{{ weekend trip: Olite }}

Olite is a gorgeous small town about an hour away by bus from Pamplona. We visited this little town on a Saturday with some other students from school. It was the perfect weather for a little trip. While we had the entire day to visit this town, most of us got bored after 3 hours. It's that small...

The Palacio Real de Olite is a gothic style castle, a former residence of the Kings of Navarra. Our teacher had signed us up with a tour guide. I don't know what she was thinking because the tour guide was speaking only in Spanish. Forget me, she was speaking so fast that the more advanced students didn't even have a clue what she was saying.

we still had fun anyway...

aren't these beautiful?

I love the rustic colors...

So since it was Saturday and because we're in Spain, all the stores are closed after 12pm. (They really know how to live, don't they!) Maybe that's why we got too bored...

I dragged my brother to walk around with me. We came across a Spanish wedding, which I didn't have a chance to take any photos of. Shame on me. It was a beautiful event. It's amazing how much you learn and appreciate as an observer. The Spanish culture is everything a novel describes, is everything a painting portraits.

Then, we walked further... and further.. I think to a less touristy and more residential area. It was really interesting to see some of the more "local" scenes.

I've never seen anything like this on garage doors in Canada, but it's very common in Europe (at least in Spain and southern France).

I think it's pretty sweet...

{{ Rocking Out in Pamplona }}

Pamplona is the historical capital in Navarre, Spain. This little city gets a lot of tourists in July. Why? It is famous for its San Fermin festival from July 7 to 14. Its "running of the bulls" is one of the main attractions and had been made world-known in Hemingway's novel, The Sun Also Rises. (...it's on my booklist...)

Luckily and unluckily we weren't here in time for the festivals..Hooray for not crowding around with too many tourists and Boo for not seeing the bulls...

Statue of Ernest Hemingway outside of the bullring

This plaza is packed with people in white and red scarves (the traditional attire for San Fermin) during the festivals. Somebody fires a gun on the balcony of this building each year on July 7th to announce the start of the San Fermin festival.

This gated "parking lot" is where they keep the bulls the day before the "run". Each day, 12 bulls (6 tame and 6 wild) are "released" from this lot and they run along the designated route of 825 metres towards the bullring. The bull run or Encierro consists of participates who are sober and over the age of 18 running with the bulls. It's quite a dangerous activity where accidents do happen each year. This doesn't really stop many young men from participating the run though.

This used to be the only entrance into the fort...

Beautiful works...

I freaked out the first time I saw this. It's creepy no? Then I started to realize that they are everywhere...

Cathedral of Pamplona...

Technically Pamplona isn't one of the Basque countries; however, there is still a Basque population here. You can see their cultures in restaurants, in the streets and well, on the balconies.

Plaza de Castillo is where we spent most of our afternoons

I LOVE spanish food... The variety... the pinchos... the jamons....the pimientos....the fritos....the tortillas.......yum yum yum.....

{{ TPE - AMS - MAD }}

7.27.2011

Time to get on the plane. This is my first time flying KLM and to be totally honest, I was very very impressed. The service is better than all of the other airlines I've ever been on. The food is surprisingly delicious.

Flying from Taipei, we made a brief stop in Bangkok, and continued to Amsterdam. From there, I got the stamp entering EU in my passport (woot!) and transfered on another plane to Madrid, Spain.

This was my first time in Spain. I did not know a single word of Spanish, which is a little surprising for someone who's lived in Western Canada. Also, the Spanish really don't like to speak English. I'm not if it is because they don't know how or they just refuse to. There were some interesting moments when I did try to speak spanish from the phrasebook in my hand.

I stayed at a hostel (which is a lot nicer and cleaner than most hostels that I'm aware of in North America). The location was perfect. It was a block away from Plaza Mayor and a few from Puerta de Sol.

I absolutely love the street signs. These tile street signs are hung on the walls of the buildings. Aren't they adorable?

Palacio Real

Catedral de la Almudena

The plan of the cathedral is actually quite bizarre...

The later the night, the more lively it gets. Around 9pm is when people start coming out for dinner. Madrid is a very energetic city.

Madrid is quite cheap for food. This place has the best calamari sandwiches (bocadillos de calamares). I spent 2 euros for the sandwich and 1 euro for a beer. 1 EURO FOR BEER! I swear this is all I drank in Spain..

Of course they are also more pricy places as well, mostly for tourists. I was a tourist and after hours of walking around, all I wanted to do during the siesta hours ( ~ 2-5pm) is to have paella, drink sangria, and people-watch. That, is exactly what I did.

A trip to Spain is not the same without tasting the famous churros! Chocolateria San Gines is in every single travel book for Spain (at least the ones I've ever flipped through). Unlike the churros you can get in Canada that's covered with cinnamon and sugar, most people here like it plain with just icing sugar. Since I was at a chocolateria, I figured it'd be worth my dollars, i mean euros, to try their chocolate. The hot chocolate sauce you dip into with the churros is delectable. It's extremely rich and thick, in the best possible way.

Lots of scooters. Lots of vespas.

Why not? It's the perfect weather for it..

Told you Madrid was cheap...

I followed Minnie for awhile...

We spent two days in Madrid, Spain. I wished we were there for a couple of days more to visit the parks, the museums etc... but now it's time to take the Renfe and move on to our next destination.

{{ The river still flows }}

Hello!

It's been 3-days-till-7-months since my last blog post. Shame on me. I haven't been very good at updating my blog, but I assure you that a lot has happened. Not only did I quit my job, I had been traveling in Europe for 3 months. It had been an amazing experience and I plan to share this with photos. Soon. I promise.

In the mean time, I am now back in KHH and am going to take the next couple of months refurbishing my room/house.

Ciao for now.

{{ waiting for magic }}

Is it possible that there is no longer any means of knowing how you are?

I'm thinking about you

{{ 25 minutes }}

Time is a scary thing.. then again so is love.

It's scary because it's vulnerable, and uncontrollable.

It's scary because it's without logic, and without reason.

It's scary because its beginning and end comes without notice.

This must the phase that so many songs, poetry and stories are about.

This must be the feeling that so many artists express with passion in public spaces.

This must be the part of our lives where we learned the most about life itself,

and most of all, about ourselves.

{{ where's the coolness now? }}

I'm not afraid
Of anything in this world
There's nothing you can throw at me
That I haven't already heard
I'm just trying to find
A decent melody
A song that I can sing
In my own company

I never thought you were a fool
But darling, look at you. Ooh.
You gotta stand up straight, carry your own weight
'Cause tears are going nowhere baby

You've got to get yourself together
You've got stuck in a moment
And now you can't get out of it
Don't say that later will be better
Now you're stuck in a moment
And you can't get out of it


I will not forsake
The colors that you bring
The nights you filled with fireworks
They left you with nothing
I am still enchanted
By the light you brought to me
I listen through your ears
Through your eyes I can see

You are such a fool
To worry like you do.. Oh
I know it's tough
And you can never get enough
Of what you don't really need now
My, oh my

You've got to get yourself together
You've got stuck in a moment
And you can't get out of it
Oh love, look at you now
You've got yourself stuck in a moment
And you can't get out of it
Oh lord look at you now
You've got yourself stuck in a moment
And you cant get out of it

I was unconscious, half asleep
The water is warm 'til you discover how deep
I wasn't jumping, for me it was a fall
It's a long way down to nothing at all

You've got to get yourself together
You've got stuck in a moment
And you can't get out of it
Don't say that later will be better
Now you're stuck in a moment
And you can't get out of it

And if the night runs over
And if the day won't last
And if your way should falter
Along this stony pass

It's just a moment
This time will pas

{{ peace is what we need }}

Nothing quite says peace like the serenity of "white". My thoughts and prayers are with the people who have been affected by the tragedy that has happened in the past few days. Stand firm and stay grounded. It is time for the world to reunite and help those in need. It isn't a time to dig up history, but a time to lend out our hands.

The world is sick, but we need to keep living, keep understanding, keep discovering and keep searching for ways to make this world a better place.

photos via lilacandgrey

{{ Maybe one day we can go there }}

Recently I've been thinking about my life and how both amazing and ridiculous it can be. I'm in the process of learning to enjoy life more, not letting the little things get to me. At the end of the day, what's the use of wasting time on frowns and anxiety? Yes, we are only human and we can be emotionally unstable. Yes, we are only human and we can be selfish. The Stones said that "we can't always get what we want", but that doesn't mean we want others to have it either.

It's easy to think too much when you're alone and it's difficult to distract the minds from the thoughts. It's painful to learn the truth. It makes you feel hopelessly empty when he doesn't anymore have eyes only for you. The world is endless and full of possibilities that nobody can be certain of. Yet, when it's just the two of you, life can be so balanced, almost perfect. Why is that?