Barca Babyyy

I've seen plenty of Barca games at local bars but those experiences don't come close to watching the game live at Camp Nou. Lively fans filled the GIGANTIC stadium. The game was Barca vs. Granada. At this particular game I witnessed Messi, the leading scorer for Barca, break the team's record of most goals scored by a Barca player with an astonishing total of 234 goals. Pretttyyy amazing.

 My host-brother was a sweetheart and let me borrow his Barca jersey and scarf to wear to the game.

 Obviously, Barca won! 

Oh My Guinness!

Please pardon my lack of posting this past month. Between traveling, school, friends and family visiting Barcelona and everything else, I've been a little busy. I'll try to make up for lost time with a few different posts tonight, starting with my St. Patty's Weekend in Dublin!

It started out a rough morning. You know it's bad when you're waking up to get ready as your roommate stumbles back home from the club. 4 am is far too early. I'm not sure how I functionally made it to the airport, especially since I didn't even have time to drink a café con leche. 

However, it was all worth it once I finally arrived at the Dublin airport. They were certainly ready for the influx of tourists coming their way. The man handling the passport station took one glance at my passport and said, "We don't have any more room for Americans." His comrade joined the conversation and chipped in, "What, is it like a holiday or something?"

Oh Irish sarcasm... Don't worry though, I had plenty of American sarcasm to throw right back. 

Dublin Airport

After sliding into a taxi, it took me a moment to register that the driver was sitting on the wrong side of the car AND speaking English to me. It was so bizarre. The driver talked a little too much for my taste. He asked me all sorts of complex, life questions like 'what's your best piece of advice.' I thoroughly struggled with his questions given the fact I was running on two hours of sleep. I was so thankful when we pulled into the driveway of the adorable Heatherview Bed and Breakfast. The B&B was located about 15 minutes outside Dublin in the quiet town of Malahide.

The hosts, Maura and Jim, greeted me at the door. I was the first guest to arrive for the weekend. They offered me a cup of coffee, which I graciously accepted. Before I knew it, I had a plate of pancakes topped with strawberries in front of me too! I thought I was in heaven.

As if their hospitality hadn't already exceeded my expectations, they offered me a ride into the center of Malahide so I could explore before the rest of my friends arrived. They dropped me off near the port and I began my solo adventure.

It was a bit rainy, but beautiful nonetheless. The small city center had a wonderful small-town feel.

After touring the port and shopping area, I began my walk back to the B&B, cutting through the forest to get a little taste of some Ireland countryside. I had high hopes of running into Gerard Butler, but alas that didn't happen.

I made it back to the B&B without getting lost. For those of you who know me best, this was quite an accomplishment. I climbed into bed to take a short siesta but as soon as I did, I heard Kayla and Monica's voices down the hall. The first part of my group had arrived. My sorority sisters, Marisa and Kelsey, were coming later that night. I abandoned the thought of getting any sleep during the weekend and we headed straight to Dublin.

The bus ride was an adventure because we didn't know when to get off! We took it as a good sign when EVERYONE began exiting the bus. Luckily for us, it was the right stop after all. We arrived in Dublin extremely hungry and lost with no idea where to go. We looked up at the first street we saw and discovered there was a place with everything we could possibly need: Food Safety Information Center. Hallelujah!

The Food Safety Information Center wasn't exactly what we had hoped, but there was a nice lady inside who pointed us in the right direction to finding our friend Veronica at her hostel. Once we met up with her, food was our main priority.

The Grand Central Pub had the most amazing food...and beer too!

With full bellies, we were content, real people again, and ready to start celebrating the holiday. We began hopping from pub to pub. My favorite was The Stag's Head.

I also enjoyed the random street music. Those Irish certainly know how to play. 

I had to leave the festivities early and return back to the B&B to meet up with Marisa and Kelsey. Finding the bus back to Malahide was even trickier than knowing when to get off it. I think I walked the streets of Dublin for at least 45 minutes before miraculously stumbling upon the right bus stop.

Seeing Kelsey and Marisa was so incredibly wonderful. The previous lack of ADPi in my life was completely unacceptable. We decided to stay in Malahide for the evening and try out one of their local pubs. It ended up being a good decision because we witnessed this:

Oh Irish jigging...or at least an attempt at it...

We left the pub late and woke up early for the St. Patrick's Day Parade. Like I said earlier, there is no such thing as sleep in Dublin...at least not during St. Patty's Weekend. Thank goodness for Insomnia coffee!

We made sure we were parade ready with:

An irish flag

A walking stick

A make-shift flag to cheer on Marching Mizzou

And of course shamrock face paint

The streets were packed with people. It seemed like we waited forever and ever for the parade to begin, the anticipation of seeing Marching Mizzou rising every minute.

At last it began! And oh boy was it colorful!

I even spotted a leprechaun!

Of course, Marching Mizzou ended up being dead last. They really do save the best for last though. They were the biggest band in the entire parade! We went NUTS when we heard our fight song. See it for yourself:

We might have chased after them...singing along to the fight song...until the parade ended...but whatever... Can you blame a bunch of study abroad kids completely Mizzou-sick? Of course not!

After the parade, we headed to the Guinness Storehouse where I hoped to taste my very first sip of Guinness. How poetic of me to wait to be at the Guinness Storehouse - in Dublin - to try my first Guinness. :)

 First sip of Guinness! To Arthur! 

 The Storehouse was gigantic. So much Guinness-ness on every level. 

Once we got our fill of Guinness, we took a horse-drawn carriage back to the Temple Bar District where we carried out the rest of our night.

 First diamonds in MONTHS! 

The Temple Bar District was absolutely insane. The amount of people was unreal. Once we made it inside a pub, we could barely move. It was quite the experience. 

Overall, I absolutely loved Dublin. I wish I could have spent more time there. You can bet me arse I'll make it back there someday soon!

When in doubt, say PREGO!

...because it literally means EVERYTHING in Italian. Prego this, prego that... Use it and you'll become a natural Italian speaker! Trust me. :)

My journey to Rome began Thursday evening after acing my Oceanography midterm. (Yeah baby!) I hopped on the Aerobus and headed to the airport. Much to Kayla's dismay, I obviously made friends with some Germans during the ride. What can I say? I just love meeting new people. I told them that my family was from Germany and asked them how they would pronounce my last name since everyone in my family says it differently. It's pronounced All-eh-vel. Looks like we've all been saying it wrong! 

Ryan Air really irked me during this particular trip. Never have they ever checked my liquids, but sure enough! The one time I decide to be sneaky and bring a product that is over the ounce limit, they catch me and make me throw it out. 20 euros down the drain! Then they had the nerve to tell my suitcase - which was COMPLETELY in compliance with their width/length requirements - would not fit in the storage bins. Lies! There were SO many suitcases bigger than mine. Their greedy hands forced me to pay 50 euros to check my bag. To make matters worse, the flight was delayed! This was extremely problematic because I had no way to inform Kayla that I would be late getting into Rome. Our international phones aren't compatible. I was irate I tell you, irate. 

I huffed and puffed my way to an empty seat, giving death stares to every Ryan Air employee that had the audacity to walk past me. Despite my foul mood, the woman sitting beside me struck up a conversation in Spanish. It turns out she is a journalist from Brazil who works in TV production. We talked the entire flight. She even complemented me on my Spanish speaking skills. Talking with her made me forget all about how much I hated Ryan Air. 

After finally landing in Rome, my handy dandy iPhone came to the rescue! I texted my aunt to facebook message Kayla about my late arrival. Miraculously, Kayla happened to be online and everything worked out. 

I took a 40-minute bus ride into Rome's city center and was greeted by a really great hotel. (For obvious reasons!)

I hailed a taxi and the adventure to find my hotel began. After being in the taxi for 2 minutes, the meter was already at 12 euro! You gotta be kidding me! I argued with the taxi driver and told him the price was absolutely ridiculous. He turned off the meter and told me he would give me a deal and charge me 15 euro total. I took it, not knowing at the time that he was driving me around in circles. Oh yeah, my hotel was actually a two minute walk from where the bus dropped me off. Thank you scheming taxi driver for your "deal." He dropped me off on the street that my hotel was supposedly on and told me to walk fast because it wasn't a good part of town. Oh, how wonderful!

I began wandering up and down the street searching for this ridiculously hidden hotel. The name and address on the hotel's website did not match the real name and address. I asked some strangers and somehow managed to find the general direction of the hotel. After walking up four flights of sketchy stairs, I discovered the lobby. There was a Chinese cat picture on the door and no one in sight. The movie Taken briefly passed through my mind. The door was locked so I started pounding, freaking out. This little Chinese woman finally appeared and let me in. She barely spoke English but somehow called Kayla to let her know I had arrived. I don't think I've ever been so pleased to see Kayla prance through a door. 

Luckily, our hotel was in a different, less sketchy part of the building. It smelled of feet and mold, but hey, it was cheap and we were in Rome. How much can you complain? The fact is, you can't. After all the hassle of traveling, it was close to 11:30 pm AKA the perfect hour for some late-night pizza. 

The next morning, we woke up early and headed to Vatican City.

The gang from left to right: Pablo, Paulina, me, Monica, Kayla and Julie

Vatican City was utterly beautiful...down to every tiny detail. St. Peter's Basilica was my favorite. As I wandered through the building, I couldn't help but wish my grandfather was by my side. He had always wanted to visit Vatican City. It would have been an incredible experience to share with him. Despite his physical absence, I knew he was with me in a different kind of way. 

After touring the Basilica, we decided to climb to the very top of it...all 551 steps! 

I snapped this picture half-way to the top. 

It was quite a hike, but the view was definitely worth it. We could see Rome for days! 

After climbing the Basilica, we needed to recharge so we went on a hunt for some authentic Italian pasta. We found a quant little restaurant with incredibly rude employees. Despite their blatant annoyance with Americans/Mexicans/Canadians, the food was still delicious. 

Artichoke Fettuccine Alfredo! 

With almost full bellies, we all agreed getting some gelato was a must! Unfortunately, finding gelato is a bit tricky. When you desperately want gelato, it is nowhere to be found. However, when you don't want gelato, gelaterias are literally on every corner. Needless to say, it took us a few hours before we actually found some gelato. 

Later that evening, we ventured to see the Trevi Fountain and somehow stumbled upon the Pantheon along the way. The dome of the Pantheon was open and the moon sat perfectly in the center. It was quite the sight to see. 

We then made wishes at the Trevi Fountain. I could have sat at the fountain for hours. The atmosphere was just so peaceful and serene. I loved it. 

After walking around the city all day, we were completely exhausted and went straight to bed.

The next morning we explored the Vatican Museum and visited the Sistine Chapel. 

Next stop: The Colosseum!

Julie and I finished touring the Colosseum before everyone else and rushed to make it to the Forum ruins before they closed. We got lost along the way and never made it. However, we did find a cool government building and witnessed some kind of protest called La Destra. 

After another eventful day of sightseeing, we went out on the town. Of course, not before some fancy tea time in the hotel first! 

With about 4 hours of sleep under our belts, we woke up and ventured back to Vatican City (for the third time) in order to attend Mass and see the Pope. The second the choir started singing in Latin, I just about cried. Their voices echoed throughout the entire building. It was utterly beautiful. I could only pick up a few words here and there during the Mass because it was mostly in Italian and Latin, but I am so thankful I was able to go. It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. 

As soon as Mass ended, we hurried outside to join the large congregation of people awaiting the Pope's appearance in Vatican Square. The amount of people present was unbelievable. 

At exactly 12 pm, the Pope appeared. I'm still a little in shock that I actually saw the Pope!

The Pope spoke in Latin for quite some time and then suddenly switched to English and gave us a special a shout out! Clearly, he know we were coming. I mean, we are kind of a big deal. ;P Feel free to watch below! 

After the Pope said his farewell, the whole crowd started cheering and a giant circle began to form. The people in the circle joined hands and started to sing and dance in celebration. Kayla and I obviously joined in even though we didn't know the words or the steps to the dance. The circle kept growing larger and larger as more and more people joined in. It was so neat to be a part of it. 

Kayla and I struggling to follow along.

Once we calmed down from all the excitement, we grabbed some lunch at a cute outside cafe. We then returned to the Forum ruins since we failed to tour them the day before. We were a pretty pathetic bunch the rest of the day. We were all SO exhausted. 

We ended the day's festivities with some pizza and coffee right outside the Colosseum before I had to catch my flight back to Barcelona. It was the perfect way to end a wonderful trip. Thank you again to Kayla and her friends for letting me tag along to the end of their Spring Break Italian adventure. I hope I wasn't too abrasive!

Prego,

Madison