Barcelona: Part Two

After my flight being delayed by an hour (I love EasyJet!!!) I was finally on my way to Spain. I arrived around 3:30 and found my way to the 'Sants' metro stop where I met Stephanie. It was a fun reunion and we recapped the latest in our lives as we took the metro back to her place. After dropping off my bag and meeting up with Alex, the three of us went out to explore Barcelona. They took me to Font Magica where we watched the famous water show set to America's 90's music. For example, Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" and some good 'ole Police/Sting tunes. When that was over, we went to a fun little place and ate tapas for dinner. The fried potatoes with some sort of sauce were amazing! Afterwards, we walked down the famous street Ramblas and Alex took our picture with a man dressed like a tree. It's quite bizarre the things that people dress up as to get money.


Sunday, Stephanie and I hiked up the "I forgot the name" mountain and took pictures of the view of the city. It was truly beautiful.


Then we set out on our own little "Gaudi Barcelona Tour" visiting famous sites that Gaudi designed. We went through the Casa Batllo and I totally fell in love with the pure genius and creativity of Gaudi. His style was so incredible! I would love to build my own home using him as inspiration. Maybe one day, after I've won the lottery.


When we were exhausted from all the walking we stopped for dinner and I ate my first paella dish! It had all kind of meat and seafood and a different sauce. But I enjoyed it. (Especially with the squirt of lemon on it!) After dinner, we walked off the food by walking home. Was a really pretty night.

Monday morning we visited the Market and enjoyed some yummy Spanish pastries and some fresh fruit smoothies. Afterwards we warmed up at a small cafe with some coffee and then I headed off to the airport. The trip was short but so fun! I'm so grateful I was able to go and visit a tiny part of Spain!

Praying for Ellen Beall

Last weekend Jason got the devestating news that his sweet mother Ellen had been diagnosed with Stage 3 Ovarian Cancer. Today she is getting a hysterectomy done and we're all praying that everything goes well!
Due to the circumstances, Jason will be ending the semester early to go home and take care of her. So Friday morning he'll leave Paris and head home to Baltimore just in time to be with his family for the holidays.
I just want to thank him for his friendship and the beautiful person that he is. My time in Paris would not have been the same without him. Over these last two months we've travelled to many places together and became obnoxiously inseperable. Our friends have teased us that we're like a married couple and others say we're obsessed with each other. Both statements are pretty accurate. ;-)
I never imagined that I would meet such a special person in Paris who would make such an impact on my life. God and Karma are good to me. I will miss sharing our inside jokes, "I slept AWFUL!" .. "X ~ WRONG ANSWER!!!" .. "I LOVE your jacket!" and all our sarcastic comments that the French just don't understand. The metro rides just won't be the same, neither will checking out boys all by myself. I'll miss the moments where we just looked at each other surprised/disgusted by the things that "ohk-war"dly happen around us.
Jason I love you and am so grateful to have met you and have you in my life. I once told you that I thought our relationship together was probably the healthiest relationship I've ever had with a guy and I still stand by it. You know me so well and I have always felt comfortable being myself with you. The day you told me, "I was thinking about if there was something I could change about Bree what would it be? I decided there isn't anything." I knew I felt the same about you! You've been the best thing about Paris and it will never be the same without you. You've become my best friend and my family. You've made me co-dependant!!! UGH!!! :-)
I hope you have a great holiday at home but don't forget to send a little luck my way every now and then.

I simply can't wait to see you in the spring where Bree+Jason=Obnoxious will be continued!

Memorable weekend in Paris

Friday afternoon Jason and I met up with my friend Bastien and walked around Paris and visited la Tour Eiffel.

It's crazy how big it is and yes, that was the first time I've actually walked around it since being here! That evening Jason, Kalyn and I ventured out to the 19th arrondissement to see Rue Royale play in the basement of the Rigoletto Theater (a cafè/ pub). The show was scheduled to start at 8:00 but probably didn't begin until after 9:00 and then went until after midnight. It was a fun intimate experience, much like Kilby Court and made me a little homesick. Rue Royale was amazing! They are both very talented and seem so down to earth. If you haven't checked them out, give them a listen on myspace.
Saturday afternoon Jason and I decided to go to a Rugby game.

Neither of us had been to one before so it sounded like fun. We bought tickets from a scalper, which was SUPER sketchy but he sold us two tickets for 40 euro. (Where we would've had to pay 50 from the ticket booth.) We were nervous that we had just been ripped off and the tickets wouldn't work but not only did we make it through the gate but our seats were great! It was really interesting to watch and we kept trying to figure out what the rules were as one man would get tackled but pass the ball off to another member and the play would continue. It was also very enjoyable to see good looking muscular men wearing bright pink. ;-)
That evening Jason, Kalyn and I met some really friendly French guys on the metro and hung out with them. For the most part, it was a great day.
Sunday afternoon Kalyn and I met up with our CEA study abroad group and went to Chartre for the day to visit the cathedral.

Afterwards we watched a demonstration of how stained glass windows are made. The demonstration was given in French but I was able to understand some of it and it was really interesting. When that finished we grabbed dinner in a little pizza pub and caught the train back to Paris. I was exhausted but it was a fun weekend.
I'm so grateful for my friends and the fun memories we've made together!

(Jason, I love you!!!)

New Music

As you all know, I'm a bit of a fanatic when it comes to music. Since having spent my summer in Alaska and now my winter in Paris I haven't been keeping up on new music coming out and am falling behind. But I did just get Muse's new album The Resistance and I'm obsessed with it. The song Uprising is definitely one of my favorites along with I Belong to You (+ Mon Coeur S'ouvre A Ta Voix) and I love how different the entire album is, which is only expected from Muse. They're pretty much amazing. Also, I was disappointed to find that they played in Paris last week and I had no idea. So now I'm attempting to find a good show while here that isn't already sold out or too expensive. Devendra Banhart is coming but alas, it's already sold out. So far the only thing I've found that I'm planning on going to is Rue Royale on Dec. 5th. From what I found, they'll be playing at a pub and it should only be five euro. I'm crossing my fingers this is true!
So if anyone knows of a good show coming up in Paris, please let me know!
Also, if there's some good music that you've been listening to and you think I'd enjoy it, let me know! I'm always happy to explore something new.
Besides Muse, I've been listening to: Coeur de Pirate, The Decemberists, Horse Feathers, Empire Of The Sun and Passion Pit

Pictures from Rome

View of Rome from the "Spanish Steps"


Nina, Lauren and I on the Spanish Steps


Basilica Church


The infamous Colosseum

Doctors Appointment

Went to an American doctor tonight who ignored me as I spouted off my symptoms and asked me to repeat them when she realized she wasn't listening. Then when I got done she responded by saying, "You don't look sick." ... REALLY? REALLY!?!?!
Then she went on to tell me that I wasn't coughing and people who have the swine flu cough more.. I was astonished by the stupidity of this doctor and was tempted to cough in her face! I have spent the last three days coughing and was coughing in her waiting room but because I didn't cough the ten minutes in her office she thought I was perfectly healthy. If it wasn't for my 100.4 fever I think she would've just kicked me out. But thankfully the heat radiating from my face and entire body made her re-evaluate things.. But by the end she told me that I was past the 72 hr medication of the swine so I just have to ride it out from here. The only good thing I got from that appointment was a note excusing me to miss the entire week of class. Not sure how that will go over but at this point I don't really care. She also told me that I need to stay in my room until at least Friday. I'm hoping that I'll start feeling better so I can at least spend the time doing some needed homework.
Anyway, that's the update of the evening!
bisous!

Grippe A aka Swine Flu

This last week I went to Rome with some friends and was having a blast until the last day where I spent literally the entire day in bed. At first I just thought I was getting a bad cold but when the body aches, fever, chills and night sweats kicked in, I became worried that I caught the Swine Flu. So I laid in bed unable to move and asked Jason to google the symptons for me. As he did it, he gasped and said he didn't want to read them to me. Needless to say, I had every sympton. Somehow or another I survived the airplane and bus ride back to Paris where I have not left my room since. Last night I ended up soaking five different pj's along with my sheets in the ever so lovely night sweats. I have literally never felt so close to death.
Today I will call an English speaking doctor in hopes of getting a prescription to some magical medicine.
Will write more when I'm feeling better.