t know). Stores are now bringing in the fall season things and the drop crotch pants are everywhere in jeans, khakis, cords and even in overalls style.
A photo of the pants…after I got told I wasn’t allowed to take photos and the security guard asked me to delete the photo (hehe I am such a rebel).

Another prominent style here is the mullet. The mullet is live and well here in Spain that’s for sure! I think it’s due to many futbol players in Spain with this hairstyle and the young and old fans wanting to follow. Sort of like when Beckham had that fauxhock, but this is oh so much worse. I have even seen many rat-tails on young boys.

Fernando Torres (Mind you a very good futbol player)

Lastly, I am on the search for clothing that has Spanish sayings but all I get is English, even Canadian sayings. I saw a sweater yesterday at a store with the phrase “Calgary ‘where I broke my leg’ 88”, I almost wanted to buy it.

I will post soon about La Vuelta!!
Miss you all,
Shereen

Sundays are for El Rastro

2007-09-19T14:26:00.000-07:00

Sunday, I went to the market, El Rastro. I had been before but this time I had planned to go to buy some leggings and some of these drop crotch pants (I will explain later). After doing a few metro line changes I finally arrived. Pretty much the whole metro got off at this stop to go to el rastro, here you could easily pick out the tourists with their maps and guide books (really not a good idea at el rastro, with all the people and excitement for pick pocketers). Being so very busy, walking up and down the streets trying to find what I was looking for was slightly frustrating. Following the masses slowly trying to get from booth to booth was a task in itself. I didn’t end up finding what I was looking for, well actually I didn’t end up finding the price I liked for what I was looking for. You would think you could bargin at this market, but some stations have signs not allowing it, and it seemed everywhere I went nobody wanted bargining. No luck today, oh well! I did spot some nice scarves and things so I think I will have to visit the crazyness of Rastro at least a couple more times.

To do as they do in Toledo...

2007-09-17T12:18:00.000-07:00

I went on a day trip to Toledo last Wednesday. Toledo is an hour bus ride away from Madrid. You would think being so close it would be just another suburb but it is a completly different world really. A small city on the top of this big hill, with lots of history. Full of mosques and synagogues now turned into catholic churches, museums and a beautiful view from the top of the hill.
The city is a very popular tourist spot so I am pretty sure that 95% of the people on the bus were tourists. The bus ride was fine, except for the large group of boys from, umm I am going to guess Holand, sitting all around me. Once arrived, the bus droped us off at the bottom of the hill. Luckily I had read about this in advance otherwise I am sure I would be writing this update differently from having to walk up the hill. I took a quick city bus up the hill and got off at the main square, Plaza Zocodover. I knew I had arrived to where I wanted to be when I saw the big Mcdonalds right in the square (sarcasm here), that doesn't seem very historical to me.

Anyway after figuring out where I should go first I headed towards the Museo de Santa Cruz. I will admit I do like museum, art, history and culture but going from museum to museum can get a little boring and costly. Luckily however this museum was free and had some nice original Greco's to view. I didn't go into any other museums or cathedrals, seeing them from the outside was good enough for me. From here I wandered further up the hill to the Alcazar (fortress), which was destroyed and rebuilt but at this time was under construction so wasn't open. Nice from the outside at least. I managed to get some excellent photos of the view from up here as well.

Following a tiny map I printed off I managed to see what I came for, so the rest of the afternoon I people watched, did some window shopping and walked down the many narrow streets. In the past Toledo was known for their swords and armoury so lots of the shops had knights armour and swords on display. I can't imagine having bought a sword and taking it on the bus and then the metro to get back, I am sure I would have gotten some interesting looks. When it was time for lunch, sadly I was feeling like something comforting and decided to go to Mcdonalds.
I know how wrong this is, especially to take in the full experience of Toledo I really should have gone to a small restaurant and gotten a bochadillo but I just really wanted a burger. (As a side note: the Mcdonald burgers in Alberta are much better, it must be that Alberta beef!! )I decided I had time before my bus left and would walk down the hill to the station. It wasn't that bad but I did stop for some water on the way down.

At the beach in Barcelona

2007-09-13T00:12:00.000-07:00

Started the day off right with a café con leche and bochadillos con tortilla patatas (sandwich with a Spanish omelette inside), then made our way to the beach.

Seeing as Neeka and I each traveled with one small bag we did not bring towels, shampoo, soap, sunscreen or really any liquid over 100ml (damn new flying security measures). The first day we arrived to Barcelona we bought a bottle of shampoo and used it for nearly everything (Soap, shampoo, body wash, and even moisturizer - Neeka thought I was crazy to use it as moisturizer but my legs were just so dry, I needed something).
When we got to the beach we found chairs set up where you can pay to use them, this was perfect seeing as it made our day much more comfortable than having to lay right on the sand. It was well worth my 5 euros. After lathering up (with shampoo -haha) I was ready to soak up the sun. I didn’t really swim much but when I got in the water I did begin to suds up a little from the shampoo on my body, that was interesting. We left at about 4 to have lunch and then head to the airport. The lack of sunscreen was slightly noticeable as our faces were a little rosy, but what can you do. No real issues at the airport and set off to return to Madrid. All in all it was a great relaxing day.
At our gate before boarding (boarding a bus that is, haha which then took us to the plane)

Day 2 in Barcelona

2007-09-12T16:07:00.000-07:00

Neeka and I had decided we would get all the sight seeing done Tuesday, so that Wednesday we could just relax at the beach. This was an excellent plan!

Tuesday we pretty much walked across Barcelona. Starting off with a croissant and café con leche (café o lait) we began the day with more exploring. On our way to Segrada Familia we got off at the wrong metro station, well actually I don’t think it was the wrong station we just went the wrong way when we exited the station. It was funny though because we headed toward what we believed to be the Segrada Familia, but we thought it would have been much bigger, especially according to the photos we had seen. Again a slight detour but at least it was a nice spot, took a few photos and then went off to the real thing. La Segrada Familia is amazing, one of Gaudi’s many creations. It is still not completed and won’t be until at least 2020 they say but thus far I was impressed. Everything had such intricate details, the high vertical towers, the ceilings, the doors and windows, it was all so beautiful.

Then we were off to Park Guell, another hop on the metro and then a whole bunch of escalators to help us climb to the top of the hill to reach the park. I am so glad the escalators were there otherwise I don’t know if I would make it, especially from all the walking the night before. A winding pathway led to the popular square with all the mosaic benches, down to the famous mosaic lizard and to Casa Museu Gaudi.

We got some awesome pictures of the view from up here. We stayed at the park for a few hours. Had lunch there, I say lunch but more like a bag of chips with Ketchup (a Neeka delicacy), candy and a Fanta. Mmm sounds pretty healthy to me! Out of the wonderland of the park we returned to the busy streets of Barcelona to the port and to do a little shopping. I was quite successful with the shopping on this trip, getting a few things, including some skinny jeans (I never thought I would get them but they actually look quite good, sorry Justin I know you don’t like them). At the end of the night we were again exhausted and just fell right to sleep.

Surfing through the stone wave, in Park Guell

Bar"th"elona Day 1

2007-09-11T15:16:00.001-07:00

Sorry it has taken me so long to write about Barcelona...

The exploring of Barcelona started right when we arrived. Trying to find our way through the people and to the nearest metro station was a challenge in itself, the signage was lacking and the women at the info booth wasn't very informative (not a very good info booth). Neeka and I had chosen to start at L'arc de Triomf metro station as on the map it looked close to where we wanted to go for the evening. Once we arrived here, we saw no sign of an arc but decided to walk somewhere and then look at the map. At this point we realized were going the wrong direction but had noticed a bridge and at least thought we reached the water. No water, just a futball field, this was rather dissapointing, but still worth a photo.

After having to turn back we stumbled upon a nice little park right behind the metro station, sometimes I guess its worth getting a little lost. Once back on track we found the Arc de Triomf (proper spelling) and another beautiful park. A few museums, art sculptures, many people and most importantly the Geology museum in the parc (well not so much for me but for Neeka). We didn't end up going in though.

Now once again reorienting ourselves, we thought it was best to start looking for a hostal as it was getting dark. This was slightly stressful as the many places we asked were booked for the night, but after trying 5 or 6 we found a place, Hostal Nilo. We decided now that we were much more relaxed from finding a place we would explore the area a bit. The location of our hostal was excellent, right near the port, la rambla (a very popular street), and a short walk away from la barrio Gothic (a community with lots of nice shops and restaurants). We wandered down la rambla and then went to la barrio Gothic for some diner. We returned to a place which we had spotted during out search for the hostal. The restaurant was really busy and seemed to be a popular spot for locals. They served tapas, where you could hand pick what you wanted and bring it to your seat. Mmm it was just what we needed for the night. Once returning to our hostal we were exhausted and went right to bed.

Crab Croquetas Mmmm

Rushed off to Barcelona

2007-09-09T10:25:00.000-07:00

The trip to Barcelona started off rather stressful. Neguin took us to the airport and we checked in, here the attendant told us the flight will depart at 6:30 (different than the scheduled time of 4:55). We decided to have a snack at Mcdonals before we left seeing as we had some time. Sitting at Mcd’s we were looking at the departures screen and couldn’t find our flight on it, with a panic Neeka and I said our goodbyes and ran through the airport trying to find our gate. When we reached the gate nobody was there but one flight attendant. Above it says “Last call” Barcelona. The lady didn’t rush us or anything, it didn’t seem like a big deal that we were so late. We were the last to board but the flight couldn’t leave anyway because they were waiting to board the luggage. Neeka and I sat in relief and had a nice one hour flight to Barcelona. I was all worried I would get sick again, due to my last experience on the plane, but it was all fine.

The girls go to Madrid

2007-09-06T14:22:00.000-07:00

Neguin, Miad, Anyssa, Giso and Neeka walking the streets downtown

This past weekend...Started things off with a trip downtown to a cute little tea and shisha place. Neguin (Neeka's friend who lives in Madrid) took us through many streets to get us there, I don't think I would have been able to find this place without Neguin. When you order tea you get a nice plate of fruit and baklava desserts. I was very impressed with my 2.50 euro tea to come with all that.
Saturday was a nice day to sleep in and relax. Neguins mom prepared a feast, an excellent persian meal. It was so nice to have some home made persian food, I haven't had it in so long. Seven persian girls can sure eat a lot. Mmm that was an excellent lunch. In the evening we went to Pozuelo as a group to chat and have a drink, and then returned to Neguins for a chick flick and some snacks. All in all a nice change from all the craze that Madrid can be. Mmm looks good!

Sunday we were off to the market, El Rastro. One of the biggest flea markets in Europe they say. It was pretty busy, lots and lots of booths and people. I wasn't really looking for anything in particular but it was still fun looking through everything. After all the rush of people we met up with Miad and Anyssa for lunch at a nice little spanish restaurant. We just saw it around the corner on some street and decided to give it a try. A full 3 course meal for 12 euros, plenty of food and a nice little atmosphere, I was impressed! The rest of the day we went to the gardens of buen Retiro again and just sat, chatted, people watched and listened to the many bongo drummers by the great lake. A excellent way to end the busy day.

Last Sunday.. .oops forgot to post this first

2007-08-31T11:19:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a great day.

This was my first day to the the core of Madrid. In the morning however was a slow morning where we all woke a little a late. I prepared a canadian breakfast of pancakes with maple syrup. They all seemed to enjoy this and I think my next meal will be french toast, I just need to get the right bread.

For lunch we went to Celia's parents and had a big lunch. Lots of dishes. Not necessarily big dishes, but small amounts of lots of things. There were 3 kinds of ham sliced, 3 kinds of fish (salmon, a white fish, a small thin fish -haha my description is lacking here), also mushrooms, peppers, home made french fries, lettuce with a special dressing and spanish sausage. I tried everything except the small thin fish, seeing as I am still not a big fan of fish I was happy with trying the others already. The ham is really popular here but I dont' really like it. It tastes very fatty, almost as if they have smeared butter around the piece of meat. Maybe I will learn to like it but for now, not so much.

The evening was the best part of the day... I got to see Neeka and meet her friend Neguin who lives in Madrid. It was nice to see a familiar face and speak to someone with fluent English. We went to the centre of Madrid, Sol. Just walked around in the evening and watched the sunset. (hmm i need to figure out how to post things properly on here, but I can't seem to find how to turn the photo in the proper view, so I guess you can't see Neeka and I in a photo for now). Here at least is the beautiful sunset.

Miss you all,
Talk soon!

Jardines del Buen Retiro

2007-08-31T10:49:00.000-07:00

This week has been full of exploring... on Tuesday I went to the gardens of Buen retiro, well actually I had not planned to go here at all, I was just walking down the busy streets and noticed it looked rather nice and decided to walk through. Saying this seems like the gardens are rather small but this is not true, I spent almost 2 hours there and didn't get to see the whole park. First through an array of book kiosks and then you reach the gardens main grounds. The park is entangled with many pathways, sculptures and fountains. Among all this I found an interesting area for the seniors to enjoy... well I am not sure if its for enjoyment or not really... hmm well I can't seem to upload the video but I will try another time its pretty funny.

The end of the afternoon at the gardens was spent walking around the Great Lake. Here people can rent a small paddle boat and row around and feed the many goldfish. This was a very popular attraction. Lots of tourists around here!

Off for another busy weekend and then hopefully Barcelona on Monday!

La primera semena

2007-08-26T01:08:00.000-07:00

I have been here one week now and have experimented with food, learnt a few more words in spanish and all in all been having a good time.

During the week I have gotten to know the family a bit more. The parents both work at TeleMadrid a television station. The father is a director for a news show and the mother works for a travel program, but Im not sure what she does exactly. The father speaks english pretty well but the mother doesn´t speak english at all, however the kids are really good translators. They have similar music tastes, the other day Andres put in a Jack Johnson cd and I got all excited. The kids are really easy to hang out with, they manage really well on their own, which gives me lots of time to do my thing. Rebeca has a lesson every morning from 10-12:30 and then just does her homework for another few hours. During this time Diego is ussually reading or playing a game in his room. Lunch is often at 2:30 or 3 so by this time I am pretty hungry although I do snack a few times before then. In the afternoons we ussually bike over to the park nearby and play football (real football) or hide and go seek or something. Then I help Rebeca with her french. She is always doing homework because she has a few exams the first week of September.

This weekend I did my first bit of real exploring. Saturday I went to a fruit and vegetable market but I guess it wasn't as busy as usual. The weather was really gloomy so maybe less people wanted to go out. Everybody buys a lot of fruits and veggies its awesome, its all so colourful and the fruit is so fresh and sweet. MMmmmm. The peaches (los melocotons) are my favourite so far, but its all amazing, the honeydew, the apples, the plums mmmm.

In the afternoon I tried some fish and seafood in a paella for lunch. For me this was a huge thing not being a very big fish eater and not ussually trying foods that I'm not used to. I was so proud of myself for tasting everything and actually enjoying it!! I guess you never know until you try it. I will have to get the recipe. In the evening we went out for dinner to a very Americanized Texan restaurant called "Ribs". All the servers were in cowboy hats and plaid outfits, so I guess I didn't miss the stampede afterall.
Here is a picture of the family at the restaurant.

Andres, Rebeca, Diego and Celia

Sunday was an exciting day.. but its late and I have another busy day a head of me. Talk soon!

Mi Casa

2007-08-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

This is the front entrance to the house in Pozuelo. They live right beside their Aunt and Uncles, connected to the house actually but you can´t see it in the picture.

My room is in the basement which is nice as it doesn´t get too hot during the evening, and it is close to the computer so I can email you all often.
My favorite part of the whole house is of course the swimming pool!! I haven´t gone swimming just yet, it has been windy lately and the water is really cold. Of course its not glacier water, but the kids say its ussually warmer so we are going to wait until its really hot outside so that we don´t think of the temperature.

More updates to come,

Adios!

Airports, planes and spanish

2007-08-22T14:38:00.000-07:00

Hola,

I have made it to my travel destination of the suburb of Madrid, Pozuelo de Alarcon (pronouced like Po-th-uelo..). My first flight, Calgary to Frankfurt went well. I was sitting beside a photo journalist from Whistler, I was lucky to be sitting beside someone who spoke english instead of german. She had some great stories of her travels, and we got along really well, this made the flight more entertaining especially because there were two crying babies near by. The boarding of this flight seemed really unorganized, everyone seemed so anxious to get on the flight. Nobody formed a distinct line to get our boarding passes checked and everyone seemed to crowd the flight attendants booth, Im not sure what the big rush was seeing as we were going to have to sit on the plane for 9 hours. I guess this is a difference from fligths I am used to where everyone forms a single line. Once we arrived at the Frankfurt airport I just wandered around aimlessly in a few shops and things and stayed close to my gate. I had by accident taken the juice from the first flight in my bag and got stopped at the security check for having liquid larger than 100ml, oops.

My second flight to Madrid went well until the lunch arrived. I was really hungry so didn´t really question eating. We were given a sadnwich half was ham (or at least I think it was)and butter and the other half cheese and butter. This sandwich reminded me of a kids sandwich on white bread and a very bland taste. The ham(?) sandwich was ok and I was still hungry so I made myself finish the cheese one. I managed to order some apple juice, my first sentance in spanish actually (simon a manzana, por favor - pronounced thimon a manthana = juice of apple). The rest of the flight the food did not seem to sit well and right before landing I had a quick search for a one of those sickness bags. My whole row of seats didn´t have a bag but luckily the lady beside me realized what was going on and grabbed one from behind us. Once I had landed I felt much better but pretty tired. It took almost an hour to get my bags and then through the gates I went.

This was a strange moment walking through the gates not really sure who I was looking for but it was actually pretty easy and I spotted the father, Andres and daughter, Rebeca right away. We drove to their home, in about 40 minutes. Well I guess I can say my "home" for now at least. The language barrier is very obvious upon immediate introductions but hopefully I can get by.

Well it is late, I will update you all on my last few days tomorrow when I have more time.

Buenos Nochos,

Shereen

Last day

2007-08-17T17:40:00.000-07:00

Today is my last day in Calgary, these last few days have been busy busy busy. I am really not very good at packing ahead of time, however it always seems to get done somehow. Things were a bit tricky as I kept changing my mind on whether or not I would bring my road bike or not and in the end I have decided to not bring it. Who knows really if this is the best decision, but it will just be easier to travel and I won't have to worry about it. I am now just going to have to rent a bike down there if I plan to do any rides. But enough of bike details...

In case some of you don't know, I will be going to Madrid to be an aupair (nanny) for a family with two kids, Diego, 10 and Rebeca 13. The parents are Andres and Celia. They live in a suburb of Madrid called Pozuela de Alarcon. I will be staying with them for a little under 3 months. I am planning to do a few trips around spain, and hope to reach France and maybe Italy (just maybe).

I am very excited about the whole thing, however slightly nervous as well, seeing as I will be living with a completly new family and in a new world.

Wish me luck,
Adios

Getting ready... well trying to at least

2007-08-16T10:45:00.000-07:00

I have two days remaining before I leave on my big trip. There is still a large list of things I have to get done and time is really going by quickly.

My room is a big disaster and I have to do so many errands but I can't even leave the house until the painters leave. I am pretty much stuck here until about 3pm, but thats ok I guess I can get some good cleaning and organizing done.

I am hoping I will be able to update this often while I am in Madrid and area, so give it a glance every so often.

Exhausted

2007-07-11T20:27:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was my first of working two full shifts at the pool. That would sound alright but when you add it on to my practicum and evening shifts at the pool it is just draining. This weekend was particularly long because there was a swim meet and I was nice enough to pick up overtime hours to help out during the warm ups when there are over 400 kids in the pool.

Ok this is how my weekend went...

Jenn and Mike came up to visit me but came a little later than I was hoping on Friday evening. After chatting and catching up I got to bed and got about 5 hours of sleep before I had to get up for work. Saturday started off with a 9.5 hour shift at the pool and a bike back up the hill home (that hill is very frustrating especially after a long day at work). After a quick nap Jenn, Mike, Casey and I went out to the street festival downtown for a little bit. There are some pretty talented people out there, with a tri wheel unicycle balancing a glass of water juggling man to a multi hula-hooping women. Another short sleep and off to work again. Sunday a long 10 hour shift at the pool, I was sure ready to go home when it hit 5:30. I biked home rather slowly but once I got to the doorway I realized I had left my keys at work. At this point all I wanted to do was sleep and biking was not a high priority right now. I sat in the lobby for a good 10 minutes but finally got enough energy to get back on the bike (in rain now). After a really slow ride to and from work I finally got home at 6:30 and went right to bed. I had only planned to take a nap but ended up sleeping through until 6:30am. I must have really needed to catch up on my sleep.

It was great to have that long sleep and Monday I was feeling ready to go and start the week all over again. Hopefully this weekend won't be so bad.

Aupair family search

2007-06-26T23:31:00.000-07:00

I have been on the search for an aupair family for quite some time now. The way I describe it is online dating but an online family search. I have spent many long hours looking at photos and reading profiles and it has been a very hard time trying to narrow families down. In the beginning I was thinking I could stay for 6 months or so but realizing this would be difficult financially in the long run, I decided a stay between 3-4months would be best. Any longer just seemed like I would make no money and have to come back to Canada and not be able to afford chiro college later on. This short stay will let me accomplish a bit of my travel plans and then I can return to Calgary and work (not yet sure where just yet but this is the plan). With the daily messages and notes coming in from families from Italy, Spain, France and Switzerland it was a lot harder of a decision than I thought it was going to be. I finally had gotten things down to two families both in spain. In the end one family cancelled out and I was happy to have a family ready to take me with open arms.

I will be going to Madrid for 3 months!! I am pretty excited about the whole thing.The language barrier will be tough at first but I'm really hoping my french knowledge will help me a little bit. When booking my flight it was kind of scary but exciting all at the same time. I really have to trust this family with a lot of things.

Nuclear Salsa

2007-06-26T23:03:00.000-07:00

A mexican fiesta was planned for the staff at work, in the end only 3 girls made a showing but we had a great time regardless of the small numbers. We ordered a plate of nachos and a bulldog, after completly demolishing the nachos we thought it would be a great idea to get more food. At this point we were ready for an exciting evening, being on the daring side we ordered the next plate of nachos with the "nuclear salsa". Oh now this was not a good idea!! I decided to take a big dip into the salsa, immediatly something didn't feel quite right. The salsa had really no flavour at all more like instant burning. My ears started to sting, (if only I was in a cartoon I would have had smoke coming out of my ears) and my eyes started to water. This was a very uncomfortable event. Water did not help with the situation and I had to rush and get some milk to finally relieve my mouth. The manager came by and was in shock we ordered the whole salsa as the nuclear salsa, he told us you are supposed to get it as a side dipping just to try. The cooks even have to wear special gloves and goggles when preparing it. Well this information would have been nice prior to the big dip into the salsa.

So as a warning to you all, be very cautious when ordering the Nuclear salsa at Julios!

Mosquitoes and Lifeguarding

2007-06-07T14:26:00.001-07:00

I had my first shift at the pool on tuesday, not really much of a shift seeing as it was only 2 hours. I mean I cannot make a living on a 2 hour shift, what were they thinking. I am actually not sure if this is even legal. I thought there was some policy about shifts being a minimum of 3 hours. I think that is something I will look into. The guarding itself doesn't change much from before, it is more the workings of the actual facility that is pretty confusing. There are security checks in all sorts of weird corners and hallways. Hallways that don't go anywhere, I was so lost with where we were going. Complicated water test procedures but I am sure in time it will all get figured out.

In other news the training sessions with the soccer team are going great. We did a high intensity cross country trail interval. On wednesday I helped Michael set up the course and I just about got bitten on every part of my body by misquitoes. At the end of their training session I was very itchy, slightly swollen and a little frustrated, so for the Thursday session I thougth to be prepared with some heavy duty bug repellent!! Doing the workouts is much more enjoyable in the shade compared to last week, and the bug repellent seemed to have worked.

The week is looking up, have more hours at the pool and actual work to get down at the lab. Now if only I took a computer programming course so I would be able to figure out the damn program for this velotron cycle.

The Sun is Shining

2007-05-31T17:24:00.000-07:00

It is very HOT outside!! Which in most cases I would be very happy about, especially in the past summers where sunshine means I would get a shift at the pool. However this particular day it was very difficult to be happy with the heat. I had to do a hill workout in the middle of the day. I am helping out the soccer team and we do training sessions on Wednesday and Thursday. I haven't done the last few sessions so I thought I should partake in this workout seeing as I am healthy again. The time we have scheduled for the workout Thursday happens to be 1pm and this hill we chose happens to have no shade at all, so with the sun glaring down on you the whole time really doesn't make the hill very fun. In the end the two of us finished with very red cheeks and high heart rates. I was very pleased with myself seeing as I haven't had a tough workout in a while and this was a great push. Next time I think I will just do it in the morning when it is cooler.

A plus side with all this good weather is my proposal for my research project is nearly done, so if I get it done in time I can have the afternoon off tomorrow to relax in the sun! Also I am sure all those forest fire fighters are happy to have the hot weather and to see lots of excitement in the forests.

This Weeks-end

2007-05-25T22:28:00.000-07:00

So this is my first blog... I am a little new to this whole thing but I am sure in time I will get more original with posts.

Today I came into work late and left early. It is really nice not having an official time to come in and all. As long as I get what I want done in the day, I am free to set my own schedule. SO in the morning after trying to write up my research proposal and getting numb in front of the computer it was a nice break to have a cyclist come in for some testing. He thought it was appropriate to do both a wingate and VO2max. These tests aren't that pleasant to perform one after the other. However he was in good spirits and completed them with pretty nice results. These were my first tests that I set up and ran all by myself, so that was fun!
All in all a good day.

I am just listening to some new music I got from a friend, and I highly recommend it! Current Swell, I would describe them as a mix between Jack Johnson and Sublime (which of course are always a good time), so check them out!! Also they are Canadian, which makes them that much better!
http://www.currentswell.com/main.html