Mike in Europe

Yesterday felt like one of those days in high school right before summer break starts when you´re technically in class but not really doing anything. Xavier Anguela successfully defended his thesis yesterday morning and received his PhD. We spent most of the day until the afternoon just hanging out in celebration, eating snacks and drinking some beers and cava. There were more seminars in the afternoon but I am currently very busy with last minute work so I did not attend. Otherwise I´m spending my time at work organizing all of the data and handing everything over to my supervisor. Today I will take a tour of our ¨dog house¨ and veterinary hospital simply for comparitive purposes in the morning and then continue finishing up all of the data. Last night we all went out for Xavier´s dinner. A total of about 40 people showed up at 10pm and we went for some beers afterwards. When all was said and done I got home around 3:30am. I´ve pretty much not slept this week but it´s my last one so I want to finish strong and then I can sleep back home. I walked down some streets at 3am and they were still FILLED with people in bars and everyone just hanging out. Most of all, I´m going to miss this social style of life.

Today after work we´ll go for a basketball game, something we´ve been trying to organize for a long time ever since I said that we have to since we play their game of soccer. Then I´m going to go home, shower, and pack my bags, something I haven´t even touched yet. At night we´ll go for good bye drinks at an absinthe bar, simply to end on a very memorable note. Hopefully we won´t be out too late and I´ll get some last sleep. Otherwise, that´s it for me. Tomorrow I´m leaving around 5:45am for the airport and catching an 8:20am flight that will get me to Frankfurt at 10:30am. Then a 12:55pm flight will get me to Philadelphia at 3:35pm local time. Hopefully all goes well and I should be at home and on my phone by 6.

Wow! Honestly, I cannot believe it´s over. I cannot believe I spent 9.5 weeks here. Some days were faster than others but it was one big blur. I was looking forward to this for over a year and now it´s almost like I was never actually here. Of course it´s not possible to see everything. Valencia, Bilbao, Zaragoza, Avila, and Segovia are amongst the cities I would still love to visit in Spain alone. However I saw BEYOND a lot, to the point that everyone at work thinks I´m insane. Also,  a lot of people, both here and there, are asking me if I want to return now. I can´t really answer that. It´s a bittersweet feeling that changes depending on the situation and my mood. On one hand, I absolutely loved Barcelona and the people here. It´s filled with stuff to do and you´re never bored. I also loved the lab, both scientifically and otherwise. The people here have been incredible to me. It really feels sad saying good bye. I feel like I´ve made real friends here. On the other hand, this trip has left me in an incredible financial hole and physically exhausted beyond words. I must also admit I miss my friends, family, and home. So I guess I´m ready to go back, although I will probably miss Barça too. I definitely plan on coming back. Aside from wanting to return here, I really want to see Italy. Maybe next summer but we will see. Будит день и будит пища (apologies ahead of time if I mispelled that).

Since this is my last post, I want to thank absolutely everyone for helping make this possible. Dr. Bosch, Edu, Federico, David, Ninoska, Virginia, every single person I met here, and my friends and family,  specifically. I can´t even imagine going into details as there were way too many people that made this possible. Another huge thanks to everyone that visited this site, either frequently or once in a blue moon. I appreciate it. Overall, I had an absolutely amazing time. So much has changed since I got off that plane about 9.5 weeks ago, scared as hell.  I´ve seen more than I ever imagined, learned more than I could ever explain, and had a better time than I EVER thought I would. There was so much more to this trip than the 4,000 facebook photos and 70 posts. Some of the best things aren´t in the pictures and some of the best experiences aren´t going to be talked about. I sincerely and seriously recommend that everyone considering studying/learning abroad do it. I guarentee you will learn a lot and have an amazing time. In the worst case scenario, it´s just a few months of your life. If anyone wants any advice about getting around, cheap transportation methods, etc. I´d love to help or find someone that can.

I´ve been thinking for a while on how to end my last post with a one summary sentence however nothing came to mind. This was simply too much for one sentence, even one post, and even one conversation. I guess if I were to try: I´ve had the most amazing time but there´s no place like home. See you all in Philadelphia. Over and out.

-Miguel

Monday after work Sasha and I met up and went directly to the airport via a cheap shuttle. The plane ride to Ibiza lasted about 50 minutes and it really felt like we just lifted off and immediately landed. Right away we took a taxi to Club Privilege. There is absolutely no way I could EVER explain how sickening and incredible Ibiza and Privilege were. I know I´ve said this before but there is simply NO way to explain the kind of party central it is. As we approached the club area, bright lights filled up the sky and tons of people were everywhere. Unfortunately, Privilege maintains a strict no-camera policy and I was forced to check mine in before entering. Security looked like they could literally, and I mean literally, lift me up with their pinkies and didn´t look like they wanted to play games so I wasn´t going to try anything. The club was two floors. We arrived at 12:30am and it was still unpacked enough that we were able to go the very front of the first floor. A DJ was opening for Tiesto and the beats were already hot. People crowded around on both floors with lights flashing everywhere. Center stage was a small ¨booth¨ above a pool for the DJ and his equipment.

Around 2:00am the club started getting bigger as platforms started sliding out from everywhere. Tiesto came out in front of a huge wall in the distance and we were able to rush fast enough to get to the very front. For the entire concert we were basically 15 feet away from Tiesto. Huge subwoofers blasted his music from both sides of the stage and the lights filled the huge, jam-packed room. I have never imagined a club that size. Rain came down from the ceiling in the middle of the club and the strobes from the very front reflected different images on the water drops, everything from tripping graphics to the words ¨Tiesto¨ and ¨Ibiza¨. As Tiesto played the hottest beats, everything from his old techno stuff to techno remixes of other genres, every other moment was a surprise. Sometimes things would fall from the ceiling. Other times cold fog would blast us in the face. Towards the end, the wall behind Tiesto proved to be a screen and a bunch of images and words started reflecting. The combination of the smoke and lights looked like something straight out of google. I was SUPER disappointed every minute that I did not have my camera.

I seriously recommend everyone parties at least once in Ibiza. I will definitely return. Another club that looked memorable is Amnesia. There are schedules of who plays where and when on the internet. Guetta is there every Friday, van Buuren every Tuesday, etc. It´s not cheap. Club entrances range from 35 euros to 80 euros. This one was 50. Drinks are also so expensive that pregaming is a must. Mixed drinks range from 15 to 20 euros per drink and a small bottle of water is 6 euros. However, the atmosphere is indescribable. If you party at one of the bigger clubs, the party goes on until about 6 or 7am. Then the afterclubs open up. The biggest is Space which opens at 6 or 7am and you can usually get in for free after 9am. The party here continues until about midday. Then you pass out at the beach.

Since we had a ferry to catch to Formentera, we stayed until about 5:30-6am. We danced nonstop for about 5 hours so at this point we were very tired. A quick taxi ride took us to the ferry and, as the sun rose overhead, we got to Formentera around 8am. Formentera really is a unhabited island. We should have spent time seaching for a paradise beach but since we were exhausted, we just settled for the first one we found. It was small and shallow but we were literally the only ones there. There was no life around which was relaxing at first but got quickly boring. We enjoyed the rest but there was no shade and no way to cover up. I got way darker and slightly burned my face but Sasha completely fried herself and is now in pain. We stayed at the beach until the 9pm ferry and then returned to Ibiza and flew back to Barcelona. When all was said and done, we got home at 3:00am and I spent literally 42 consecutive hours without sleep. Super exhausting but really worth it.

Again, I want to repeat how amazing Tiesto and Ibiza were. I highly recommend it. Very tiring and expensive, but worth it. I will definitely try to return again. Ibiza beach would be fun to visit if you want to continue the party. Formentera is definitely worth a visit if you want to rest on a nice beach with very little to no people. However, be prepared for very little life and shade and go when you´re not super tired.

Now I´m back to work and Sasha´s recovering at home. Today should be a slow day and she will leave first thing tomorrow morning. One of our colleagues, Xavier Anguela, will defend his thesis tomorrow and hopefully get his PhD. That´ll take care most of the day. The dinner/party is at night. Originally I wanted to do a goodbye dinner with all of the people I met here but since most of them will be at this dinner anyway, I felt there was no need. It should be fun as the whole lab is going but hopefully we´re not out super late. Then Friday I have a few specific work things planned and I will have to hand over my work to my supervisor. I will probably not go out Friday night and just spend the time packing and resting. I will update again before leaving; hope all is well on the other side of the ocean.

-Mike

I meant to update over the weekend and split this up into two posts but the keyboards in the hostel were very uncomfortable so I had to wait until I returned back to Barcelona.

Firstly, Lisbon is one hour behind Barcelona time which explains the flight time differences. I´m surprised I didn´t figure this out before. For some reason my alarm clock did not go off and we woke up half an hour late and had to take a taxi to the airport but it was a good way to wake yourself up. We were able to get Sasha a ticket at the last minute, to make a long story short, which was really nice. The flight there was perfectly smooth and I was able to even sleep for a little bit. Once we landed, we immediately took a bus to the hostel and dropped off our stuff. Lisbon is a huge city but the center is fairly concentrated. Our hostel was perfectly located. The two main plazas were blocks away and the water was a few blocks away as well. The workers seemed nice and just about every main site was nearby.

We spent the morning just walking around the city and seeing some of the main attractions in the center. The city was very nice and a lot more beautiful than I expected it to be. It´s also very mountanious and built right off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. We walked to the top of the highest hill and saw St. George´s Castle. It was nice and the view was spectacular. An earthquake shook Lisbon in 1755 and many of the famous churches and buildings have never been fully restored. On our way down we grabbed some lunch and checked out some more famous sites, including the Santa Justa elevator and other nearby churches. We returned to the hostel around 4pm and got some rest.

In the evening Sasha wanted to rest and I wanted to explore some more so we split up for a bit. I took a tram to a different part of the city and explored the Belem District. There I saw the Monastery of St. Jeronimo and various other monuments dedicated to Portugues sailors. The view of the water off the coast was especially nice. After walking around for a bit I returned to the hostel around 9pm. I intended on going to sleep a bit early and resting up but got convinced into going out. Everyone in the hostel was super friendly and I met people from Canada, Greece, New Zealand, Chile, and many other countries. The specifics of the night won´t be making it to here or facebook but it was super fun. We ended up in a club called Luke´s which was amazing. It was three stories of techno music, huge dance floors, and fun people. We ended up returning back to the hostel at 7am. Needless to say, I was pretty tired the next day.

I got to sleep in on Sunday and checked out at noon. Afterwards Sasha and I split up again and I explored the city some more. I took a two hour boat ride around Lisbon which showed me the city from the water. Afterwards I visited the more modern district of Portugal and ended the day with a visit to the Oceanarium, self-proclaimed the largest aquarium in the world with over 10,000 species. We then took a taxi back to the airport and flew home, again without problems. When all was said and done, we were back home at 1am tired but having really enjoyed Lisbon.

In summary, Lisbon was one hell of a city that I enjoyed considerably more than I expected. I liked the way it was built on the ocean and I thought every single street was nice looking. The people were really fun as well and the nightlife was fun, at least for that one night. I also enjoyed the weather. It´s really hot during the day but dry. Once the sun sets, there´s a nice breeze and no humidity. Portuguese is similar enough to Spanish that I can sometimes understand the general context if they speak slowly. That being said, everyone there speaks English and/or Spanish so it wasn´t a problem at all. I thought it was a bit dirtier than Barcelona. The streets are clearly not cleaned daily and there are a million old people walking up to you on every corner selling pot, in a non-subtle kind of way. The public transportation was also very different. There are only four metro lines with few interchanges and they only function in the center. If you want to go elsewhere, you have to take a tram. It´s a bit annoying but kind of cool to take a tram throughout the city on regular roads. The modern district is completely different from the touristy center, filled with tall, business buildings. I cannot compare this city to Madrid since I loved both of them and comparing one to the other wouldn´t be fair. I can say that although I feel like I have seen all of the main sites in Lisbon, I would have  gladly stayed longer or returned and see Sintra, Fatima, and Porto too. I think Portugal doesn´t get talked about as much as it should.

Now I´m at work. I can feel the tiredness but I´ll be able to sleep it off in Philadelphia. Less than five days left! Something is wrong with my charger so my camera doesn´t charge now. It´s a problem I´ll solve back home now. Hopefully we can use Sasha´s camera in Ibiza tonight and Formentera tomorrow. The Lisbon pictures (about 250) are on my computer but I won´t be able to upload them onto FB until Wednesday  at best. I probably won´t be able to update until then as well. I hope everyone had a good weekend!

-Mike

This has been a very good end to a week. Yesterday we went to Edu’s house which was absolutely fantastic. I can’t really describe in words how unique the house is. Imagine a house you rent in the Poconos…on steroids. It’s a lone house in the middle of the mountains. In the backyard there is a pool with the view of the Montserrat Mountain. About 30 people, mostly from work, showed up total and we swam until the sun set behind the mountain. The heat quickly fell so we grilled a bunch of BBQ food. As it got dark, you could see the lights of the small village below us. I was able to sneak in a few pictures so hopefully they came out well. The only problem is there were a lot of mosquitos but the itching will subside soon enough anyway.

Today was a typical work day and I finally received my check. I’m very happy and will head to the bank on Monday to figure out the best way to transfer it into my bank account. Otherwise, Sasha and I will go out for her birthday tonight somewhere in Port Vell but not stay out too late because we have an early plane tomorrow.

The idea is to spend the last weekend in Lisbon, Portugal. Initially, the idea was to take the train there but once I realized it’s a 700 mile ride without any direct connections, I decided it wouldn’t work. Financially, I should’ve probably just abandoned the idea but seeing the actual text on the homepage of this site, I decided to cut my losses and fly there. One other good thing about Europe is the presence of cheap transportation means. Hostels are cheaper than any hotel you find in the US and air companies like Vueling and Ryanair provide flights around Europe for dirt cheap. I will take a shuttle to the Barcelona airport for an 8am plane that should get me to Lisbon at 8:50am. I will spend the weekend there exploring with no currently definite itinerary in mind and spend the night in a hostel called Home that is supposed to be centrally located. On Sunday a 9:30pm plane will get me back to Barcelona at a quarter past midnight and I will go to work the next morning. I’m not sure why the flight there is so much longer than the flight back but I don’t think it really matters. It’ll be nice to see a third country on this trip. At this point, we plan on Sasha coming too but we’re still in the process of buying her tickets last minute.

Monday night after work we will go to Ibiza Island for a Tiesto concert. For everyone that does not know what Ibiza Island is, it’s basically the clubbing capital of the world. Tiesto spins at Club Privilege, which is supposed to be the largest club in the world with a capacity of 10,000, every Monday night. An 11:15pm plane will get us to the island at a quarter past midnight where we will party until the next morning. Originally the idea was to simply use my last day off to hit the beach there and rest but a few coworkers told me it’s too touristy, overcrowded, and Formentera is a better option. Formentera is a tiny island right next to Ibiza that has only 5,000 inhabitants and is supposed to be all white beaches that are nearly untouched. So, the next morning a 7:30am ferry will get us to Formentera at 8:00am and we will spend the entire day resting and tanning at the beach. We’ll take the last ferry back and a red eye plane home, getting back to Barcelona around 1am. This is already booked for the both of us. This will complete my amazing itinerary for the Barcelona stay.

Clearly it’s going to be a busy four days and taking into account that I might not have internet, I will update whenever I can. Should be really fun so full stories will come, sooner or later. Hope everyone has a good weekend!

-Mike