31 Monday Dec 2012
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Mr. Selfish and I stayed in Málaga for two nights. There wasn’t too much to do, and we were glad for it because the quick traveling was starting to tire us out. We basically walked around, shopped, and ate. It was quite nice and relaxing.
Our hotel was in the perfect location in downtown Málaga. We had a nice view from our window of the cathedral, the Alcazaba, and the water.
30 Sunday Dec 2012
Posted in Europe, Food & Drinks, Spain
I didn’t know much about flamenco prior to arriving to Spain. To be honest, I still don’t know that much about it. But we did see it two times while in Spain (once in Seville and once in Madrid), and both were quite enjoyable experiences.
The first time that we saw it was in Seville at La Carbonería. The performances were free, and the food and drinks were cheap and plentiful. We got there early and stayed for two of the performances. On hindsight, we wished we had stayed for more.
29 Saturday Dec 2012
Posted in Asia, Australia, Bali, China, Japan, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Mr. Selfish and I have been in the States since Dec. 16th. We have truly enjoyed our time back “home”. Even though we are technically homeless (since we rented out our house), we consider the States to be home.
It has been wonderful to see so many loved ones and enjoy the comforts of home. I especially loved meeting my adorable three month old nephew for the first time and experiencing Christmas through the eyes of my 3 year-old and 6 year-old nephews. Mr. Selfish and I also appreciated all of the delicious food that everyone has been cooking for us. A home cooked meal with family beats eating out at a restaurant every time.
But tomorrow, it’s all coming to an end. We are continuing our selfish year. We have eight more months and about thirty more cities to go. Here’s the map of our itinerary:
28 Friday Dec 2012
Posted in Flashback, North America
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Chicago, Chicago Style Hot Dogs, Deep Dish Pizza, Ethiopian Food, Flashback, Friday, Geno's, Illinois, Lincoln Park Zoo, Millenium Park, North America, Wieners Circle
In May 2008, Mr. Selfish and I visited our good friend Becca in Chicago. Becca had been raving about Chicago, and we decided to take her up on her offer to let us crash at her apartment. This was my first trip to Chi-Town, and I found it to be quite charming.
First, we went to Millenium Park, which actually was opened in 2004 (only four years behind schedule). I love taking pictures in front of the Cloud Gate, which is better known as the “Bean.” Also, Crown Fountain is nice because it’s fun to watch all the kids splashing around in the water and their parents trying not to get wet.
27 Thursday Dec 2012
Mr. Selfish and I stopped in Granada to visit the Alhambra, which is a Moorish palace and fortress. It was built in the mid-10th century on a hill on the southwest border of Granada. It is an atypical example of Muslim art that is mostly uninfluenced by European style.
The drive from Murcia to Granada was beautiful. We even ran into a man herding dozens of goats. Once we got into Granada, we did get lost. Our GPS lost its signal, and the signs in the city directing us to the Alhambra were far and few between. Considering that it is one of the most visited sights in Spain, we were amazed that there weren’t more signs.
26 Wednesday Dec 2012
It was a long drive from Valencia until Malaga, so Mr. Selfish and I decided to stop for a night in Murcia. There wasn’t much to do there but it was good to get out of the car.
First, we went to Monteagudo mountain, on which a Moorish castle sits. The castle was eventually converted to Christianity and an open-arms Jesus statute was placed on the mountain. I read online that you could walk to the top and touch Jesus’s toes, which are bigger than footballs. However, when we went, the path was blocked and looked a little hazardous, so we couldn’t venture to the top.
25 Tuesday Dec 2012
Posted in General
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Mr. Selfish and I regret not mailing out Christmas cards this year. But do not despair. You can get your annual dose of Mr. and Mrs. Selfish killing each other in this post.
We wish you and your loved ones a selfish and merry Christmas!
24 Monday Dec 2012
Other than eating paella, Mr. Selfish and I enjoyed our visit to Valencia. In particular, we visited the City of Arts and Science, which is located in the Jardin del Turia. It is very modern and contains museums and other entertainment complexes. It’s great for walking around and people watching.
23 Sunday Dec 2012
Posted in Europe, Food & Drinks, Spain
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When Mr. Selfish and I left Barcelona and started our road trip around the south of Spain, our first stop was Valencia. The city has some interesting sights, which we’ll go over tomorrow, but those weren’t what drew us to Valencia. The primary reason that we decided to go to Valencia was for the paella since it was invented there.
As soon as we arrived in Valencia, we called Casa Roberto for a reservation. They gave us a reservation for 9pm, which was apparently when they opened. Yes, they eat quite late in Spain.
We learned from our cooking class in Barcelona that traditional Valencian paella consists of rabbit, snails, and chicken. Prior to this trip, I had always thought that seafood paella was traditional. Of course, we ordered the traditional Valencian paella from Casa Roberto. It took about 45 minutes for our order to come out. (If you order paella and it comes out quickly, chances are it is frozen.)
22 Saturday Dec 2012
On our last full day in Barcelona, Mr. Selfish and I visited Park Montjuïc and the Castle of Montjuïc. Both are in the southwestern end of Barcelona and provide great views of Barcelona’s harbor.
We climbed the hill up to Park Montjuïc. There were great views along the way, and we tried to find a view with sangria but there was none to be had.
21 Friday Dec 2012
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Mr. Selfish and I are huge Hayao Miyazaki fans. Miyazaki is a renowned Japanese director. My favorite Miyazaki film is My Neighbor Totoro. So when we decided to go to Tokyo, we knew that we had to go to the Ghibli Museum, which is in a small suburb of Tokyo.
20 Thursday Dec 2012
Posted in Barcelona, Europe, Food & Drinks, Spain
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Mr. Selfish and I enjoy taking cooking classes during our travels. That way, we can make the recipes at home and reminisce about our trip. Since we were in Barcelona for an entire week, we decided to take a cooking class there.
We divided into four groups with each being designated a course. The five of us (me, Mr. Selfish, his mom and dad, and his sister) handled three of the courses.
19 Wednesday Dec 2012
Posted in Barcelona, Europe, Food & Drinks, Spain
Aside from Gaudi, Barcelona has some interesting areas to explore. First, there is La Rambla, which is a pedestrian shopping street. It was nice walking down the street with all of the Christmas decorations up. We didn’t buy anything on La Rambla, but we did people watch.
18 Tuesday Dec 2012
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To complete our tour of Gaudi sights in Barcelona, Mr. Selfish and I visited Güell Park. The park was built in the years 1900-14. It was one of Gaudi’s earlier works and is not as out there as the other sights we visited. Nevertheless, it is a very enjoyable park.
The entrance contains the iconic mosaic salamander, and the main terrace is designed like a sea serpent.
17 Monday Dec 2012
Mr. Selfish and I went to La Sagrada Família with little to no expectations, but we were blown away by its magnificence.
La Sagrada Família is a basilica, on which Gaudi began working in 1883. When Gaudi died in 1926, less than a quarter of the basilica had been completed. In 2010, construction passed its midway point, and the Sagrada was consecrated as a minor basilica by the Pope. It is anticipated that the Sagrada will be completed in 2026 – the centennial of Gaudí’s death.
The day that we visited the Sagrada was beautiful and sunny. We saw the front and the sculptures adorning that area in full sunlight. It was spectacular.
