PARIS

Day 99, 30 May: “Les Champs-Elysees” Joe Dassin

Day 100!!!, 31 May: “Vanities” Charlotte Gainsbourg

Day 101, 1 June: “Daphne” Django Reinhardt

Day 102, 2 June: “Les Jours Tristes” Yann Tiersen

BACK TO SPAIN w/mis padres

Day 103, 3 June: “Wave of Mutilation” Pixies

Day 104, 4 June: “Turn The Dirt Over” Sea Wolf

Day 105, 5 June: “La Cumparsita” Aníbal Troilo

Day 106, 6 June: “Not Fair” Lily Allen

Day 107, 7 June: “Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)” The Arcade Fire

Day 108, 8 June: Requiem selection, Orlando di Lasso

Day 109, 9 June: “Transliterator” DeVotchKa

Day 110, 10 June: “Love Like A Sunset” (pts I and II) Phoenix

Day 111, 11 June: “Inner Smile” Texas

CINQUE TERRE, ITALY

Day 112, 12 June: “Sicut cervus” Palestrina — this was our first night in Monterosso and I had a ridiculously high fever and this beautiful song played over and over and over again in my head. In my delirium I could hear all the harmonies so distinctly and it went on for what felt like hours…it was gorgeous. And slightly frightening.

Day 113, 13 June: “Postcards from Italy” Beirut

Day 114, 14 June: “Pistol Dreams” The Tallest Man On Earth

Day 115, 15 June: “Sonata for 2 Pianos” Stravinsky

GIMMELWALD, SWITZERLAND

Day 116, 16 June: “You Are What You Love” Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins

Day 117, 17 June: “Southern Point” Grizzly Bear

BRUGES, BELGIUM

Day 118, 18 June: “I’ll Fly Away” Alison Krauss & Gillian Welch

Day 119, 19 June: “Loog” The Clean

Day 120, 20 June: “Rise Up With Fists!!!” Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins

Day 121, 21 June: “Living In A Movie” Julie Peel

AMSTERDAM w/just my brotha

Day 122, 22 June: “You Must Be Out Of Your Mind” The Magnetic Fields

Day 123, 23 June: “Are You Really On Drugs” The Clean

Day 124, 24 June: “London Calling” The Clash

BERLIN

Day 125, 25 June: “Walkabout (w/Noah Lennox)” Atlas Sound

Day 126, 26 June: “Bravitzlana Rubakalva” Mariee Sioux

Day 127, 27 June: “Poison Cup” M. Ward

PRAGUE

Day 128, 28 June: “Knife” Grizzly Bear

Day 129, 29 June: “Lust For Life” Girls — this is one of my favorites this year

Day 130, 30 June: “Soma” The Strokes

Day 131, 1 July: “The Moldau” Smetana

MUNICH

Day 132, 2 July: “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” Bob Dylan

Day 133, 3 July: “Apocalypse Song” St. Vincent

Day 134, 4 July: “Call It Off” Tegan & Sara

ZURICH

Day 135, 5 July: “Steal Tomorrow” The Tallest Man On Earth

Day 136, 6 July: “Sleep Tonight (Junior Boys)” Stars

Day 137, 7 July: “Over The Hills” The Tallest Man On Earth

d

blue streets of Chefchaouen, my favorite Moroccan city

beautiful fields and Susan on the mountain overlooking Chefchaouen

best couscous of my liifeee

mosque in Fez

PASTELA the most delicious food ever

cameaux

Sahara sunset

our camp

casbah

me and Garrett

one of the prettiest places I've been

So that was Morocco in a week!…

Day 85, 16 May: “Keep The Dog Quiet” Owen Pallett

CÁDIZ

Day 86, 17 May: “The Strangers” St. Vincent

Day 87, 18 May: “Kings of Animals” Small Black

MOROCCO (Chefchaouen, Fes, Merzouga, Skoura, Marrakech)

Day 88, 19 May: “Pyramid Song” Radiohead

Day 89, 20 May: “Kid A” Radiohead

Day 90, 21 May: “Everything In Its Right Place” Radiohead

Day 91, 22 May: “You And Whose Army?” Radiohead

Day 92, 23 May: “Miranda” Ratatat

Day 93, 24 May: “Also Frightened” Animal Collective

TRAVELIN’ (Marrakech-Tangier-Tarifa-Madrid-Barcelona)

Day 94, 25 May: “What Would I Want? Sky” Animal Collective

Day 95, 26 May: “A Shot In the Arm” Wilco

BARCELONA

Day 96, 27 May: “Shelia” Atlas Sound

Day 97, 28 May: “Tekno Love Song” CocoRosie

Day 98, 29 May: “Scythian Empires” Andrew Bird

next…PARIS

Cádiz was sweet–sun and beach with Kristen! Morocco was insane and beautiful. Highlights: Chefchaouen hospitality and lots of cats. Barcelona…it’s nice to be back in España. Went to a rad music festival yesterday, Primavera Sound. Best acts: Owen Pallett, CocoRosie, and Pixies. Tonight I will fall asleep on a train in Barcelona and tomorrow I will wake up in Paris!

So yeah, the program’s done, but my traveling has just begunnn!! I still have a little more than a month and a half left in Europe. Solid. Sunday, Kristen and I bus down to Cádiz to get some relaxation time on the playa, and then my friend Garrett and I head over to Marruecos (Morocco) on Wednesday for about a week! I’m pumped for this trip, although we still have a fair amount of planning to do…but we’re going to the desert and it’s going to be great. After our little journey to the African continent, Garrett and I will nip on over to Barcelona to catch some sweet música at Primavera Sound. THEN that Saturday I’ll take a cool night train up to Paris and explore a bit on my own before my parents get to Europe… and then the next etapa (stage) of my Eurotrip Extravaganza will commence…Spain, Italy, Switzerland, and Belgium mmmm…but that’s for later.

Right nowww I should not be writing. I should actually be doing something productive and necessary like laundry…or packing…or trip planning.. Ohhh it’ll all get done eventually…riight??

Graham and I had our last music sesh a couple of nights ago It was awwesome. I’ve loved having this music outlet this semester, I’m sad to see it go…but it’s not the end!! Surely not. Here’s a little sample if you care to hear: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJU1ZkM6EsU

Kai came to visit me this week! It was awesome! He was here Monday through this morning. We wandered around Salamanca, I showed him all the cool places, like the catedral y el jardin, and took him to all to wonderful cafés, like Cuatro Gatos and Valor for chocolate con churros (YEAHH so good), and then we ate a lot of tapas. The best part was that he got to know la noche salmantina. What a sweet nightlife we have here.

Alriight, Ima go… but not before I tell you my week made in music!!!!:

Day 74, 5 May: Symphony No.3, mvt. 3, Johannes Brahms (I’m a fan)

Day 75, 6 May: “Second Chapter” Blue Scholars

Day 76, 7 May: “Melt Your Heart” Jenny Lewis

Day 77, 8 May: “Fiery Crash” Andrew Bird

Day 78, 9 May: “Idioteque” Radiohead (it’s been awhile, Idioteque)

Day 79, 10 May: “Dreaming” Blondie

Day 80, 11 May: “Frankly Mr Shankly” The Smiths

Day 81, 12 May: “Caledonia” Dougie MacLean (a favorite of mine…well a lot of these songs are favorites)

Day 82, 13 May: “Fans” Kings of Leon

Day 83, 14 May: “Kiss With A Fist” Florence & The Machine

Bueno chicos, hasta luego, not sure when I’ll be writing in here next, but I’ll keep doing little travel updates.

It’s been real, Salamanca, I’ll see you in June with mis padresssssssssssss

En inglés: I have a 10 page paper to write for my immigration class at the university and it’s due Thursday. The ennndd.

Canciones del día:

Día 68, 29 abril: “Joe Metro” Blue Scholars

Día 69, 30 abril: “My Moon My Man” Feist

Día 70, 1 mayo: “Better” Regina Spektor

Día 71, 2 mayo: “The Bucket” Kings of Leon

Día 72, 3 mayo: “The Times They Are A-Changin’” Bob Dylan

Día 73, 4 mayo: “Marry Me” St. Vincent she’s so gooood

I’m excited to take this next spring: SOC 294-A ST: Soc of Prisons & Punishment

We get to go on field trips to prisons in Washington and Oregon!

OHH but dear I am telling you it is incredibly difficult to find motivation to study when the sun is shining so wonderfully and the plaza is swarming with EVERYONE and ice cream is really. really. cheap. and you can go to Parque de las Jesuitas and sit in the grass and play guitar and maybe botellón a little bit?

Kristen + chocolate naranja con canela (chocolate orange cinnamon) best ice cream ever

no homework got done that day

jammin Graham

sigh.

songz!

Day 62, 23 April: “The Bends” Radiohead

Day 63, 24 April: “Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken” Camera Obscura

Day 64, 25 April: “Connect For” Common Market

Day 65, 26 April: “The Sparrow And The Medicine” The Tallest Man On Earth

Day 66, 27 April: “Nothing’severgonnastandinmyway (Again)” Wilco

Day 67, 28 April: “French Navy” Camera Obscura

Alllsooo some big music news!! I am going to Primavera Sound in Barcelona Friday, May 28!! One month!! It’s a huge outdoor music festival basically on the water and there will be some sweeeet groups going. Like Wilco, Pixies, CocoRosie, Panda Bear, Beach House, King Khan & The BBQ Show, and morree oh so much more… (Cecily, I would find a way to sneak you in if you flew over here. This is a promise.)

I’m in love…with Portugal. You should go there someday.

Sintra, view from the steps of the Palacio Nacional

tile in the palacio

mmm look at that sky

…

AND THEN

WE WENT TO THE OCEAN

The other (more Portuguese) side of the Atlanticcc

This is apparently the western-most point of Europe…closest you can get to the U.S. …aww…

Then we drove about 10 minutes down the road to the cutie little town of Cascais:

Then we went to another monastery. I swear we visited about 15 on this excursión. This is what I got out of it.

Me and Soo-san. and lion.

And then we watched Eragon in the hotel room before going to dinner and having the weirdest night of our lives.

omg soooo cuutttee

But really, Portugal is my new favorite country. The countryside is gorgeous and lush and Lisbon is the coolest city I’ve ever been to…I’m pretty sure. It has an incredible nightlife. Complete with cobblestones, cover bands, and cuties.

Ciaooo

sdefkjlskdvcv

Alllmost forgot my música again.

Day 55, 16 April: “Chicago” Sufjan Stevens

Day 56, 17 April: “Getting Better” The Beatles

Day 57, 18 April: “I Feel It All” Feist

Day 58, 19 April: “1901″ Phoenix

Day 59, 20 April: “Ageless Beauty (The Most Serene Republic)” Stars — one of my favorite songs in the entire world

Day 60, 21 April: “At Last” Etta James

Day 61, 22 April: “She’s A Jar” Wilco

FIRST I met beautiful Kai and Liz in beauutiful Barcelona. We made that city our playground all last weekend.

Highlights: going to Parc Güell, the sweet mosaic park designed by Antoni Gaudi, the crazy Spanish architect, renting bikes! and riding along the boardwalk beach place, getting delish ice cream, learning how to make amazing sangria at our hostel from Santi, this super cool Spanish nutritionist/our life coach (you can reach him at funandhealthy@gmail.com haha), seeing 4 too many naked men on the beach (it wasn’t even that hot out), drinking lots of zumo de melocotón (peach juice–my new obsession here in Spain), wandering La Rambla, going to that sweet covered market and getting 1 euro fresh juice (kiwi for me)…yeahhh it was a lovely trip. Photos? I think so.

Gaudi is so coooll

We rented bikes! And sat in green grass.

Beeeach. Too cold to swim, but we took a lovely siesta there.

Really amazing sangria that we made

Me drinking my favorite thing on earth in Gaudi's Parc Güell

Juice at the mercat

Egg-in-a-frame on Easter morning! Man I miss breakfast.

rowboat!

WIEN!!! (or Vienna, as we say in English) Vienna was great. Aside from Liz and I missing our flight from Barca to Wien, it was a very pleasant week. I hung out a lot with some dudes who are studying in Munich, Sam and Chris, because poor Liz had class all week. Some of the week’s activities include, but are not limited to…: strolling through the Naschmarkt, the popular/big market downtowwnn, hanging out in Stadtpark, eating apfel strudel with schlog (whipped cream mmm), eating lots of Pizza Mafiosi (pizza down the street from Liz’s apartment), drinking really good beer at 1516, seeing Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss” at the Belvedere, and just soaking up the sun on Liz’s amazing rooftop. She has such a good set up. Aside from living with 10 girls (ahhhh, but they’re all cool), her apartment has this sweet balcony and rooftop where you have a great view of the city.

multi-colored hummus at the Naschmarkt

Vienna from the train tracks

View from Liz's roof...JEALOUS JEALOUS JEALOUS

Lizzz and meee

rooftop shenanigans

The Belvedere

Good eat and drink at 1516

Schonbrunn

So yeah, solid spring break. After my time in Vienna, I decided that I want to take German next year. For awhile there I was leaning towards Arabic, but, as a music major, I think German would come in handy. Also…it’s a really fun sounding language.

Sooo yeah after badly twisting my ankle on the way home, I am backkk in Salamanca! And it’s raining. Seriously, this has been a crazy rain year…at least it’s warmer now? And TODAY I have been here for 3 months. 3 MONTHS! Woww. A month left in my program (and before my birthday!) and then loads of traveling. Sweet. And I just drank a huge thing of peach juice. Mmmm.

AH forgot to add my music stuff.

Day 41, 2 April: “Big Bird in a Small Cage” Patrick Watson

Day 42, 3 April: “My Girls” Animal Collective

Day 43, 4 April: “Honey Honey” Feist

Day 44, 5 April: “Shiller” Ratatat

Day 45, 6 April: “These Days” Nico

Day 46, 7 April: “Now Now” St. Vincent

Day 47, 8 April: “Me & Mr. Jones” Amy Winehouse

Day 48, 9 April: “Like A Rolling Stone” Bob Dylan

Day 49, 10 April: “C’mon” The Soft Pack

Day 50 (!), 11 April: “CandyLand” CocoRosie

Day 51, 12 April: “The Gardner” The Tallest Man On Earth

Day 52, 13 April: “50 Thousand Deep” Blue Scholars (ooohhh Seattle)

Day 53, 14 April: “Shallow Grave” The Tallest Man On Earth

And I can tell you that tomorrow will be…

Day 54, 15 April: “No Rest for the Weary” Blue Scholars

Today marks the start of my spring break!!! It is Semana Santa, Holy Week, here in Spain–general Easter celebrations (just don’t tell them about the bunny, they look at you weird). Two nights ago I saw the cooolest procession. The people in the procesión dressed in black robes, with black masks, and carried big wooden crosses on their backs while they plodded along to really amazing eerie, somber music. It was kind of unreal. I have photos but my computer’s being weird, so I couldn’t get them on here…I’ll try again later.

Yeahh...freaky, right?

Bearing crosses

huge Jesus float

band playing creepy but awesome music

Oh yeahhh the Ku Klux Klan got their garb idea from Semana Santa processions…it was really really odd/creepy seeing people dressed in these robes, because it carries such a strong association with the KKK for me. I really like this little guy though:

just hanging out in a men's clothing store window

hahahaha

What a cutie. Cracks me up.

I have neglected to mention the birds here in Salamanca. Around evening time the birds go CRAZY. There are hundreds and thousands that swarm the tops of buildings, especially the cathedral, and the noise is just incredible. Makes you feel like you’re in a Hitchcock movie. Also, storks are really common around there parts.

I saw a Prius taxi here the other day and it made me think Seattle haha.

Songs of the day:

Day 29, 21 March: “Good Intentions Paving Company” Joanna Newsom

Day 30, 22 March: “Come In!” mvt 5, Vladimir Martynov

Day 31, 23 March: “I Found A Reason” Cat Power

Day 32, 24 March: “Fratres” Arvo Pärt (soooo beautiful)

Day 33, 25 March: “Four Winds” Bright Eyes

Day 34, 26 March: “Artillerie Lourde” Django Reinhardt (love this guy)

Day 35, 27 March: “Bad Romance” Lady GaGA

Day 36, 28 March: “Dog Days Are Over” Florence and the Machine

Day 37, 29 March: “When I’m Small” Phantogram

Day 38, 30 March: “New Soul” Yael Naïm

Day 39, 31 March: “Home” Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Day 40, 1 April: hmmmm I’m going to go with “Turn! Turn! Turn!” The Byrds

Haha seems like I was pretty all over the place musically the past week and a half. I like it.

I went to Valencia last weekend! With Kristen, Molly, and Susan. It was nice and mellow and sunny.

We went to the supermercado and got sandwich ingredients. It was the best.

There was beach.

There were friends.

There was a whole lot of paella.

There were pretty streets.

And ice cream.

There was cool graffiti!

The end!...

Sooooo for me Semana Santa includes BARCELONAAAA until Monday with Liz and Kai and maybe other random people who are here. Then flying with Liz to her “home” Vienna! Probs doing a day trip to Bratislava on Tuesday, too. Just chilling in Vienna until next Sunday! Mmmm.

Going so strong on my song of the day thing–here we gooo:

Day 21, 13 March: “A Sunday Smile” Beirut

Day 22, 14 March: “Black Rainbow” St. Vincent

Day 23, 15 March: “I Can’t Win” The Strokes

Day 24, 16 March: “Two Weeks” Grizzly Bear

Day 25, 17 March: “Recurring” Bonobo

Day 26, 18 March: “Come Back Margaret” Camera Obscura

Day 27, 19 March: “The Greatest” Cat Power

Day 28, 20 March: “King of Spain” The Tallest Man On Earth (thanks kdub mixtape!)

I am sick. Ugh.

However. I go to Valencia on Friday! Then spring break starts next Thursday and I’m headed to the lovely Barcelona and meeting up with Liz and Kai for the second time in Europe! And on Monday, Liz and I fly to Vienna, where I will hang outtt for the next week. Very much looking forward to having no classes and just hanging out at the beach in Barca and then doing sweet stuff in Wien.