triumphs.. tragedies.. travels.. and my Pomeranian-Chihuahua mix...

A Delicious Meal: Featuring the Spanish Omelette

2009-05-11T21:59:00.000-07:00

My trip to Europe last December and January is one of the greatest memories I will have with me for the rest of my life...

Ofcourse the culture, sightseeing, people, and the nightlife were all unforgettable, but my fondest memory is the tortilla de patatas, otherwise known as a Spanish Omelette or Spanish tortilla.

It's tough going on vacation with Celiac disease, and so finding a food that can be found in nearly every Spanish tapas restaurant, is gluten free, and is delicious, was definitely a pleasant surprise.
Besides being wheat free, the spanish tortilla can also be served warm or cold, another benefit to those who don't enjoy cooking everyday, or for those who are trying to save some money.

I realized upon arrival back to the U.S. that most of my favorite foods in Europe came with an incredible memory. You may wonder how the Spanish Omelette, a food so simple, can be so spectacular. The truth may be that it inst all that great, to you. I believe majority of the comfort received from a meal comes from the history and the personal relevance behind it.

The second country I went to on my European vacation was Denmark. I met two guys, Pedro and Fran, both from Valencia, Spain. The night before our flight to Milan, Italy, was spent at the disco until 6 am, even though we had a bus to catch around 7am. Megan, my friend who I travelled with, and I went into their apartment around 630am and found the two boys wrapping something up in foil... Too hung over and exhausted to care, we just picked them up and went to the bus station. Upon arrival to the airport in Denmark, the boys began to unwrap the foil and give us a baguette filled with eggs and potatoes. I was a little nervous, but one bite is all it took to realize my new favorite food. It was amazing.

The next day I had mixed emotions about trying the Spanish omelette again. I was afraid my love for the popular Spanish tapa originated from being extremely hungover, and very hungry. I was wrong, needless to say I ordered a Spanish omelette at nearly every tapas restaurant we went to from there on out...

To rehash the memories of Europe, I am making my very first Spanish Omelette....

...and so this is the journey of the Spanish Omelette made in my kitchen on 300 Berry Street with ingredients produced from all over the bay area and memories originating from all over the world....

START:
my condo at 300 Berry Street
(the first GREEN condominium building in San Francisco, yes everything is recycled materials!)

walking along the Embarcadero

Destination:
the Ferry Building Farmers Market

Cant start the shopping without a little snack!
cherries are d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s AND in season

one onion

one bag of potatoes

1/4 lb of Manchego cheese

The ingredients:
2 l/b potatoes, 1 onion, 9 eggs, 1/4 l/b manchego cheese

The trash: ...which is all compostable

and which is all recyclable:

cooking the potatoes and onion for about 7 minutes until tender

Next comes the addition of the eggs and cheese... The tortilla is left to cook for about 3 minutes on the stove top until it is transferred into the oven for about 20 minutes at 350. This helps to ensure all of the eggs are cooked thoroughly. You can either serve the tortilla warm or cold, or as a sandwich!

The final Product, in sandwich form:

Adventures through Chinatown

2009-04-27T20:04:00.000-07:00

Chicken feet, also known as “phoenix talons,” are commonly found at most dim sum restaurants and are typically deep fried

On Saturday, amongst another adventurous journey into another district of San Francisco, I came across my first ever encounter with chicken feet. They were fried and soaked in a … delicious sauce, displayed on a white plate, and just sitting there, staring me down. I’ve always been an adventurous eater who loves all food, after all, I wouldn’t be nicknamed ‘meatball’ as a child if I didn’t. I’ve tried everything from Alligator to fish eyes, but surprisingly, on Saturday, I think I found the only food that couldn’t excite me, chicken feet. With that being said, I left china town extremely curious to find out more.

Nutrition Facts Chicken Feet
Serving Size: 100 g

Amount per Serving

Calories 215

Calories from Fat 131

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 15g

23%

Saturated Fat 4g

20%

Monounsaturated Fat 6g

Polyunsaturated Fat 3g

Cholesterol 84mg

28%

Sodium 67mg

Total Carbohydrate 0g

Dietary Fiber 0g

Protein 19g

38%

Vitamin A	2%
Calcium	9%
Iron	5%
Thiamin (B1)	4%
Riboflavin (B2)	12%
Niacin (B3)	12%
Vitamin B12	8%
Magnesium	1%
Zinc	5%
Copper	5%

Est. Percent of Calories from:

Fat 62.8% Carbs 0.0%

Protein 35.3%

…And in case you were curious, here is a tasty treat you can create for yourself!

Ingredients

12 chicken feet, declawed and skinned
3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine
3 slices ginger
3 green onions
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
star anise
1 piece orange rind
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pint water

Directions

Combine all ingredients and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

It was not until I actually googled chicken feet that I realized they are eaten all over the world by many different people. I even yelped chicken feet and found 1402 entries just in San Francisco. But researching chicken feet, watching my classmates eat the chicken foot, and being around chicken feet still haven't convinced me to try them. I’m sure it is mostly mental, but chicken don’t wear socks, they don’t wear shoes, and they are still very human like even when smothered in sauce.

If you feel the same way, maybe this video will help to change YOUR mind…

Its whats for dinner ...

2009-04-22T14:42:00.000-07:00

Moving to San Francisco was definitely an enormous step in my life. I am a small town girl who grew up with tons of land, animals, and quiet surroundings. I was nervous to move to a big city, but it wasn’t long before the comfort of west coast living settled in and I found the things that I loved most about my new home in San Francisco. The frantic hustle and bustle, the vibrant city nightlife, and among those, the small neighborhood vibes are what makes San Francisco one of the most unique cities in the world. My first house here was on Dolores Street in Noe Valley. It was an old Victorian built in 1905 and in an amazing location.

Eventually, after adjusting to city living, I decided to move to the South of Market area and experience more of a city atmosphere. After moving, I realized what it was about Noe Valley that made adjusting to San Francisco so easy, the produce market and the butcher shop. I would go everyday and buy what I needed for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I knew everyone’s name, and they knew mine.

Now that I live on Berry Street, I shop at Safeway once every couple of weeks. Although it is convenient with my busy schedule because I have the ability to buy food in bulk, it is totally against my morality. I love supporting small family owned markets, and will only contribute to corporate America for a little while longer. With that being said, I figured out a way to make myself feel better about my new habit of buying food in large quantities from a chain grocery store. It was by inviting friends over to help eat the food and simultaneously to contribute to my meal assignment for ESF. Coincidentally, it also gave me the opportunity to catch up with the people I love who I don’t see very often anymore because of my hectic lifestyle.

Initially, I thought it would be fun to have a DIY sushi night. It was perfect in my eyes because I don’t have the time to make an entire meal on my own, and of course everyone loves playing with food. My idea was immediately shut down when I couldn’t find any sushi grade fresh fish on a Sunday. My new idea was then DIY tacos. Tacos are simple to create and delicious to consume!

Mental Preparation:

The line up:

brown rice, black beans, salsa, sour cream, jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado, grilled chicken, wheat tortillas

The evidence:

Overall, dinner was a success. We all stuffed our tortilla's with as much as possible, drank a bottle of champagne, and eventually passed out on the sofa. It quite possibly initiated the start of a monthly tradition.

What I eat and drink in a day...

2009-03-18T12:26:00.000-07:00

It’s about 3:45am and the snooze button has been hit only 3 times this morning. I’m finally awake. My hair has slightly formed to the upper right side of the pillow, I can barely see because my contacts are in the bathroom and who knows where my glasses are, and of course I have an angry Pomeranian-Chihuahua mix staring me down and wondering why I wake up this early, unfortunately, he isn’t the only one who wonders that.

As I unconsciously step off the couch, which is where I wake up around 2am and realize I need to be up in two hours therefore the journey from the sofa to the bed isn’t necessary, I stumble over to the kitchen with one eye open. The first stop is the fridge, home of the only thing that can get my day rolling, espresso.

Breakfast: shot of espresso=9 calories

Ever since my trip throughout Italy over Christmas break, I have formed an intense addiction to illy espresso. The funny part is that I don’t think it’s the espresso I enjoy, but the memories that it brings back.

There are many times that I have made it through the process of making the espresso and am drinking it that I actually realize, “Its 4:15 and I need to be at work in 20 minutes.” That is usually when the multi step breakfast process begins.

At this hour, everything must be previously planned out; otherwise, it just wouldn’t get done.

Step one: Walk to the fridge and grab the bag.
Step two: Put a raw chunk of duck into the bowl.
Step three: Place the bowl on the ground and admire the velocity at which Poncho consumes the raw meat.
Step four: Realize the food I just made is for the dog, and not me, and now it is way too late to make my own breakfast.

From there I rush to work with either a) an Oreo cookie b) a banana (on a rare good day) or c) some form of leftover food that will eventually be given to the homeless man who greets me every morning.

Today, the lucky winner was the Oreo cookie.

Breakfast: an Oreo=55 calories

Tuesday, March 17^th, is St Patrick ’s Day. What exactly that means to my life.

If you didn’t already know, I work for a radio station, and it just so happens that today we will be broadcasting from an Irish pub on Polk Street, one of which I will keep anonymous...

At this point I'm going to be late and so this will have to be continued....

It's now 2pm: The bar was wall to wall people, free corned beef and cabbage, and of course free drinks for 95.7 the wolf! I was busy making sure all of the broadcasts were OK, organizing events, giving away prizes, hosting contests, and publicizing the station. Amidst all of the craziness, the only thing I was able to consume for lunch was a half Guinness/half cider.

Lunch: Guinness/ Magner’s cider=123 calories

I will be leaving for my second job in about an hour. I am working at Toast, a restaurant in Noe Valley, from 3 until about 9.

It is now Wednesday, March 18, 2009, I only went into work last night until around 6 and then got someone to fill in for me. My godparents are here visiting from home (Massachusetts) and so I decided to spend the night with them. We met up around 6:30 and I made them dinner. They can thank ESF for that! We had spaghetti, turkey balls, eggplant parmesian, and some collard greens. For dessert we had pear and cranberry pie from Mission Pies! I dont mean to toot my own horn, but I must say, dinner was delicious.

Dinner:

Glass of red wine= 140

Spaghetti= about 200

2 turkey balls= 100

1 slice of eggplant parm=220

Collard greens= 30

Tiny slice of pear/cranberry pie= 220

approximate total= 910 calories

Tuesdays total= 1097 Calories

and the best part is....

I didn't have to do the dishes!

A few final thoughts:

Documenting what I eat and drink in a day was a very educational experience on many different levels. I have not only learned that I need to take more time out of my day to have a healthy and well balanced diet, but I also need to change my schedule before I make myself sick! I have been working between 10 and 18 hours a day for the past couple of weeks and its really starting to affect my sleep, my diet, and my social life. They all do not exist anymore.

pre-production thoughts...What I eat and drink in a day...

2009-03-16T10:00:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow morning, on my blog, I will be documenting an entire day of what I am eating. This is an assignment for my ESF class, but has potential to really be beneficial to my current eating habits. Here is the link to my professors blog which has the assignment criteria, check it out. Also, take a look at his blog, it's very entertaining!

http://silverinsf.blogspot.com/2009/03/what-i-eat-and-drink-in-day-assignment.html

going beyond ESF:

Its funny how Professor Silver decided to assign us this project at this time. Over the past couple of weeks (after the start of my job at 95.7 along with my job at Toast and still taking 18 units at school, combined of which consume 17 hours of my day) I have really been thinking about how unhealthy my eating habits have become. I have no time to run anymore, therefore all exercise is non existent, and because of that, I try to compensate by lowering my calorie intake. Most times this means, grabbing tiny snacks on the go during the day, and realizing around 9pm that I'm starving. Then I decide to eat a full meal, go to sleep with a full tummy, and wake up feeling a bit uncomfortable. At that point, I'm still full from my 9pm feast and therefore don't eat breakfast. Its a vicious cycle.

I'm hoping that documenting this pattern and reading about everyone's healthy habits will make me realize that I need to take more time out of my day to eat healthy.

The first step is recognizing the problem, right?

ESF does The Mission

2009-03-11T21:48:00.001-07:00

As previously noted, I am currently enrolled in one of the most amazing classes ever offered at the University of San Francisco known as ESF. Last week, we went into the Mission District to explore and eat... and, as promised, we have now created! Trust me when I say, this video will tell the rest of the story..

Enjoy!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6263329513979131672

Just another day....

2009-03-04T11:41:00.000-08:00

I really thought my last post went through, but apparently you need to hit the "publish" button and not just the "save" button.... Anyways, everything I had written two weeks ago is no longer relevent to today and so I will write a new post.

First, I want to mention my ESF class. So, a couple of weeks ago we went into North Beach and checked out some really great places. City Lights, Bocce Cafe, and the French Italian Bakery just to name a few... Click the link below and you'll see the little video I made about our trip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-q6TlUhuo8

Here are some links to a few other projects made by some of my classmates:

http://alieatssf.blogspot.com/2009/02/north-beach-photobook.html
http://firstimpressionsblog.blogspot.com/
http://joelweston.wordpress.com/2009/02/26/project-north-beach/#more-3

Tonight we will venture out to the beautiful and magnificent Mission district! ..stay tuned, there are bound to be some great stories....

On another note....

Yesterday was the first day of my new internship! I woke up around 3:40am and was out the door and greeted by a lively and enthusiastic cab driver by 4:15.
The messy hair, lack of makeup, and squinty eyes obviously were not enough to get the point accross that I was in no shape to talk, especially politics. I arrived on the 12th floor, home to 95.7 The Wolf, with a coffee in one hand, and a chocolate chip cookie in the other. Apparently that was a great way to start off my first day on the job, or so the security guard thought/noted. The day began by printing out the morning show grid, and all of the official paperwork that needs to be completed by the Deejays. I was told to go immediately to the on air monitor and make sure all advertisements were placed in the right time slots.... AT&T must air after 5:30am because they pay big bucks for that spot.... etc etc etc. A few things got shuffled during the mid night hours and so we needed to rearange some Shania Twain, George Strait, and Tim McGraw to change the fact that AT&T was going live around 5:27. Next task was to edit some clips from the previous morning and insert them into the server so that they could be added to the show.

easy peesey.

Next, was the start of the morning show! from there I logged all of the topics, screened phone calls and sent them into the deejay studio to be on air, loaded media onto 957thewolf.com, edited sound clips to be played at a later time, and basically every other job done by a producer of a radio station.... when they can actually afford to have one.

I am still shocked by how much power they give me. At any second I can hit a button, turn the deejays off, and start cussing on the radio... Live! ...pretty sweet internship and experience.

Ill definitely be updating you on that.... Especially after Jewel comes to the studio next Tuesday, and Jessica Simpson on march 16th. Ill also let you know when you can expect some appearances on air by ME!

The room the picture is taken from is my studio... The one you can see is where the DeeJays are live broadcasting the morning show. Its a lot better in person, trust me.

Its funny how things work out...

2009-02-14T17:02:00.000-08:00

It has been a busy month. I have been back in the United States for that time, classes have started, and it seems as though life has resumed where it left off. I can finally say that I am enjoying school, and OK with being back in California.

Megan finally got back to the United States after living 6 months in Denmark. We have been chatting, but haven’t actually made the time to meet up and reminisce. Last night it finally happened, not only did we meet up, but Melanie is visiting from LA and came along as well. Melanie is the girl who met up with us in Rome, and then came along to Spain.

We thought it would be fun to find a happy hour and since I am the “queen” of 5 o’clock beverages, the responsibility of finding the best basil gimlet, dirty martini, and glass of cabernet was resting on me. With that in mind, I chose 83 Proof, It’s a little bar in my neighborhood and I’ve HEARD they have a great happy hour. The reviews must be right; we showed up at 5:15 and couldn’t even step through the door. It was slammed with wall to wall financial district professionals getting their buzz on. To make a long story short, we ended up going to Thirsty Bear. Little did I know, Thirsty Bear has a tapas menu with everything we had spent a month eating while in Spain. Surprisingly, the Papas Bravas were very similar to the “authentic” spanish food we had in Barcelona! The tortilla could have used some improvement though. Who would have thought that the next time I would be eating Spanish food was with the two girls I was in Spain with just a month ago!?

Anyways, it was a great way to reunite with Meg and Mel, and an excellent way to dive into the new chapter of this blog.

With that said, Sadly, this cowgirl will not be travelling out of the country for a couple of months, and therefore this blog is headed in a new direction…

I will be reviewing restaurants, telling stories, and illustrating the enormous diversity that resides in San Francisco. Eating San Francisco, a course I am currently taking is sending me on a whole new adventure that entails discovering the culture, food, neighborhoods, and brilliance that the city by the bay has to offer. I have spent some time thinking, and decided if there is one place in the world that can bring every aspect of culture and diversity to the table, it is San Francisco.

So sit back and dig in, its going to be one hell of a semester...

Back in the good ol' U.S. of A.

2009-01-14T13:49:00.001-08:00

Well, I'm back in California!

sorry I havent been writing... I have been without internet for the past week...

The end of last week was a little hectic and very chilly. Friday morning I woke up in Valencia to rain and freezing temperatures to make it to the airport for my flight to Milan. It has been cold and snowing in all of Europe and most flights and trains were either delayed or cancelled for a couple days. It is like Europe doesnt know what to do with the recent winter weather which they have not experienced in a long time. I finally made it to Bern, Switzerland on friday night at 11:30, only 3 hours past my original arrival time. My flight was late and the train was also a little delayed. I had to make an unexpected stop in Brig, Switzerland to switch trains, but was very happy to do so. I was surrounded by the Alps... The only thing lighting the station was the full moon and the sky full of stars. I stood there, in the middle of a foreign land, with tears in my eyes, warmth in my heart, and soaked in the surrounding landscape which I am positive I will never experience again in my life.

Switzerland was beautiful. Bern, the capital, was a quiet, quaint, little city that filled every expectation I had of the country. I was blown away by its beauty. I stayed on the main little street in Bern, where right outside the door were cobble stones, chocolate stores, cafes, markets, art stores and cathedrals... We were able to hear the bells peacefully ring every hour.. During the days we mainly just walked around the streets and sat in cafes. It was snowy and really cold, but the warmth of the people and the places were enough to make it one of my favorite destinations on the trip.

I had to board the train on Tuesday morning at 6am to make it to Frankfurt, Germany in order to catch my flight back home. I arrived in San Francisco around 4pm on Tuesday and was welcomed by 70 degree temperatures and sunshine... along with my mother and my little Poncho. From the moment the captain came on to announce our initial decend into SFO, I had a smile from ear to ear and tears of joy to finally be with my family again.

Although I am excited to be back, last night brought a very restless sleep. All I could think about were the amazing memories that I have made over the past month. My european adventure will be in my thoughts and in my heart for the rest of my life.

I am already counting the days to the moment when I step back onto European land, and get to experience more moments that will continue to create the person I am...

Europe 2008-2009: one of the best months in this girls life.

a lifetime of memories...

2009-01-07T10:03:00.000-08:00

Status: Happy… and sad.
I honestly can’t believe it has almost been a month already.

We are currently in Valencia, Spain. We arrived yesterday morning by train and were greeted by Fran. Fran is a nice Spanish boy who Megan became friends with by studying in Denmark.

The last couple of days in Barcelona were a lot of fun. Saturday night we went to see #1 FC Barcelona play Mallorca. The stadium was unbelievable. It is actually the largest soccer stadium in Europe, so I was told. Sometimes it is hard to believe everything you hear because Europeans are so patriotic. Anyways, they easily won 3-1. It was quite funny, at the beginning of the game when both teams came onto the field to warm up, the crowd started whistling. Melanie and I figured that it was for Barcelona, and decided to whistle along. I don’t think it was until 10 minutes into the game that we realized, here in Spain, whistling is a bad thing. Throughout the game were cheering for Mallorca, and did not even realize it.

After the match, we decided to grab some Tapas by our hostel. They were mmm mmm good! I found the one thing I may miss the most about this trip: Papas Bravas and the Spanish Tortilla. They are both so delicious.

The days following the game were spent just exploring Barcelona; another trip to Gaudi Park, a visit to the Segrada Familia, some shopping, a lot of wine, and finally the 3 kings parade.
Valencia is like a whole new world compared to Barca. It is 3 hours south and a smaller, more modern, coastal city. I prefer to be here in Valencia because it is much less overwhelming, although, no one speaks English! Hopefully I don’t bring my habit of pointing to what I want back to the states with me.
Today we decided to walk around the city and do a little shopping. Yesterday was the 3 King’s holiday here in Spain, which is like their Christmas. So today was similar to black Friday in the states. Everything was at least 50% off, and people crowded the streets everywhere. Tomorrow will likely be the same.

Friday afternoon I am leaving for Switzerland. I am really excited, but a little sad because that is my final destination on this crazy adventure! Unfortunately, in a week from now reality must set in.

progress...

2009-01-02T11:25:00.000-08:00

Red=Where Ive been

Green=Where Im going...

a few more photos....

2009-01-02T00:58:00.000-08:00

Barcelona..

2009-01-01T12:56:00.000-08:00

Happy 2009!!

Here we are in Barcelona, and it’s finally warm out! It has been in the 50s with some sunshine during the day. We arrived on Tuesday around 4pm and took the metro to our hostel. We were pleasantly surprised to find that our hostel is really nice. It is on the main shopping street in Barcelona and our room has a balcony that looks out onto it. We were told by some locals, and friends of Megan, that this is the best street in the city and we are really lucky to be here. We have a private room, but share a bathroom and kitchen. The shower is surprisingly really nice and really clean! Finally!

Yesterday we decided to go see Gaudi’s park. At the top there is a view of all of Barcelona. What an enormous city! We also walked around and saw the houses he designed. They are really unique and beautiful.

Last night was…. Interesting to say the least. We started the night with 4 bottles of champagne. Around 11 we all decided to head out to the Torre Agbar where we participated in Capanadas, which is a tradition when you eat 12 grapes in the last 12 seconds of 2008. It was really fun, until we discovered that our grapes had seeds in them… Hopefully we will still have good luck in 2009. After midnight we went to the Plaza Royale and it was insane!!! There was glass everywhere from people throwing champagne bottles at midnight, people selling alcohol and drugs on the streets, and madness everywhere. (here is a picture of me in the middle of all the glass, its kind of hard to tell)We decided we needed to get off the streets once a guy tried to grab Melanies purse out of her hand, and 20 euros from Megan. From there we went to a disco where people were dancing on the bar, on the tables, and celebrating 2009 in any way possible! Barcelona has had the craziest nightlife of any city we’ve been so far.
Today, since we got home at 6am, we woke up at 5pm. We went to dinner and just came back to our room. We all definitely needed the rest!

Upcoming events:

Tomorrow- visit Sagrada familia, which is the church designed by Gaudi. Saturday- Barcelona vs. Mallorca! Barcelona is currently #1 in the Spanish League. Sunday- the Picasso museum.

Hola de Espana!

2008-12-30T08:52:00.000-08:00

1:19pm- Finally on our way to Spain!

We are currently sitting on the cruise ship and about 2 hours from docking in Barcelona.

It has been an exhausting couple of days! Day 2 in Rome began by a wakeup call around 6am for breakfast in our 5 star hostel. For those of you who know, I am completely exaggerating. I honestly don’t know how I survived in there… we shared a room with 12 other students, 6 sets of bunk beds, 1 bathroom, no heat, and broken OPEN windows… plus it was about 30 degrees outside. After breakfast we took the metro to the Vatican. There was a 5 hour line to get in and it was pouring rain and about 35 degrees out. It was a living nightmare. By the time I got into the Vatican, my clothes were drenched, and my entire body hurt from shivering so much.

Although, once we finally entered, we realized it was worth the suffering. It was unbelievable. We had a tour guide who helped us through the museum and guided us to the famous statues, paintings, rugs, and bathtubs… without him; we could have spent days in there.

Our last stop at the Vatican was the Sistine Chapel. Words cannot describe the beauty of the chapel, everything from the painting on the wall to the overall feeling of awe once we walked in. It was incredible.

Day 3 in Rome was another fun filled, exciting adventure. We saw the Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Coliseum, and still managed to do a little shopping before our 4pm train to the port town of Civitavecchia to catch our boat to Barcelona. Rome was so beautiful, and in the summer must be a really fun place to be. It is definitely my second favorite city, behind Hamburg, that I’ve been to thus far.

Our activities last night on the cruise ship were a bit unexpected. We were so exhausted from the day and all of the travelling, that our main goal was to go straight to sleep. Not to go to the bar, casino, disco, and restaurant, which is exactly what we did. It was fun to chat with all of the Europeans who are also on their way to Barcelona!

Well, We arrive soon, and begin a week of Spanish traditions, food, drinks, fun, and excitement. We will be in Barcelona until January 6th, then off to Valencia for a couple days. Yesterday morning, while I was clicking through my pictures and trying to convince myself that this is not a dream, I realized an opportunity like this won’t happen again for a while. Upon that thought, I bought a plane and train ticket to Switzerland! I have always wanted to go there, and now it’s actually going to happen. I will be in Bern and Zurich before I head back to the states. I’m really excited because I am flying to the top of Italy and taking a train through the Alps; it’s going to be gorgeous and snowing!!

I wish it was easier to describe all that ive seen and done, but that would be impossible. This has been the trip of a lifetime. I still cant believe I am here, living all of these unforgettable moments.. It really shows me that some dreams really do come true =)

xoxo

Pictures from Milan and Bari!!

2008-12-27T11:07:00.000-08:00

2008-12-27T10:47:00.000-08:00

7:43am
Currently: On TRENITALIA headed northwest to Rome, Italy from Bari, Italy

It is about 8 am and I am on the train headed to Rome. We departed from Bari at about 7 this morning where Megan and I were lovingly sent off by Michele with cappuccinos and croissants for our 4 hour journey to the capital city in Italy. Sorry if this post is repetitive, but I finally have a chance on the train to write about the past week. The next couple of days are going to be filled with a lot of sightseeing, as we have more than 5 places to see in Rome before our departure Monday evening. We will be meeting up with Melanie around 7:30 this evening. She is coming in from L.A. and will be joining Megan and I for majority of the last half of this trip.

We left Aarhus on Friday the 19th. I got about 2 hours of sleep because of the celebration that took place the previous night. Meeting so many great people in Denmark made saying goodbye difficult, even only after 2 days. I made some good friends and luckily I can now travel to France, Spain, Canada, and Croatia to visit them. We took a bus 2 hours to the airport, and flew Ryanair to Milan. I sat next to an Italian man who insisted on the window and got up every 10 minutes, even though the flight was only 2 hours. I’m sorry to say, but he was obnoxious. If you have a small bladder, sit in the aisle. Well, it was a journey, but regardless, we made it to Milan.

Milan was a small city, but still vibrant and very beautiful. It was far from what I expected, mostly because I know Celeste, and was expecting an energetic atmosphere with a crazy night life and tons of different things to do. We still managed to have a blast and make it to all of the main attractions. Milan is one of the largest shopping destinations in the world, which was made very clear when we took a stroll down one of the streets filled with designer brands, Ferraris, and women wearing fur coats with way to much makeup on. It was still beautiful and memorable.

Spending Christmas with Celeste and her family was unforgettable. We participated in the traditional 13 course Christmas Eve lunch that began at 9am and ended around 11pm. It was delicious. Christmas day also included a lot of food, family, smiles, and laughs. Surprisingly I only got a little sad once, and that was when I was writing to my mom wishing her a Merry Christmas. I can honestly say that I celebrated Christmas with the people and in the place that made me feel most like home.

During the evenings in Bari, Celeste brought us to some local pubs where we had drinks with her friends. The first night we went out, we were with her best friend’s sister, her name is Bianca and she is a famous Italian actress. I was told by Celeste, but didn’t know what to expect. It was definitely an experience to see traffic stop, people scream her name in the street, and of course to go to a packed pub and only wait 5 minutes for a table for 9. It was a lot of fun for us, but I’m sure very difficult for her to deal with. Anyways, we are arriving in Rome now...

I will write again after I can catch my breath from all the excitement.

but.....Finally we are on a train with heat, TVs, comfy seats, and lights…

food, food, and more food.

2008-12-25T09:40:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve Lunch - 2008
1. Raw sea food
2. Salmon
3. Fried Pettole (Pancake)
4. Turnip with olive oil
5. Royal shrimps with light tomatoe sauce
6. Lobsters with white sauce
7. Spiced perch fish alla Rossella
8. Stockfish of the house
9. Fried minced zucchini
10. Local raw foods with olives
11. Dried fruit
12. Fresh fruit
13. Panettone centre piece and iced Italian sparkling wine Spumante

Well, there you have it. The complete menu from our Christmas "lunch." Boy, it was exhausting! I have never eaten so much food in my entire life. I am fully prepared to not eat for at least a month, but needless to say, it was absolutely delicious and I don’t regret the inability to move last night. I am currently in Bitonto, Italy. I don’t have access to my laptop and so pictures of Milan, Bari, our lunch, and my upcoming journey to Rome will be posted shortly. I am staying at Celestes house. For those of you who don’t know, she is my Italian sister. Megan and I have been nothing but loved from the minute we stepped into Italy. I was afraid the holidays were going to be depressing and lonely without my family, but Celeste and her family have done an incredible job of making us feel right at home.

Milan was so much fun. We walked around the Duomo, had plenty of cappuccinos, shopped, and toured an amazing cathedral. I cant wait to post all of the pictures, words just do not do justice for its beauty. On Tuesday morning we woke up and boarded the train to Bari. That was an unforgettable experience. The train we were on had no heat, and the ride took 9 hours. The temperature couldn’t have been over 50… I had 4 pairs of pants, 3 sweaters, a vest, 3 scarves, and 2 blankets on. It was miserable. Upon arrival into Bari, we were greeted by Celeste and her family, taken to a fish market, and cooked up an amazing dinner. It made the events of the day disappear in minutes. In Italy Christmas is celebrated on the 24th. So yesterday was our enormous lunch. After we ate from 9am to 11pm, everyone opened presents. Celeste bought me a gorgeous crystal bracelet… We then played cards until 2 am. Today was another day of food!! We only had a 5 course meal, but this time including pasta and lamb. It was so delicious. Tomorrow will be our last day in Bari, and Saturday morning we are on the 7am train to Rome. Hopefully we can get some rest in, because our list of 8 places to see in Rome must be accomplished in 3 days. Our room in Rome has internet that I can access from my laptop, so photos will be up by Saturday night. Megan and I are excited to see Rome, we are planning trips to the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, Spanish Steps, and many other famous attractions. Saturday truly begins our journey of being real tourists, no more staying with family or friends, and a lot of sight seeing, saving the best destinations for last!

I hope everyone is having an amazing Christmas and Santa brings you everything you deserve, I am keeping each and every one of you in my heart throughout this amazing journey.

Hugs and Kisses to all, and to all a goodnight…

Italy!

2008-12-22T16:07:00.000-08:00

Today’s thoughts: life is about love and happiness..

This trip has made me think about everything in life that really matters. It’s not about how many different pairs of designer jeans you own, or how big your house is, it is about living every day like it is your last and doing it with the people you love. I have spent a week in tiny apartments, cold weather, and stinky clothes but it hasn’t crossed my mind once. All I have been thinking of, even at 1am with a train to catch in 5 hours, is how lucky I am. I have an incredible mother who loves me unconditionally and who I admire for being the strongest person I will ever know.. always encouraging me to step outside the box, a sister who has been my role model from day 1, friends who love me, and the opportunity to travel the world when the economy sucks, our country is at war, and the environment is deteriorating in front of our eyes. Its amazing how one week of opening my life to new cultures and experiences has completely influenced me forever. Of course it’s nice to have fancy clothes, delicious food, and cars with loud engines, but when all is said and done the one thing that will never go out of fashion, wont be digested in 20 minutes, and will never be broken down on the side of the freeway is the love and happiness that you get from all of the little things in life… the ability to share life with family and friends. I have managed to see three incredible countries by bus, train, and extremely lost cost airline and have spent only about 30 euros in a week, but those 7 days will be in my memories and in my heart for the rest of my life. I’m positive that my mom didn’t encourage this trip to teach me a lesson about money, finding myself, and the meaning of life, but I’m sure she won’t be disappointed to know that those are the three biggest lessons I will be taking back to California with me…
On another note… Milan is a beautiful city, filled with beautiful architecture, and beautiful people.

Where Ive Been....

2008-12-22T11:42:00.000-08:00

ciao! ciao!

2008-12-21T10:08:00.000-08:00

What a day! Our last night in Denmark was exhausting! We went ice skating during the day in beautiful weather, 20 degrees and sleet...

Followed by an enormous dinner at a cute little danish restaurant.. After dinner we went back to the same disco that we were at the night before, "The Social Club." It was a lot of fun to dance and sing to music like... backstreet boys, the baywatch theme song, and other real classic American tunes. Im pretty sure they just have one aweful play list that runs continuously every night. Horrible! It is also interesting how they have free beer hour from 11-12 at night, that seems a little dangerous!

well, the night ended around 5am again, and we all went for pizza. I dont think I will be able to adjust to the european lifestyle of starting the evening at 1am and ending it when the sun comes up! Especially when I need to be at the bus stop for 7am to make it to Milan, yuck. We got to the bus station just in time to catch the bus which took us to the airport. The ride was about an hour and 45 minutes, and the plane ride about 2 hours. We took Ryan Air... Europe's version of Southwest, but just a little more cattle-like. We literally ran from the terminal to the plane to get a good seat! ...and there was no food or drinks on the plane, just a couple rude flight attendants..

...and so here we are, it is about 7:20pm and we are in Milan! The weather is so much warmer, and I think I saw the sun when we landed! We were greeted at the bus station by a friend of Celeste, Stefano, who gave me keys to her flat, and kindly showed us the way! Tomorrow Megan and I are planning to visit the Duomo, do a little shopping, and really just admire all of the Italian beauty in this city! Celeste will be home around 11pm tomorrow night to prepare for our train ride down to Bari on Tuesday morning. That is where we are spending Christmas.. I cant wait to see her!!

I will post my denmark photos shortly! now out for some authentic italian food, yuummmm!

xoxoxo

plane rides.. train rides... liters of beer... and beauty everywhere =)

2008-12-19T19:52:00.000-08:00

10:42am and currently feeling: Sleepy, excited, antsy, and a little sad

It was an early morning. Sleeping is still a little difficult, both the time difference of 9 hours, and being away from my family is the hardest to deal with at night. When the lights are out, and it’s afternoon time in San Francisco, my mind wanders and my body doesn’t allow me to sleep. I find myself watching the stars through the window by my bed, and hoping someone back home is looking at them too. Regardless, I am still loving every second of my journey, and counting my blessings for having the opportunity to experience an amazing part of the world.

Last night was a lot of fun and a perfect way to spend my last night in Hamburg. Kara, Jim and I made gluten free pizza, had a bottle of wine, listened to some great German rap, (YouTube D-Bo) and talked. We had a long day in the city, so I deserved to relax! Saying goodbye was a little sad…

Today I had to wake up at 6:30 am to pack and head to the Bahn station. There I had some more trouble with my calling card; I promised a phone call to one of my friends back in the US but was unsuccessful, Sorry =( I think I am just going to give up on it at this point. I am currently on the ICE train to Aarhus, Denmark. I have been craving coffee since I left the US, not a cappuccino, or a latte, just a plain, black, cup of coffee. Oddly enough, the train is the first place I’ve found it! So, at this moment I am drinking a 2,90 euro cup of coffee, and reading my new book, Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier.

My ride to Denmark will take about 4 hours and 25 minutes; I am supposed to arrive in Aarhus at 13:55, and be greeted by Megan! Finally!!

I am planning on colder weather in Denmark, but some warmer and sunnier days once I reach Italy and Spain. We’ll see.

4:53 am and currently feeling: a little sleepy…

Well, today was definitely filled with fun and adventure. Denmark is gorgeous, but absolutely FREEZING!!! We just got home from the night club, and it was pouring rain and about 38 degrees outside. YUCK!
Finally meeting up with Megan was so great. I was afraid I wasn’t going to be able to find her in the train station… but once I did, it brought tears to our eyes! We chatted the entire bus ride back to her flat, it was so nice to be reunited again!

Well, I need to sleep, another long day awaits tomorrow!! I will write soon and post up some pictures of today’s festivities… As for tomorrow, the Denmark Symphony Orchestra, some ice skating, a little shopping, and back to the night club again for our last evening in Denmark!
Miss everyone and some great stories will be posted in the next day or two.

goodbye Germany...

2008-12-18T13:20:00.000-08:00

Hamburg, Germany, Day 2: Big breakfast, Big city hall, Big beer, Big dinner, Big hopes for such a small girl...

The German City hall, or Rathous, was absolutely stunning. It was amazing to see one of the most beautiful buildings in Hamburg, and possibly in most of europe, but moreso incredible to witness a woman so passionate about her city and government to give such a wonderful and animated tour. I learned so much about Hamburg!
After the tour we went to a real German Biergarten where I drank a Liter of Hofbrau... meaning "high brewing." It was a delicious beer from Munchen. The theme of 'big' continued at that point... My belly was Enormous!! and my confidence was growing as well =) On our journey back to Kara's apartment, we walked past all of the amazing bakeries and shops and sipped on some hot chocolate in the chilly 40 degree weather! Ill never forget the hidden smiles from all of the Germans as I gasped and pointed in amazement at all of the delicious food in the windows.

Well, a 6 am wake up call is just hours away, along with a 4 and a half hour train ride to Aarhus to finally meet up with Megan! I have had such a great time in Hamburg, and thanks to Kara and Jim, I can't wait to come back. I am really going to miss Germany... but extremely excited to make it to Denmark tomorrow!

...I have taken so many pictures along the way in beautiful hamburg that I decided to consolidate them into a little video.... I hope you enjoy!

speechless..

2008-12-17T14:32:00.000-08:00

Hamburg, Germany- beautiful architecture, beautiful people, delicious food, heartwarming beverages, and chilly weather

I adore this country already. It was so nice waking up to a full German breakfast made by Kara and Jim, and it definitely set a wonderful mood for some German sightseeing. First on the list was the Christmas market, full of incredible German snacks: warm chestnuts, fried dough stuffed with fruit and warm chocolate sauce on top, little sandwiches, and my favorite… hot chocolate with a shot of cherry liquor.

Walking around the city was a lot of fun, the buildings are all gorgeous, but the 40 degree weather and rain put a quick end to our day full of outdoor adventure. We decided a coffee in a café on the lake was our best bet. It was a lot of fun to watch Germans stare at Kara and I while we caught up and laughed hysterically, in English.

We must have gotten “typical American” countless times. As the sun was setting and our tummies were beginning to growl, we decided a German dinner of lamb, chicken, rise, vegetables, and a couple different sauces at the local restaurant would be nice, followed by some euro cup action. Hamburg 3, Aston Villa 1.

Tomorrow: a tour of the Rathous, Hamburg’s city hall and hopefully not so many 1,70 euro bottles of wine…. Wow alcohol is so cheap in this country.

Time for some zzz’s… travelling 18 hours is tiring, even on day 2.

Ladies and Gentleman, please prepare for take off...

2008-12-17T01:15:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been an interesting couple of days. It started by a very sad goodbye on Sunday night, waking up around 6am Monday morning, and packing and heading to the airport by 11. Sounds hectic? Well, that was the easy part.

Checking into SFO was a breeze, security line was about 4 deep, and my gate was perfectly placed next to a wonderful café, where I enjoyed an unusually delicious cup of tropical green tea. It was about 1:30 and flight 900 headed to Frankfurt was just beginning the boarding process. I was next, row 54 seat K, 7 rows from the back of an enormous 747, equipped with an upper deck. Walked back to my seat, and as usual, located the best looking boy on the plane to help put my carry on in the over head compartment. Little to my knowledge, that boy, Dominic from Switzerland, was about to become my travelling buddy and a lifelong friend.

We are ready to back away from the gate when the captain Comes on the loud speaker to announce a faulty PA system in business class. That’s right, PA SYSTEM. Was this an airplane or a journey concert? Well, when maintenance took THREE hours to establish the fact that they could not fix it and we had to get off the plane, I assumed, PA systems are a big deal. It was about 5 pm when we were informed of another 747 being present at SFO, and that was our plane for the job. All that was needed was a pilot to get us to Germany. We all pile into the terminal, when I announce, “I’m going to the bar” from there about half of the plane heard, and there we were, Dominic, Keri, and I leading the charge. About 2 Sam Adams and some quesadillas down, we finally were called back to the gate to board the new plane at 9:15, take off around 10, and land in Frankfurt at 4:30. Only about 8 hours behind schedule. (going on 14 hours of being awake)

Flight… uneventful. With 11 hours behind us, it was now time to figure out my arrangements to Hamburg. I followed Dominic, also going to Hamburg, and Keri, on her way to the Alps, to the Lufthansa help desk where I was rudely ensured a flight to Hamburg will be under way for a small sum of 380 euros. That is absolutely ridiculous, and not an option. From that point, I went to find baggage claim, purchase an ICE train ticket, and head to the station. Along the way I met a girl named Katia on her way home from Australia. We had some coffee while I waited for my train, and she waited for hers. 107 euros later, I was finally bound for Hamburg!

Being awake for almost 2 days, drinking Sam Adams with a bunch of angry Europeans, and unable to use my calling card upon arrival were all tough situations to deal with. But I’ll never forget saying goodbye to my two new great friends. Two bloodshot eyes, stretched out clothes, and a few tears later I am finally sitting on the ICE train headed to Hamburg. It is currently 7:17 pm local time, and about 44 degrees Fahrenheit. I have a four hour train ride and all I can think about is laughing to WALL-E, eating gross plane food, and discussing the beauty of life and how lucky I am to be travelling even during times of heartache with my two new friends. I’m really going to miss them.

let the countdown begin

2008-12-13T22:20:00.001-08:00

So, its finally almost here, about 36 hours and 42 minutes to be exact, sort of. I still haven't packed, or even given it some thought, nor have I printed my itineraries (not necessary) or gotten a phone card to please my mother... But, what I HAVE done is eat as much Asian and Mexican food to satisfy any possible cravings of fine San Francisco cuisine while i'm across the pond. Hence why on a Saturday night i'm sitting on the sofa watching Its a Wonderful Life and not out celebrating my departure... Ill be digesting tonight's enchiladas for quite a while. The next post will be sometime on Wednesday.. Ill be in Hamburg at that time staying with my friend Kara from Westford, and have travelled 13 hours by plane, 4 hours by train, and some odd amount of minutes by German public transportation... Should be interesting...

Well, let the fun times begin....

THIS is the beginning, really?

2008-12-07T15:58:00.000-08:00

It has been an interesting couple of days, starting with actually realizing that I am leaving for Europe in a week. I will be gone for four weeks and during that time I plan on being in Aarhus, Denmark- Hamburg, Germany- Milan, Italy- Bari, Italy- Rome, Italy- Barcelona, Spain- Valencia, Spain- Gerona, Spain- ending in Frankfurt, Germany….

This trip is coming at a perfect time. Things have been hectic, confusing, tiring, ...and for once in my life, 13 hour plane rides and 20 hour train rides will be heaven.

So with that being said...
It is going to be quite an adventure and I hope you check back for frequent updates, photos, and stories of me… my friends… and one heck of a European adventure.