Bond. James Bond.

Well you can't say I didn't pre-warn you. This is basically where my blogging abilities have fallen off the bandwagon seeing as its been over a month since my last post. So much has happened since then it seems. Either way when I mentioned in my last post that I was getting really busy with school work, I was probably being too modest. Basically I got smoked with group projects, reports and presentations (at least 2 a week). This would have been more manageable had I not planned another weekend trip for October with my Dad and a trip to Venice at the start of November....more about those will follow.

Essentially I found out that not only is this semester the hardest of my whole degree program at GGSB but, the emphasis on being a Grand Ecole is actually more than I thought. It seems as though this gives the school much more status than I realized and thus, much more work. Anyone who wants to work in government/politics in Europe really needs to have graduated from a Grand Ecole and its definitely considered more prestigious than the Universities around Grenoble. This really didn't matter too much to me, considering I was barely aware, but it's nice to have that advantage on my resume if I ever decide to work in Europe.

My dad arrived in Grenoble on Wednesday Oct 13 and we left on Thursday Oct 21 for Monaco. This trip almost didn't happen. One, I was swamped with work and a midterm and project deadline got moved to the week after we were planning to escape to the South of France. Also, the French had continued to strike, interfering with life as I knew it, and were blocking off the gazole/diesel distribution channels throughout France. This might have been alright aside from the fact that my dad and I had decided to rent a car and were going to drive to Monaco. Thus, we were never really certain what was going to happen the day we were planning to leave; all we knew was a rental car would be waiting but we had no idea how full the tank of gas would be and if we would be able to fill up when necessary. Ultimately everything was fine and we had no problem finding diesel when we needed it. Definitely lucked out.

Monaco was incredible! Due to my mad navigating skills, we made it safe and sound to Monaco, more specifically, the Fairmont Monte Carlo. Yes....my father spoiled me and it was awesome! I was so happy to have a large and comfortable bed along with new sheets everyday. Also, there was the most amazing rooftop restaurant/lounge/champagne bar overlooking the Mediterranean that was breathtaking both at night and during the day. The moon reflecting off the sea was a beautiful sight and the warm air was a nice change from the chilly and rainy temperatures we had been getting in Grenoble the week before. In fact, the warmth was so unexpected I didn't have the proper clothes and ended up rolling up my jeans as makeshift capris. Glad we brought our bathingsuits since on Friday October 22 we spent the afternoon sun bathing, eating gelato and swimming in the sea. LOVED IT.

In the end the weekend gave my dad and I lots of time to relax, aside from the fact that I had to study for a French and Business Law midterm during the evenings. We got to see the famous Monte Carlo Casino where the James Bond Casino Royale was filmed although it was 15 euro to even get entrance and 25 euro minimum bet so we didn't bother gambling there. In fact, our hotel was backing right onto the side of the casino. I also received some eye candy in the form of beautiful cars; Aston Martins, Porsches, Lamborghinis, Ferraris....and I was in heaven :D In addition, we ate dinner over the marina, checked out the mini carnival between Monte Carlo and Monaco City, tried to make our way into Monaco City and spent some time walking the beach. On the Saturday we took the car for another adventure and went to visit Cannes, the location of the famous, international film festival. The weather was still gorgeous for this daytrip and so we enjoyed walking along the Boulevard de la Croisette and taking a train ride for a historical and celebrity tour of the city.

By Sunday we had savoured the time we had by the sea and had to make our way back to Grenoble. Of course, the ugly, rainy weather welcomed us home to the start of a week of insanity for me and my dad's last week in Grenoble.

Viaje

Yes...as I am delayed in writing these blogs as of late it has been 4 days since I arrived home from my vacation in Spain or "viaje en Espana" as the Spanish would say. However, I am still determined to write about the trip it will just be less of a detailed/play-by-play account and more of a summary of the highlights.

As many of you know, I am the type who likes to plan things out and know what I'm getting into before I get into it. This was not really that sort of a trip, although I did my best to make it be.

Like I said in my previous post, Jess and I spent the Wednesday (Sept 1) planning our trip to Spain, since Egypt was now out of the question). We were dealing with crappy internet connection at school so it was really challenging to book hostels and check flights. In the end, by 8pm, we managed to sort it all out and had to get straight on packing since we were to leave at 6:45am the next morning!

We arrived in Barcelona first and it was awesome! After staying for 3 nights, and 4 full days, here are some of the highlights:

La Rambla

A street running from Plaza Catalunya to the marina that is full of buskers (sometimes doing strange things), restaurants, and souvenir shops. Needless to say it is a tourist trap but an interesting promenade none the less.

Tapas

A typical Spanish event, I say event because it can start as late as 10 or 11pm and last for hours. You go to a restaurant and pick all different types of dishes to try (more of an assortment of appetizers) along with your sangria, beer or wine. Jess and I opted to try this experience and although it led to a hefty bill, it was a lot of fun as we especially enjoyed the sangria and extra long (3 foot) straws that accompanied.

The Beach

We clearly could not go to Barcelona and not spend at least a couple afternoons at the beach on the Mediterranean Sea. Much to my surprise the beach was not like those in Nice, France where the "sand" is actually all pebbles. I was quite pleased that is was real sand and not a painful experience to get into the water as it was in Nice. We enjoyed the sun immensely (although it drained our energy) and I have to say our homemade glasses for the 1L cartons of sangria we purchased were the highlight of our trips to the Beach.

Passeig de Gracia

The main avenue running down the centre of Barcelona. It reminded me much of Les Champs d'Elysees in France with the boutiques, restaurants and stores like Hugo Boss, Burberry, Chanel, Yves St.Laurent, etc. It was always bustling with people and activity with some hidden architectural gems along the way. Personally, I was entralled by all of the colonial architechture in Barcelona. The only frustration was that although I can speak some Spanish, Barcelona was a city in the Catalunya region and most people spoke Catalan rather than Spanish.

Familia Sagrada

Considered the 3rd cathedral of Barcelona and a symbolic landmark, la Familia Sagrada started construction in 1882 and isn't supposed to be completed until 2025. It is one of Gaudi's most recognized, and admired, pieces of architecture, and it was amazing to see the inspiration he drew from the shapes, movement and characteristics of nature. It really was incredible and would certainly stand out among one of the top cathedrals I've seen from around the world.

Well, I guess I should space these out a bit so you guys get a break from my rambling so I'll share some stories from Madrid in the next post.

Ciao amigos!