Nice was....nice (hyuk hyuk)

Sights checklist...

Eiffel Tower?...check.

Van Gogh Museum?...check.

Giant Creepy Baby Head Statue in train station?....CHECK.

I guess I can go home now.

Porto, Portugal

Random Porto Tower

And the heavens broke open....and there was....MELINDA!

Painting of Porto

After my lovely time in Lisbon, I headed to Porto for quick day of sightseeing.  It was one of those cities that some random person I met in my travels (a spainard in Zaragoza) told me to go to, so when I got there and opened up the guidebook I was like..."uh...why did I come here again?".  

I ended up loving Porto too.  I think Portugal itself is just such an amazing place.  It's just not touristy at all, which leaves you feeling like you're discovering some amazing thing that no one else has taken advantage of.  And Portugese people are all so nice: even the ones working in the train station.  I don't know if i'm having such warm sentiments towards Portugal also because it's one of the only new places i've traveled to on this trip (belgium too, but my wallet was stolen there!  Fuck you Brussels!)   My hostel was pretty crappy; I was in a room with probably 13 other people, and it smelled like a mixture of B.O. and dirty socks.  Luckily it didn't bother me THAT much, cause i'm still sick, and my nose is stuffed up.  

Traveling sick is pretty awful.  All I want to do is curl up in bed and sleep till I feel better, but of course I need to GO GO GO and rush around to see as many sights as I can!  Only 5 more days left on my eurail pass, by the way.  I took 2 sudafed on my only day in Porto...woop woop!  It was pretty weird.  I felt super light-headed the whole day, and once while I was painting I felt like I was falling even though I was sitting down.  Pretty weird.  I haven't taken any since.  I was hanging out with a french guy in Porto for awhile, and I spent a good 20 minutes trying to explain to him how when I'm home, instead of taking medicine to get better, all I want is some 7up and Chicken Noodle Soup.  I guess in France, they don't have those "food" remedies, he told me that they just go to the doctor whenever they're sick (because they have reasonable healthcare of course).  He also didn't know what Campbell's soup was, so I had a hard time trying to explain to him about that too.  Oh, silly american things that you take for granted.

We walked around the city for a bit then took a train to go see the amazing beaches.  I want to come back in the summer SO bad...apparently there's really good surfing, but the beaches are just so nice even now!  I really enjoyed seeing them as they were yesterday...cloudy and windy and a little chilly...it reminded me of the oregon coast so much!  I'm such a sucker for anything that makes me feel like i'm home at this point.  P.S. Only 1 month and 2 days till I return!  

Last night I got on a train at 6:48 pm and continued to take train rides from then till 3:30pm today.  I went Porto-Lisbon-Madrid-Barcelona, and WOULD have gone Barcelona to Carcassone in France, but My Lisbon-Madrid train was 3 hours last getting to Madrid!  Ridiculous.  That changed my plans a bit, but I don't mind.  I'm feeling a lot more light-hearted about traveling.  My luck has definitely changed for the better...I'm already excited to go back to Portugal to work/play in Lisbon, I'm heading for Nice tomorrow, and someone here in my Barcelona hostel just suggested a good hostel there, and on my train from Porto-Lisbon I sat in the 1st class section for 2 hours without them noticing, and I didn't even buy a reservation for that train at all!  When they found me, they just made me sit in 2nd class, even though they should have made me pay.  To be fair, I honestly didn't know it was the 1st class section.  And I didn't buy a reservation because I was running late.  But anyways...lucky me for once.  Yay!

Some creepy things I've seen so far.

So whoever thinks that when I get back home, they'll be a massive photo drop of stunning buildings, gorgeous landscapes and beautiful pictures of Europe, you'll be disappointed.  I've discovered that I REALLY don't like taking pictures.  When I find some building/scene compelling, i'm trying to draw it.  That way, there's some involvement in the whole traveller/environment scenario.  The deal is this:  I am not a good photographer.  Add that with no passion for taking pictures, and all you have is me pointing my camera randomly and thinking, "Oh, people at home will be mad if I don't take a picture of this".  And THAT'S no fun, right?  I want to take pictures for my own enjoyment, and make it not be a chore.  SO...without further ado...here are some photos that I DID take.  These are the things I want to remember about my trip.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.  

The only photo I took in Madrid.  The creepiest Tellytubby with a cameltoe i've ever seen.  It looks like satan.  It will haunt my dreams, I can tell you that.  

They're OBSESSED with life-size nativity scenes in Spain and Portugal.  This was one I walked through in Zaragoza, complete with sound system shooting out sound effects of donkeys "hee-hawing" at random intervals.  

Check out the close up of this guy:

YIKES!  What is he so angry about?  I don't even know who this guy is supposed to be in the whole jesus story.  I don't remember a man with porridge playing a big part in the story.

By far, the creepiest thing ever, and therefore, my favorite picture.   What is it?  I have no idea.  The rest of the statue is completely life-like.  They're sitting on this demon creature.  I don't know who made it, but they have some issues, I can tell you that.  CREEPER alert.

Feeling A LOT better

Thanks to everyone for the sweet words of sympathy and encouragement.  It means a lot to me that so many of you were concerned with my highly emotional last posting.  I've been feeling a lot better since that night.  The day after my night of depression, I went on a free walking tour around madrid, and I really enjoyed it.  The city was beautiful, and although I was wearing 2 pairs of gloves and my hands still hurt from the cold, it was really fun.  I left that night for Lisbon, Portugal.  

And Now, I'm in Heaven.

Lisbon is my FAVORITE city i've been to so far in my trip.  There's just this charm about it...steep hills, and cobblestone streets, and narrow alleys, and no tourists, and nice people and beautiful weather....a million things about it, make it so incredible.  It feels undiscovered.  And the hostel i'm staying in is by far the best hostel i've ever been in.  The people are incredible, it's super laid back, every night they give out free shots...and, I know this sounds really weird, but it smells like my grandma's beach house.  You know how it is with smells, right?  How certain ones evoke feelings you can't control.  I feel like i'm home here.  Everything about it makes me happy.  I walked around the city and saw a million things I want to draw.  Our hostel has a Portugese mother come in 3 days a week to make a home cooked dinner for the hostel for only 5 euros a head plus dessert (really cheap over here) and the food was incredible.  Sooo.....I decided that for the 9 days in between when my eurail pass ends (December 21st) and when I need to fly back to London (December 30th).  I'm going to stay in Lisbon.  I talked to the manager of the hostel, and i'm going to do a couple hours work for the hostel every day in exchange for free accommodation!  I'll be making beds, or wandering around the streets handing out flyers to tourists, or working reception, or any number of random tasks.  I'm so excited!  So i'll be in Lisbon over christmas which should be fun hopefully!  

I just got sick, which sucks...a flu/cold thingy that isn't being helped by the free shots you can't refuse (literally, people won't let you.  I was just handed a tequila shot as I was writing this, and I said "Oh, I really shouldn't, i'm sick", and the girl said "Yes, but THIS will burn off all your sickness" and gave me a stern look till I took the cup from her hand.).  Yesterday I walked all over the city and painted the hill scene, but today I tried to take it easy and I slept in (so nice!) and read for awhile, then painted a scene from inside my hostel, cause it was raining anyways outside, so I couldn't do any art out there.  It was nice and cozy inside though, so I didn't mind.  Plus, I'm going to have a lot of free time to wander the city when I'm here for 9 days!   

No pictures

I'm alone again...and depressed again.  Some of the things you don't realize about traveling by yourself, unless you have done it, or are smarter than me and realized these things before you left:  

1. If you're traveling in a country that you don't know the language of, get ready to be silent 24 hours a day.  Most days, I don't open up my mouth except to mutter out disjointed questions or "excuse me" (in whichever language applies) so I can get by whatever person is blocking the way of my house of a suitcase.  

2.  Unless you're ready to make an effort...I mean REALLY make an effort to meet people EVERY day, prepare to spend most nights (and days) completely alone, surrounded by groups of people laughing and talking that already knew each other before they came to the hostel.  I deal with it by being the creeper in the corner with a paintbrush.    

3.  The only way you meet people is when everyone is drunk or drinking.  

4.  Most people you meet are assholes.

5.  No one is better than your friends at home.  

When me and my sister were traveling together, we had the best time...seriously.  Besides having each other, it was supremely easy to meet people, and a lot less stressful cause when you got in bad situations, at least you had someone at your side.  I practically have a panic attack every time I get lost at night (and it happens a lot).  I think a part of it too is that we were traveling in the summer as well, when EVERYONE else in the world is traveling, so everyone is young and free-spirited and like minded and ready to have a good time.  It's so rare to meet travelers (particularly travelers that speak english) during the winter season.  Of course: cause who in their right minds would WANT to travel in the miserable cold?  I know I don't.  

Sorry if this is depressing (I know it is) and pathetic (I know it is), but it's how I feel.  Most days, I barely smile.  It feels weird when I do.  I don't even have a picture to show you guys, cause today I was in Zaragoza, and I sat in front of this giant spanish palace/cathedral thingy, and it was incredible, but I didn't even want to draw it.  I'm bored of drawing!  I'm not inspired right now, and that's the worst part.  I need the depression to fuel the art, but right now all I want to do is hibernate in a warm cuddly bed with my love and the latest episode of the office and a meal of smartfood popcorn and taco bell hot sauce.  

I realize most people reading this post will say: Oh my god, shut up, stop whining, you're in fucking europe for god's sake!  I'm not saying that I haven't had good times...and the countries are amazing, of course!  But don't judge me until you've spent 2 months by yourself with no one you know and no lasting contact with people over 2 weeks (egypt tour).  Please don't judge.  

Basking in Barcelona

So this last weekend was AWESOOOOMMMMEEEE (cue singsongy voice).  Katie Schalk and her friend Natasha came to Barcelona, and it was a wonderful 3 days of booze, falafel and Gaudi.  I had SUCH a good time with them.  It's just so weird to all of a sudden be able to talk and talk and talk...it's really nice, actually, cause most of the time I have no one to talk to over here.  We ran around and saw a lot of the sights, and went out on a pub crawl on saturday night that kept us out till 4 in the morning.  The pub crawl was only 10 euros, and that included a free power hour of beer and sangria at a bar, then 4 bars, then a club at the end.  We also got free shots at every bar.  Needless to say, we got hammered.  We were all pretty proficient at slamming down the drinks in the first hour...i'm pretty sure I had around 7 beers, while Katie and Natasha gulped down the sangria (ugh...I don't know how they did it).  None of us spent any money the entire rest of the night, which was our goal.  Drinks and club entry in Barcelona are crazy expensive, so thankfully we were cheap drunks.  

We went around and saw all of the Gaudi architecture.  His stuff makes Barcelona such an amazing city.  How amazing would it be to see that stuff everyday?  And why do we not have any living architects or artists that create such jaw-dropping integrated city designs?  Nowadays, it seems to be so much more about shock value...like people have run out of ideas on how to change the art world, so they resort to the gross-out factor, or just abrasive works that "challenge" the viewer.  I'm all for challenging the viewer, but it can be done in a way that doesn't make them want to throw up.  

Katie, Natasha and I parted ways on monday night...i've been alone since, which sucks.  After having such a fun weekend with people, it's actually harder to be alone again.  

p.s. the drawing of them is when we were at Park Guell.  It was nice to draw someone that wasn't me for once.  

What REALLY happened to my wallet

Tours

By the way, the only thing I saw in tours? Some creepy black children statues. Who DOES'NT want a little slave statue to hold your drink on a hot summer's day? I know I do.

p.s. as aaron pointed out, they aren´t necessarily slaves. Sorry!  It just seemed like that was the idea: They're in goofy outfits, and they're carrying trays!!!  The only reason I jumped to that conclusion is because I kind of felt like that was the point. Like, "Egad Cornswallow, remember when we had little slave children to serve us cool lemonade by our crops?" "Well, Humphrey, wait till you see my newest acquisition! Almost as good as the real thing!".  I can't tell if i'm digging myself into a hole i'm not going to get out of...umm.....i just thought they were ridiculous.  That's it.  

Paris

I ended up going to Paris for 3 days after the Tours disaster. Paris is an incredibly gorgeous city. There's just this feeling when you step out on the streets...it's arty, it's posh, it's naturally gorgeous, every building takes your breath away....it is a truly incredible city. I'll give it that. But, on the other hand, I dealt with a lot of Parisian people on this trip that were blatantly hostile. And yes, of course if you speak french they're nicer to you. I don't speak any. I met some guys in the room in my hostel who were from Australia, and we were all just chatting about traveling and stuff, and 2 of the people we were sharing the room with came in, and we said hi, and they said (in french)..."do you speak french?" and we all said sheepishly..."no, sorry", and the guy just gave us this look of disgust and said "You're in France and you DON'T SPEAK FRENCH???" We were all taken aback, and embarassed...but there's no need for such rudeness. My feelings were really hurt. I speak some spanish, but most people I meet don't speak any languages other than english. But everyone wants to learn about different people and different culture. Most people wouldn't travel anywhere if they had to speak the language to do it.
While I was there, I did learn how to say (I don't know how it's spelled, because I just said it) "Ou ay (where is) _____". Because I was lost. Constantly. One day, I walked around for almost 2 hours trying to re-find my hostel. In the freezing cold rain. Here's an idea: don't travel by yourself when you're notorious for being the worst person at directions in the whole world. Cause that's me. Ah well...
I've been to Paris before, so thankfully I didn't have to do the rushed sightseeing circuit (louvre, musee de orsay, arch de triomphe, eiffel tour, notre dame), so I was free to see some things I missed last time I was here.
I went to the catacombes, which I really liked. 6 million people were excavated from a giant cemetery and placed in a giant hall underground, with the bones arranged in a "aesthetically pleasing arrangement". It was kind of creepy, kind of cool...but an amazing experience.
On my last day I went to Versailles (I had actually been before), and it was phenomenal. Last time my sister and I went there, the hall of mirrors (which is the grandest thing about the palace) was under construction, so it was quite underwhelming. This time, it was so opulent, it took my breath away. I really wanted to see Versailles again because I love love love the movie Marie Antoinette, and when I saw Versailles this time, I saw it through the eyes of the movie...the grand state it used to be in. It was great.
The last thing I did in Paris was paint Pont Neuf. My favorite bridge in Paris, it has a bunch of individually carved, different faces carved into it. I just love it. And while I was painting, I ended up meeting the nicest Parisian I ever have. He came up to talk about my painting, then we chatted for a bit. He was just so friendly, and he really warmed my heart back up for Parisian people. Because I don't want to stereotype any group of people, but the majority of people I met this trip to Paris were really mean. So it was nice to meet someone that didn't scoff when I said I didn't speak french, and who took an actual friendly interest in me.
So that was Paris, and last night I took an overnight train to Barcelona. I'm here now, waiting for Katie Schalk, who i'm SO EXCITED TO SEE! It'll just be so nice to see a friendly face in this foreign land. Cheers!
Melinda

Ugh

I know there's been a bit of a wait since I last blogged (but does anyone read this besides aaron?), but I actually have an excuse.  Let me start by saying I left Amsterdam to go to Bruges (Belgium), and it was absolutely lovely.  I really, really liked it.  It was just a beautiful city, and they claim to be "Europe's most well preserved Medieval town" and I really believe it.  It's a canal city, so there's water and weeping willows and gothic churches, and every building looks like it's thousands of years old.  I spent my one and a half days there drawing and being freezing cold.  I started buying tea just to warm up my hands.  And the tea costs more than 2 euros!  Do you know how ridiculous that is?  For a lipton tea bag and a packet of sugar.  Prices there were crazy.  

Anyways, after gorgeous Bruges, I set off for cosmopolitan Brussels.  But on the less than 1 km walk to my hostel from the train station, my wallet was stolen.  This could have happened several ways.  #1.  I could have left it on the train station counter (i had just bought train reservations) then someone took it.  #2.  It could have fallen out of my bag and then someone took it (unlikely because I probably would have felt my bag get lighter and heard something fall).  #3.  Someone stole it out of my bag.  

It was horrible.  It still is horrible.  I lost around 300 euros (I had just taken out money), my passport, my eurail pass, my student id (so I can't get discounts on anything for the rest of the trip), my driver's license (so I will have to buy a new one when I get back), and an art project I had been working on since october.  I'm actually probably more upset about the art project than anything, because it was irreplaceable and I know the thief just threw it away.  Ugh.  

But ANYWAYS...trying to look on the bright side, I got everything taken care of.  My passport was replaced, my parents wired me money, I had pass security on my eurail, which means they'll reimburse me for my stolen one, and I bought a new one.  But it just sucks, of course. Oh yeah, and when I FINALLY got everything sorted out, I left Brussels to get on a train to St. Malo in France, and ended up in Tours cause I got on the wrong train apparently.  I just feel like I've had the worst luck on this trip.  Flight cancelled, Baggage lost, wallet stolen, wrong train....the list goes on.  But it can only go uphill now, right?  RIGHT?