Roamin’ Roman Explores Barcelona

After much anticipation I was finally in Barcelona. I flew from Pisa to Girona. Pisa is a little town outside Florence and Ryan Air and other cheap airlines fly out from Pisa. Girona is an airport that is about an hour from Barcelona. Once you arrive you can take a bus to Barcelona for 12 Euros. The buses run in correspondence of Ryan Air flights. Not to worry, there is always a bus, however the lines are pretty long, but it moves quickly. If you are staying more than two days in Barcelona I recommend you get a metro pass. For ten rides it was only 7.85 Euros than opposed to 1.40 for each time.

Parc Guell

After being dropped off at the Barcelona central bus station, I met up with my friends at Guadi’s La Sagrada Familia. A little history, La Sagrada Familia is a privately-funded Roman Catholic church that has been under construction in Barcelona since 1882. The expected date to be finished is 2026, so there is always construction. Antoni Guadi is a renowned architect that lived from 1852 to 1926. Guadi spent the last fifteen years of his life on Sagrada Familia project. Many people ask why it is taking forever to build and that is because Guadi was extremely detail oriented and as he said, “my client is not in a hurry.” The church attracts many tourist from all over the world. There is an admissions fee, but to see it from the outside it is free. I believe the entrance fee is 11 Euros. 

La Sagrada Familia 

From La Sagrada Familia I went to Hospital de Sant Pau. This is walking distance from La Sagrada Familia. And as stated in my previous posting, there is a great bakery that serves amazing hot chocolate on the way to San Pau. The hospital was designed by Lluis Domenech I Montaner. There are tours on a daily basis offered several times. We went inside, but did not take the tour because we had just missed the morning tour and didn’t want to wait until 1pm. As of now it is being restored and is non functioning, but if you do decided to do the tours you must wear protective helmets because of the construction work. 

Hospital de Sant Pau

Inside of hospital de Sant Pau

From Hospital de Sant Pau we walked all the way to Parc Guell. Parc Guell is another of Guadi’s work. Just like La Sagrada Familia, it was never completed. The initial intension was for residences for the rich and famous, however, that was never achieved. Today it is a large park. You can see the house of where Guadi lived, fountains, interesting ceramic statues, and even gingerbread houses. My favorite part about the park was the ceramic and mosaic statues. Plus there is an incredible view of Barcelona from the top. If you are at all interested, it is only 4.50 to enter Guadi’s house if you are a student. If you are not, it costs a dollar more. At the park there are street vendors, legal and illegal. When the police come, all of the illegal vendors quickly wrap up their goods and disappear. Police strongly discourage buying from street vendors but many tourists do in order to get a cheap bargain. 

Guadi's house

Gingerbread houses at Parc Guell

Parc Guell

After walking all over the place, we retreated back to our hostel to get a little siesta. You might as well, since most of the shops close down for the afternoon for a block of time. After the siesta and dinner we went to see Flamenco Dancers at Tarantos. It is right off La Rambla street. Flamenco is a style of music and dance that is native to numerous regions in Spain. It was a 30-minute show and for six Euros you can’t beat the price. I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Barcelona. It gave me a better cultural experience. 

Flamenco dancers

The next day we went to a market by our hostel—Mercat de Sants. Let me just say, they have everything and anything, and some things I would eat and some things I would not or could not imagine eating. Pig feet and ears being one of them. But I was really happy to have gone. It was extremely busy, and it was nice seeing how another culture lives and shops. There are tons of little stands inside and different vendors. It is very organized. In the front there is produce then meat and finally at the end fish and seafood. There are also stands that sell herbs and spices. 

Dinner anyone?

From the Mercat de Sants we made our way to Arc de Triomf. We took a few metros and got lost but interestingly while asking for directions from a couple we discovered they were from Italy on vacation. We had something in common, Italian—although mine is a little rusty. Funny thing is after we departed ways at the Arc de Triomf, we saw them hours later randomly at the Cathedral. Arc de Triomf was built in 1888 for the Universal Exposition and built by architect Josep Vilaseca I Casanova. In front there is a stone sculpture that says “Barcelona rep les nacions” which translates into English “Barcelona welcomes the nations.” 

Arc de Triomf

After visiting Arc de Triomf, we wandered around until we landed ourselves at the Barcelona Cathedral. We read that the entrance to the Cathedral was free but it wasn’t! It was five Euros. Being on a student budget we didn’t go inside. I guess if I ate fewer desserts I would have been able to afford the five Euros.

Barcelona Cathedral

We did a lot of walking that day and of course we had to have our siesta. We recuperated, and then went out for the night. We went to Muntanya de Mont Juic. Although really pretty, I was disappointed that the fountain wasn’t working. It was under reconstruction and wouldn’t open until November 19th.

Muntanya de Mont Juic

For nighttime entertainment we saw a blues band, Whisky Train at Jamboree. It is in the same building as Tarantos, but down stairs. We bought our tickets online, this saved us a Euro and then we got to reserve our seats. The total outcome was 10 Euros for an hour and a half of entertainment. Not too shabby. 

Sunday was going to be my last full day in Barcelona. It was supposed to rain and lucky it only did for 5 straight minutes really hard and after that it was blue skies with white clouds. I’ve come to have an obsession with the clouds in Europe. They are beautiful! We made our way to Port Vell. The port has many local vendors selling various things. At the end of the dock there is a very large shopping center called Mare Magna. It’s pretty Americanized if you ask me. You won’t find local and unique stores, it’s mostly corporate.

Port Vell

It was finally time to leave Barcelona and make my way back to Girona because the next day we had an early flight. I hate to sound spoiled but I treated myself to a four star hotel right by the airport. I got a good deal online and couldn’t resist. The beds were beyond comfortable and I was able to watch TV on a flat screen, not to mention I got slippers too and a gift box of traveling goods! I am going to miss Barcelona, there was so much to see and such little time. But I got to see what I wanted and more. I am glad to get a different perspective of life and how another culture lives. Who knows where I will go next, all I know is it’s going to be a place I’ve never been before.

Yours truly,

Roamin’ Roman

Romain’ Roman Takes on Barcelona and the Local Dishes

Taking a break and enjoying my new guilty pleasure

Let me tell you, as much as I enjoy Italian food I was ready for a break. Thank gosh Barcelona was right around the corner, new place and new food. In no way am I an “expert” food critic just a food critic. This posting is about my experience and hopefully if you go to Barcelona, you can use this as a recourse. Before I begin with the food, I have a short story I would like to share with my readers.

There is always a reason why you meet people in life.  Might not know why, but there is always a story that enfolds later. This brings me to how I met Garrett. On the day I was visiting the Villa Borghese museum, I felt beyond sick, but knew that I had to press on because this was a once in a lifetime chance to see the gallery. While looking at a painting, I felt a heavy presence of eyes on me. As I looked over I saw Garrett. I quickly looked away and kept on going. Then again while looking at a different painting, I felt the same eyes on me. Before I could look over, Garrett came over and asked me if I was American (of course he knew, but I guess he had to break the ice some how). After that the rest was history. In short, I had convinced him to come with me to Barcelona. From there he invited a friend who lived in Florence, and that is how I met Cat. Kind of crazy how things work out, but I can happily say they are my new travel buddies!!! They love to travel and eat, but most importantly they knew how much I enjoyed sweets to the point that they followed me to the Chocolate Museum in Barcelona. 

Garrett, Kat and my self at Arc de Triomf

The first night was probably the best night when it came to dinner! We were beyond famish and desperate for food. We were on the La Ramba strip. While walking in one of the allies, we came across Tapas Royale. If you’re coming on the metro, take L3 and take the Liceu stop. The first word that comes across my mind when I think of Royale is posh, yet affordable. You get the first tapas free when you order a bottle of wine. After that you can order whatever you want. If you have two or three people, you can split the cost. We first ordered the duck tapas. It came with a sweet purée. Then we ordered the seafood paella. Very delicious! Then the calamari to top it off and finally we couldn’t resist we ordered the beef tenderloin with mash potatoes.

Duck tapas

Calamari

Seafood paella

Tenderloin with mash potatoes

To save money, skip dessert at Royale. Down the street there is a vegan café that serves pistachio cake! They also have an assortment of cookies and muffins. I ordered a blueberry muffin with cheesecake frosting! Good thing I had a camera to take photos, sorry if this makes your mouth water! Trust me, I thought of all of you while I savored my dessert.

Pistachio cake

Blueberry Muffin with cheesecake frosting

The other restaurant I enjoyed was August. August is another tapas restaurant located on Ronda de Sant Pau street. Once again you can make it inexpensive by sharing with friends. We started out with a side of fries. Once I had a sniff of them from the table next to me, I couldn’t resist.  The first dish was chorizo. Next was my choice and I had to get the sausage with tomato sauce. With the extra tomato sauce I soaked it up with the bread. A cheap way of filling myself up might I add. Garrett ordered the clams and at first, I was a little apprehensive.  These clams did not look like the clams I was accustomed to back in the states. They were long, not round, but they tasted even better than they looked. Glad I took the risk. To conclude my meal, we got seafood paella. Compared to Royale restaurant, I have to say I preferred Royale, but both are really good! August was a little cheaper. Part of what you pay for at Royale is the atmosphere. Comparing food, I would have to say Royale tasted a little better, but with both you can’t loose on either one.

Sausages in tomato sauce

Weird looking claims but at least they tasted good

But the most important food… or rather guilty indulgence, CHOCOLATE! More specifically the hot chocolate! OH MY WORD is it good! Nothing compares to the Barcelona’s hot chocolate. NOTHING! I am going to have serious withdrawals when I return home. I can’t even find it in Italy. The best place I found hot chocolate was a bakery near Hospital de San Pau. It’s called Forn De Pa Sant Pau. They have a couple of tables in inside, and a nice variety of pastries. It seemed like the locals go for their bread there. Everyone came in and got bread. So if you’re going and like bread too, I say try it! But back to the hot chocolate, it’s only 1.90 and that is pretty cheap compared to the other places. On Sunday when I went back they were closed, so I tried another place down the street and they charged 2.25. The price was hard to swallow but not the hot chocolate, well worth it. Only live once!

The BEST hot chocolate in the world!!!

The only thing that is better than hot chocolate is Museu de la Xocolata! I stumbled across this place while trying to navigate to Arc de Triomf. Lucky me I was able to convince my travel companions to stop. Of course I ordered hot chocolate. My biggest dilemma was deciding on ordering the big or the small size. In the end I decided I would get the small and then after exploring the museum I deserved a few pieces of chocolate. (My dessert for lunch) The museum is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 7pm and Sunday from 10am to 3pm. For more information check out the website http://www.pastisseria.com/en/PortadaMuseu . Well worth your time plus, the Arc de Triomf is close by and the zoo!

Heaven

The last little treat I tried while in Barcelona is a milk shake. One thing I’ve been craving is an American burger, fries and a shake. Well I got my burger in Barcelona. The burger and fries were as good as it’s going to get in Barcelona, which meant it was delicious! It was different than the American burgers, in the sense that this Barcelona burger seemed to melt in my mouth. Don’t worry it was cooked.

I got my milkshake later that night on the La Romba Strip at a gelateria. Originally I had envisioned a thick, milky ice cream shake, but that’s not what I received. It was very light because they use gelato. I got a strawberry milkshake and it was gone within five minutes. I tried to savor it, but it was so good (That and I was really thirsty).

What I love most about traveling to all these new countries is the food. Each country has its own specialty and I get to sample it as I go. I only wish I could bring some of the restaurants back home, but I guess that will be a good excuse for me to return to Spain. 

Yours truly,

Roamin’ Roman

PS. Since I spent Halloween in Barcelona you know I would find an appropriate treat. These are chocolate pumpkins.... and yes they were delicious!!!

Roamin’ Roman goes to Paros and Athens Greece

The second part of my Greece expedition was spent on Paros. We left Santorini around 4am and arrived in Paros at 7:30am. (For all you ferry travelers, you’ll soon discover that the ferry doesn’t always run on time) Right from the start I could sense a difference. The tourist season was definitely on its last leg. There wasn’t much going on, and rather quiet—too quiet. Nonetheless, I was going to discover what the island had to offer. I do have to say Paros has very beautiful towns

My first discovery was gyros! So good and yet so cheap! I seriously became a gyros addict before I left. Gyros is meat, tomato, onion and tzatziki sauce. I thought while on the island on Paros I was getting a bargain of 2.50, but when I went to Athens I discovered they only charged 1.80 Euros for gyros. Oh well, all I can say is it was worth every penny! There is a great gyros place in Parikia. It is literally a minute walk once off the ferry. Can’t miss it! In two days while on the island, one of the cooks knew my face. I guess I ate there too much, or the season was so slow that they could remember their customers.

In comparison to Santorini, I treated Paros as a relaxation vacation. Don’t get me wrong I relaxed in Santorini, but here literally much wasn’t going on other than my book, exploring the very small towns and dinner in Paros. The best way to travel around is bus. For 1.40 I took a bus ride from Parika to Naussa. Not a bad way to see the island. All of the towns are spruced apart. We spent an hour in Naussa before heading back to the hotel. Because the tourist season was winding down, so was the bus schedule. It was either spend an hour in the town or three hours, and three hours would have been too long.  Naoussa felt like a ghost town, not a lot of stores were open and not a lot of people, unless they were locals. Most of the hotels were boarded up and the owners nowhere to be found. However, I did make a new friend. While waiting for the bus back to Parika, a cat came up and I couldn’t help but pet it. (Although in my head, I was praying the cat wouldn’t give me fleas)

In the afternoon, I took the bus to Alyki. When we first got on the bus, I knew something was very wrong. There were tons of air freshners hanging from the ceiling, and then the smell hit me—strong, unbearable body odor. For the first time I wished I was my roommate, in the aspect of that she has anosmia—no sense of smell.  Lucky for her she couldn’t smell a thing, on the other hand, I was gasping for air. Right before the bus departed, a bunch of school kids boarded the bus and the smell only intensified! The tour bus becomes a school bus during the off season, and it just so happened I was on the bus during the time school let out. Although the smell was horrendous and I almost regretted the trip, there was a lesson to be learned. I saw how another culture lives. Opposed to my sheltered life back in the states, some of these kids had to be shuttled for 45 minutes just to reach the school!  One kid had a twenty-minute bus ride and in addition had to take a small boat in order to reach his home on another island. I used to complain about walking to school which was only 10 minutes away, and yet this kid had a far more challenging commute than I did and had to do it five days a week.  When we reached Alyki we soon discovered there wasn’t much going on other than octopuses being hung out to dry—literally. 

Just like Naoussa hotels and houses were vacant. There were a few locals sitting in chairs chatting, watching life pass by… I suppose. I walked around, checked out the beaches and came back to the bus stop and read my book. When I returned to Parikia it was completely necessary to get a gyros and a piece of apple pie! The next day would bring more adventure.  I was leaving Paros and going back to the main land determined to find more action than what Paros had to offer.

From Paros I took the ferry back to Athens. I only had a day and a half to explore, therefore I had a lot to do in a little amount of time. The first night I walked around Athens, and of course had gyros and a Greek salad! There is a lot going on in Athens and the first thing I noticed is the culture is a lot more relaxed than the Italian. One example is the way they dress. You can wear sandals and jeans and casual clothes and not be judged by the locals. There also was a lot more poverty there and I wasn’t able to relax with my bags. There are always big crowds, and I knew with big crowds there would be pickpocketers. So when you go, keep your bag close. Lastly, there are many stray dogs. In Italy there are tons of cats, in Greece there are dogs—and some dogs that are not so tame.

Our hostel was a few minutes walk from Monastiraki square. From the square you can see the Acropolis. At night the Acropolis is lit up and looks extremely inviting to explore. I couldn’t wait for the next day to wake up early and finally see one of the many great wonders of the world. But before retiring for the day, I kept on sight seeing on the streets and looking at the small shops. While walking, I got a huge craving for hot chocolate. (The few things I miss about the United States is the hot chocolate, it doesn’t taste the same in Greece). I couldn’t help to think if only there was a Starbucks in Greece I would capitalize on the opportunity. There must have been a Starbucks god out there because right as I was thinking that and walking around a corner, THERE WAS A STARBUCKS! I know I am suppose to embrace the culture, which I did—gyros, but I couldn’t resist and had to stop. Let it be known Starbucks is extremely expensive in Greece. But it was well worth it!

The next morning my roommate and I set off on our mission to conquer the Acropolis! We faced a challenge or two. I hate to say this but we got lost. I know this sounds crazy you can’t really miss the Acropolis, it is one of the biggest buildings in Greece. But we couldn’t figure out how to get to the top. We kept on taking the wrong trails. I wish I could describe where we were, but in all honestly I had no idea where I was. After numerous times of asking people where the entrance was, we prevailed! On a side note, I am glad to report that FINALLY my student card paid off. Because we had a student card, we didn’t have to pay the entrance fee. Thank you very much! On the way up to the Acropolis there are Greek ruins that are worth stopping and reading about. As I approached the top, with all the anticipation, I was shocked. Pictures in texts books and travel books do not do the Acropolis justice. It is incredible and at the same time overwhelming.  I am really glad I got there early because as I was leaving swarms of people came, and it became impossible to navigate around without bumping into someone.

After visiting the Acropolis I ventured down to historical Greek ruins museum… more like an outdoor museum, as well as inside. There we saw more ruins and Greek buildings. I could spend all day there, but daylight was burning and I had to get to the airport.

Greece was a change of pace than I was used to in Italy, but I was glad to have the break. I can’t believe how fortunate I am to have this opportunity to experience other cultures. I am glad I am doing it now rather than later, because mostly likely later would have never happened.

Where to go next? Well its time to move to Florence! I have no idea what is in store for this Roamin’ Roman but I’ll be sure to write about it!

Yours truly,

Roamin’ Roman

PS. The frozen yogurt in Greece is something not to be missed

Roamin’ Roman goes to Santorini Greece!

Right before the sunset in Oia

    GREECE! I can now say I have been! However, I am a little disappointed I did not get a stamp in my passport. Oh well! During the program we had an inter-break from school and I heard Greece calling my name. Though it was mid October and the end of the tourist season in Greece, it did not dampen my memorable vacation.

A church right by Villa Manos

    PLAN, PLAN PLAN and RESEARCH! That is my biggest suggestion. In all honesty, I got kind of sick for planning during the process of making my own itinerary to Greece, but in the end it really paid off. All the transitions were smooth from place to place and I am glad I spent the extra time researching.
     There are two ways to get to Greece from Italy. You can fly (which I did and highly recommend) or you can take a ferry. From Fiumicino airport in Rome to Athens, Greece is only two hours. I found a great deal on www.edreams.net, however, you can always try www.skyscanner.com. With cheap tickets there is a little bit of a sacrifice. My flight landed in Athens at midnight. I must admit I was a bit intimidated with the idea of flying into a foreign country in the middle of the night, not to mention being a female, but it all worked out. I had scheduled a ticket for the next morning, or rather six hours after I landed in Santorini. All the ferries dock in the port of Piraeus. The hotel I stayed at, Hotel Delfini, is right across the street from the ferries—very close. To get to the hotel you take a bus from the airport to Piraeus. It’s only 3.50 Euros and it runs 24 hours a day and leaves every 20 minutes.

The view from Ancient City 

     I wouldn’t say Hotel Delfini is a four star hotel, but it was affordable and I didn’t get bed bugs. So if you’re a college student looking for a safe and clean place to spend the night before the ferry departs, Hotel Delfini is the place to go. Just remember that the hotel rooms are not like what you find in the United States. The rooms are small and smelled like cigarette smoke, but you need to compromise on some standards.

Getting ready to board

In the early morning I woke up with only a few hours of sleep and walked onto the ferry. There are a number of ferry options. There is the slow ferry, Blue Star Ferries, and the high speed ferries.  I bought tickets with Blue Star Ferries. It took a little longer compared to the high speed, but in the end, I saved money and I wasn’t in a hurry to get to Santorini. The ferry is HUGE and also transports cars. It took eight hours to reach Santorini. I am glad I brought a good book.  On the ferry there are small TV’s that are attached to the ceiling. Although the programs are in Greek, or rather dubbed into Greek, it was entertaining when I needed a break from my book. The ferry makes a few stops to the other islands on the way, but it doesn’t take long before we were sailing again.

 I arrived at the port around 3ish and I was warmly greeted by Poppy the owner of the Villa Manos. If you are going to stay in Santorini, I highly recommend Villa Manos.  Villa Manos is a fifteen-minute walk to Fira. Poppy is the definition of hospitality. She was extremely sweet and upon arrival gave me a piece of cake. I guess she knew I had a sweet tooth.  

The pool at Villa Manos. At night it had neon lights

   The first night I went to Mamma’s House with my new friend David from Argentina who was also staying in the hotel.  It was completely necessary to order a Greek Salad—Delicious!! In Italy it is expensive to order salads, so I haven’t had any, but in Greece it is affordable on a college budget. After dinner we walked back. There are busses on the island and for 1.40 you can pretty much travel anywhere on the island. But they run every hour so you have to be conscious of the time and planning. 

My new friend at Mama's House

   The next day I went to Kamari. The beaches there are known for its black sand. I am really glad I went to the beach that day for a number of reasons. First, it was the last day of the beach season. In the afternoon the owners of the beaches took down their umbrellas and collected their beach chairs. I’m glad I got to witness what a Greek beach looked like before it was all taken down. Second, the very next day there was a small storm. One day it was sunny and beautiful and the next I’m stuck inside my hotel room waiting for the storm to pass. But at least I got one sun bathing day at the beach. I did absolutely nothing, well I got up and got lunch and postcards, but it was nice to do nothing but listen to the waves. Peaceful bliss.

Kamari beach

Kamari beach

In short I have a few recommendations if you’re going to Santorini. In Fira there is a restaurant called Naoussa. It would be a shame not to go. It is family owned, the mother is the head waitress and her sons help out serving. Her youngest son is probably 15 years old and by far one of the best waiters I have ever had. We were the first customers of the night but within minutes the entire place was packed around 6:30. So get there early. I ordered the chicken with lemon sauce and potatoes. Very good! Plus their bread is divine.  This kind of local owned restaurant makes traveling much more enjoyable and memorable. Plus while I was eating, a bunch of donkeys and their owner came walking down the street. How many places can you say that happens?

Dinner=YUM

Only in Santorini

Another recommendation, if you are a hiker, do yourself a favor and hike up to the Ancient City. From Fira take the bus to Perissa. It’s impossible not to find the trail. Look at the biggest mountain go to the bottom and start walking up. It takes about an hour and a half and once you get to the top it totally pays off. The view is the most spectacular view I have ever seen while on the island. I went with two Aussies and a Texan who I met the previous night while watching the sunset at Oia. 

Made it to the top!

(Don’t miss the sunset at Oia either)

Lucky for me the Aussies had rented two ATVs and so there I was on the back holding onto an (attractive) Aussie on our way to Kamari beach with a mission—cliff jumping! I would never do it in a million years, but something about being in Greece I couldn’t resist. I had a lot of support and pressure from one of the Aussies, and after 20 minutes of trying to find a valid excuse not to jump, I did it . No regrets! 

20 minutes before the actual jump.

I fully enjoyed Santorini and recommend the island to anyone who has the time to go, even if you don’t have time, FIND IT! Life is too short, to miss out on the many opportunities of Santorini. 
           Roamin' Roman
PS. You didn't think I would talk about desserts? Well lets just say I had tons!