Good news is, even on the third go around, I still absolutely adore the people, the food and the city. Bad news is, Spain's air traffic controllers decided to go on strike the Friday that everyone in this country was planning to fly out for vacay! WTF?!? I mean, great way to make their point but it meant that Kim and Dianne were unable to join me! It made for an extra night at Aurore's apartment (whose roommate was generous enough to lend me her bed) and a few nights booked last minute at a hostel. I actually really liked the neighborhood my hostel was in so it was absolutely fine with me!
1) I actually waited in the insanely long line outside of the Louvre primarily because I had to pee and it was the nearest bathroom. Don't worry, I wandered around one wing of the museum while I was there, said hey to Mona (as in Lisa), she's doing aight. Sick of all the tourists though. Seriously, she told me with her "mystic smile." "Do you smile to tempt a lover, Mona Lisa? Or is this your way to mend a broken heart?" If you don't know Seal's version of "Mona Lisa" you should obviously check it out on iTunes.
2) One of the nights I treated myself to a delicious meal that consisted of Duck Confit with garlic potatoes, red wine and chocolate mousse that was so thick it might as well have been called a big bowl of soft fudge! Delicious!
3) It is December. This means Christmas markets everywhere! This means easier access to crepes than normal and a plentiful amount of mulled wine (both of which can be seen in my hands on your right). So nice on a cold day!4) Finally got to see the catacombs! It's crazy how many people are essentially piled in there. The spiral staircases to get in and out almost killed me though. haha. So dizzying and my lungs almost exploded on the way back up. Sooooo many stairs!
5) I got to see Marie Curie's tomb and tell Aurore all about Dinosaurs at the special exhibit in the Natural History Museum. Science for the win!6) Ate some seriously delicious frozen pizza. Who knew it was possible?
7) Eiffel Tower in the snow! Need I say more?
Sure, there was more to my 6 day weekend but we'll leave it at these select few details for now. I only had one day of school this week so not much to update there...guess we'll have to move to this weekend!
Today, Bert, Jen and I went to a small market that a friend from home had told us about. I guess she's still on some e-mail lists from when she lived in Spain awhile ago so she forwarded one to us. It had some cool stuff. I got a natural chapstick that's housed inside of an acorn shell...so cool! Bert got a belt made entirely of bike wheel parts.
Afterward, it was our intention to head toward a rock and gem show (yes, that was my suggestion, thanks for checking). We went to the general neighborhood and then looked for a place to eat before going to the show. In the end, we ended up at a cider place. Drank some cider. Ate some delicious food. Then on our way out, some of the waiters invited us to join them for drinks on their break before the dinner rush. We decided "heck, why not?" and followed them to their local spot. After three rounds (none of which we paid for), they had to go back to work and we had to continue with our nerdy plan. Things went awry when we stumbled upon a Christmas market with tons of delicious food (much of which was being sampled). I ate what was literally the best doughnut of my life (and then proceeded to buy more for home). We also got some freakin' delicious cheeses, coffee creme tasty adult beverage, rosemary coated sausage, raspberry cheesecake, chocolate cream filled cupcakes, macaroons, and I think that's all. Man, soooo good!
By the time we were done buying out the market, it was too late to hit the rock and gem show so that'll have to wait 'til tomorrow. However, we made up for it by eating the delicious cheeses, making mulled wine and watching Love Actually (one of the best movies of all time).
Tomorrow we're going to the Renoir exhibit at the Prado with Imilce and a few of her friends. Great way to practice our Espanglish skills! After, I'll be in a rock and gem wonderland! At least I hope so... The Bellingham show is really lame, but Everett's is really awesome so I guess it totally depends on the place. Come on Madrid, don't fail me now!
Lastly, I need to edit my final paper for the semester. I also need to apply for next summer's courses. I really want to go to Namibia...but so does everyone else. Darn it! Guess we'll just have to wait and see where I get placed. If you're interested in science, inquiry based education or travel, you should probably check out the Master's program that I'm in. You've still got time to turn in an app to start this summer! http://www.projectdragonfly.org/gfp/index.php Click the "Earth Expeditions" link to see details on the possible locations for your summer class! Oh, did I mention that tuition is waved?!?!
I have decided that I really admire Sophia Bush (actress). Like, REALLY REALLY. She is doing some fantastic things with her life and for the rest of the world. Her last blog post begins with the following paragraph, "It's no secret to any of you who pay attention to what I'm up to that I am incredibly passionate about the environment. Sometimes my 'green tweets' are overwhelming, I know. But I cannot suppress my passion for the earth. And neither should you. We live here! And we've got to take care of this place. After all, it's a pretty amazing planet." She's totally not kidding! For some really neat Christmas gift ideas that help support others in need, check the rest of her post at http://www.sophiabush.com/blog/
Sophia and her boyfriend (also an actor), Austin Nichols, have just run a marathon to raise money for the oil spill in the gulf. Not only that, they have also put together a compilation CD to help with clean up as well. If you like indie music or just like supporting your planet, check the album out on iTunes (http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/gasoline-rainbows/id403806086). Since there are no CDs being produced (all sales are digital) 100% of the sales are going to an organization called Global Green, which gives this money straight to the community. Some of the bigger companies use a huge percentage of their donations to pay for things like salaries and electric bills, but not Global Green. The media has moved on but the BP oil spill is still a serious issue for the animals and people living near the gulf. 
If you're interested in giving straight donations or seeing a video of Sophia and Austin's visit to the gulf, you can do so at http://www.crowdrise.com/globalgreengulfreliefsophia/fundraiser/rachelrowland. If you are a music Grinch and you happen to hate donating money without receiving something in return, perhaps you should check out their t-shirt design at Veritas. $15 will be donated to their cause for each shirt purchased. Check it out: http://www.liveveritas.com/products/Servo_Aequora-185-2.htmlNot to sound needy and too do-goody, but the Belize Zoo, a non-profit where I spent quite a bit of time during my class in Belize this past summer, has been struck by a hurricane. Thankfully no animals or people were seriously injured but the enclosures have been essentially destroyed. Check their website for before and after photos (or to make a sweet donation! *hint hint*) at http://belizezoo.org/ Pictured below is my dear friend Junior Buddy. He does tricks! Cats don't so much do tricks so he's pretty bad ass!
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