So what do academic year students do over the holidays between semesters? Find out below.....
So I've just had one of the greatest days, incorporated with one of the greatest meals of my life. When Kayla and I woke up this morning in Monmartre Paris, we laid awake in our private room, in our orange hostel, and realized that today marks our “halfaversary.” Exactly four and one half months ago I flew away from Salt Lake City and exactly four and one half months from today, our Granada stay is over. To celebrate we ate a delicious lunch of brie and bread and red wine, and then spent the afternoon meandering about Paris in search of the perfectly brilliant dinner neither of us can really afford at this point, to celebrate. Sure enough, following the advice of my froggy brother, we went to a restaurant sans neon sign and charming inviter in the doorway, one where they looked like they not only didn't cater to us, but they likely didn't want us there at all. (Though I must say, the bad French reputation is as far as I’m concerned complete rubbish. Everyone, once I try my broken French on them, has been sweet as I could ever hope). So we had escargot, which was brilliant. I mean it's true that you could put enough basil and garlic and butter in anything (even snails) and it would be good. Kayla had halibut with a creme almond sauce and I had beef so rare and tender it practically fell apart on my plate just looking at it. We shared a bottle of good wine and for dessert we had split banana in dark chocolate. We strolled home on a cloud saying over and over "I can't believe this is our lives".
In brief; I spent a wonderful, homey Christmas in London. Though expensive, London was beautiful and fascinating, and the food was much better than I had anticipated and the people were so generous and kind. My favorite part was the mini universe I found inside the design of Shakespeare’s Globe. After that I met my Mom and David in Madrid, where we hung around for a couple of days before renting a car and driving South to Andalucia, so they could peer into my Graina life style. It was nice to see Spain and Granada with fresh, interested eyes. New Years Eve we piled with the masses into plaza Carmen and shoved a grape for every gong into our mouths at midnight. Mom and David retired early and I found myself trotting merrily home at about 9 the next day (It's the Spanish way! I’m telling you!) It was so lovely to see familiar faces. After a week of Granada with the rents we drove back to Madrid, where my new best friend showed me a great time and where I saw the awesome twisted darkness of Goya, and the shockingly futuristic Heronymous Bauche (not to mention, "the Maids of Honor").