Horario Diario

Lately I have found myself reminiscing about late night rehearsals and strict studio schedules in New York or my morning walks with my dog, April, hoping to ground myself in the memories of home.  “Home”; an incredibly circumstantial location and connotation.  Home as of now has been a constant transit (bus, train, plane, boat, foot) where I lose myself amongst the movement and bleed into my various destinations without any firm establishment.

My stay in Barcelona has consisted of me living in two different homes with two separate families and learning to adapt to new people and customs arranging my life within their home.  My second family, the Valls, have been a blessing by restoring my ease within a new land by welcoming me into their lives and every day schedules.

El Horario                                                                                   

Morning begins with a run to wake me up followed by a tranquilo desayuno: water, coffee, fruit y pan con tomate discussing various plans for the day in Spanish.

Afterwards, Ignacio Valls and I pasean con 6 year old golden retriever Praga before the heat reaches its peak.

During the afternoon we ditch the heat and go to the local pool or beach to swim.  Once the water runs us dry we head back home where we cook up lunch, usually una mescla of seafood and vegetables.

Post food coma and siesta, Mercedes and I either head to the city center, relax, or begin preparing yet another smorgasbord to be eaten late in the night followed by drinks and a well-deserved sleep.

No longer had feeling rushed to see and do everything, a little routine was all I needed to create a new home within the Valls home.  I usually connote schedule with a full day of various (usually stressful) activities, however, this rather calm routine changed my perception. Though the Valls schedule is nowhere equivalent to my customs back in the States, the sheer act of slathering tomato all over my morning toast grounded me, de-stressing my fatigued traveler’s body.  As I continue my travels I hope to discover more rituals that I can hold on as little tokens reminding myself that it possible to find myself within Europe, a new destination, and my body.

Ciao,

Paloma

La Vida Catalunya

For the past five days you could say I took a break from my typical touristy travels through various cities and countries and settled down in the pueblo San Vicenç dels Horts, just 25 minutes outside of Barcelona’s city center.  I had the fortune of staying with my friend, Aida Bausa, and her family in their casita living within the flow of their typical lives.  Aida participated in a foreign exchange program last summer in my hometown of La Crescenta, CA and so this past week I was able to get a taste of what a homestay feels like; stepping out of the role of tourist and trying to integrate within the culture.

I didn’t expect it to be easy and I was in fact correct.  Though I speak some Spanish, in Barcelona the people speak Catalán, a Spanish dialect consisting of different words, phrases, and spellings.  I can get by using my Mexican influenced Spanish I for sure as hell can’t speak any English for no one understands nor speaks it. 

I like to pride my lifestyle as a mix of New York’s ambition and Los Angeles’ relaxation, but my hybrid American drive doesn’t mesh with Catalunya’s long days either.  Given a regular day, I typically wake up by the latest 9 A.M. followed by a morning run, and after a full day of school, work, or travel I typically knock out around 11 P.M.  It was difficult adjusting to the new routine of waking up at 11, eating a leisurely lunch at 3, and finally starting the day around 6 P.M. and ending it around 2 or 3 A.M. Days seem to melt into one another especially with the Catalán sun burning down my back from 7 A.M. until 10 P.M.

 

Despite the culture shock I had prepping myself for; I was amused and delighted to find though the apparent culture and language barrier segregates myself from the Catalans , our daily lives are as similar as any other.  They just start theirs later. Ditching the suburban heat for the air conditioned mall is an all-day event in itself.  Birthdays are a week-long fiesta starting with a casual dinner the night before, lunch the next day, cena the night of, fiestote farrote at the discoteca, roof top drinks the next day, and any other excursions to the mall, zoo, park, pool that could count as a celebration.  Lazy summer days are passed by sleeping in front of the television, getting up only to go to the bathroom and eat.  Walking the dog is a family event.  Gossiping over boys, girls, celebrities, clothes, and weight fulfills a week-long conversation.  Abuela arrives for lunch, dinner, and whenever else she can.

We all have or had this life at some point and it is a comforting reminder that la vida isn’t just tapas and vino; those are just luxurious garnishes to our everyday experience.

 

Ciao,

Paloma

The Land of Chocolate, Waffles, and Fries

When determining what to write for my posts each time I experience an event, city, or country I realized my immediate go-to was food. Food plays a huge part in my life; eating it is a hobby in itself! Eating a particular culture’s food allows me not only to get acclimated within my new temporary home but also gives me a great excuse to indulge and spend money. I had to separate my travels in Brussels by activity and food because I felt that 1) it would be way too long if I tried to cram the entirety of my experience into one post and 2) that the Belgian delicacies of chocolate, waffles, and fries deserved their own post.

Chocolate

According the premier chocolate makers the best Belgian chocolate is made with at least 30% cacao, however, many Belgian chocolates include possibly up to 70%! I taste tested about 17 chocolate shops around Brussels in search of “the best” creations.

Pierre Marcolini: Pioneer of modern chocolatiering! Their chocolate shop looks like a jewelry store and the prices parallel one as well! The chocolate and presentation was impeccable. Also known for their macaroons I purchased a speculoos macaroon which was to die for. I hope they can cater my wedding someday.

Passion Chocolate: They know and love to admit that they are one of the best. They are correct! Best milk chocolate I’ve ever tasted and I am a dark chocolate girl.

Jean Galler: Gives out tons of free samples and very reasonable pricing compared to the higher up chocolatiers. What struck me the most was their creation of “strawberry yogurt chocolate” which was delicious!

Elisabeth: Most reasonably priced and best flavors of pralines! I usually prefer just simple chocolate bars and squares but Elisabeth won my heart with their green tea, Early Grey, raspberry, and rose flavored pralines.

 

Waffles

Maison Dandoy: I had to research this one because I didn’t want to buy just any Belgian waffle off a street vendor and I wanted to see if it would be better than Le Pain Quotidien’s (which are so damn good). And TripAdvisor was correct! Maison Dandoy serves both Belgian (rectangular and crispy) and Liege Waffles (almost oval shaped and fluffier infused with sugar crystals) for about €5 with additional toppings of whip cream, ice cream, fruit, chocolate, you name it! The most decadent waffle I have ever had and I bet it would taste just as great plain.

Fries

Frit Flagey: Though I’m not the biggest frit fan, I wanted Brussels to change my perspective convincing out of In-N-Out’s Animal Style Fries. In-N-Out will always be close to my heart but this little fry stand in Place Flagey won a new spot in my heart with its triple fried potatoes with their perfect ratio of crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside for only €2.

Little Gem: Lastly if you ever plan to go to Belgium indulge in all the Speculoos you can: cookies, truffles, chocolate, ice cream, butter, anything speculoos flavored! Speculoos is a type of cookie with a similar flavoring to graham cracker but better. It tastes like a Christmas party in your mouth and I swear I can eat the spread out of the jar like peanut butter. In America I have only found speculoos spread sold in two places: Le Pain Quotidien and Trader Joe’s where it’s known as Cookie Butter. In Brussels it was as easy to find as Nutella and was only €1.5! Stock up if you can!

Now is time to say au revoir to fried, sugary goodness and hola to tapas and paella!
Next destination: Barcelona, Spain

Ciao,
Paloma

 

 

Bring it Bruxelles

In all the premonitions I had about my Europe travels never did I expect I would end up in Brussels, Belgium. Having worked at the restaurant/bakery chain Le Pain Quotidien over the past year the only Belgian facts I knew about the country were restaurant related history and the food. I don’t speak a word of French, however, my friends Kat and Hudson from my Commedia program encouraged me to tag along with them on their travels to Brussels convincing me of the beauty that is Belgium. Boy were they right!

The architecture reminds me of Holland in its quaint Dutch village aesthetic that makes you feel welcome on any street.  I visited and ate at the original LPQ location and felt right at home.

Brussels also incorporates a great modern twist with intricate comic strip art graffiti and futuristic titanium balls of the Atomium! This structure was constructed for the 1958 World Fair held in Brussels inspired by the structure of an atom (obviously). It was designed for people to walk in amongst the particles, exploring the different sections, and getting to see an amazing view from the top ball. The high speed elevator to take you from the bottom of the atom to the top was the first elevator constructed in all of Europe at the time. Today each ball contains historical exhibitions as well as modern art. The current expo, Out of Control, is a variety of light installations exploring the inevitable advent of technology overtaking as a virus through light show performances.

Another must-see monument in Brussels is the Manneken Pis; a small bronze naked boy urinating into a fountain below. There are many legends surrounding the identity of the boy and the mannequin has apparently been stolen several times. Today he lives near the Grand Place and is costumed frequently especially on holidays. He was naked when we saw him, though, and was much smaller than I expected in every way…

 

What is even more amusing is seeing the different variations of the little boy peeing various stores and artists create. Below is the local’s Manneken Pis dog version.

 

My time in Brussels wouldn’t be a true Belgian experience without indulging in all its treats, particularly Belgian beer. We went to SkyScanner’s recommendation, Moeder Lambic, for a beer sampling and though I am not the biggest beer fan I did discover a couple favorites from the darker ales!

 

The Aderladus on the far left was by far the best with a dark, mild, cinnamon taste.

Bring it Brussels!

Ciao, Paloma

Oh Dam

As soon as I was beginning to miss everything that is New York City ~ drunk pizza at 2 A.M. , Seamless, the grid, easy-to-navigate public transport, frozen yogurt, hailing cabs, free tap water, Lower East Side bars, coconut water, my East Village apartment ~ I found myself in the origins of NY state itself: Amsterdam. As soon as I drove into the city I felt like I was driving around Greenwich Village’s narrow streets lined with highly concentrated brick apartments with gambrel roofing, yet, separated by water canals. This city is as if the Village met Venice, Italy and determined the most functional mode of transportation to be biking. Being both a New York, Italy, and biking lover Amsterdam won my heart, and I must say that if I loved marijuana as much as the above I would have moved in permanently by now.

Instead I spent four days with my generous friends from NYU; Amanda and Sydney, who are studying at theater program in Amsterdam, enjoying the similarities and differences of this major city compared to our other favorite city. What I have discovered as my new international favorites:

Stroopwaffel: A crunchy waffle cookie lined with a thin molasses filling. Delicious whenever, however, with whatever.

Pancakes: Not the usual sweet, fluffy American pancake, but large, flat, and crepe-like eaten as a savory breakfast item with cheese or bacon.

Cheese: Any kind you can imagine everywhere there was even a museum dedicated to it! Most unique: Wasabi and blueberry, lavender infused.

Though I wish I could have spent more time exploring the streets and canals of Amsterdam, I leave tomorrow for my next destination: Brussels, Belgium!

Ciao,
Paloma

Fun in the Sun

The other half of my stay in Croatia consisted of beaching it every day from my hostel in Split and making a day trip out to Hvar. This Adriatic coastal town is known for its lavender fields, Roman ruins, white pebble and turquoise beaches, coastal parties and seafood! I haven’t beached this much since my summers in California and eaten this much shellfish since I was pescetarian.

The young country (at least 10 years old) is structured around the palace walls; engulfing bourgeois touristy shops and restaurants on the inside, yet, revealing everyday local lifestyle outside of the walls along the coast.

In addition to swimming in crystal clear waters, tanning, hiking, and relaxing on vacation I would say that the highlight of my trip is dedicated to a little restaurant mentioned below that en-captured all elements of the country in a single dish under the perfect price:

A wild goose chase and an hour and a half later we finally landed upon Villa Spiza, our recommended destination for tonight’s dinner. This hole in the wall is completely worth the wait. Owner Yvonna selects her ingredients daily from the fish market down the street and does Dalmatian justice to her daily menu of fresh seafood, vegetables, and bread. She has never been to culinary school, cooking from her heart hoping to share with people all over the world. I told her that she needed to come to New York to share her business! Already obsessed with this restaurant and planning to go back every day, you can order a large glass of wine and main entrée of the most authentic Croatian cuisine for only $11 (Around 80-100 Kuna)!
My favorites: Octopus salad and Pasta with Zucchini and Prawns

Next destination tomorrow: Amsterdam!

Ciao,
Paloma

 

An Adriatic Gem

I arrived in Zadar Saturday morning on an overnight ferry from the eastern coast of Italy to the small Croatian city. After the summer session in Florence I was ready for some down time, so we spent the day eating, drinking, swimming at the beach, enjoying the copious amounts of free time without any obligation to be anywhere. At sundown we moseyed on over to the raved about art installations on the tip of Zadar, the Sea Organs and Sun Salutation.

 

The Sea Organs are chunks cut out of the pavement that look like organ keys and serve as wind tunnels that create music due to the force of ocean water and wind blowing beneath them. The Sun Salutation glass plates pieced together on the pavement that collect the sun’s energy during the day and use the energy to produce a light show at sunset.

 

The next day we left early on an exhibition of Plitvice Lakes National Park two hours outside of Zadar. We hiked through forests and on wooden bridges alongside the turquoise lakes and crystalline waterfalls all day marveling at their natural beauty.

Next stop tomorrow: Split!

Ciao!

Paloma

Destination #2: Croatia

“There is a time for departure, even when there is no certain place to go.” Tennessee Williams

It is time to say arrivederci to Italy – at least for now – and say bok to Croatia!

I will be taking an overnight ferry from Ancona on the eastern coast of Italy arriving to Croatia tomorrow morning where I will be traveling with my friend Laura, from the Commedia program, and Monica, my friend from high school.

Over the next week we will be exploring Zadar, Split, and Hvar and their beautiful beaches along the Adriatic sea.

Stay tuned for pictures!

Ciao,

Paloma