Enjoying the Company

Two weekends ago I went to Vienna to meet with Jessica, Rebecca, and Nikki. I took the night train 10 hours Friday night then back again Monday night. I traveled with the three girls in Italy. We liked that enough, that we planned this weekend with each other. We weren't much into visiting buildings or museums. We appreciated them from the outside, and spent a lot of time in cafes, which really is the thing to do in Vienna.
I came back Tuesday morning to a full day of work. I did manage to get to sleep even in a full train cabin where I couldn't sprawl out onto another chair. That evening I picked up Sarah Jane, another trainee from Holland at the airport. She came to visit for a week. It was so nice to have her here, even though I worked. Jessica came on Thursday and is here till this coming Monday. So double whammy, but the good kind of whammy (what does that even mean?) So it was a full house, and more a full bedroom for me.
Sarah Jane wanted to see Strasbourg so we went Friday afternoon and came back Saturday evening. And funny side-story, I almost didn't even get let into France since I didn't have my passport with. Luckily the border control guy was nice. We decided to give ourselves some adventure and not plan ahead of time where to sleep. The hostel we tried was full but luckily they directed us to a cheap and not even shabby hotel. It was so nice to speak French, and nicer because Sarah Jane can speak it basically as well as I can.
Yesterday Geigers planned a little hiking trip for the day. We took a gondola up the mountain then somehow hiked back to the car. It was lovely minus the cold wind that was at it's peak while we grilled and ate our lunch.
Today my lack of sleep and the bad sleep I got last night caught up with me. I woke up feeling achy and extremely tired. It got better as the day went on, but I do need to sleep soon.
I have already had to say a few final goodbyes, today to the sweet 11 year-old neighbor girl Daniella and to Sarah on Monday who's at camp till after I leave! The end is beginning to feel real.
I have the odd combination of homesickness (which I never had this whole year), and the scary prospect of leaving my life here, which I love, as well as Europe as a whole with no definite plans in the immediate future to return. Okay so I do have some plans up my sleeve...

Another piece of my heart lost in the Mediterranean

Sunday I returned from my last big holiday of my Intermenno year in Girona, Spain. I was there nine days. Unlike the other places I've traveled to this year it was not new to me. I can't even compare it with the others. It is just Girona. and the life I know there. which is really the best for me.
Just like last time I stayed with my friend Nerea. My memory of two years ago when I was there was so good and I had this fear in the back of my mind that everything would be different this time and a let down. To my pleasure as far as surroundings, everything was the same, only minor things like gas prices had changed. Girona is still beautiful. Even in front of the cathedral, Nerea said hi to the same aquaintance, who was setting up for the same religious music festival as two years ago. My own little Brigadoon-don't I wish. Ha. It also had a lot to do that with the fact that I came at the same time of year as last time.
We spent our time there at the La Conca beach, being with Nerea's family, and her friends, at Las Carpas, and taking the dogs for walks, as well as other things. We also spent a day in Barcelona where Nerea showed me her University and residence. We met up with her boyfriend Ivan and toured La Sagrada Familia.
I love the culture in Catalonia-Spain. The Mediterranean culture is so different. American's have the tendancy to generalize Europe too much as whole and that really doesn't work. I think the Germanic culture has many more similarities with American than compared to Mediterranean.
They eat lunch at 3:00 and supper around 10:00. They always give 2 kisses for saying goodbye and hello, which avoids a lot of awkwardness. And people are just more open and inviting in general, which I can especially appreciate as a visitor.

I did however forget that last time I left I vowed when I returned I would be able to speak Spanish. That was going fine till German got in the way of that. Perhaps in two years I increased my vocabulary of maybe 100 words. I used maybe 20? Ha. Anyways, what I forgot I quickly remembered. I only remembered how much I liked her friends and less how I couldn't very well communicate with them. I still love Castellano (Spanish) though and want to learn it someday, the Catalan can come yet after that.
If you want to know more about Spain ask me because I love to talk about it, obviously.
Now I am back to good old Lupsingen, trying to make the most the month I have. This week I also have the extra burden of get ready for my trip to Vienna with Rebecca, Jessica, and Nikki this weekend. I don't even have a ticket yet for the train. The kids have summer vacation now, which means I'm seeing much more of them and they keep me very busy.
I also have to mention the biggest news to hit Lupsingen. Yesterday evening the Volg (the only store in the village), burned down! The place I went to nearly every day to buy something! Now what will we do? Ha. So I will leave you with this: