Death From Above 30 Stories

(the blur)

Last week went by in a blur. I had a few extra hours of class last week with my mini curso on urban space in Madrid- my favorite class thus far. We traced the city’s beginning on maps and plans and then saw it firsthand on two long walking fieldtrips through the city. We covered everything from city planning principles to architectural standards. Even the exam for the class was interesting. It was a bit like the id part of the 170 exam, but all from an aerial photo of Madrid. Studying for the exam meant climbing to the top of el Torre de Europa in the financial district of town and look down on the city from the roof (30 stories up with no guardrailaround the edge).

(missing something? how about a guaard rail)

(view of la Puerta de Europe towers)

(Madird's garden cities)

(view from 9 stories up in the older part of town)

And now that I’ve reminded myself why I’m an architecture major…

I cant believe its already Tuesday and that I’ve been in Spain for over a week since Greece. Steph and I had kepabs the other day and the whole time we were devouring the messy dinner we were commenting on how much better gyros are. But while the tastes of Greece are fading away, my tan isn’t. It’s been really warm and sunny in Madrid (other than the apocalyptic downpours and hail storm on Saturday).

But as much as I miss my little love affair with the Greek Islands, I’ve had a fun time in Madrid this weekend. On Thursday night Stephanie, Matt, Frankie and I made a pact to make Spanish friends before the end of the night. After a failed attempt at a cute café with a wall covered in board games, we moved onto Supersonic (an indie club). On a break from dancing at the bar I decided to try my hand at making friends and started talking to a couple Spanish kids. Matt and Frankie soon joined in the conversation, which was about everything from photography to British accents. One of the kids is named Beltran and (like the other Beltran) studied in England for a couple years and could speak English quite well. We all exchanged numbers as the club was closing with a promise to meet up the next day for lunch/drinks/more hanging out at Supersonic.

Fast-forward to the next night- no phone call, no text message. Matt and I have nothing better to do so we decided to hit up Supersonic again with Emelia. We’re enjoying our drinks on a couch when we see Beltran who explains to us the reason he never called. Apparently he felt to embarrassed by his drunkenness the night before and didn’t want us, “the cool new people” to think he was an idiot. But everyone knows how that goes… The rest of the night was spent talking or dancing whenever I heard a song I deemed was dance-worthy. And every now and then, in mid spin I'd turn around thinking I'd see Shaddy or Pedro behind me like in SF. And it would hit me that I was still in Spain and there's no way it could be them.

I suppose I should get back to studying for my exam tomorrow in my colloquial class. I need to review the different uses of “cojones.”

Why do I have to go back to Madrid, again?

I had to be dragged away from Youth Hostel Anna (pictured above) to catch the boat to Crete. Many of us left the island together, so we spent the night drinking down our farewells with vodka and orange juice. Come to think of it, ever night was a farewell party at the hostel. Someone was always leaving; someone was always being initiated into the place. Grudgingly, I said my farewells to Amy and Brian at the port the next who caught their ferry 2 hours before I caught mine. Before the expected wave of loneliness set in sitting alone at the port, I ran into another former YH Anna resident, Nisha, also headed for Crete. We boarded the boat and 2 hours later found ourselves in a hideously ugly port. We took a 2 hour bus ride away from the port and into the heart of the island. I spent every second of the ride cursing myself for leaving Santorini especially after hearing that I was going to have to take a 30 euro tai ride to get from the bus stop to my hostel booked for the night. Simultaneously, I worried that my cab partner was hating me for dragging her out to the middle of nowhere with me. She could have just stayed at the hostel near the bus stop, but I had plans to go elsewhere. And I was set on my plans.(picking up new kids for the hostel)

I was told in Santorini to cancel my hostel reservations in the center of Crete and stay at Youth Hostel Plakias instead. 3 Canadians made sure that I knew how amazing it was and told me to pass on salutations on their behalf. And so I found myself in the back of a cab in a horrible rain storm on Crete, 3 hours away from civilization and a few kilometers away from where lightning was striking.

At 10:30 I thanked my driver and lumbered through the mud towards the dim lights of the hostel. Finally huddled under the awning of the reception hut, I set my bags down to see the counter all closed up for the night. A few friendly hostel guests showed up to empty beds and insisted that Chris the owner would want us to stay there for the night. After I “said hello for Charles” they then insisted that we accompany them to Joe’s for our initiation to Youth Hostel Plakias. Within a couple minutes, we were talking about random hostel acquaintances as if they were old friends and exchanging stories of Youth Hostel Anna.

And so my new friends and I walked down to Joe’s for a few drinks. Chris, a 20-year-old from Missouri, was the leader of the group and introduced us new kids to Joe. We sat down, met a few more hostel guests (more like residents- they all meant to come for a couple days but ended up staying for a couple weeks), the majority of whom were Canadian. We all enjoyed a beer and then a few rounds of raki shots from the locals from the bar. While a couple kids dashed off into the night, entangled in each other’s drunken embraces, Chris and I started a dance party of sorts to Brown Eyed Girl. It caught on and Noami, a French Canadian staying at the hostel with her boyfriend Francois, joined in. Chris scored us a few rounds of tequila shots in return with my dancing with the old greek men at the bar. And once we were through with dancing, we stumbled out of the bar and onto the beachfront road back to the hostel. The waves looked silver under the full moonlight and begged for us to go for a swim. I had been warned about the amount of skinny-dipping at Plakias and after my midnight swim in Perissa, decided to shout “whatever” and just go for it and add another sea to the list of seas I’ve gone swimming in. The water’s never as cold as you think it’s going to be.

It’s getting back into your clothing and walking home soggy that the problem.

Its even more of a problem if your name is Chris and you have made a habit of losing your jeans somewhere along the road. So we retraced our path in the mud puddles and along the path until I discovered them and thus brought the night to an end.

Eager to see where I had stumbled to on the Southern Coast of Crete the night before, I woke up early to re-meet the cast from the night before. Jack and Chris seemed to be the ringleaders of the group and introduced me to “elevensies” or “second breakfast” my new favorite concept. I was also introduced to Laura, who missed out on the fun the night before and slept in the bunk beneath me, and Jimmy, the 18 year old Canadian on a gap year.

(happy kids after second breakfast- can you spot the 5 canadians?)

Once all second breakfasts had been consumed and I had checked in, we decided that a trip out the monastery was in order. And so a pack of Canadians taught me how to hitchhike as we bounced from the backs of pickup truck along winding roads in the hills of Crete.

The next morning I got up early and had a breakfast of Greek yogurt with Laura before taking a hike along the cliffs by the ocean and through caves blasted through them by Germans to hide ammunition in the war. We returned just in time for second breakfast, which we talked about and salivated over the entire hike back.

And then all too soon, I had to catch a bus away from my second Grecian paradise by the sea. Nisha and I stashed our bags at the bus station and took a detour to the Palace of Knossos, another architectural relic I never thought I’d be able to see. But there I was, wandering the former Minoan labyrinth of rooms re-imagined and reconstructed by Sir Arthur Evans.

(i hate to be the poor guy who had to build that model)

Finally, night fell over Crete and I arrived at another Minoan Palace- the giant Feros Palace, an overnight ferryboat to Athens. No sooner had I found a seat, was I asleep. Sleeping on busses and planes and boats is a new skill I’ve acquired on this spring break trip. A skill that came in handy over the last 28 hours of being in airports/airplanes, busses/bus stations, metros and ferries.

I suppose this is a long winded way of saying that I’ve had an amazing time in Greece. And although I’ve been in a couple sticky situations (stranded without any money in the Athens international airport, almost being homeless one night in Athens, airline delays, getting a sunburn on the tops of my feet…) I’ve had a great trip. I might go as far as saying its been the best spring break ever.

Anyone want to go to Greece this summer? I know of a couple amazing hostels?




And ps- I changed the theme-song of the trip to California by Joni Mitchell as the trip turned into more of a 'bohemian backpacking trip meeting randoms and having great times with them in Greece' (plus she mentions Spain, Paris, and Grecian Isles in the song- all three places my trip took me) than a 'party it up Britpop style trip.'

my feet are red!

Day ?? in Santorini

Staying down in Perissa has started to feel like staying at summer camp. We’ve got a stretch of road that runs parallel to the beach with a few markets and 2 bars along it. Everything else is closed until high season starts here. For the most part, the only people around here are people my age (a little older- a little younger). Every day we walk along the road to the beach, or to climb the hill and check out the ancient ruins, or rent atvs or take the caldera tour. At night we all hang out in front of the hostel and drink and talk. After a while we hit up one of the bar or the saloon and then retire to our bunk beds. The woman who runs the hostel is the camp director and tells us where to go for each activity we can do here. Yesterday I climbed the mountain twice- once alone in flip flops and a mini skirt and once with my new Canadian friends from Vancouver- Shawn and Jimmy (degrassi, eh? Jimmy is even the ethnic one of the two!) Then I made friends with a brother and sister from Wisconsin and another kid studying in Madrid. We ate dinner at one of the two restaurants open now and then played pool at the saloon.

Hostel kids are the nicest kids ever. The first question we usually ask now is “Where are you from.” Last night we had Eugine Oregon, Upstate New York, Lexi and Joe from Sydney, the three boys from Alberta, and an Orange County in the pack. After we finished our beverages, we moved over to the bar, got our free shots and moved onto the beach. Eugine Oregon and I decided that it would be fun to go in the water so we ran into the freezing water in our skivvies. Not satisfied, we ran back to the hostel for towels and bathing suits and took a swim in the moonlight. Just like at summer camp, our clothing was stolen and towels moved, so we had to play nice with all of Canada to get them back. Unfortunately, one of my sandals was lost at sea.* I talked to one of the Canadians about music of the Canadian variety (Death From Above 1979) and ended up chilling out on the beach until 4am. Then it was time to go back to the hostel and keep everyone who had to be up at 6 for their ferries off Santorini company. Once they all left, I kept the 8am crowd of one company and watched the sky turn from black to pale blue.

I spent all day today at the beach getting some sun and reading, writing, and sketching. I’m glad I got stranded here for a couple extra days. Its funny to watch the new kids come in and then say goodbye to those who head out. Every day the old timers at the hostel change and the newbies carry on the social torch. This morning we lost Eugine to Athens and the boys from Alberta to Ios. I’m sad to see the North American presence decline, but without Alberta, we’ll have less hockey talk!

Tonight there’s a bonfire at the beach and tomorrow I’m going swimming in the hot springs. Then I’ll have one more morning here before heading out to Crete to see the Palace of Knossos.

Canadian word of the day:
toque (pronounced like the first part of toucan)
While it sounds like it would be something really interesting, its not. It’s just a beanie.



*but I found it buried in the sand today!

Perissa and Fira

After 2 days on Santorini, I’ve relocated from the uber-touristy Fira to Parissa. I’ve realized that my plans for this trip are very very different than those of Stephanie and her group, so I’ve broken off from the pack and am going it alone. Every day my planned time in Mykanos gets shorter and shorter. I subtract party time and replace it with exploring time. Ruins, ancient cities, beaches, national parks…

Greece is amazing, I just have to say that. Each day I find another reason to not go back to Spain. Yesterday’s reasons were the sunset in Oia (ee-ah) and the job offers to be a bartender or waitress over the summer because I can speak English. Today it’s the black sand beaches and the view from my hostel window.

I keep running into people I know or should know here. After a day of many a near-heart attacks (I just get so excited by the architecture!) I had the fun task of finding a place to stay. The hostel I was at the day before was filled up so full that the roof and all the couches were claimed. Stephanie’s friends were being moody brats and refused me their floor after Steph had offered it. So we went on the fun task of finding another hostel near their hotel. IN the end we ran into a bunch of guys from California who went to high school with one of the guys in SUPERB. So I joined them at their hostel for the night and caught my ferry out to Santorni in the morning. In Santorni I’ve run into a fellow Cal architecture student (Becca) as well as people in Carrie’s arch program in Denmark. Travelers are so friendly here, and I’ve met a bunch of really nice/interesting people doing things on my own. Last night I wandered Oia with two grad students studying in Madrid (we spoke Spanish the entire time). Today I ate at a café next to a mother and daughter from Virginia and traded travel tips with them. This afternoon some Australian boys told me which bar is the best to go to in Perissa.

But back to Santorni and Greece as a whole. The more time I spend here the more I can see why this was the start of Western Civilization, as we know it. These islands are so beautiful that it would be shocking if nothing came from them. I could just gawk and stare at the sea for days. I’ve never seen water so clear and blue. I’m so glad I brough my sketch book and travel watercolors.

And after I recharge my batteries here at the beach for a couple days, I’m onto Crete to explore the Palace of Knossos! Everything from arch170 is coming to life!

(greetings from Oia)

(Kalimera from Fira)

(mmmm gyros)

Following the herd down to Greece on Holiday

After getting myself semi stranded in the Athens International Airport; I’ve finally made it into my first destination for Semana Santa. The Athens Backpackers Hostel. I keep trying to speak Spanish to people- the people at the info booth (no help at all from those jerks), my cab driver in Paris (60 euros!!!), the stupid check in people in Madrid who almost made me miss my flight (well, it was good I spoke Spanish with them…) So far it’s been great and by it I mean the hostel. I walked in to find a half dozen drunken kids pretending to be reception. And because they slightly messed up our hostel reservation, I got a free shot at the hostel’s bar- Free Shot <3 Dan. When I went to retrieve said free shot, I ran into a fellow Cal kid currently studying in Grenada who was in my first Spanish class I took at Cal. We simultaneously exclaimed, “What are you doing here?!” salutations and then proceeded to discuss our experiences in Spain thus far. She’s got a few more than I as she’s been here since January. Free shot down the hatch and now I’m at the ol’ computer, as always. I might just crash here a second day instead of being a pikey and sleeping on Steph’s floor another night. It’s definitely the best hostel I’ve stayed at thus far- atmosphere wise. My hours spent in the airport frightened and alone seem like they were ages ago. Cheers to Greece and fun hostels! (They just played Boys and Girls- it’s my anthem for this trip!)

Denmark Brought the Sun to Madrid

when i have time, i'll upload my millions of photos, i've just been too busy recently!

I've been staying in Madrid quite a bit recently. I figured I needed to recharge my Madird batteries before leaving the city for 11 days. I spent the first half of the weekend sleeping in and enjoying the sun during the day and enjoying the night life once the sun went down. By first half of the weekend I mean Wednesday night, when we started our "weekend" clubbing. I went with the Brits and Colorado to a new club Zahrah knew of for a stoplight party (wear green if you're free, yellow if you don't want to be hit on, and red if you're taken. I wore white as to be nebulous and avoid sleezy guys.) I stayed at home Friday night after a long day of playing rounders* in the park, uno in the other park, and happy hour at TGI Friday's- our new afterschool haunt. I promised myself I'd avoid American chains, but for the sake of my pocketbook, I'll go for the half-priced drinks. There was a house party on Saturday night which was quite the dissapoinment for me.

But it was ok, becuase Carrie flew into Madrid Sunday afternoon!!!!

She and her friend Jeff from the DIS program joined me for a kebap picnic in the park and then I got to show them around the city. I took them to my favorite places adn got to show off Madrid. Maybe it was because the sun was out, but everything about Madrid seemed so much more amazing with them here. Their enthusiasm was contagious and I found myself gawking where I had once looked at the pavement and shuffled along with the masses as quickly as possible.

(DIS kids)

This morning, I woke up early to take Carrie to the bus station and I got to show off my language skills one last time. I was a bit sad to see Carrie leave today, it was just like being at home again. But at the same time, it was very different. It was just so surreal to have a fmailiar friend that I've known for more than 2 months here. But when I got home to my apartment and actually talked to my host family for the first time in a few days (I was so busy runnign around this past week) and then got a box of goodies from my real family, I felt at home. And because I'm a sentimental bastard, I turned up California by Joni Mitchell as I emptied the contents of the box onto the foot of my bed and took a nap under my open window in the sun before class.

I'd elaborate more on why the party was dissappointing and describe my terrible headache today that had me in tears on the metro today, but I'll leave the negatives for later- or never. Now I have to finish packing my bags and get a few hours sleep before my flight.

*rounders- english version of baseball where you only bat with one hand