Week 3 of Travels: Malta

Hello all! Apologies for my extreme lateness in keeping you updated on my travels, but I swear to catch up in the next few days and to resume a more timely fashion.

Perhaps I have been stalling on this blog because I still don't know what to make of my time in Malta. For those of you unfamiliar with Malta, I will fill you in. Malta is, in fact, a country. It is a small island nation in the Mediterranean that falls below Italy and just next to Africa. I vaguely knew of Malta before coming abroad, and for a month actually entertained ideas of studying there instead of in Oxford because I thought a semester on a Mediterranean island might be just what the doctor ordered. I am glad I was not led to Malta, however, because it is not particularly exciting. It is incredibly tiny and though a member of the European Union, there is not much going on there outside of the high season for tourists... which we missed by a few weeks.

Our stay in Malta was actually on a small island off of the mainland called Gozo. The main island is Valleta, which has the airport and all other modern luxuries on it. Gozo is a hotspot in the late spring and summer because it is truly a vacation island. It is made up of restaurant, scuba diving spots, and gorgeous views, but very little else. We found an apartment on Gozo for just about $10 per girl and imagined days of sunbathing and playing in the Mediterranean, as we had checked the weather averages and it should have been in the lower 70s at that time but... we were wrong. Haha, we are certainly living and learning with each adventure.

So, we took a 3 am bus in Barcelona to get to the airport and arrived on Malta around 9 am. We were exhausted! After the long commute involving two taxis and a ferry (and some gorgeous views) we were taken to our apartment by the lovely landlady, Grace. She was very kind and accommodating and since we were the ONLY tenants she had at the time, she wanted to do all that she could to help us. She directed us to the grocery store, warning that it would close soon, and left us in our strange apartment with limestone walls and a distinct wet smell. The humidity was stifling!

We began our walk to the grocery and were able to appreciate our surroundings. Just 100 feet from our apartment was the crystal clear Mediterranean Sea and the streets of the island were also lovely. It made me think of the pictures I have seen of Greece. The grocery store was tiny and clearly full of locals who were amazed to see tourists at this time of the year. We got some staple items and then settled down for a nap despite the sunshine outside. I figured all the days would be sunny and that I could enjoy it the next day after I had rested up.

Alas, I was wrong again. We woke up to a cloudy day! Despite this, we did some exploring around our harbour. Here are a few pictures:





That night, we ate dinner at a strange little restaurant. I should tell you that the people of Malta, the Maltese, if you will, speak some crazy language (Maltese) similar to Arabic, and some are really not good at English, despite it being a national language due to the fact that Malta used to be owned/controlled by Britain. Anyway, the owner of the restaurant was a little rough at English but managed to coerce us into the lamb special. We then shared what appeared to be an entire lamb (I'm sorry, baby lamb!) for dinner as a typical Maltese feast. It was good, but added to our feelings of being strangely stranded on this bizarre island surrounded by people speaking in a language that uses very little vowels and lots of shouting.

The next few days consisted of lots of meandering around the island beneath the clouds, reading, and serious napping. We also watched a LOT of Italian MTV and enjoyed trying to figure out what was happening.

Finally, on my final day on Malta, we were blessed with GORGEOUS weather and a desire to explore. A nearby village holds ancient ruins and the legendary cave of Calypso, so we decided to take the bus and see some sights before my departure.



The first photo is the name of the temples, which none of us can pronounce. These temples are the OLDEST free standing structure in the WORLD! And to think, they are right there on Gozo in Malta. There were a lot of tourists visiting the temples, mostly from Germany for some reason. They are fascinating, complete with alters and other spots for worship. The people worshiped goddesses here and nature.

Next, we took a long, sweat trek through the village to the coast to see Calypso's cave. Here are a few pictures of the streets:




When we finally arrived at the cave, it had been worth the journey. It held some mystique as it is tied to the myth of the Odyssey - Ulysses was supposedly kept here after he was seduced by Calypso - and gorgeous views. Here are a few:





After a morning of adventuring and making peace with the island by finally being able to appreciate it's many attributes, I had to make the journey to the airport. I took four buses and a ferry to do so, as well as many hours of seeing the island. Though four hours in transit would usually be annoying, I truly enjoyed a chance to see more of Malta! I was squeezed on a few of the buses, it was a very cultural experience because when it seemed that not one more body could fit on the bus, we were forced to squeeze in ten more! I was able to take some gorgeous pictures of the lovely day, and I met a hilarious Spanish man to pass the time with. Here are a few samples:




From Malta, I took a flight that arrived in London at midnight, and waited two hours for a bus back to Oxford, where I slept for four hours, repacked, and took another bus to the other airport to spend a week back in America! It was good to refuel and to stock up on some food to bring back for the Easter holiday. More to come on that!

Spain - Part 2: Granada

On Monday the 24th, Mom and I took a five hour train ride down to the south of Spain for a few days in Granada. Granada is a famously old city that holds the Alhambra, which is a Moorish castle dating back to the 14th century. It is apparently one of the most visited sights in the world for its lavish castles and the intricate details that it holds. There are many stories and myths that have come out of the Alhambra, and the whole city of Granada emanates its importance. Granada was very different from Madrid, partially because of its history, but also because it is a city made up of small, alley-like streets that are busy and bustling, but also very strange and eerie. Much like Madrid, though, the city was covered in monuments and plazas, as well as happy Spaniards enjoying tapas and cocktails out of doors.

Our hotel in Granada was a lovely place called El Ladron del Agua, or 'the thief of water'. This is because there is a theme of water found in the Alhambra and Moorish traditions. It is ever present in fountains and pools in the palaces, and this hotel is located just below the Alhambra in the Albaycin neighborhood of Granada, known for it's magnificent views of the Alhambra. I LOVED this hotel! It's amazing how less nice facilities can make a nice shower and comfortable bed seem so luxurious. I even donned the fancy bath robe the hotel provided just because I wanted to soak it all up, haha. Lame, I know. Other than these things, the hotel was also interesting because it had wooden paneled ceilings and a very Spanish feel about it. It was an ideal place to spend our time in Granada. Here are a few pictures:


We had a lot of Spanish cheese and wine to get through once we arrived, as there was not a fridge in the room to keep all that we had bought in Madrid.

That first night, we spent our time just walking the tiny (and confusing!) streets of Granada in search of dinner. We ended up on the patio of a restaurant that was on a nice little plaza. We ordered lasagna and tortellini carbonara, but though these dishes are normally Italian, we received the Spanish versions. We were a little surprised but happy nonetheless! The lasagna was more like some sort of enchilada-like casserole and the tortellini came with some Spanish ham. All was delicious, and we followed up with the obligatory churros and chocolate sauce. Everyone told me that when visiting Granada, one MUST have churros and chocolate, and they sure were right. It's essentially dipping fried sticks of dough into a chocolate pudding type liquid. SO GOOD!

The next morning, we set out to do more exploring before our scheduled visit to the Alhambra. Here are some photos of us around the city:


This is Mom on the road outside our hotel which leads through the Albaycin neighborhood.



After some exploring and a light lunch, we began our trek up the hill to the Alhambra. We had read in our guidebooks that sometimes gypsies are found on the trail, and they will try to give you stems of rosemary and then try to read your fortune to you from the palm of your hand. Then they will ask you to pay them for it. Well, oddly enough this happened to my mom! We had just came up a treacherous part of the uphill walk and were sitting down for a breather when we were approached by a tiny gypsy woman who handed my mom rosemary and then reached for her hand. I was pretty proud of myself for doing a quick yell, grabbing my mom's hand back and then getting out of there. And, as ever, I was thankful for our Rick Steves guidebook because that little man knows everything about everywhere. It's truly impressive and almost a little strange.

Anyway, once we got to the palaces, they were amazing. We first checked our the Alacabaza, the fort on the outside. Here we are standing in it and overlooking the city:


Here are a few photos from inside the palace. There is so much to have seen and so much detail, but pictures really tell it better. I will put some here and will have more on my photos page.





The next morning was probably the highlight of the Granada trip, as we went on our much anticipated olive oil tour through the Andalucian countryside. Andalucia is the region of Spain that Granada is in, and it is famous for some of it's food and products, such as olives. We were picked up at our hotel and driven way out of the city into the mountains. These were so beautiful! The day was sunny and warm, but we could see snow covering the mountain tops of the Sierra Nevadas. We were driven to a tiny village just beneath the mountains. It was a sleepy place on that Wednesday morning, and it had streets that were just as narrow and difficult to navigate as in Granada. It was a wonder that our driver only had one accident that day... he hit a BMW in a parking lot earlier in the morning.

This is the British couple we were with and me learning from our guide about the trees in the olive field.

Here is a lovely photo of Mom in the fields with the snow-capped mountains behind her.

After touring the olive fields, we were taken to the olive oil press that dates back at least 500 years. This giant press is intact because it was left shut up for many years and was no disassembled as most of the other olive oil presses from the time were. It is a wonder that all of it is still in great shape, and it was also so amazing to think of the Spaniards producing their delicious olive oil for so much of history.

This is a part of the olive press. Impressive!

We then were taken to the the place where we would get to test the olive oils. It was quite an interesting process! We tested five different olive oils. First, we would sip a bit of the olive oil and experience it's taste in that way. Then, we would dip bread in the oil and taste it again. After this, we would then discuss the differences in the oils, eat a slice of apple, and try another. We are now certifiable olive oil experts! After the olive oil testing, we moved on to test four different wines from the region which were deeeelicious! It was such a wonderful experience in this small town in Spain. Here are some pictures from the tasting:




Next, we were taken through more beautiful countryside to another tiny town for an amazing lunch. This was easily the best meal I have had in all of Europe. I had gazpacho, a traditional cold soup, and then roast pork and potatoes. And wine. All followed by the delicious Spanish coffee. It was such an incredible day, and we saw so many beautiful parts of Spain that we otherwise would have missed! Here are some pictures of the views:




The following day, we said goodbye to our lovely hotel in Granada and made the journey back up to Madrid. The train ride through the country was so beautiful, and it was a pleasant journey to have made twice. We found our final hotel that night, despite some complications and a few tears of frustration from me that got the taxi driver to turn off his meter for a few minutes... and then we enjoyed tapas and wine on our final night together in Spain. The goodbye in the morning was tearful, but the memories of a week in Spain, one of my favorite places, with my mom, one of my favorite people, will always be some of my happiest and most cherished memories.

Spain - Part 1: Madrid

The 2nd week of my travels was spent in the magical country of Spain, the land of tapas, sangria, and warm sunshine. The minute I stepped out of the Madrid airport into the hot sun, I knew it would be an amazing stay. I've missed the Georgia weather quite a bit while abroad, so it was a nice week spent in a climate that is a little nearer to what I am used to. My good mood in Spain was also a result of the knowledge that my Mom would be arriving early the next morning for a week with me! Before that, however, we had an afternoon and evening to get acquainted with our neighborhood in the center of Madrid. I checked into the room my mom had reserved while the girls went across the street to theirs, and then we met up with our friend Phoebe from England at the Plaza Mayor. The Plaza Mayor was actually a pretty awful place during the violent years in Spain's history, but today it is a lovely square with a lot of outdoor seating for the numerous restaurants that are located there.

From there, Phoebe took us for a REAL Spanish lunch. The restaurant was hidden at the top of a building with a great view of the city. We ordered tapas, or 5 different plates to be shared. I was brave and let Phoebe choose our food, which was calamari, baked peppers, roasted potatoes, chorizo, and white asparagus with shrimp. This was a very typical meal, she assured me. All of it was so delicious too! Oddly enough, the calamari was so good and very different than in the States. After this awesome lunch, we went downstairs to a streetside restaurant and sat in the sun to share the first of many pitchers of sangria. What a great way to be welcomed into Spain!

The following morning I awoke to my mother's arrival in our lovely Spanish hotel room. It was funny how normal it seemed to be with my mom in Spain. I feel so lucky that she was able to make the trip to visit me and I will always cherish the memories we made together. That first day, we spent some time napping (she had had a long journey) before getting out to explore the city. It was a lovely day and we really set out to just enjoy it, without anything big on our agenda. Here are a few pictures:

This is us at the pond and monument in the Retiro. The Retiro is the giant and beautiful park in the center of Madrid, sort of like Central Park in NYC.


This is us with one of the many cows in Spain. These cows are all over the city and each is done up by a different artist. Sometimes they communicate political ideas, sometimes they are just funny or cute.


This is one of the amazing buildings along the main road in Madrid.

We then had our first dinner on the Plaza Santa Ana, experimenting with 6 different kinds of tapas, all so delicious! My Spanish language skills almost failed us when we nearly ordered the octopus dish, but thankfully our little waiter told us what I had just ordered in time for us to change that. We shared some sangria and had a lot of fun on that first night.

The second morning, Saturday, we slept in a little and then grabbed some delicious coffee on our way to the Prado. Coffee in Spain is not like in America. If you order just coffee, you will just get a tiny cup of espresso, and cafe con leche, or coffee with milk, is espresso and milk (a latte). Drip coffee like we drink in America is not easily found, which was fine because we loved the lattes every morning! So, with our coffee cups in hand we made the pleasant stroll up to the The Prado, the famous art museum in Madrid. It houses many famous works be El Greco, Titian, etc. It was quite a nice learning experience and we even bought some snotty El Prado tote bags to prove we actually went :)

We also frequented a mall off of the Plaza Del Sol near our hotel called El Corte Ingles. This was a 7 story mall that housed an awesome grocery store beneath it. We went here to buy cheese, flan, yogurt, wine... the necessities. We also found some more cute cows outside of it!



That night we met up with my friends and had a lovely dinner at a small restaurant in the center of Madrid. I had amazing asparagus and chicken, followed by tiramisu. I could get used to eating the food in Spain all the time! The ingredients were always so fresh and it was always so delicious.

Our last full day in Spain was Sunday, which we began with a walk to the train station to buy our tickets for Granada the next day. The train station is actually really cool here, and has a giant botanical garden inside of it. The Spanish are very good with their landscaping and botany. We then enjoyed more walking around in the Retiro and the rest of the city, then had a light lunch in a cafe. Madrid was a wonderful place to just get to know the city and spend time soaking in all the culture. It was so nice to just spend time with my mom and enjoy the city. It was also wonderful to have spent a few days in Madrid so that when we left we actually were sad to say goodbye to the neighborhood that had been our own while we were there. However, it was such a treat to take the train down to the amazing city of Granada, which I will blog about next.

Belgique! The first week of a five week holiday.

Well, first I should explain why I have not blogged in more than a month... it's because I have been on vacation for five weeks! It's hard work keeping a blog up amidst all the miles that I have traveled over this amount of time, and I will admit that even in my downtime, blogging just hasn't been my priority. I will, however, be going back and blogging my adventures starting from week 1, so though it is a little late, you won't miss a minute of my travels around the world. :)

So, it was more than a month ago that on March 15, our little group of Mercer/Oxford girls set off for the country of Belgium, or Belgique, as the French speakers say. Some people think that it's a little strange for us to have chosen to visit Belgium, but there was a larger reason for this choice. On of my dearest professors, Dr. Chris Grant, was leading a Mercer group of students across Europe for their spring break, and we were going to be able to catch them on their final few days of travel. The plan was to meet up with them in Brussels and join them on their tours of the European Union Consilium and the United States Mission to the E.U., and then we would part ways, leaving for Bruges when they left for the States.

What a wonderful week this was! With little previous knowledge of Belgium, I don't think it could have worked out any better. The flight was just about an hour to get to Belgium and once in Brussels, I was charmed by the culture and surroundings. Of course there were Belgium waffle stands on nearly every corner, but beyond that, the city was a lovely mix of lovely European flavor and modern European governmental hub. Here are a few pictures from Brussels:

The streets and squares were so quaint and SO very Euro.


Belgian waffles are not overrated.

One thing about the trip to Brussels that was wonderful aside from seeing some wonderful Mercerians was the trip to the European Union Consilium. My first term at Oxford was devoted to learning about the structure and workings of the European Union, so it was a nice test of my learning to tour the facilities. It was so interesting to see what could sort of be described as the "Washington DC" of the E.U. We actually were there just a few days before the meeting of all the heads of states of the member nations, which was also pretty exciting.


After we said farewell to the Mercer group on Tuesday of that week, we caught the train to Bruges (pronounced Brooj) which is just an hour or so north of Brussels. It is a canal city that I really knew nothing about, other than having heard that it is beautiful and the best place to visit in Belgium. Well, that couldn't be more accurate! Bruges is one of my favorite cities of all time now, because it is unlike any other that I have visited. We were fortunate to have two beautiful, sunny days while in Bruges, and the streets are lined with lovely shops and happy people. I will also tell you that there was an abundance of adorable dogs in this city, which you know boosted my level of happiness. Though we were only in Bruges for just about 24 hours, we had so many wonderful experiences while there. We started with a canal tour on a boat that took us around this absolutely adorable city that was filled with swans and tulips. Here are a few shots:




After a day of exploring, we retired to our lovely hostel that was just a block from the center of town. I loved this place! It was cozy and small, with a Bohemian, collegey vibe, as well as fancy chandeliers and other details that were leftover from when it used to be a nice hotel many years ago. We actually took part in a Belgian beer tasting here (drink it slow... the ABV is double what Americans are used to) and then went out for a drink with our guide. It was such a great environment with so many great people. And, the Belgian beer is really, reallllly good! Here is a picture of the main room of the hostel:


From Bruges, we then took the train to the city of Charleroi, in French speaking Belgium. This was where our airport was located, thanks for Ryanair. Ryanair is the inexpensive airline that makes flying around Europe so cheap, but they also tend to make it a little difficult. They do this by operating out of completely random airports in strange places... like Charleroi. So, we arrive in Charleroi, an unattractive, industrial city, feeling a little sad to have left such a lovely city behind us for a night in this one. Then we start asking directions to our hostel, which was difficult when most everyone spoke only French and none of us know anything other than 'hello' and 'thank you'. What we did soon glean from our difficult conversations was that our hotel was not actually a hostel and that it was no actually in Charleroi. It was so far that buses wouldn't actually even take us there! Whhhhat? We were distressed and stressed and growing rapidly impatient, so we finally found a trustworthy cabbie that had zero English skills, and he took us on the long, strange journey into the middle of nowhere. I am not exaggerating. It took us half an hour to get out of the city, at which point I started to worry that this man was taking us somewhere to keep us captive and sell us on the black market. I know, not really funny, but I am always jumping to the worst case scenario. The four of us girls nervously smiled at one another, but after another twenty minutes, we arrived in a tiny village at a bar that bore the name of the 'hostel' I had booked online. After venturing inside, I met the one English speaker in town, Bubu, a man from Kosovo that assured me the upstairs of the bar was a hotel. All worked out and we ended up in this strange, 1960s-esque hotel that night, across from beautiful ruins of a historic abbey in this strange town in French speaking Belgium. Bubu even bought us each a glass of wine later that night, and then we rested up for our morning flight to... MADRID!! I will blog on my week in Spain with Mom later today or tomorrow, so look out for that, as well as picture updates. I am actually in a cafe in Edinborough, Scotland now, and have to go and catch my train in an hour for Oxford. Cheers!

A Mini Holiday

Well, since my last post I have gone to a few very exciting places in the United Kingdom! I had a particularly rough weekend here in Oxford. I was feeling quite bored/lonely/homesick and was in search of a cure, since my last week here was looking like it would be very quiet as everyone would be wrapping up tutorials and I had just one left at the very end of the week. So, what does a girl do to cure boredom when she's spending six months in England? Catch a flight to Scotland!

It was actually perfect timing for a getaway, as some of my best friends from Mercer go to school in Scotland and even more friends from Mercer were in Scotland for the week for Spring Break missions work. I was able to get a reasonable flight to Glascow out of a London airport but since it was short notice I had to take a 1 a.m. bus. This put me at the airport at 4 a.m. for an 8:40 flight... you can imagine how enjoyable that was. I can now say that I have slept on the floor of an airport, as I did find a group of people who seemed pretty cozy and like it was pretty normal to just lay down, so I hugged my backpack and wrapped up in my coat for 2.5 hours of strange slumber. Luckily, my flight got off the ground alright and I arrived in Glascow just at 10 a.m. to meet Matt who then took me back to the campus where he and Aaron attend school for the semester. I was immediately struck by how beautiful the surroundings are! Scotland is famous for its landscape, but I had really not even thought about it before my trip. I went for the people who would be there, but after having been, half the pleasure of the trip was the gorgeous countryside and soothing views.

Once in Paisley (the town where the college is) Matt headed to class and I met up with Aaron. Aaron is a friend of mine also, but he is also my roommate from Mercer, Deborah's, boyfriend. He took me through Glascow (such a beautiful city!) on the way to meet up with the group from Mercer. I really enjoyed Glascow because it was much less crowded than London and the people were all nicer and life overall seemed at a slower pace. I think my midwestern roots are starting to show... city people stress me out!

Aaron and I met up with the group from Mercer in the early evening and I was so overjoyed! It was incredible to hug Meredith, Lanta, and Whitney (three of my sorority sisters and good friends - Meredith and Lanta lived with me in the house in the fall and Whit is just wonderful). The whole group was also a joy to be around, as I know almost all of them from Mercer and they are just such encouraging and kind people. Some of you know that I have had a few challenges with the people in my program so it was just so nice to be around such wonderful, caring people for a couple of days. Right away, the group welcomed me in and we went to climb the bell tower at the church where they were working for the week. The views were gorgeous and it was such a neat experience! Here are a few pictures, the first is with Meredith, the second with Aaron, and the third is of the majestic view.




That night, the girls from the group led a "Rainbows" meeting with the 5-7 year old girls of the church. It's almost identical to the American "Brownies" groups and it was so fun! I have missed volunteering and working with children, so it was just what I needed. We played and sang and made some crafts and I can assure you that the Scottish kids are the cutest! Then, the church men made us hot dogs for dinner (these were actually so good!) and Aaron and Matt and I headed back to their campus for the night. I met their very international roomies and rested up a little bit for the next day.

The next morning came early, as I made the journey alone to meet up with the Mercer group since Matt and Aaron had class. I awoke to a gorgeous morning of sunshine and just a little hint of moisture. It was like a much chillier morning at Mercer in springtime. Here is a picture of the view from the bus stop:


After riding a bus and two trains, I met up with the group to catch a train to the town called Stirling. Here we visited Stirling Castle, which is a very old and famous castle that has seen a great deal of bloodshed and power over its years. I won't go into too much detail but WOW, it was an interesting place. Here are a few photos, but please visit my photo site for more pictures.




Later that day we trekked through the picturesque town and took a bus to the William Wallace monument. Yes, Braveheart. It was SO COOL! I hadn't realized how revered Wallace really is in Scotland; he is truly their most prized national hero. I enjoyed listening to his history and seeing the important artifacts collected from 800 years ago. My favorite thing to see was his 6 ft. sword... I cannot imagine who could possibly wield such a formidable object. The man must have been a beast! Here are a few pictures from there.





We then took the train home and I hugged everyone goodbye as I stayed on the train to the airport. Aaron met me on the platform in Paisley to hand me my backpack and then I was off. The ride to the airport was tranquil, with the full moon rising over the gorgeous lands of Scotland. I saw golf courses, sheep, and a few lakes. It's a magical place, and I felt renewed after my visit. I know that I get lonely, but I also know that that is normal and I'm really not as alone as I think. It was worth it to make the quick trip up North to figure a few things out.

After arriving home at 1 a.m. on Wednesday morning, I got up six hours later for the program's excursion to Broughton Castle and Syon House. Broughton is a beautiful castle fairly nearby that has been the site of MANY movies including Shakespeare in Love and even Made of Honor. Syon House is the castle/house of the Duke of Northumberland and is in London. It is lavish and extravagant and completely saturated with artwork. Almost too much artwork. Haha, and I'm sorry, I won't post pictures because this thing is getting so long, but there are many in my Oxford March album on my Picasa page. I'll attach the link at the bottom of this post.

The rest of the week went well and I finished my tutorial on Friday. I am so thankful for the end of term, as it has been a long 9 weeks. I have learned so much about my tutorials, the world, others, myself etc. and it's time for a break. For those of you interested, I will start tomorrow morning in Belgium, then on to Spain for a week, then a week in MALTA! Malta is a tiny island south of Italy and we got incredible airfare... so exciting. I will end with a week in Italy and then fly back here to have Easter with my best friend Deborah and her boyfriend Aaron. She is in Hong Kong this semester and will have a break at that time and is visiting us! I am so blessed for all of these opportunities, and am learning that more and more each day. I will be checking my email almost daily, and will try to keep up with my blog.

My picasa site is :http://picasaweb.google.com/suz.bottorff

Please keep me updated on your lives!

Love,
Suz