Last and Final Trip: ITALIA

Hi all,
This blog will most definitely be one of the hardest to write, as I was in Italy for a week, and visited so many historic and beautiful cities. The excursion started out pretty rough, as we had to be up at 4 AM on Thursday morning, and slept a total of ZERO hours due to some girls partying and laughing in our apartment. This was not easy, as travelling with no sleep is extremely difficult, and sleep is not easy to come by when you are travelling. We got to the airport on time, and realized that we were on the same flight as 2 of our girlfriends in our program, and would be in Rome and Florence on the same nights. We arrived in Rome and went straight to our friend Lindsay's apartment, who we go to Cal Poly with, as we were staying with her. After we put our stuff in the apartment, we reunited with Nicole and Kelly, and another friend named Taylor who studies in Rome. Taylor was awesome and took us around Rome, which made it possible to see as much as we did.
We started the day visiting the Colosseum, which was great to see, and very historical. We walked around the surrounding of the Colosseum, and refreshed are memories about the history behind the historic monument, which I will not get into via the blog. We then ate our first Italian meal, and a family owned restaurant nearby the Colosseum. Absolutely incredible pasta sampler, which was 4 different types of pasta, and of course, red wine. The meal was so amazing, and so fun. Although we were enjoying our meal, we needed to visit many more sites. We then went on a turbo mission around Rome, visiting sites such as the The Pantheon, the roman ruins, and Piazza novana. These sites were all very beautiful and amazing to see, and I would love to show you pictures of each and everyone of them.
After this long day of exploring Rome and all of its historical monuments, we needed a quick nap before heading out for a long night. We decided to pick up pizzas near Lindsay's house, which was a great midnight snack to come home to. The nightlife in other European cities does not compare to the nightlife in Barcelona, but is also a great change. We went to 2 different bars, one called Sloppy Sam's, and the other called Scholars. Scholars was a great Irish bar, in which we spent both nights there, singing and enjoying a live band as well as great music played by a DJ. Nate and I, were lucky enough to be accompanied by 2 young ladies, so the night was even that much more enjoyable. HAHAHAHA.
The next day, Friday, was one of my most favorite days of my experiences abroad thus far. We woke up in the morning, and met up with our friend Nicole (Kegley) who studies in Barcelona. One of the best purchases/investments we made throughout our trip was booking a private tour of the Vatican, in which a lady walked us around the museum and the Sisteen Chapel. For a total of 3 1/2 hours, we had an amazing and funny tour guide who talked through a headset, in which we all had sets as well. This was so funny, as the tour guides code name was Alpha, I was Beta, Nicole was Zeta, and Nate was Foxtrot. We made the tour of such a historical monument not only memorable, but a great time as well. After spending about 4 hours in the Vatican and the Sisteen chapel, we decided to treat our self to lunch, and Vino Tinto (Red Wine in Spanish.)
Unfortunately, the afternoon was altered as the weather drastically changed, and it began to pour outside. My friends and I made the most of the situation, and decided to watch movies and cuddle on the floor of Taylor's apartment, very funny pictures. For dinner, we went to Alfredo's restaurant, which is where Alfredo sauce was created. Very expensive meal for just Alfredo Pasta, but very authentic and an experience in itself. After dinner we went back to Scholar's bar for some drinks and company, but did not stay out late as we departed early in the morning.
Saturday morning, we departed at 7 AM for Florence. Florence was such a small but amazing city, in which I will definitely return and visit again. We stayed at one of the nicest hostels yet, with a pool and sauna, and great/new/clean facilities. After we checked into our hostel, we started on our excursions of Florence, as we only had 1 day. Following Nate's lead, we were able to visit many of the historic and artistic museums and cathedral's, and were also able to visit The David. NOTE TO ALL: DO not take a picture of the David. Of course, I did, and was nearly thrown out of the museum. I just played dumb, and said I did not speak English, Italian, or Spanish, so they did not do anything. Very funny. We ate a delicious lunch in Florence, and conversed with a few locals, which is always fun. After such a long and productive afternoon of walking around, we were in need of a Siesta (Nap in Spanish.) After our nap, we met up with our friend Nicole again, who was staying at the same hostel. We then went to one of the best restaurants I have ever been too, with the most delicious Italian food. All of us ordered starters, pastas, and one of the most amazing meat dishes I have ever tasted, which was covered in a Balsamic cream sauce. Absolutely amazing. One thing I will really miss about the European culture and my experiences abroad is the amount of time spent during meals, drinking wine, sharing stories, and just having a great time. It was one of my most favorite meals, and the name of the restaurant is Acqua 2. If your ever in Florence, you must pay that establishment a visit. At around 1 AM, we were forced to leave the restaurant due to the amount of public affection being exhibited by the couple sitting next to us, Europeans are not afraid to show their compassion and feelings in front of others....
Sunday, was by far one of the most memorable days of the entire European trip. With the help of my cousin Jana, who previously studied abroad in Barcelona, and a few other friends, I was recommended to visit a town in Italy by the name of Cinque Terre, which means Five Villages. This was absolutely one of the most beautiful places I have ever experienced, along with Fiji and Interlaken, Switzerland. The five villages are all coastal, and there is a 6 hour hike along the coastal mountain side in which takes you to all the villages. The villages are all extremely small, and not very touristic, and have the most breathtaking views ever. Throughout the coastal mountainside hike, Nate and I came across several obstacles: A rock slide that happened earlier that day (not very comforting), tons of mud, lots of fallen trees, and a lack of sleep/energy. Putting all obstacles aside, it was so nice to spend the whole day with such beautiful surrounding, stopping and taking in the views and reflecting on our experiences thus far. What an amazing day. After the 6 hour hike, which we had to finish in pure darkness (not smart), Nate and I returned to our "different hostel." When we arrived, the hostel owner said he would be there in 20 minutes, and made us stay in an apartment. Of course we get there, and there is absolutely no toilet paper, so we have to use a be day, very interesting..... yet European. So many funny pictures, and beautiful ones of our hike, so please be sure to ask me about them. Nate and I were extremely tired, so after a quick dinner we went to bed around 9PM and froze are butts of, with no heating in the abandon apartment building.
Monday morning, was not one of the smoothest days abroad. Thus far, our trip was flawless, but this day was full of mishaps, or as we like to say "TOUGH PILLS." We had to wake up around 6 AM in order to leave Cinque Terre on a 5 hour journey to Venice. However, our train to Venice including 2 stopovers, in which both of our trains were delayed, and we did not make it to Venice until 3 PM, with great weather. Unfortunately, in Europe, it is almost pure darkness by 5PM, which meant we were not going to have much of a day in Venice. Then, the mishaps would not stop, although turned out to be a great/hilarious story. Our original hotel, was damaged to the recent serious flooding, so our hotel was switched, which took us over an hour to find. To our dismay, our new hotel, was called Romeo and Juliet. Immediately upon hearing the name, I warned Nate and let him know I felt it was going to be an interesting experience. And that it was. Of course, Nate and I were placed in a very exclusive and elite couples only hotel, and were placed in one of the only 6 rooms in the hotel. Each room was designed in a different way, and ours was the mirror room, as mirrors surrounding the king sized bed, and were above the bed and in the shower.
This was absolutely hilarious, and depressing. We made the most of the afternoon, enjoying the only nice weather we would experience for the rest of our trip. We ate dinner at a very Venetian restaurant, which is not the Italian food we are used to. However, the local-ness of the restaurant was great, and we then headed back to our hotel. This was tough, as we were kept up by our fellow suitemates, who were expressing their love/compassion for one another. However, we made the most of the experience and just laughed it out.
On Tuesday, our final full day in Italy, we were blessed with incredibly foggy weather, in which 5 feet visibility was pushing it. We decided that we would take boats, the only mode of transportation in Venice as it is completely surrounded by water, to some of the surrounding islands. First, we visited Murano, where Venetian glass is created/made. This was extremely interesting and a great place to purchase gifts for the family. We were also able to witness an exhibition in which they were making glass right in front of us. We then visited another island, which was amazing, called Burano. This is the picturesque Italy, with the very closely connected colored houses. I have some great pictures of us in Burano. We then ate an Italian lunch, and enjoyed the company of an odd group of locals, who are have never travelled off the small island.
Tuesday night was odd, as we were kind of lonely. Venice is a great city, very surreal as it is completely surrounded by water, and you must take a boat anywhere. However, I would say that it was the most romantic city I visited, and not easy to be travelling with one guy friend, although I love him dearly. However, we ate dinner and crashed early, as this marked the end of journey, for good...
Wednesday we woke up early, toured around Venice, visited Saint Marks' square and the cathedral, and were able to witness the flooding. Although catastrophic, it was amazing to see, and I felt sorry for the shop owners. Venice was the most surreal city of the trip, but definitely not my favorite.
I arrived back in Barcelona on Wednesday night, and went straight into work mode, as Thursday marked one of the biggest academic projects of the semester. Although I did not dedicate as much time to the project as I normally would, we scored a 95%, the highest grade in the class. For the project, my partner Bryan Barth, who is my roommate and I, were consultants regarding investments in China. I learned a lot about the country of China, as well as important information regard foreign direct investments, which I really enjoy. Since Thursday, I have been living up my last weekend in Barcelona.
I have had the BEST TIME ever, and have extreme mixed feelings about coming home, but cannot wait to see my family and friends who I have missed throughout the last several months. This trip has been so life changing: Academically, Personally, and so full of fun. I was talking to one of my roommates last night before we went out to a club, and really reflected on my last several months. As much as I have travelled, partied, drank, ate, and such... I have learned a lot. Not only academically and through some of my classes, but about myself and who I am. Sorry for the long blog, I will update the last and final blog on Thursday night after my finals, which I am not too worried about. I believe I will end up with 3 A's and one B+, which is great, and keeps my GPA where I want it. Love everyone.
-B

Back in Barcelona

Hey everyone,
I have gotten some e-mails wondering where the latest blog post about Italy is. Well, believe it or not, I just got home very late last night, as we extended our trip. It was by far the best/most amazing trip throughout Italy, but I do not have the time to post the blog right now. In a few hours, I have one of the biggest presentations of the quarters, in which I will be talking in front of group of 40 people, about potential investments in China. My roommate Brian Barth and I have been preparing this project for several months, and I hope it goes well. I will be sure to update you all later tonight about Italy as well as my feeling on our presentation.
B

Thanksgiving Week In Barcelona

Hey everyone,
Cannot believe I am writing this, and have less than 3 weeks less untill arrive back in Los Angeles. Surreal, with both negative and positive emotions. I am actually up early than ever in Barcelona, as I am trying to work on my final International Business project before I leave for Italia. As for my week/weekend in Barcelona, it was filled with both some academics, and a lot of time spending with friends and enjoying the company of the many amazing/cool people I have met abroad.
I spent the beginning of my week recovering from my long weekend in Paris, and began really preparing for one of my biggest assignments all quarter for my Comparitive Economics course. The project was on Corporate Social Responsibility, exploring its positive and negative consequences and implications. I was extremely impressed with the way the project turned out, and was told by several of my classmates that they enjoyed my presentation. However, this instructor is extremely critical and foreign, and I was unsure whether or not he enjoyed it after his comments. However, after class, he commented on my thorough research and told me that I did a great job, so that was a nice Thanksgiving gift.
Believe it or not, I have not been homesick once since leaving on the first of September. Thursday was definately weird, but I did not feel homesick at all. Of course I missed my family, but my roommates and I made the most of this once in a lifetime Thanksgiving in Barcelona, and decided to cook an eloborate meal at Aribau, which is the name of our flat. The roommates and I went to Corte Ingles, which is the one and only department store in Barcelona, which has everything, including a full service grocery store. We purchased a turkey, and goods in order to prepare stuffing and mashed potatos. Our meal, although our cooking space was limited, turned out fantastic, and was awesome to sit around our kitchen table and reminice about the last several months. I will have to say, I will seriously miss living with such a great group of guys, and always having the BEST TIME EVER.
The rest of the weekend was pretty mellow, except for Thursday night. After our Thanksgiving meal, we went to the most exclusive nightclub in Barcelona, on the house. One of my friends, has been on a few dates with the owners son, so we were able to sit VIP and drink for free at Sutton nightclub, which is unreal. I will definately share some stories with those interested. Friday, Jim, Clark, and I, showed a visitor many of the touristic spots around Barcelona, and then decided to take the night to relax, and went to our first movie in Barcelona, James Bond: Quantam of Solace. It was SO nice to be able to sit in a movie theater with popcorn and soda, and just relax. I cannot even tell you. This trip has been a trip of a lifetime, but the LEAST bit relaxing. Not complaining at all though.
Saturday, a few of the roommates and I went on a pub crawl, which was great because we were able to visit many of the historic bars around the city, and party with many people. I did not get out of hand, as we were meeting Jim's parents in the city, which was awesome. I will definately show you some pictures of the pub crawl, as my name was Pablo and you MUST see my outfit. Very funny. That night we went to a very unusual restaurant, which is based from the country Senegal, which is in Africa (Akon's hometown). This was very cool, and the atmosphere was unreal. So cool to explore local spots, when they are nice to you(not always.)
The weeks go by faster and faster, and the days seem to be 2 hours long. I need to focus on my China Project, in which I must talk to a group of 45 students as if they are potential investors in the Chinese economy, and give them a full picture of why/why not to invest, and which are the emerging and profitable markets/opportunities. Academically, I have been exposed to many different learning/educational tactics, which has been one of the highlights of my experience. Although much easier and less workload than Cal Poly, the perspectives from International professors has been unique, and I will forever remember some of the information and knowledge I have been exposed to.
Its already Tuesday, and I leave Thursday for Italia. I will be gone for a total of 6 days, which is my longest trip. I was supposed to end my Italy trip with one night in Venice, but they are experiencing one of the biggest floods in history (Check it out on the Internet,) so i think I am going to have to alter my trip. I will provide a long update upon my return. Untill then, have an awesome week/weekend and you are all in my thoughts. I hope each and everyone of you had an awesome Thanksgiving. See you in a couple of weeks(hopefully.)
-B

Adventures in Paris

Hey everyone,
Hope all is well! Cannot believe I will be back in the States in less than a month. I can honestly say that these past few months have flown by, and I will forever remember the amount of great memories and amazing destinations I have been able to visit. My trip to Paris, France, was amazing, and Paris was definitely one of my favorite cities I have visited throughout Europe. The trip started interestingly, as I arrived in the Paris airport in search for my friend David, who studies in Copenhagen, Denmark. We decided to meet at the train line, inside the airport, once we arrived (on separate planes.) As I strolled through the airport terminal in route to the RER B train line, to get to the city center, I heard David screaming my name and demanding me to hurry. Without hesitation, we sprinted through hundreds of people in the airport, in hopes to get on the last train of the evening. Thankfully we made it, but only within seconds, as the doors were closing as we boarded the train. It was great to reunite with David, and this was the start of our adventures in Paris.
Once we reached our "hotel", by the name of Hotel Du Commerce, we reunited with our other traveling partner Nate. We dropped our stuff in the "hotel" room, and headed out for our first meal and beers in the city of Paris. I will explain the reason for the word "hotel" to be in quotations towards the end of the blog, as it was an unreal and horrifying experience, yet funny. Back to Thursday night, we all walked throughout the Latin quarter, in which our hotel was located, and found a restaurant by the name "Le Pont" which turned out to be one of our most favorite meals. We found a restaurant, in which overlooked the historical Notre Dame Cathedral, and was completely packed at 12:30 AM. We dined and drank beers, while conversing amongst each other and talking about our past few months. After a couple of hours, we decided to hit the hay, as we had a big couple of days ahead of us.
On Friday, we awoke around 9AM and decided to purchase a ticket for a double Decker tour bus, in hopes of saving time and being able to reach the touristic destinations quickly. Although the bus was helpful and we were able to use it for 2 days, it was not "great." The bus was in horrible shape, and took hours to get to stops, and was not "efficient." However, Europe in general is not as efficient as the United States, and we were able to freeze our butts off on the top level. Our first stop and destination on Friday was to the world famous museum, called The Louvre. I am not much of an art critic, but the design of the entire museum, which is enormous, and the quality of art work inside was amazing. I was able to see the Original Mona Lisa, as well as several other well known works. The entrance to the museum was one of the highlights, as it is a steel and glass pyramid, be sure to ask to see the pictures.
After spending several hours at the Louvre, we decided to jump back on our tour bus and head to the Opera Garnier, which is in the 9Th district. This Opera house was fantastic, and we were able to spend a few hours walking around the upscale district in which surrounds this historical monument. We then made a big mistake, and decided to eat a restaurant by the name of the "American Dream," in hopes of getting a little taste of American food. This was an extremely poor decision, as the food was almost inedible, the french fries tasted as though they were from 3 weeks prior, and the milkshakes were.... JUST MILK! However, it was a "funny" and costly experience, but nonetheless an experience to remember.
Later in the afternoon, we made our way to the Arc de Triomphe, which is an unbelievable monument, in which we were able to climb over 200 stairs and reach the top. This was unreal, as we were able to see the entire city, as the sunset. The views of the Eiffel Tower and the entire city were beautiful, although the wind and below O degree Celsius weather was not comfortable. I forgot too add that the entire weekend was filled with below 0 degree weather, which is approximately 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Not too easy, but pretty fun to be able to dress warmly, and wear layers, something I rarely have to do. After this full day, we decided to head back to Hotel Du Commerce, and take a quick nap.
Where to start with Hotel Du Commerce... Well lets just say that it was possibly the worst establishment I have ever stayed in, and we later found out that it is a hotel with ZERO stars. Although located in a prime location, it is not easy to stay in a hotel in which has stains on the sheets, trash in the room, bugs in the corners of the rooms, and last but not least... a shower with a mind of its own. At any point, the water would be burning, or freezing... which i guess kept all of us on our toes. Whatever you do, don't ever stay at the Hotel Du Commerce.
Back to happy memories, Friday night we watched the Eiffel Tower spectacular, in which sparkles every hour on the hour. This is fabulous to see, and even more spectacular as the entire tower is lit up blue, with the stars representing the European Union. Because France is the President of the European Union at the present time, the Eiffel Tower is especially lit up, and I cannot stress how amazing it looks in person. After an amazing French/Italian dinner, we attempted to go to one of the Posh nightclubs by the name of "Showtime," but we were rejected because we were American Males. Not a great feeling to be judged and discriminated, but we were able to have a great night and get into another club.
Saturday was another filled day with one of the most exciting activities I have done while being abroad. After waiting in line for almost an hour and a half, we headed to the TOP of the Eiffel Tower, which is approximately 1,063 feet high. This was an unbelievably amazing view, although it was below freezing. It was awesome to be on the top of such a historical and famous structure. After our adventure to the top of the Tower, we explored the local farmers market, and spent the rest of the afternoon visiting several of the other monuments and historical destinations within Paris. Saturday night, we ate at a French restaurant, and attempted to get into another nightclub, by the name of Duplex. For some reason, the giant black french men who are the bouncers of the nightclubs do not like American men at all, and we went O/2 on our posh nightclub experiences. However, we were again able to have a great evening, and drink at a local bar.
Sunday, our last day in Paris, was freezing. It was again, 0 Degrees Celsius and snowed in the city for the first time this season. It was awesome to be out in the middle of Paris, and it snowing in the street. We purchased souvenirs, and walked around the extremely trendy main road of Paris. However, after several hours, it was too cold and time to head back to get on the RER line B train back to the airport, which was yet again a "interesting" experience.
All three of us were so tired, that we passed out as soon as we got on the train, and woke up to the train closing its doors on David and Nate's stop in the airport. Luckily, they were able to get there bags and exit the horrible smelling train in time, and I exited on the next stop. Overall, it was an amazing weekend and I enjoyed Paris very much. I definitely want to return sometime in the near future, and NOT stay at the Hotel Du Commerce.
As for this week in Barcelona, I have to start working on 2 presentations I have coming up. This coming weekend I will be in Barcelona, and will be visiting Tarrogona on Friday as an excursion with the program. Hope everyone has a wonderful week, and a very happy thanksgiving! Not sure what my plan is for Thanksgiving, but I do know I will definitely be missing home that day, and would love to hear from you guys. Love everyone.
-Brandon

Interlaken, Switzerland

Where to begin after such an exciting weekend in Interlaken, Switzerland. First and foremost, it was definately one of the most amazing places I have yet to visit, and had an amazing balance of relaxation combined with excitement. The only negative thing about my weekend in Interlaken, was getting there. Interlaken is a small town located in Switzerland, and is nestled very just below the Swiss alps, and surrounded by two of the most amazing blue water rivers I have ever seen.
On Friday morning, my roommate/best friend Nate and I left Barcelona very early in the morning, flying into Milan, Italy. Because of Interlaken's odd location, it is only accesible by train, so we had to take a 3 hour train from Milan, Italy. However, in order to get to the train station in Milan from the airport, we had to take a 1 hour bus ride, which led us to miss our train. This was extremely frusterating and annoying for both of us, but we had to embrace it and luckily could catch another train in 2 hours. We took this time to eat our first Italian meal, which was unreal. I cannot wait to spend 6 days in Italy in the beginning of December, and let you all know about our experiences there.
After a 10 hour day of travelling, we finally arrived in Interlaken, and headed straight to our hostel which is named Balmer's. This hostel is commonly known as the best place to stay in Interlaken, and for great reasons. It is the only "happening" bar in Interlaken, and has a great vibe throughout the entire hostel. On Friday night, we met up with our 2 friends, David and Alex, who study in Denmark, Copenhagen, and indulged in a great French meal. After our meal and great conversations, we headed back to Balmer's hostel to change and get ready for the night. We decided to take it "somewhat" easy, and just have a few beers. Believe it or not, I ran into a family friend from Kindergarten in the hostel bar who is studying in Rome, and will end up staying with her in Italy.
Saturday was a day never to forget. We awoke fairly early (10AM) to a beautiful day, and booked our Paraglyding adventures. This was fantastic, as we ran down a steep hill and off a cliff, and enjoy about 20 minutes of hangglyding over one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. The views were breathtaking, with the combinations of the snowy mountains, the remainder of the fall colors in the greenery, and the gorgeous blue clear lakes surrounding the town. Again, I will be sure to post pictures on the website, and show you when I get home. After Paraglyding, we decided to rent scooters, which are basically slower motorcycles, and explore the town and surrounding towns of Interlaken. This was a great experience, however not the safest of decisions. We were actually driving on the main windy roads of a town, but I made it back in 1 piece(barely.) Saturday night was mellow, we ate at an Italian restaurant, and hung out at the hostel playing card games. However, we were almost forced to leave the hostel as we were too loud, but it all worked out. We ended up hanging out with people we met at the hostel, and meeting new friends. It was an awesome change of nightlife than Barcelona, and definately more low key.
Now to Sunday, one of the best days of the trip thus far, and possibly of my entire life. I decided to part ways with my friends, and go on a solo excursion to Yungfrau, the highest point in Europe, which is completely snow filled and contains glaciers upon glaciers. In order to reach Yungfrau, I had to take a 2 1/2 hour train ride EACH WAY, which was not easy to do by myself. However, upon arrival I knew it was the best decision. I have never experienced such beautiful scenic views, and felt so peaceful. I can honestly say that it was the first time in which I was able to reflect on my journies abroad thus far, and of my life. PLEASE be sure to ask me to see the pictures of my adventures to Yungfrau, and it was one of the most meaningful/special moments of the trip, and I would love to show you the scenic views. Also, it was the first alone time I have had since living abroad, and GOD did it feel good.
Sunday night, we ate our one and only traditional Swiss meal, which consisted of cheese fondue. I can say that it was not one of my favorite meals, but we HAD to try it. Sunday night, Nate, Alex, and I, spent the entire night drinking beers and sharing stories and experiences thus far, and it was great to relive some of the best moments of my lives. Monday morning was spent spending lots of money on gifts for my family/friends, and then off to our 10 hour journey back to Barcelona.
Tonight, Tuesday, was our final soccer game, in which we lost 4-3. Our team, LOS MARTILLOS, came in second place. It was great being able to compete in a sport in which is so important to the culture here in Spain, and all of Europe. Believe it or not, this week is extremely short here in Barcelona, as I head to Paris, France on Thursday night for the weekend. I am really excited to travel to Paris, as I will meet up with several friends I have met throughout my travels and hear in Barcelona. I will be sure to write another update after my weekend.
On a scholastic note, I am doing FANTASTIC in school here, which is surprising due to the minimal effort I have had to put forth thus far. However, I am always an active participator in class, and my teachers know that I put the work in when needed.
Proud of Arianna for passing her driving test, wish I could be there with her. Miss everyone. See you all, or most of you, in almost a month.
-B

Obama and Sevilla!

Hey all,
What an exciting week to miss as an American! Although watching the polls abroad in Barcelona was a once in a lifetime experience, it was definately not as exciting as it would have been in the United States! I guess I should say congradulations to everyone, as this should be an interesting and exciting point in history. I picked up one of the most important suvioneers possible on Tuesday, the front page of the local newspaper in which has a full picture of Martin Luther King Jr. and states, "Ya no es un sueno" which translates to "Now it is no longer a dream." Republican or Democrat, that is an awesome quote and something I will forever remember. Barcelona, and Europe as a whole, are very excited about Obama becoming President, as their current views of American's are not very high. This has actually been my number one complain and issue with living abroad in Europe, is the amount of tension and animosity Europeans have and deliberatly show to Americans. More stories will be told upon my return.
On another note, I just returned home from a great trip to Sevilla, which is located in the South of Spain. Another wonderful destination, and it is so amazing to me that I have been able to experience such wonderful destinations. This trip was planned by CEA, which is the study abroad program, so of course they booked us on 2 over night trians, one departing Barcelona to Sevilla on Thursday night, and the other won leaving Sevilla for Barcelona Saturday night. Let me start with the negatives, overnight trains are not fun. The rooms are so incredibly small and uncomfortable, but at least I got to have a room full of my roommates. I feel very stiff and uncomfortable now, and have just layed in bed all day upon my return.
When we arrived to Sevilla on Saturday morning, we ate a long anticapted breakfast and then embarked on a 3 hour walking tour around the city, and saw many local and historical destinations. I took some wonderful pictures of the Churchs and castles, and learned about the many historical cases in which took part in Sevilla. The town is much more slow paced than Barcelona, and I found that the people were a lot more openminded and nice (for the most part.) Later in the afternoon, we ate a Spanish restaurant and ordered Tapas (small bite size food) and Sangria( fruit wine.) This was really nice, as we were able to get a little snack in while taking in the atmosphere, and hanging out with cool people.
Saturday night was interesting, as Sevilla's nightlife was pretty dead. We all partied with other group members in the hotel, and tried to go to another bar but it was not much of a nightlife. We ended up back at the hotel around 3AM, which is the usual time you go out in Barcelona. However, it was nice to just hang out with people and not have to worry about being at a large discoteque, which limits conversation for obvious resons. Sunday was awesome, as we spent the ENTIRE day walking around the narrow streets, and seeing the rest of Sevilla. The waterways, are unreal, and reminded me of what I should see in Venice. We spent the afternoon watching the sunset over the lake, and took many breathtaking pictures. We then jumped on our 2nd overnight train, and arrived back in Barcelona today.
Tomorrow, Monday, is our championship soccer game. Our team, Los Martillos, has lost 1 game, and the other team is undeafeated. We lost to them in the beginning of the season, so it should be a really competitive and fun game. Lets hope for the best outcome. I will be sure to let everyone know who wins. Lastly, in regards to my academics, I have been doing incredibly well and exceeded on all of my midterms. I promise to continue the good hard work, and will update my blog soon. Love everyone.
Brandon
P.S. My best friend, Joey, who you all know, broke his arm while studying in South Africa. Please keep him in your thoughts, in hopes for a speedy and painless recovery(if thats possible.)

WOW

Hey Everyone,
I cannot believe how fast time is flying by. Its unreal, i cant count the weekends untill I depart Barcelona. Really weird/sad to think about. Anyways, I just got home from a final soccer match, and we are ranked number 2 in the league. Next monday night, we will play in the final game, so I will be sure to let all of you know the results. Go Martillos.
So last week ended after all of the midterms, in which I did excellent on. I received A's on all of my midterms, which always makes me feel good. I am glad that I am able to balance such an amazing city with all of the travelling, and maintain my academic work. As for the weekend, I don't even know where to begin. Lets just say it was full of the Barcelona nightlife, which is known as one of the best cities in the world. Thursday night we started off eating/drinking beers at our favorite Irish Pub, Flahertys. I then met up with Lindsay, my friend from Cal Poly who visited me from Rome, and one of her friends Megan. We went for a traditional spanish dinner, which is not my favoite. It was so nice to see Lindsay, and I cant wait to stay at her apartment in Rome.
Thursday night was unreal, we went to one of the nearby clubs called Otto Zutz. I can't wait to show everyone pictures of the nightclubs and discoteques, so big and beautiful. Friday, I spent the day hanging out with my friend Nicole Kegley and her parents, who are visiting from the US. They have been so nice to me, taking me out to several meals and drinks, and it makes me feel like I am somewhat closer to home. I definately wish that my parents could make it out here, but we will have to travel to Europe another time. Friday night, which was the night of Halloween, was amazing. I dressed up as a Peruvian Drug Lord, and had a full beard with shaved designs in it. It was definately an odd costume, and I will be sure to post pictures on the website soon. We went to one of the more famous nightclubs, Sutton, and the place was an absolute blast.
Saturday, Nov 1st, was Arianna's birthday. I really missed her this day, but was with her celebrating in spirit. I spent the day touring out with friends visiting, and then decided to stay in and relax on Saturday night. I definately needed a rest, although it is never fun to sit home in my apartment when I am in Europe. Sunday, I spent the entire day sleeping and watching TV, which most of you know is extremely rare for me. Sunday night I went out with my roommates Max and Nathan to a mexican restaurant, and then to a bar for Karoke and to watch American Football. I also ended up singing Karoke with some girls, TLC "No Scrubs."
Today was the start of the week, and we won our soccer game. This week I have to work on some projects, but it is much more relaxed than the past week. The next few weeks are packed with traveling. I am headed to Sevilla this coming weekend with my program, so I am really looking forward to travelling to another important and beautiful city in Spain. I promise to update in a week, and let you know how the weekend went.
Miss everyone, Happy BDAY ARI, and your all in my thoughts.
-B

Long week/weekend in Barcelona

Hey everyone,
Sorry about the delayed blog post, I have been extremely busy in Barcelona. After Amsterdam, I have spent the entire week in Barcelona. It was really nice to relax (somewhat) after such a crazy weekend in Amsterdam. On Monday we night, we lost our first soccer game, so our record is now 2-1. Go Martillos!During the week, I went to school and spent afternoons with friends: eating, drinking, socializing, and exploring the city. Thursday night, my roommates and I went out to a club called Otto Zutz, which turned was a very fun night except for waking up at 7:30 AM the following morning.
On Friday, our program took us on a full day excursion to Girona, which is a city located about 1 hour in bus from Barcelona, and to visit the town Figures in which holds the Dali Museum. The Dali Museum was absolutely stunning, and had such abstract art. We spent the entire morning exploring the Dali Museum, and then ate lunch in the small town of Figures. In the latter part of the afternoon, we traveled to Girona, and explored the old city. This was really nice, although the weather was not great. I had a great day, but went straight home and slept for a straight 13 hours, which is not normal for anyone, especially for me.
Saturday night was one of the most memorable nights I have had in Barcelona. Our entire program went to the FC Barcelona "Futbol" game, which was an absolute blast. I had already been to one game, but this was so fun as I was with a group of friends, and we were as loud as can be. After the game, which ended at midnight, I needed to get home and sleep, as this week, is very demanding, scholastically.
Sunday and Monday, I spent a combined total of 15 hours in starbucks studying for 3 midterms. The hardest and most demanding of the three, I took this morning (Tuesday), and I believe the effort paid off. Tomorrow (Wednesday), I have a Business Ethics midterm, in which I must write a 5 page essay on a case study, and Thursday I have an International Business midterm, which should not be that bad. SO... This week is not extremely exciting, as it is the first time I have spent a significant amount of time dedicated to my studies. I guess I am fine with this for one week of my time here, but it has been so nice not to stress about hard classes, like at Cal Poly.
This weekend there are a lot of Cal Poly students who study abroad that will be in Barcelona. Halloween was only adopted here about 5 years ago, so it is not very popular, but we still plan to dress up on the 31st. I will be spending the entire weekend in Barcelona, and my friend Lindsay will be staying with me, so I am really looking forward to it. I will be celebrating the completition of my hard week.
Love everyone.... Praying for Zoey......

Amsterdam, Holland

Hi Everyone,
First and foremost, I am so happy for my cousin Hayden, who got married over the weekend. I was supposed to be there, but unfortunately due to my programs strict attendance policy, and the airlines lack of flexibility to change the dates so I would avoid missing class, I was not able to make the journey. I was pretty bummed that I could not make it, but was there in spirit, and hear it was a wonderful and joyous occasion.
This weekend, I traveled to Amsterdam, Holland which was quite an experience. What a beautiful country, and so nice to breathe fresh air again. I appreciate traveling so much, especially when not in a huge city. The weekend was very fun, and I traveled with 4 of my roommates, and met a friend who studies in France. We spent Friday exploring the city, and visiting many of the local tourist spots. Amsterdam is extremely unique, as there are hundreds of "coffee shops" which sell marijuana, and it is 110% LEGAL. Coming from the United States or any other country, this was an extreme culture shock. We spent the day getting accustumed to the vastly different culture, and then finally found our hostel (inexpensive hotel).
This was by far the worst place I have ever slept in, as it was an underground room with walls, which did not even reach the top of the ceiling, so we could hear everyone in the surrounding rooms. The beds were absolutely horrible, and had holes in them, and it was not clean, and the sign read: "BEWARE OF MOUSE/RATS." However, this is part of traveling, and turned out to be a funny story, although most of our backs feel horrible.
Friday night, we ate dinner at a local Thai restaurant, which was delicious, and then went to a comedy show. This was really fun, as it was an improv show, and some of our suggestions became integral part of the comedians acts. We also hung out with one of the comedians after the show, which was very funny.
Saturday we woke up early, to people talking in the rooms around ours in the hostel, and started our day. We had breakfast, and then spent the day at Vondel Park, which is very famous. The area was unreal, with the most beautiful lakes, trees, and greens, and so nice to be in the nature, unlike Barcelona. In the later afternoon, we walked around the city and the flower mart, which is filled with tourist and people from around the world.
Saturday night, was a night to remember. We ate dinner at an Indian restaurant, which was AMAZING, and drank beers. We then heading to the Red Light District, which most of you have heard about. It is true, "drugs, prostitution, sex shows, and alcohol" everywhere and completely legal. Don't worry, I was a good boy as I care about my health and come from a good background, but is fascinated to experience a culture which is so open to everything, as long as it is contained in a certain environment. Girls are in the windows with red lights surrounding them, trying to solicist themselves to every man/woman/dwarf that walks by. Quite interesting and amusing. Yes, i made it home spending minimal money and not doing drugs/ making any mistakes..
Sunday we had the entire day to visit the cultural aspects of the city, which I always like. We started the morning by visiting the house, which is now a historical museum, of Anne Frank. I am sure most of you know who she is, but for clarification she is a famous young author who experienced the holocaust, and unfortunately was killed. Her diary, now The Diary of Anne Frank, was published, and is one of the most famous books of all times. Witnessing her house and reading about her story, as well as being able to visualize what happened, was actually quite emotional. I feel badly for all the victims of the holocaust, and appriciate my life so much. After this, we raced over to the Van Gogh museum, which was incredible. I am not a big art person, but was extremely intriguied by his masterpeices, and loved spending a few hours there.
Sunday late afternoon, we tried to go to the Henekien factory, but it was closed for renevations, which was kind of a bummer, but we went suvineor shopping, and then ate our final meal in Amsterdam, a local chinese restaurant. Overall, it was a great once in a life time experience and trip, and I love experiencing the different cultures. Amsterdam was by far one of the most drastic differently cultures I have yet to experience.
As for this week, I have a lot of work coming up the next 2 weeks, so it will be nice to get on top of that. This weekend, our whole house stays in Barcelona, as we have excursions with our program, in which I will eloborate and update on later. Tonight, Monday Night, we have a huge soccer game in which we play the only other undefeated team in the league, so please wish us luck. I will let you know the verdict.
As I end this blog, I want to thank everyone who sends me e-mails, its awesome to hear back from those who I love and miss. Johnny and his family are always in my thoughts, so if your reading this I love you JC. On another sadder note, Alex Okano, a friend from high school is in serious condition after an accident at school, so I pray for a speedy and complete recovery for him.
-Brandon

Weekend in Madrid

Hi All,

Sorry for the delayed post on my weekend in Madrid. I got back Monday morning and have had a busy week with school, so have not had the time to post on the blog. On Thursday night, I went out with all of my roommates and had a great night in Barcelona, which started with a great dinner paid for by Bryan Barth's roommate, which was a great time. It was so nice to be around a mother, made me feel somewhat "closer" to home. Friday was a great day in Barcelona, and the weather was too nice to get on an 8 hour bus, so I spent the entire day at the beach and enjoyed the day with friends. Friday night, at midnight, I departed on an 8 hour bus to Madrid, the capital of Spain. The long bus was incredibly affordable, but awful, as it took 8 hours and the fat man next to me snored and took most of the room on the seat.

I arrived in Madrid on Saturday morning by myself, and was greeted by a friend Caitlin who lives in Madrid. Although the weather was not great, pouring and cloudy, we spent the ENTIRE day touring around the city and visiting historical destinations. In the afternoon, I met my roommate Bryan Barth and his family and visited The Prado Museum. This was a wonderful historical art museum, and was amazing to see some of the art. I then met up with 2 friends who study in Barcelona, Emily and Allison, and took a tour of the Madrid futbol team stadium. It was fascinating as we were able to tour the loker room and sit on the field. After the long day, I took a nap and got ready for the night, which took an unexpected turn. It started absolutely pouring, and we ended up hanging out a local bar and never making it to the club.

Sunday, is a day I will remember for the rest of my life. I started the morning off by going to the local "market", in which locals sell their goods. It was great to experience the culture and I bought a few gifts. I then went to my first ever BULL FIGHT. This was absolutely shocking, and very bloody. I have never seen something so crewl with my own eyes, but it is a tradition and part of their culture so I did not want to miss it. I saw 6 different matches, which meant 6 different bulls slaughtered. If you want more details/pictures/movies, I would be more than happy to share them with you, but for my MOM's sake I will stop here. That was the end of my weekend, I departed on Sunday night arriving in Barcelona on Monday morning. I had a great weekend, and really liked Madrid. I feel as though people were somewhat more welcoming, but I still love Barcelona.
This week so far has been really busy. As I mentioned before, my roommates and I, plus two other random guys, are a team in a soccer league. Our team name is Los Martillos, and our record is 2-0. Our next game is Monday after we return from Amsterdam, so I hope we continue are winning streak. The team we play is supposed to be the best, so I will update everyone along with a recap of the weekend. Also, today I had a Spanish test and did extremely well, so everything seems to be going well. Miss everyone, and hope this is not to long/boring.
-B
GO DODGERS!

Tina Cirelle

Hi everyone. I just wanted to let everyone know that one of my best friends Mom's has passed away this afternoon. Please pray for Johnny, and his family, as this is a very emotional time for him. I feel very bad this evening, and hope he will be OK. Other than that, I am feeling much better, and traveling to Madrid on Saturday, and will update with a much happier blog soon.
-B

Recap of San Sebastian

Hey Everyone,
Its so hard to write these blogs, and try to recap such a great weekend in only a few words. My roommates and I, along with a group of 5 girls, all departed Barcelona on an overnight train to San Sebastian, which is located in the North Basque region of Spain. The overnight train was quite an interesting experience, especially sleeping 2 feet away from a stranger, and a bunkbed with 3 beds on top of one another. However, I took a sleeping pill and awoke in the early hours of Friday morning, in San Sebastian. San Sebastian is a small beach town, and of course the second we arrive it starts pouring rain and hailing.
We check into our hostel, Olga's place, which turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. The lady who runs the hostel, Olga, was a Russian lady who was absolutely hilarious, and made our experience welcoming and entertaining. Back to our first morning in San Sebastian, we hung out in the hostel and played poker with our group and others, and hung around. Once the rain/hail calmed down, we walked around the small town of San Sebastian, and ate "Tappas" which is a local food, sort of bite-sized foods. I was not feeling good, so did not indulge very much, but heard that they were very tasty. For dinner, we ate at the local Chinese restaurant, which was extremely delicious, and entertaining. As I have not been feeling great, I decided to take it easy and hang out with locals in the hostel, and take the night to relax.
Saturday morning we all awoke somewhat early, as in 11 AM. San Sebastian, aswell as Spain in general, does not start there days untill 9-10 AM, which is a complete change/luxury compared to the States. In the morning, we all went to a local cafe and ordered coffee's and pastries, and ended up eating lunch at one of the worst restaurants ever, which was supposed to be "American Food." After we fueled up, we decided to take a walk to the "Ciudad Vieja" which means the old city. On a hill, there is a statue of Jesus, and a historical park, in which we hiked to. The area and views were unreal, so beautiful and such a nice change from the busy/populated city of Barcelona. After sitting at one of the most beautiful outlook spots I have ever witnessed for several hours, we hiked down from the monument and continued exploring the city.
I really enjoyed the later part of the afternoon, walking around with only 2 of my roommates and I was able to meet/converse with several locals in Spanish, and receive dinner recomendations. I was able to converse with one local couple for a good amount of time, and they took us around the city to find a dinner spot. They recomended a small local restaurant, in which sat about 50 people. When we arrived at our reservation at 10PM, the restaurant was completely full/extremely hot, and filled with a group of 30 men celebrating a bachelor party. It was a nice change, because we were finally not the loudest group in the establishment. The atmosphere was great, food, well..... not so great, but usual for Spain, unfortunately.
Then theres Saturday night.... Such a fun night. Navigating around a small town with hundreds of bars next to each other. Its also great that its a small town, as locals are much more inclined to talk to us Americans, as well as the Spanish girls. Speaking of Spanish girls, we left on a 9 hour train Sunday morning, which I thought was going to be one of the most miserable waste of 9 hours ever. It turned out to be extremely interesting, and entertaining. As you all now I am not very shy, and there was a gentleman behind us talking with 2 very attractive ladies. He had a very deep voice, so I asked him in Spanish if he was a Opera Singer. From that moment on, our specific train car was singing, dancing, and laughing, for the majority of the 9 hours. I spent most my time talking to one of the most beautiful girls I have ever met, who is from Barcelona. I conversed in Spanish, and although she corrected my grammer and conjucations many times, we were able to communicate, and I hope to see her in the very near future. I will update everyone on the status of that situation......
Ok... that was my weekend. Today, Monday, I had my first real assignment, which was a presentation on Business Ethics, in which I did extremely well on. Tomorrow is our first soccer game, in which our team, plays the CEA (school) advisiors and teachers. I will let everyone who wins the game. This coming weekend I may travel to Madrid, and I cannot wait. Hope everything is good in the states.
On a sadder note, please pray for Johnny Cirele, one of my best friends, as his Mom is on her way to a better place, and he needs all the love and prayers.....

San Sebastian

Hey Everyone,
Hope you all had a great weekend and enjoyed my last blog about Oktoberfest. Today is friday, I believe October 3rd, and I am sitting on a computer in a hostel in San Sebastian, which is an unbelievable beach town in the North of Spain. It is one of the most beautiful places in spain, and is voted one of the top 10 honeymoon destinations in the world. Unfortunately, the weather is particularly bad and raining, but we are still enjoying ourselves and relaxing.
As for my week, I have experienced my first unfortunate events in the month I have lived abroad. I hate to talk about bad news, but this blog is meant for everyone to be kept up with my travels, and mood. I have had broncitis and been pretty ill this week, and cant seem to fight the sickness. On top of this, one of my best friend´s Mom, Johnny Cirelle, has been diagnosed with cancer about 2 years ago and is not doing good. I feel very sad about this, and this has effected my week. If everyone could keep Johnny and his family in your prayers, it would be much appriciated. Also keep me in your prayers, so i can feel better and get back to myself.
This weekend has been perfect for me, I have had time to reflect on my experiences and be appriciative of everything I have, my family, friends, and health(except for the bronictis.) I look outside and see the ocean, although its pouring rain, and feel so grateful to be abroad and be able to experience Europe. When I get back this week to Barcelona, I have a quiz and presentation on Monday, and hope to do very well on them. Also, when we get back Sunday night, it is our house ritual to go to the local irish bar and drink and see Karoke. I have some very funny videos of us seeing songs, and will show you when I get back home.
I will stop updating you on my life, I hope to have a great rest of the trip here in San Sebastian. Also, thanks to Dad and Jon for fixing/mailing my broken camera back to Spain, your efforts DO NOT go unnoticed. Miss everyone, and hope my next update will be filled with positive and happy news.
B

OKTOBERFEST

The only way I think I should start this blog is by saying that I had the best time of my life this past weekend at Oktoberfest, and this blog will not do the justice. However, I will attempt to describe my days and interactions with people, so it may be long and boring, and if so please feel free to skip this entry. Let me start off with the flight to Munich, early Friday morning.
My roommate Nate and I enter the airport and are walking to our departure gate when we came across 4 of the biggest and largest individuals I have ever come across. It turns out, that the entire WWF (World Wrestling Foundations) tour was on our plane, which consisted of over 30 professional wrestlers. They were by far some of the biggest people I have ever seen, including a guy named Big Mark who weighs 500 pounds. This all started at 8 AM, which was only a sign of the hilarious events that were to follow.
When we arrived in Munich, we took the Metro to our hotel, which took about an hour. To my roomate Nate and I surprise, our hotel was unbelievably nice, with a large heated indoor pool and spa. Our room had 2 very small twin beds, which we pushed together, and one person slept on the floor. After dropping our stuff at the hotel, we headed straight to the grounds of Oktoberfest, to start the festivities. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Oktoberfest, it is a massive festival in which thousands of people come together and celebrate life while drinking large amounts of beer. There are several of tents that fit thousands of people, and people drink/sing/chant/cheer all hours of the day. I have never been a part of such a happy occasion where strangers were so nice and welcoming to each other.
When we got there on Friday, we went straight to a tent called Hippodrum to meet up with our friends Alex and David (from Cal Poly), but it was too busy so we sat with a local German named Mario, and his group of friends from work. This guy was severely intoxicated, but extremely welcoming and we had a great time. After our first several beers, Nate and I were standing on the tables and signing unknown German songs, and having the time of our lives. Unlike Barcelona, all of the locals wanted to talk to us and hug us. It was a great experience. After several hours in the first tent, we decided to look for another tent, and then went back to the hotel to take advantage of the amentities. We all took Sauna's and relaxed, which was a total change of pace from my last several weeks abroad. After a long nap, we decided we wanted to eat somewhere local to the hotel but ended up in the hotel bar, the only place that was opened, and were forced to listen to blaring loud music while trying to enjoy our meal.
The next morning, Saturday, we woke up quite early and were at the Oktoberfest grounds by 9AM. Believe it or not, all of the tents were full of people already drinking beer, and we were forced to sit outside of a tent, in the outside tables. This turned out in our favor, as we sat in the middle of a rivalry between local German's, and German's from a small town. As the morning and beers progressed, we were in the middle of one of the most fun/best atmospheres ever, chanting songs and screaming. It was so fun, and we met so many people that were all so nice. After our morning in this specific area, we decided to get some lunch and attempt to go into the Haufbrau tent, which is one of the most popular and largest tents. Again the long was extremely long, but Nate, my roommate, was approached by an unethical waitress who wanted 50 Euros (80 US dollars ) for us to be snuck in. We took the offer, and had a great afternoon in this tent, although there was standing room only.
I then got split off from my group, which turned out to work in my favor. I met random people, hung out with some other Americans, and was approached by a Bulgarian girl who I spent some amount of time with that afternoon. Before I knew it, it was 7 PM and time for me to get back to the hotel, as I had no idea where my roommates where. It turns out they were all sleeping for several hours, which I should have done. At dinner, around 8PM, I could barely stay awake, but made it through an incredible dinner, which talking about it makes me hungry.
Last day, Sunday, our flight out of Munich was at 9pm, so my roommate Nate and I headed back to Oktoberfest early in the morning, and reunited with several American friends who are traveling abroad, and several of the most beautiful Australian girls I have ever met. We had such an amazing last day, and thinking about it really makes me want to go back. It is amazing how different the European countries are, and how much emphasis they put on free time, and having a higher quality of living. I had one of the best weekend of my entire life, and am grateful for every minute of it.
Mom, Dad, Ari, Jon, Grandma Beth, Papa, Barbara and the rest of my amazing family and friends.... Miss you all and your all in my thoughts..... constantly.
-B

Mid-Week

Hey Everyone,
It is wednesday afternoon here in Barcelona and I am writing an update. Today is the final day of the La Merce festival, which I elaborated on in the last blog. Today is a bank holiday, and there is also no school. I have just hung around the house today, and went to a local fair because I am extremely tired. We had a great but long night last night. Its amazing that a group of 6 roommates are getting along so well, considering the fact that we B almost everything as a unit. On Friday, I leave for Munich, Germany, which I am really excited about.
My classes are going pretty well, I still dont feel like I am in an academic environment, in contrast to Cal Poly. I have a project thats due next week so I will have to work on that this week. Other than that I am just hanging out and loving it here, other than how expensive it is. Please e-mail me, I would love to hear about everyone else. brandonHfisher@gmail.com
MUCH LOVE
-B

Pyreenes and La Merce

Hey everyone.....
Hope you all are having a great weekend! This weekend my friends and I traveled to the Pyreenes, which is North of Barcelona, very close to the border between Spain and France. The area was absolutely breathtaking and the views were amazing. This trip was coordinated by CEA, which is the group organizing the study abroad program, and they took us to a rustic hotel. When we arrived at the destination, we spend the afternoon exploring the town of 60 people, which obviously only took us about 10 minutes. We then went to one of the small cafe, and hung out and drank beers, taking in the amazing environment and fresh air.
As much as I love Barcelona, it was so amazing to escape from the city, and finally have some peace and quiet. We met a bunch of cool people on our program, and spend the evening with them in a bar, but went to bed somewhat early as we went on a hike. We went to the national park, which is compared as Spain's, "Yosemite." The hike was amazing, there is absolutely no green in the Barcelona city. As for the rest of the weekend when we returned to Barcelona, it is currently in the middle of the festival called La Merce.
La Merce is a festival that is called, "la fiesta de todos los fiestas" which means the parties of all parties. It has been unreal, today we watched a human tower, where 50 people stand up on each other. I was selected to be support staff, which meant that teh particpants would stand on my shoulders as they climbed the human tower. I got kicked in the face, so I was over that. But all in all, it was a great experience. Tonight we are going to the beach to watch a fireworks celebration that is synched to music with a bunch of friends, and then go to the local irish bar for a karoke contest. I PROMISE to upload some pictures soon, as soon as it gets fixed. My camera broke last week.
Ok, so this blog was incredibly long, but hopefully gives you a feel of my interactions. I miss everyone, but am having the time of my life......
-B

Tired

Hey everyone,
Its Tuesday afternoon, 12:33 PM, and I am sitting in my living room overlooking the busy city streets as I write this update. I am feeling so tired today, I think the lack of sleep combined with constant excitement of living in a new COUNTRY is getting to me. I am definately going to take the next few nights and not go out. Tonight after class, I am going to a debate between American Republican's and Democrats to hear more information regarding the two presidential candidates. Should be really interesting, and it is being held in a historic building. My classes are going well, starting to get a feel for my teachers. For one of my business courses, I have a blind professor, and he has a new guide dog who is not trained well and keeps peeing in class, its kind of funny, but I feel extremely bad for the professor.
As for this weekend, we are going to the Pyreenes, which again is the mountain side border North of Spain bordering France. I hear this is a beautiful place, and I will be sure to capture lots of pictures. Then the weekend after that, I head to Munich, Germany, for Oktoberfest, which I CANNOT wait for. I will update on Thursday before I leave for the mountains and let everyone know how the debate/end of my week goes. Hope everyone is doing well, and I promise to upload some pictures on here soon.
-Brandon

Football

Hey everyone..... Today, Saturday 9/13, i woke up fairly late and went to the beach with my roommates and some other friends. We are trying to enjoy the summer weather as much as we can for the next several weeks, as the weather is very similar to Los Angeles. The weather in the winter is not extremely cold, but obviously not beach weather. We have been to the local beach several times, which is about 25 minutes from our flat via metro. The beach is very nice, topless of course, and has an incredibly annoying amount of street vendors. They bother everyone about buying "cola, cola light, and fanta" all day long, so it is not the most relaxing beach.
After the beach I rushed home to change and go to my first Football game (American Soccer). Tonight was the season opener for FC Barcelona, and it was a fantastic experience. A friend named Ryan purchased great seats, and we were behind the goal 15 rows. It was amazing to witness what an integral part of life Football is to Europeans. Anyways.... I am taking the night off and just relaxing. I have been non-stop on the go since I have been here, so it is nice to finally relax.
On a side note, I cannot wait to travel the next few weekends. I am going to the Pyreenes, which is the mountain side of the border between Spain and France. This should be a great experience, and I will be sure to update after the weekend. This week, I plan on starting to work on some school work, and tour around Barcelona. This city is truly amazing, with so much to see/do.
Last note, the food here has been incredibly dissapointing and mediocre. Except for the japonese restaurant i found down the street, it was amazing to have some sushi. I really miss eating at my favorite restaurants, and not dealing with public transportation. The metro system here is faboulous, except for the extreme humidity. It will be fine once the weather cools down, but as for now.... CONSTANT sweat. I miss everyone.... Love my family/friends.... Hope your enjoying the blog, send me some feedback if you want at brandonHfisher@gmail.com
-Brandon

Weekend

Hey everyone its 334 AM on saturday september 13th. It has been a long an amazing weekend. Starting on Wednesday night we went to Carpe Diem night club, which is one of the best places in Barcelona, and I had one of the best nights I have ever had. The club was an ordinary night except for the fact that the next day was a city wide holiday so the city was busier than usual. My roomate Max decided to by bottle service, and we had an entire VIP lounge/area with couches to ourself. It was one of the most fun nights I have ever had. The next day, Thursday, Nate and I, my roomate, decided to tour around the entire city. We saw a few of the most amazing buildings and musems we have yet to seen, and gained an entirely new appriciation for our surroundings. September 11 is one of the city's most popular cities in which is similar to the United States's 4th of July. It was a day of celebratons and cultgural ceremonies, in which we ended the night with going to a concert with the number one DJ in the world, DJ Tiesto. It was another great night and day...
Friday was filled with sleeping in... and then heading to the beach. Nate and I toured the beach area and hung out at the beach. When we returned, we hung out with the roomates and our friend Katie, who is visting from Paris.... We then ate dinner and went to a local hang out called Dow Jones.. I am honestly having the best time ever, and am so grateful for the opportunity to live/study abroad.... Miss EVERYONE.....
-B

Quick Week

Buenos Tardes,
Hope everyone is having a great day. It is wednesday evening, and my first week of school has come to an end. We have no class tomorrow, Thursday September 11 due to a "bank" holiday here in Barcelona, and I do not have Friday classes. My classes seem pretty cool, my spanish class is extremely easy but I also have a very hard "Business Ethics and Global Management in a Global Context" class which is very hard.
As for me, I am actually kinda sick. I had a very sore throat yesterday, and it has now turned into a cold. The weather here in Barcelona is incredibly humid right now, and its somewhat uncomfortable. Other than that, I am loving it here. Going to take this long weekend and enjoy the city, maybe take a day trip up North to see some beautiful beaches. Miss everyone.
-Brandon

School Starts

Hey Everyone,
I am soo tired while writing this blog so I hope it makes sense. I am taking 4 classes, and my schedule works out pretty well. On Monday's and Wednesday's I have Spanish class from 1045 AM- 12:30 PM. The spanish level I am in is far to easy, but it will be somewhat of a stress reliever. After the spanish class I have a 4 hour break, so I either work out, tour around the city, or pretty soon will have to start doing homework and studying for exams. My Second class of the day is from 4-5:45 and the class is on Business Ethics. The professor is a govenor and poltician, and he is actually blind. He is a new guide dog, and was messing around in class. It was pretty entertaining. I think this class is gonna be hard but sounds somewhat interesting. I end class all Monday's and Wednesday's at 5:45, in time for one of Barcelona's most famous siestas, where you take a nap in the middle of the day. My mom would be in heaven.
As for Tuesday's and Thursday's, I only have afternoon classes starting at 2:15-4:00, which is a compartive economic systems class. This econ class seems very hard and time consuming, but tought by a fairly young and knowledgable professore. My last class of the day, and might be the best class is the International Business class from 4:00-4:45. The professor is a really nice and funny guy who has a lot of experience in International Business and has lived in many countries. He was rasied in Barcelona but has lived and received education from around the world, so I feel as though I will gain a lot from his class.
All in all, I have started to get adjusted to the Barcelona live style and am now incorporating the school portion of it. I will continue to update more about how I am doing and where we are studying. We do a lot of field study programs, where we learn but in offices and other businesses.
I am off to bed for once at a reasonable hour. I will everyone with a piece of advise my professor told me earlier today: "Enjoy Europe, Live it up, take pictures, and sleep less........ A LOT LESS"

Copenhagen

Hey everyone,
I just got home from Copenhagen, Denmark and had a wonderful time. I stayed with one of my good friends David who goes to school with me at Cal Poly. The trip started of rough, as I pulled an all nighter and flew to Copenhagen at 7AM, which was not a smart decision. When I landed in Copenhagen, we went to lunch and explored the city, which is fairly small compared to Barcelona. We took a boat tour through canals which was really cool, and also competed in a bike competition that was going on throughout the streets. Friday night was a really fun night, we went to this club Vega, with all of David's suitemates, and partied there untill the early hours. I enjoyed this club very much as I was able to interact with many of the Danish locals.
On Saturday, we woke up and went to the beer factory, Carlberg, and got a tour around the facility and learn how the beer used to be manufactured compared to the way it is now. This was very interesting, and cool because at the end of the tour you were given 2 beer's. We then went to the famous amusement park, Tivoli, and walked around and went on some attractions. I have some really funny pictures from this. Saturday night was extremely fun, as I met up with another friend Jamie from Cal Poly, and danced with her and all her friends at another night club.
Today is Sunday, and we went to Christinia, which is a hippy town in Copenhagen, and went to the famous national park. I had a wonderful weekend, and loved exploring another country and way of life so early on in my adventures. Hope everyone is doing well, and enjoy's these blogs. I would love to hear about you, so please e-mail me at brandonHfisher@gmail.com.....

Off to Copenhagen

Hi everyone,
Its Thursday night here and this is the relaxing time of the day, from around 8-10PM. I have been having an incredible time, getting to know my roomates, getting somewhat familiar with my surroundings and neighborhood, and definately getting a taste of the Barcelona nightlife. Last night, we partied untill 6AM, which is incredibly rare for anywhere besides Las Vegas. As for tonight, we are planning on just going to a local bar with some friends and have a somewhat more mellow evening.
I decided to fly to Copenhagen, Denmark tomorrow, to visit my friends Alex and David. I am very excited and it should be a wonderful weekend. I start school on Monday, which I am not extremely excited for, but it will be good to start experiencing more of Barcelona's incredible culture. I am having such a great time here, and promise to update the blog upon my return from Copenhagen. I am going to try to update this blog as often as I can so that you all have an idea of my journies, and also as a memory to look back upon.
Love everyone.

Moved In

Hey everyone.... I have been in Barcelona for about 3 days, and I feel like I have been here for months. Its a great feeling, time always goes by so fast. Anyways, I just moved into my apartment and it is in amazing area. My roomates are all really cool guys, and our apartment is definately going to be social. The first two nights in Barcelona were great, I still need to get used to the fact that you dont go out untill 1AM. Our first night in Barcelona, we arrived at a nightclub around 12:30 AM and were the first people there.
I have not been able to explore the city yet, but plan to spend the next couple of days traveling around the city and becoming more familiar with the city. So far it has been an amazing experience, and I am so happy about spending the next several months here. I will update more on the blog once I settle in, and post pictures.
Miss everyone, and send my love.
-Brandon

Getting Ready To Leave

Hi everyone,
Welcome to my blog. I will be leaving shortly, and promise to write updates in my blog as regularly as possible. E-mail me at brandonHfisher@gmail.com if you want to get in contact with me, otherwise I will do my best to update everyone on my travels and experiences on the blog.