Jumping Right Back In

Gooligan and I have been home for a week now. And it's weird. But also not that weird. Which is, in itself, odd.

It took us about five days to get over the jetlag. But that didn't stop us from socializing! The first night after we got back, we met up with my friend, Amanda, who I have been friends with since elementary school.

We went downtown to see a cabaret show. Each of the people preforming did a great job designing and preforming their acts, especially considering that it was a debut show for many of them. I guess that's part of being an artist of any kind: the willingness to commit yourself to your work, and to get out there and preform no matter the outcome.

After the show, we went to the Hurricane Café, where we ordered nachos, hash-browns, and a milkshake.

Probably the single worst thing I've eaten since coming back to the States (nutrion-wise, anyway). But it was so delicious!

Then on Sunday, Gooligan and I went pumpkin-patching with her sister and her sister's delightfully silly kid. We went fairly last-minute, I suppose, on the Sunday before Halloween. Most of the pumpkins in the field looked more like vomit than pumpkins, actually. But after a substantial amount of walking around and peering at pumpkin carcasses we finally found two suitable pumpkins.

After we got home, Gooligan and I carved the pumpkins. I carved the Goblin King for her (my drawing skills, which are abhorrent, are still better than my carving skills, let me tell you). Gooligan complained that her pumpkin was also atrocious, but when I saw it my mouth fell open.

 
Incredible, right?! 

Anyway, the real reason we pumpkin-patch and carve pumpkins is for the seeds! Gooligan loves fresh pumpkin seeds. She roasts them in the oven and slathers all sorts of delicious seasonings on them and then we eat them for days.

Speaking of eating things, having a lot of free times on your hands and a well-stocked kitchen, leads to a lot of baking. And it's not even November yet. The holidays are going to hit hard.

Luckily, I've started running again. Sometime in the last couple of runs I passed the 200 mile mark without even realizing it! Take that, high school P.E. coaches!

So far I've made cinnamon pancakes with chocolate chips in them, pumpkin chocolate brownies, and chocolate-dipped peanut butter cookies. Oh, and lentil soup.

Lentil soup is one of my favorite things to make because it's a) delicious, b) you can make it with just about anything, c) it's super cheap, and d) it's really easily adjustable if you have people eating with you who can't eat certain things. Last night I made it with vegetable stock, onions, carrots, and green lentils. If you make some homemade bread to go with it, it's one of the best quick, easy, and affordable meals ever.

Well, I'd better hurry up and finish my homework. Packet four is due in a couple of days and Gooligan and I are going back up to Bellingham to visit some friends tonight. 

It feels really weird to me that I am almost done with grad school. After this packet, I just have one more, which is really just compiling everything into my final creative thesis. Then I have to give my reading and lecture at residency at the end of December and I'll be done with schooling for the first time since I was in preschool. It's so surreal to think about. But I feel like I have made some substantial breakthroughs as a writer and a critical thinker, and I'm eager to be able to apply the time I've spent on school toward other writerly pursuits soon. I'm sure I'll blog about my feelings concerning graduation and my reading/lecture more later!

Friday + {Day Thirty-Two: Mestre}

Today Gooligan and I decided to take the day off. Instead of going to Venice, we stayed on the mainland (Mestre). We slept in and then got up and walked to the grocery store to pick up supplies for lunch and dinner. After eating so much pasta and seafood and pizza, we have been craving other types of food a lot, so we tried to make some nachos for lunch, working with the meager and unsatisfying supplies at our disposal: namely chili beans and mozzarella cheese. Cheddar cheese does not exist in Italy. Personally, cheddar cheese is never my go-to cheese when I'm home, but I'll never take it for granted again.

Anyway, Gooligan made an amazing Italian-style nacho lunch. After we ate, we walked to the park, where we sat under the beautiful fall trees and in the sun. I read while Gooligan listened to Harry Potter. We're both reliving some fond childhood memories via the audiobooks during this trip. I know a lot of people who dismiss these books and frankly I can't fathom why. Obviously they mean a lot to Gooligan and me because we grew up as part of the Harry Potter generation but I think it transcends us, too; J. K. Rowling does an incredible job at capturing the complicated feelings of children and a lot of writers could stand to learn a thing or two from her since so many people oversimplify their characters who are children.

After we were done sitting in the park we went to a cafe and drank cappuccinos while Gooligan finished writing her postcards. Then we went home and I wrote for awhile. I started a new novel project, since I finished writing my previous novel. Obviously I have a lot of editing to do on my old novel (which I will start as soon as we're home, since the polished novel will be part of my creative thesis for grad school), but there's a huge difference between writing and editing. I love editing and finishing things, but I love the creativity and fresh energy that comes with first drafts, too. The possibilities and nerves and excitement.

But enough about that. We had salami and bread and mozzarella and cooked zucchini slices for dinner. Then we hung out in the living room with our hosts' dog (they were out for the evening) and watched a little television before crawling in bed. A slower day, but a nice break. I, for one, feel relatively refreshed for the last few days of our trip!

Monday + {Day Twenty-One: Rome}

After another focaccia run, we headed off to the train station to catch our train to Rome! Well, first we had to catch a train to La Spezia, the main train station near Cinque Terre. After we got there, we had about an hour and a half, so we went down the street for lunch.

The woman was very nice and I had meat ravioli—her favorite dish! Then we went back to the train station and caught our connection to Rome. About five minutes into our trip, this man sat down in the aisle of the train and stared at us in our compartment. We were very unnerved and after several bad looks/comments, Gooligan pulled the curtain shut. He immediately yanked it back open, after which Gooligan went out into the hall and yelled at him to leave us alone. We had to endure another half hour or so of him, but eventually he got off the train, and this nice couple from South Africa sat down next to us, and we had a really great conversation with them about our respective travels. It was so cool to hear about their life and one of the most relevant parts of our conversation, I think, was to hear how unstable their currency was. It put the issue of our currency dropping slightly during our trip in a larger perspective.

The takeaway of today, though, is definitely the fact that I am so grateful to know (and be traveling with) three very forceful, confident, strong women. So many men out there think they can get away with crude, oppressive behavior because they think that women won’t push back, but we will and we can.

After our experience on the train, we decided to get a taxi to our next Airbnb instead of the tram. It was a short trip and our host was waiting for us at the apartment. It's another apartment being leased, so we don't have a "host" living with us here either, but the apartment is lovely and within walking distance of a grocery store and a cheap bakery!

Gooligan cooked dinner for us (because she's amazing!) and we ate outside on our wonderful eight-stories-up balcony! A load of laundry later, and it's time to do a little FaceTiming of my parents and then bed!

Saturday + {Day Nineteen: Monterosso}

We took an early taxi to the train station today in time to catch our train to Cinque Terre! Cinque Terre is a group of five beautiful Italian coastal villages interconnected via the train, hiking paths, and a ferry. We stayed in Monterosso, the village best known for its sandy beach. The Airbnb we stayed at is run by a woman who works at a focaccia place; for breakfast, we received free focaccia and coffee or fresh-squeezed orange juice or hot chocolate.

We arrived in Cinque Terre around midday; by the time we found the focaccia place, got our keys, and dropped our stuff off, we were starving. We decided to head out to find something to eat, but ran into two problems: (1) absolutely nothing is open that early (it was maybe 5:30 or 5:45) and (2) it began to rain. By the time we reached “old town” (about .6 miles away) we were thoroughly soaked. Our clothes were plastered to our bodies.

Since nothing was open, we decided to stop in at a wine bar that served appetizers, too. We split some delicious bread—Gooligan and I ordered smoked swordfish which was amazing—and then about an hour later we moseyed over to an actual restaurant in “new town” (near where we were staying).

It’s interesting in Italy because all the restaurants have a sitting charge of around two euro but they all also stuff you with free bread at the beginning of the meal, so it balances out in a way. Aside from breakfast at the train station eons ago and our appetizers, we hadn’t eaten all day, so we stuffed ourselves on pasta.

Then after dinner we headed home, where I immediately fell asleep, only to wake up about an hour or two later with the worst stomachache. After a miserable night, I fell asleep early in the morning.

Friday + {Day Eighteen: Milan}

Since Sarah and Shannon wanted to see Venice, they took an early train to the city for the day. Gooligan and I considered taking a day trip ourselves. Richard had some tempting suggestions. But we decided to just walk around the city and see the sights.

Richard gave us a lot of amazing pointers. We ate at this bakery, then went and saw the castle--beautiful, but not as castle-y as we expected. Then we went to the aquarium. Then more walking and a fiasco where we couldn't figure out where to eat lunch. We eventually chose this place with a HUGE line. Food was fabulous! Stuffed pastries with ricotta and spinach.

After lunch we went back to the Duomo and sat in the pews and had a wonderful, long conversation.

Then since I absolutely had to get gelato we did! So good.

When we got back to Richard's, he was making a painting for his boyfriend. We sat and talked to him, had some wine, and helped him peel some vegetables for dinner. His boyfriend arrived just before dinner and we had a lovely chat with them. Several of their friends (mostly neighbors in the complex) stopped in and soon there was a great lively dinner party going on!

Unfortunately Shannon and Sarah's train was delayed coming back from Venice, so they were quite late to the party (literally), but they didn't miss all the festivities. A bunch more wine later, and we stopped in at another neighbor's for awhile, before we all headed home around two in the morning.

Not necessarily a lot to see in Milan, but the people we met were amazing, warm, and friendly, so I'm glad that we started our trip to Italy off on the right note.

Wednesday + {Day Sixteen: Barcelona}

After yesterday we were pretty beached out, so today we spent the day admiring some of Gaudi’s works and exploring the city. But first I spent the morning putting the finishing touches on my third packet of the semester for grad school.

Then, once everyone was ready, we stopped at La Rambla and the famous Farmers’ Market there. Gooligan and I got fresh juice (coconut/strawberry and mango respectively). It was delicious. As we wandered the stalls, sipping our drinks, everything looked so incredible. Gooligan and I ended up splitting a burrito and then later Gooligan, Sarah, and I went halvies on some Ibrico ham, the famous Spanish ham! It might’ve been better with something else—in salad or on a cheese sandwhich—but by itself it was potently overwhelming, especially on a blazingly hot day.

After the market we caught the metro to the super famous Gaudi cathedral still under construction, Sagrada Familia. We walked around it, seeing before the “finished” side and unfinished. The amount of detail and symbolism is awe-inspiring.

Next, we went to a house Gaudi had designed. Also absolutely gorgeous. I wish we’d had more time in Barcelona to explore more of Gaudi’s works, especially the insides. But alas, we were on a time crunch, so we headed back home. After we took a short siesta, Gooligan and I headed off for the cathedral down the street from our rental. Gorgeous! Gooligan and I toured the entire inside and even went up to the roof. It had cooled off by then and was wonderfully breezy.

Inside the middle of the cathedral was a courtyard with a fountain, pond, and swans! They came right up to the fence and honked at Gooligan.

After that church we took a break and got ice cream—coconut and some kind of chocolate candy—before heading off to another church. We sat inside this one for a long time, just taking in the grandness of the architecture. The amazing thing about churches like these is the mix of tourists and believers. It almost doesn’t matter if you’re a believer or not; the immensity of these churches is so intense that even if you don’t believe, there’s something magical about them.

Finally we headed home. On our way, we ran into Sarah and Shannon and joined them for dinner. Then it was home, shower, packing, and cleaning!

I forgot to mention: our host came by to fix our shower! He was actually really kind and helpful during our whole time in Barcelona! In addition, he brought us a new fan and also called a taxi for us since the one Shannon tried to schedule wanted to charge us seventy euro.

Thursday + {Day Ten: London}

Since we only had one day left in London, we decided to pack in as many of the classic attractions as we could. After another deliciously fat-saturated, protein-heavy breakfast, the four of us headed off boldly for a day full of go, go, going.

At the train station, the man at the ticket booth helpfully informed us that there’s an on-going deal if you buy a train ticket; as long as both you and another person have train tickets, then you can get into a lot of attractions under a two-for-one deal.

Knowing that was fantastic, since London is a pricey city. All-day travel cards (good for any trains in zones 1-6) + any buses are only 8.60 pounds each. Unfortunately, Gooligan and I somehow lost ours immediately, so we had to buy new ones.

The first thing we did when we arrived in London was go the National Gallery. We saw some impressive paintings, but we didn’t linger very long, since there were so many other things we wanted to do. My favorite exhibit was Michael Landy’s Saints Alive. It consisted of these huge interactive pieces of art. You pressed a button, cranked a handle, or stepped on a foot pedal at each statue and it would do something. Each of the statues represented a saint and how they were tortured. I love interactive art and it was a really unique kind of exhibit—and totally free!

After the museum, we decided to split into two groups and meet back in about five hours at Traflagar Square. Gooligan and I went across the River Thames and, after a quick stop by tickets to the London Eye, we stood in line for the London Dungeon.

The London Dungeon is described as “the ultimate thrill-filled journey through London’s murky past.” It’s a sixty-to-ninety minute tour led by actors in costume who discuss important people/events from London’s past. After descending into the dungeon, we started with a boat ride (Henry VIII sending traitors to the Tower), then we stopped at the “City Gate” where a servant who collected waste from the toilets talked to us. Next up was Guy Fawkes. Gooligan was given a letter by one of the actors to carry to the next scene. We met a torturer next, saw a plague house, a terrifying plague doctor who sprayed the audience with “blood” (just water, but it was dark and unexpected!). Then we went to Mrs. Lovett’s pie shop, met Sweeney Todd, were terrified by Jack the Ripper, learned about the gallows, were judged in a court room (Gooligan was found guilty for being an American) and “hanged.” The hanging consisted of one of those rides that go up and then drop you down suddenly. After we were on the ride, the floor folded away unexpectedly so the drop was a lot deeper than I expected and I screamed really loudly.

Overall, the London Dungeon was perfect. It was especially great because we saved almost 25 pounds by having the two-for-one pass.

After the Dungeon, we stopped to get a chili bowl and ate outside. It was a beautiful day; very clear and warm but there was a gentle breeze, too, so it wasn’t too hot.

When we were done eating, Gooligan and I walked over to the Globe Theatre. We were thinking about going on a tour, but as it turned out there was actually a show going on, so the tour was truncated. We decided to skip it (but took pictures of the beautiful outside!) and caught a bus to the Tower of London.

 

Originally we decided not to do the Tower of London because it was a lot of money and we weren’t sure if it was worth it, but with the two-for-one pass it worked out to be under 10 pounds each. Completely worth it. We saw some more dungeons and torture devices, the Crown Jewels, a lot of the really amazing scepters and swords used in ceremonies, and an exhibit about the Royal animals that were kept at the Tower of London until the attacks became too numerous and they were transferred to the newly built zoo instead.

After the Tower, we met back up with the whole group and went to the Eye. We timed it right and practically walked right on. One full rotation takes a half hour. It was beautiful to see the city from up high! We had planned to go to Big Ben, but we were all a little tired of running around by then and had to get up early for a taxi. The Eye provided us with an incredible view of Big Ben anyway.

We stopped for dinner at this perfect Italian restaurant. Buffalo was their specialty, but we didn’t get any. Instead, we had a delicious super-thin crust pizza and split a hazelnut donut for dessert.

As we walked back to the Underground, we saw a lot of cute shops. I wish we had more time in London, but we packed in as much as we could and had a great time!

Once we were back in Enfield, we stopped at the grocery store to buy some snacks and use up the rest of our pounds. Then we confirmed our cab, packed our bags, said goodbye to our lovely host Rita, signed her guestbook, and hit the hay for… three and a half hours of sleep!

Today was probably the best day yet!