Madrid Tour 2009

Finally I got around to editing my Madrid Tour footage from last year, where I went to Madrid, Segovia, and Toledo. I wanted to make a multi-video series on my entire semester abroad, using this one as an introduction. Enjoy.

Best Tortilla. It's official.

I am pretty sure I already mentioned this, but in case I didn't: In my cooking class abroad, my group won best tortilla (egg omelette) in our competition. All three of us won aprons.

Well, I just came across this today (googling myself). It was published on the Gastronomic society's website!

http://www.gastronomica.com/index.php?id=81&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=393&tx_ttnews[backPid;_ylc=X3oDMTVndHBoZHUxBF9TAzIwMjMxNTI3MDIEYXBwaWQDc1k3Wlo2clYzNEhSZm5ZdGVmcmkzRUx4VG5makpERG5QOWVKV1NGSkJHcTJ1V1dFa0xVdm5IYnNBeUNyVkd5Y2REVElUX2tlBGNsaWVudANib3NzBHNlcnZpY2UDQk9TUwRzbGsDdGl0bGUEc3JjcHZpZAN1MEREbzJLSWNycWtmaUt6WGk2NkdhaWVXODV4ZzBzeEpoTUFCbVdp]=82&cHash=566c683e28;_ylc=X3oDMTVndHBoZHUxBF9TAzIwMjMxNTI3MDIEYXBwaWQDc1k3Wlo2clYzNEhSZm5ZdGVmcmkzRUx4VG5makpERG5QOWVKV1NGSkJHcTJ1V1dFa0xVdm5IYnNBeUNyVkd5Y2REVElUX2tlBGNsaWVudANib3NzBHNlcnZpY2UDQk9TUwRzbGsDdGl0bGUEc3JjcHZpZAN1MEREbzJLSWNycWtmaUt6WGk2NkdhaWVXODV4ZzBzeEpoTUFCbVdp


Sorry, that link is enormously long.

Anywho, it's in Spanish, and a little basque. And now that I am reading it, it is a bit insulting to the losers!

El Jurado encargado de valorar las tortillas de patatas del concurso de cocina, fue este año muy exigente e hizo remarcar que la tonica general ha sido en la presente edición algo más floja que la del año pasado. Algunos se olvidaron de la sal, sin duda preocupados por la hipertensión y algún otro, pensando que se le quedaba la ración un poco corta, añadió mas patatas a media cocción dandose la curiosidad que dependiendo de que lado probaras la tortilla, las patatas estaban más o menos hechas.

Empate a puntos entre la 2ª y 3ª clasificada y la ganadora fué la preparada por Cassi Gabiola, Alex Irelan y Melissa Weinmann. Zorionak.

Rough Translation:

Basically they say that some omelettes were too small, some lacked salt, some were undercooked (the potatoes were hard) and the jury had to bend the rules as to what makes the omelette perfect, since not everyone did the traditional recipe.

Then they say that Alex, Cassi and I won for first place (we were in one group). What it doesn't say is that ours was a chorizo, onion, garlic, and potato omelette and it was AWESOME.


Zoroniak means congratulations.


There are also pictures in the gallery to see.

I would like to know where our picture went of us and our aprons standing by the cooking class people. That would be awesome.

EDIT, Nov. 2011:
I found the photos from a study abroad friend on Facebook, Rosanne.
The above photo is Me, Cassi and Alex (in the blue aprons) surrounded by the gastronomic society (green ribbons) and our program director, Patricia (all black).

The above photo is myself and two other students (I am in the lighter jeans) with our certificates of completion for the course.

But I DID find what I was looking for!

When I was in Spain, I heard several times the song "I still haven't found what I'm looking for" by the band U2...only it was in Spanish.

I looked online a hundred times for this version of Bono singing Spanish to no avail.

Then I searched today, and found the exact translation of the title (TODAVIA NO ENCONTRE LO QUE ESTOY BUSCANDO) and alas! I found it on Youtube.

I first heard it on the busride to Barcelona, and I was humming along until I realized the lyrics were in Spanish. I really wanted that version.

Well, I thought it was U2 performing it on the bus radio, but it was actually a band called "Airbag" that covered it. But, it was a noisy bus and the instrumental aspect of the song sounded the same, so SUE me if I thought the following was performed by U2.





Ahh. I am SO glad I FINALLY FOUND THISSSS!

More International Music

When we were in the streets of Burgos, we came across this insane accordian and xylophone player.

I wish I had a longer clip, but my friends were embarrassed that I was taking video.

Random trivia: After I stopped the camera, there was an unrelated gunshot sound in the plaza that scared us all to death. It ended up being a firework.

Another random trivia tidbit: The same thing happened on our Madrid tour, with the whole fireworks/gunshot thing. Apparently Spaniards like setting them off in public places.

A few select pictures

Our school recently had a Study Abroad picture contest. There were four categories, which I cannot remember, and you could submit pictures to each one. There'd be a winner in each category and the prize was $50. You could only win one category at most.

So I compiled a ton of pictures from my study abroad experience, but I didn't enter the contest. Why? Because this semester is so unbelievably busy that it's ridiculous.

Here are some pictures I just love, some are repeats, but it's really the creme de la creme of the photos I have from my whole semester, which is a LOT.

A boy (or girl?) whistling to the tunes played during the parade on San Sebastian Day.

A child dressed as a leprechaun for the parade.

A group of girls in costume for the parade, banging barrels to the beat.

A young boy in a chef hat, blue and white (San Sebastian's colors) carrying a drum to play along with the La Tamborrada.

Overlooking the water in Lisboa, Portugal, from the castle entrance.

Raquel, Natalia and Ana sitting by the water in Barcelona.

Me and the lizard fountain in Parc Guell in Barcelona.

Cool rock archways in Parc Guell, Barcelona.

Weird Samurai man in Parc Guell, Barcelona. I watch him with a smile as he does some sword moves.

More kids from the parade from San Sebastian Day.

Entraince of Parc Guell, this man poses for pictures dressed as the famous lizard fountain.

Palm trees in a park in Barcelona

Obama's face...in a window of a sushi restaurant...in Barcelona...

Sleeping/laughing in the sun on the dock in Barcelona.

Raquel, Me and Ana in front of the water in Barcelona.

A view of Toledo, Spain as we drive towards it during the Madrid Tour.

The creek/river in Toledo as we drive over a bridge.

I just love how European I look right here, don't you? This is at Palacio Royal in Madrid.

View of Madrid as we drive from the airport to our hotel.

Raquel, Ana, Natalia and I scream as we are eaten by a shark in Barcelona

Fishies in the Aquarium in Lisboa, Portugal.

Interesting graffiti in Porto, Portugal.

Giant cider barrels in San Sebastian

View from the 2nd bridge with Ana, walking home one night from the bars.

Toledo? Ohio?! In Toledo, Spain.

Natalie, Me, May and Cassi in a garden in Sevilla.

The beautiful beach in Lagos (and the first time we saw great weather during spring break)

In the same garden as the previous group shot, in Sevilla, with May, Natalie, Mary Kate and myself.

View of Lisboa, Portugal from the castle rooftop.

Alex (or Mary Kate?), Natalie and Cassi in awe at Lisboa's aquarium.

Cassi, Becky, Megan and Annette walking in the fog on our 3 hour hike in Burgos.

I just love these pictures.

The pics from Toledo and Madrid are from the Madrid tour, the Barcelona pics are obviously from when we went to Barcelona over Valentine's day weekend, San Sebastian day was January 20th (some USAC students wore aprons for the celebration, but wrote "Obama" in big letters, too, as it was his inauguration that day), the Lagos, Sevilla, Porto and Lisboa pics are from Spring Break (Holy week) and Burgos pics are from the week after that, for our overnight trip with USAC.

EVEN MORE Videos!

Here are the rest of 'em!

Again, all are also viewable on youtube at youtube.com/missy8888

And may I remind you that sometimes the best part is at the end...so be sure to watch them all the way through.


Music at the Plaza de Espana in Sevilla:



Alex laughs for a LOOONG time. I don't even know why this happened, or how. Cameras capture the best moments.


May and Natalie comment on a fried, dead lizard they find on the streets of Sevilla.


Foodism: May explains her new religion: food. In Real Alcazar de Sevilla.


Labyrinth in Real Alcazar de Sevilla. Alex has the camera this time...


"Authentic" Flamenco in a Granada restaurant. There are quotes there b/c it's pretty touristy.


Go Johnny Go in Granada. El Mirador de San Nicolas in Granada, near our hostel, hosts some interesting people. Like hippies who play Chuck Berry.


Steel Drum in Barcelona. One of the many unique musicians encountered in Parc Guell in Barcelona.


In Parc Guell, these guys seemed to be playing all the hits of the 90s, including Champagne Supernova


At Parc Guell again, this time Fastball's Outta My Head


Lute Player in Parc Guell More music we came across in Barcelona


Si Fuera un chico in a durum restaurant in Barcelona: AKA Beyonce's "If I were a boy" but sang by her in SPANISH.


When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Especially if those lemons are crazy street dancers in Barcelona, and making lemonade means taping them. On Las Ramblas in Barcelona, we encounter this man, performing for no audience but himself.



Universong (name of the band) on the streets of Barcelona. We are walking around this maze of old streets when we turn a corner and find this. SO COOL.


On the plane back to Santander from Barcelona, there was a leaky ceiling. Natalia tries to tell the story, but when they re-enact it (hence Ana's weak "achoo" at the beginning), they can't handle themselves


Natalia asks the question that she knows everyone will ask her when she gets back from Barcelona...and she's prepared to know why.


Santander airport needs better decor.


Teleporter AND Hand Dryer! Ana being weird in the bus station in Santander.


Megan shows us around the Sagardo Eguna, or cider fest, in Irun.



New, Not necessarily Bad... Alex comments on art in the Catedral de Burgos.

More Videos!

Here's some more from my youtube!

In Sevilla, the hooded people walk the streets in a somber procession to begin Semana Santa (Holy Week: The week of Easter)


A bit of info: They apparently won't let you purchase alcohol after a certain time during Semana Santa (or maybe just every day), but Alex did a little Spanish convincing and paid the guy in cash and he let her have a 40 of beer. I don't know whether or not that money he took went into the register...we were hiding from the security camera of the store so his boss wouldn't know. Oh well!


More to come!