story of a chocolate cake

I gave my chocolate cake to a beggar today.  It felt really good. I hope she liked it. She must have been around 30 years of age, with a worn face and a sad and hopeless expression. Spain has a lot of unemployment, misfortune, and hopelessness right now.

This afternoon I left home with the specific purpose of discovering a little chocolate shop our conversation professor has been talking about. She claimed that Xocoa in the Calle Petrixol has the best hot chocolate. The best hot chocolate I had in Spain was undoubtably in Sevilla, that thick, pudding-like bittersweet dark chocolate paradise. However, I had high expectation of Xocoa nonetheless. 

Sadly, I was sorely disappointed. They didn't have my type of chocolate, only "suissa," which is much sweeter and made with milk chocolate. It was comparable to drinking nutella mixed with milk. To make things worse, in asking for "una taza de chocolate," which means "a cup of chocolate," she heard "una tarta," and gave me a cake instead. And a hot chocolate, with twice as much cream as substance. The cake was very, very thick and fudge-like, so I couldn't really have more than a small bite or two, after that nutella-esque drink. I was NOT happy. And to top it off, it cost me 7€. That, my friends, is a LOT for a small piece of cake and a cup of chocolate. So, fuming and unhappy, having failed in my search for quality chocolate, I decided to gift the cake to someone who would be happy to have it. 

I normally see beggars left and right at the Plaça de Catalunya, the metro, the streets, everywhere. However, the one time I was actually looking for a beggar I could not find a single one. I half-contemplated just walking up to a random stranger and giving them cake, throwing it out, or giving it to my host mom, but then I finally saw her. She was quiet and smiled at me sadly when I said hi. I asked her if she was hungry. Upon saying yes, she was, I further inquired if she liked chocolate. She looked at me like I was crazy. I mean, who doesn't like chocolate, right? So I gave it to her and walked away without even saying "have a good day" or "bye" or "good luck" or anything. I totally forgot that I was supposed to say something. I hope she liked it anyway.

Castilla la Mancha y Andalucía

I'm too absorbed in playing my ukulele, so I don't have much time for this post, but here is a quick rundown of my vacations week. It was amazing and filled with great moments! Hostel hopping is, as far as I'm concerned, the best way for young people to travel, both alone and with friends. It's a wonderful global community.

Madrid

• El Prado: I love seeing paintings I recognize and know in museums. I think I had my fair share of Velásquez, Goya, and Rubens for now. The horse of the Duque de Lerma was mesmerizing in real life though... 
• Reina Sofia: Too much modern art. I'm not the biggest fan.
• Watching Olympic skating with Emily in our hotel room. Always a blast. #Sochi
• Had Baclava at the Mercado de San Miguel and pretty decent chocolate con churros (supposedly the best in Madrid) at San Ginés

Seafood at the El Mercado de San Miguel

Toledo

• so beautiful, so medieval. 
• visited a sword forgery and learned about the process of damascus steel and engraving it with gold 
• checked out the richest church in Spain. At least  in terms of art and gold.
• finally bought the small side bag I had been looking for. It's handmade of bull's hide
• Best group lunch so far! We ate at a rather touristy place that had amazing sopa de Castilla la Mancha and scrumptious venison.

Toledo

the unicorn motif was the one i found most interesting in the cathedral in Toledo

That sword, that sword...



the side bag!

Córdoba

• so rainy and windy the first day! Our umbrellas all broke. Sunny and beautiful the next day, thankfully.
• The hostel was nice enough. There weren't many boarders. The moorish architecture of the hostel was very charming.
• I met a local guy while lounging on the bridge that crossed the Guadalquivir River. People form here don't say there "s" sounds. For example, instead of "español" he would say "eppañol." I felt extremely accomplished upon having understood him.
• Went for mass at the Mezquita. Catholic service in an ex-mosque was very interesting indeed. The hilarious part was that there were almost more priests present than worshippers. And at least 7 of the "worshippers" weren't even catholic...
• I bought a hamsa pendant at the Casa de Sefard (Jewish museum). I'm excited to wear it together with a cross I got later in Granda (but which was made in Toledo). Here is to the peaceful coexistence of religions! 
• The audio-guides in museums are quite fun to listen to. I particularly enjoyed the spanish commentary in the museum de Viva de al-Andalus. 
• Emily and I found a cool dried fruits and nuts store and made our own "trail mix" 
• Bought a handmade leather belt. My green pants finally won't be falling off.
• On the road from Córdoba to Granada there were huge never ending fields of olive trees, stretching in all directions. This place sure is the land of the olives.

La Mezquita

view from window of Viva al-Andalus museum

Granada

• The Alhambra was absolutely charming, even despite the cold and rather sad weather. However, I cannot imagine living in a space where every single square inch of the walls, doors, and ceilings are filled with moorsih rococo-esque designs. It was just too much!
• Walked around Albayzín, a predominantly muslim neighborhood of the city and checked out the Alcaiceria, a traditional medina (now tourist market).
• Visited the royal chapel, where the tombs of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel are. At this point I was so tired of churches that in Sevilla I only walked into one (the largest cathedral in Spain) and in Cádiz I avoided them all together. Catholic stuff gets pretty creepy after a while.
• Had dinner with Michelle in a 12th century arab bathhouse. It was a pretty unique experience.

A picture of the Alhambra that totally does not capture
its grandeur, but it's the best I could do

With Emily and Jacob at mirador de San Nicolas (Alhambra in background)

Sevilla

• Visited the Alcázar (castle and gardens)
• Made friends with two Austrians, Lisa and Reinhard, at the hostel and went to bars with them. Lisa is a true world-traveler. She says she loves to change locations often becuase it's always a new start. She is just 23 but has already lived in Brazil, Ecuador, Austria, and now Spain for a semester. Can't wait to see where I'll run into her next. Tinto de verano is my new favorite drink. And buñuelos de queso are indeed great tapas. We also went to the gym together for some crazy Brazilian booty shaking dance class. It was hilarious.
• I loved the warmth of Sevilla and people playing music and singing in the streets. The way Spaniards play the guitar definitely has its charm. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MZ_K7EmDEw
• I had the best hot chocolate and cheesecake with strawberries here. (though they were the most expensive as well)
• So many orange trees, everywhere!
• A creepy 60+ cook gave me chocolate, played the guitar for me, and gave me shots on Valentine's Day... go figure.

Just a few of those orange trees

Bridge in the garden of Plaza de España with my groupies

here we go with that best hot chocolate. the cake was pretty decent too

Musicians in the street, during the middle of the day

Cádiz

• The ocean hugs Cádiz from all sides, with the exception of a narrow tongue connecting it to the mainland. It was windy and a tiny bit rainy, but overall good weather and so much sunshine!
• Visited the Casa de Obispo, an archeological museum that has been inhabited near-continously for almost 3000 years. It was amazing to see Phoenician ruins and how the Romans and later the Visigoths, muslims, and modern spaniards built upon them.
• I found the lack of people very agreeable. Definitely the least touristy city (at least during this part of the year) that I've visited.
• Met an Australian girl at the hostel, she was a joy to spend time with. We went together to see the Cámara Oscura from the Tavira Tower (tallest in the town)
• I had fantastic cocido (here they called it puchero), a type of chick pea stew with either meat or seafood. I had it with king prawns and it was marvelous.
• Bought a kilo mandarin for 70 cents. I call that a good buy! And they were super sweet and tasty
• At first I was upset that my camera died during the first half of the day, but then I didn't mind too much. I'm constantly frustrated with my camera not being able to capture things the way they are anyway. 
• Found a cozy little nook in a circular marine-esque window looking out on the ocean in the Iberoamerican house (a latin american art museum, where I was the only visitor)
• My favorite jeans, the maroon ones, somehow ripped. I sewed it back together and then it ripped again. I was not happy.
• I'm so glad I went alone. Cádiz was definitely the place to visit solo. And it also definitely reaffirmed my love and reverence for the ocean.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  I loved the dedication to a clean environment that Cádiz showed.
  Don't you dare throw trash in the ocean!

  

  Castillo de San Sebastián

  
  

  

  view form Torre Tavira

  
  

  

  isn't Cádiz just charming?