GAUDI AND TAPAS

    We were excited to see hot Spanish guys and eat our fill of tapas when we got to Barcelona and boy we were not disappointed at either! First we had to check into our hip hostel we had booked through Hostelbookers.com though.

   The Generator hostels are some of the best hostels to stay in if you are traveling with a large group or trying to travel on the cheap. We had an amazing time at this huge artsy fartsy hostel in Barcelona. Hip bar that stayed open til 2am, a restaurant with great food, and places to kick back around every corner. I highly recommend them for anyone traveling overseas. 

   Just walking the quant little streets of Spain, picking up some gelato and people watching is an enjoyable experience believe me. Everyone in Spain was dress so hip, as if they had stepped out of a magazine. Makes you want to go shopping for a new wardrobe. We picked up a new scarf while we where there to blend in a bit.

   Barcelona is famous for several buildings built by Gaudi, a famous architect from Spain. He created buildings as Gothic art located around the city of Barcelona. He's work is beautiful to see in person. Nothing in the world looks like what he designed here. His work is a must see while you are visiting. 

     This Gaudi building was located not far from were we stayed. This part of Barcelona is called the "Gothic" area of the city. 

       You'll find something wonderful around every corner while you are here, a quant little cafe, a square full of people feeding pigeons, boutique shopping stores, amazing architectural buildings, and maybe even an erotic museum. 

     A beautiful little square we find while walking Barcelona, Spain. Weather was nice and warm.....no jacket required today! 

    Sometimes you really should ask before you order something on the menu in a foreign country, and this was one of those times. The cute little quail eggs on potatoes looked tasty, but what was on top of that was interesting. We got to taste some BRAIN with this French tapa that we ordered. Interesting taste and texture to say the least. Not my favorite thing to eat! 

       Spain has some of the best cappuccino around and we drank our fair share of it while we were here. Gets you through a long day of exploring and can be found at every cafe, street vendor, and restraurant. Yummy for for tummy! 

  

     Barcelona has a nice marina and some beautiful beaches to go for a stroll after you have had a nice cup of cappuccino or a nice glass of vino. Spend a day just relaxing by the water is what a vacation is all about. Make sure to learn to take it easy like the Europeans do, because after all you are on vacation. 

     We had one sunny, beautiful day here in Barcelona and we took full advantage of it. Listened to some music being played by local musicians,  while taking a stroll by the water......Nothing better! 

    I have falling in love with cheese and fresh cut Jam'on! 

      Yes you know we found it and concurred it......The Erotic Museum of Barcelona! Interesting find while walking around town and you just have to go in a take a peek. 

      We got whipped into shape at the Erotic museum.......Whip it, whip it good! 

     Gustov Klimt, one of my favorite painters of all times. This was a replica, but was a pretty good one because I asked our guide if it was the original one. I guess it would be kinda weird it being in an Erotic museum huh? 

    I am in love with TAPAS! I think we should all serve tapas as dinner, with of course some nice wine. Being served smaller portions of different things, really let's you try out all kinds of different dishes. We got to eat some tasty dishes while we sipped on delicious Spainish wine. Definently one of my favorite things we did while visiting here. 

   What's not to love about a tapa bar?!?!? They are pretty much everywhere you go and you just want to sample a little bit of everything. 

     It's a must to try the traditional dish of Spain.....Paella! They serve it many different ways here. How can you go wrong with saffron rice, you just can't. 

    This church is another creation of Gaudi, but was being repaired while we were here. I was told the repairs will be taking place for many years to come, so don't exspect it to be finished anytime soon. Still a beautiful piece of artwork that you must not miss out on seeing. Gaudi was truly a genius! 

Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família (1852-1926)

      Overall Barcelona was an amazing place to see on our Europe Trippin. With great wine, great food like tapas and Italian pasta, amazing Gothic buildings, beautiful beaches, and the well dress beautiful people everywhere you go. I will be back for some more soon! 

MARRAKECH EXPRESS

 

Marrakesh is the most important of Morocco's four large cities. It's located close to the Sahara Desert where you can ride camels and stay overnight in a Berber tent. It also has a large shopping square located in Old Medina area.

    

   If you come to Marrakech, staying in a Riad in Medina is a must. We found this one that is family owned and run by a wonderful Moroccan family. Check their website out at www.riadzinoun.com to book a beautiful Moroccan style room. Rooms go for around $50-60 a night here. 

   

     Moroccan food is filled with a large part of Mediterranean food influences. Their countries bread is called khoubz and is served at every meal. You will find olives are added to many Moroccan dishes. One of the local dishes served everywhere you go is Taijin, made with either chicken or beef. Not sure what kind of beef, because we didn't really see any dogs. I know horse meat is very popular in foriegn countries. But you eat and don't ask or think about it.

   This dish is the Morrocan salad served before your meal, along with khoubz bread. Very light and tasty with a drizzle of olive oil added. Perfect start to a great dinner.

    

     We got different impressions about the people of Morocco. Some can be very aggressive towards you when they are trying to get you to buy something from them. The market places are the worst to be harassed. But when you realize these people only make around .60 cents a day, you begin to understand that this is what they have to do to survive here. We did meet many friendly Moroccans on our trip here. I think knowing a little about the culture is important in understanding the people here. 

    Moroccan mint tea is served at every meal and is offered to you as a friendly gester here. In fact it is considered rude if you do not except tea that is offered to you by the locals. 

    There is no denying it, the buildings here are amazing. With perfect details  added to every aspect of the palaces and Mosques. Great pride was taking in building these great houses for the kings of Morocco to live in. I loved photographing this beautiful palace we went to that is located in Old Medina.

    Old Medina is where the action really happens. From snake charmers, restaurants, huge market square with hundreds of stores to shop in, beautiful Riads to stay in and great people watching as you sip on some Moroccan mint tea. Everything you want to see is located here in this maze of tunnels and dark alleys. 

      The Souk market of Medina is the Meca of Marrakech. This place is built on tourism and would not survive without it. These people depend on visitors coming here to spend their money to get a taste of Morocco.

   

    You will find real leather bags, colorful shoes, Moroccan dresses, jasmine oil, and Taijin pottery around every corner here in the Souk market. Bring your wallet and a big bag to carry all the amazing stuff you will want to take home.  

    While your shopping, make sure to charm a few snakes along the way, or they will try and charm you. Make sure to bring your wallet with you too, nothing is free here in Morocco! 

    It's very cliche, but riding a camel in the desert is a must while you are here. They are not that comfortable and some camels aren't that happy to have you on their backs, but it's an experience you shouldn't miss out on.

    In the end we will have to say we had a great time here in this exotic place. Next time we will know what to expect and not be overly shocked culture wise. Infact we would love to return to see more of Marrakech. Anyone up for a Moroccan shopping spree? 

I SEE LONDON!

    The first part of our trip in London has been an amazing experience. We have seen and done so much. We have been able to hit all the major highlights in just four days. I don't know about you, but I'm impressed! Here's a look at what we did here in this beautiful English country of Whales. 

   First thing was first, we went to the Queens Palace like any tourist would do. (We wanted to have the Queen invite us in for tea.) It was cold and raining the whole time we were there, but that is London for you. We still had a great time riding the double decker buses, eating fish and chips, and hanging out at a few local pubs. 

    Buckingham Palace on a cold and raining night. Really looks beautiful at night when it's all lite up.   

    Having some afternoon tea with the Queen. We wish.....right! I hear Harry is still single girls! 

     Just a great way to experience the food of the Brits.....Fish and chips is a must have. You can find it in any pub here in London.

    London Bridge in all it's glory painted in bright blue, red, and turquoise.

             

   Big Ben looks best when the sun is shining (which I don't think is often here) and we were lucky enough  see it shining for a brief moment.

    Got to see the amazing Westminster Abbey while we were here too. WOW, this is just better to see in person. Pictures just don't do it justice. England is full of history and architecture. Something to see around every corner. 

   We had to stop and visit the local police and chat it up. Probably the friendlies police you'll ever meet.

     I'll have to say, I have always loved London and this trip I was actually able to see all of it. There is just too much to take in with just one visit. You really must stay a week to experience all that London has to offer. We are already talking about our return trip we are planning for next year. We can't wait to come back. Maybe the Queen will see us then? 

I HEAR LONDON CALLING

   And we are off finally on our trip around Europe, backpacks and all. My pack only weighed 27 pounds. I really thought it weighed a lot more then that seeing it was not easy to carry on my back. I'm sucking it up and going to carry that thing with pride. 

    Seeing my friend Carla will arrive almost two hours earlier then me, we have decided to meet at the baggage claim area. Then we will be off to find our hostel that was once an insane asylum. I really can pick em! We'll see what goes bump in the night while we are there. 

Stay tuned for our adventures in Europe while we travel around for the next 31 days. 

THE MUST SEE LIST ON A TRIP AROUND EUROPE

     In less then two weeks I take off to travel around Europe for 31 days with a few other travel nurses. I really want to get the most out of this trip by seeing some of the best of what each country has to offer. Here is the top things on my list of must does for each of our destinations. This girl is ready for a trip of a lifetime!

       

      When you come to London why not go on the famous Jack The Ripper walking tour. For $14 you get to tour the dark alley's of London and hear the history of how Jack The Ripper became one of the most notorious serial killers of all time. I think we will have a killer time on the tour. Don't you think? 

     

      What to see in my favorite city.......Paris, the city of love! Sacré-Cœur is by far the best thing to see besides The Louve. I could sit on the steps for hours having a nice picnic of cheese and wine. The last time I visited I found this amazing perfume I fell in love with. I am hope to find it again on this trip of ours. Nothing like wearing French perfume to make you feel beautiful. Better yet, wearing it while having a picnic on the grass of Sacre Coeur. I might just find a French lover that way! One can dream can't they? 

      What else would you think of doing in the desert of Morocco? Go for a camel ride of course. Which is exactly what we are going to be doing. I heard they can be mean and spit at you, so I am going to make sure I make friends with my camel before I mount him. After all I don't really want to be spit on by a camel. Being spit on by a crazy patient in the emergency room is bad enough. Hey, I'm on vacation and I don't want anything to remind me of work. 

       

      What is a Tapa? In Barcelona most of the younger crowds go to what are called tapa bars. As you order drinks from the bar, you are also served Tapas, which are small appetizers that are either free or cost you a small fee. So instead of going out and having dinner at a restraurant, you just go to a tapa bar instead for drinks and to get full on delicious appetizers. You can bet I am going to eat my fill on tapas while in Spain. Nothing like cute finger foods to go with some tasty red wine. 

         Yes I'm obsessed with the movie "Eat Pray Love", so I naturally want to visit the catacombs located under the city of Rome like Julia Roberts did and eat tons of pasta while I drink a lot of red wine.....HELLO, your in Italy you know! The catacombs date back to the 2nd century and is were the Christians buried their dead due to overcrowding and the shortage of land. Something very eerie about walking underground with thousands of century old skeletons. But when in Rome, you have to just go do it!  

      

      With us staying 5 days in Athens, Greece, I thought why not do a little island hoping. Besides Crete, this is the island I am dying to go see. The famous Santorini is known for it's whitewashed cube-shaped houses with blue rooftops, the lapis lazuli sea, and beautiful sunsets. This ancient island is like no other Greece island because it endured one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history. To get to the island you can fly from Athens, which takes 30 minutes, or ferry it over on a 4 hour boat ride. The island also has it's own winery that you can taste test Greek wine while watching the beautiful sunset go down on this mystical town. That is what dreams are made of my friends! 

        Okay, so it won't be Octoberfest when we go to Munich, Germany, but that won't stop us from having a good old German beer. And what better place to go have an authentic German beer then the beer gardens. Beer gardens are still very popular in Germany. The Hirschgarten is a restaurant in Munich that is noted for its beer garden, which is possibly the largest in the world. So when in Rome....I mean when in Germany, drink LOTS of beer. You can bet we will!!! 

     NYC will be our meet up point to wind down after our trip to Europe. Really one of my favorite places to visit in the United States. I believe you either love New York or you hate it. I'm a huge Sex and The City fan, so of course I LOVE it!! And when your here a visit to Central Park is a must. It really is just so big I haven't had the chance to see everything in the park. On this trip I have got to see the bronze statue of Alice In Wonderland. My favorite childhood story! New York is just a magical place for me. Not sure how much rest we will actually get while we are there, because there is just so much to do in this amazing city.  

FALLING IN LOVE ON THE ROAD

      Being on the road and trying to find a lasting relationship, is one of the hardest things to accomplish for a travel nurse. I've had my share of heartaches while being out on the road and it is one of the hardest things to go through. With no family or friends around to go to when your relationship falls apart, living in a strange town not knowing anyone that your close to, and being so far away from home, it can make it seem like the world is falling apart around you. With this last heart break of mine, which has hit me hard, I wonder if it's even worth it anymore. Should I just forget about ever finding someone while on the road? Should I settle down back home in order to have more luck and make it easier to date again? Is love even worth it anymore? Not sure if I even want to try my hand at it again to be honest. This last relationship had me wanting to settle down and try to make a normal life with someone, because at the end of the day we all want to find that person to share our future with.

Fortunately though, I am a romantic at heart and I believe one day it will be my time. I have to believe there is someone out there wanting a funny, outgoing, outdoorsy, self sufficient, blonde adventurer like me. It's just not the right time for me right now. So yes, I still believe in love and I believe you can have a relationship while being a travel nurse. I see couples everyday happy with each other and happy traveling all over the country together. I know it can be done, but is it for everyone? Of course not! So if I find that special person to settle down with who loves adventure and to travel like I do, then that is great. I am one of the lucky ones! But if I find someone who wants me to plant my roots in one spot and who deems worthy of me doing so, I will for the sake of love. Now all I can do is wait to see what the universe has in store for me. For now I will continue to travel nurse and hope that love finds me again. 

A TRIP GONE WRONG? HOW TO AVOID IT!

    In 31 days we take off for 31 days to explore Europe, with a pit stop to Morocco. With our backpacks picked out and all the little gadgets we will need for our trip, we are ready to take this exciting journey. I mean what can go wrong? I know things can happen and planes can be missed or delayed. Heck, we already had a flight change without even knowing it. Good thing I was checking all our flights before we left.  The last time I flew to Europe I missed my connecting flight and had to sleep at the JFK airport overnight in NYC. That trip had disaster after disaster happening the whole way until I finally made it home. I want to make sure we don't have a repeat of that nightmare.

   Having a hassle free trip will let you focus on enjoying your vacation. A few weeks before you leave, make sure you have checked all of these things off your list. 

1. Reconfirm Flights: always check your flights a month before you depart on your trip. Your flight can apparently change not only the times, but a whole day without your knowledge. 

2. Copies: Always keep a photo copy of your passport, credit cards your traveling with, hotel confirmations, and flight numbers. 

3.   Give yourself TIME: Always give yourself time to get to the airport or train station. Having to sleep overnight at an airport is not fun. Having to wait for hours to catch another Euro rail train isn't that great either. Show up at least 2 hours ahead of time to get to your next destination. 

4. First Aid Kit: Make sure you pack your Airbourne, aspirin, Ibuprophen, band aids, neosporin, Pepto Bismol, and Zantac. You never know when you'll need to medicate yourself while traveling overseas. Having to go out in unfamiliar territory to find medication can be a hassle. 

5. Travel Insurance: Before leaving on a long trip, make sure you have travelers insurance. If something was to happen while traveling abroad, you health insurance at home will not cover you. Having coverage if you need an emergency evacuation back to the U. S. can save you thousands of dollars.