Euro(work) trip--Barcelona

My time in Barcelona was absolutely fantastic--the weather was ideal and it was always sunny; the Spanish food and wine were a pleasure for the palette; I was able to speak the local language and enjoy engaging in good conversation with locals (I loved speaking Spanish again!); and, on my tiny bit of free time, I was able to walk the city, and, just as in Amsterdam, take it all in.

Although I loved the architecture in Amsterdam, there is something very special about Barcelona--it is a breathtaking city. Architecturally, I think Barcelona is my favorite city and reminded me of Paris. I think the reason Barcelona is so special and unique is it's palpable Mediterranean feel, with the water and beach right there. Also, all of Gaudi's architecture really is inspired by nature, so you feel more connected to it than you do in other urban spaces where you can forget nature exists at all. There are also an incredible amount of green spaces where you can actually forget you're in a city. Montjuic, where a lot of the Olympic facilities are is like this; as is the Parc Ciutadella. In addition, the Parc Guell feels like a Mediterranean escape, like you're actually in the country-side of Greece, not in urban Barcelona.

Like Amsterdam, Barcelona has hundreds of little streets and alleyways to explore; cafes to try, sweets to taste and fashionable shops to indulge in--I bought a gorgeous pair of leather boots. I did as much as I could when I wasn't working, though this was difficult. Running in the morning was a great way for me to explore the different neighborhoods and much more enjoyable than running on a treadmill in Bangkok.

The conference I attended was incredibly interesting, covered an array of topics in conservation like water, eco-tourism, sustainable agriculture, and also topics in energy, sustainable development (poverty alleviation) and scientific studies in biology, zoology, chemistry, economics and many many other fields. I met an amazingly diverse group of people from places like Jordan, South Africa, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Zimbabwe, the US, UK, the list goes on.

Overall, it was a wonderful experience, both personally and professionally. Here are some snapshots from my trip, enjoy!

The community space outside the conference center, "El Forum"

The reflective walls of the conference building at night

Ted Turner speaking at the conference in an ecotourism seminar--he ended up sitting right in front of me!

Sign of the conference that I attended (IUCN World Conservation Congress)

Interior of the modern, environmentally-friendly conference center, "El Forum," where I spent most of my time

Barceloneta (the beach) with a view of the Olympic Stadium statue

Boats in the harbor by Barceloneta

Building art in El Raval

Walking around in El Raval

Inside the Museum of Contemporary Art

At the end of Las Ramblas leading into Colon square near the water

The famous lizard statue at the entrance of the Parc Guell

Gaudi-style bench in the Parc Guell

Inside the Parc Guell

View from atop the Parc Guell

The Casa Mila, another Gaudi work

Looking up at the Sagrada Familia

Inside the Sagrada Familia


The stained glass in the Sagrada Familia

The whole view of the Sagrada Familia

City living in Barcelona

Las Ramblas

Las Ramblas

Interior of the Barcelona Cathedral

Gaudi architecture in L'Eixample

Euro(work) trip--Amsterdam

While working in Amsterdam, I was able to walk around the city and explore at night after work or in the early morning before my work started. Here are some snapshots from my time there. Overall, I think Amsterdam was an absolutely adorable and pleasant city that, quite frankly, I fell in love with. I certainly think I would be content and happy living there.

Although the weather was a bit of a downer, it was nice to feel the freshness of fall after hot, steamy Thailand. The food was delicious, the fashion was great, the people friendly, open and diverse. I met an incredible array of interesting people and people were willing to talk to me--a Spanish bartender approached me in Spanish; a group of Dutch women in a yoga class I was in invited me to dinner with them--people were incredibly approachable and interested to meet and talk to me, I never felt lonely even though I was traveling and spent most of my time alone.

What's also great is that Amsterdam is small enough that you can walk just about anywhere in the city--it feels like a small village. I didn't ride a bicycle because of the heavy rains, but chose to walk. It was quite refreshing, walking around a city--looking at things, taking in all in; you can't really walk in Bangkok because the sidewalks can kill and it's often too hot that you'd get sweaty. I took a tram to work, which was about 20 minutes away by tram, but each day I walked home, taking different routes, exploring different squares--Rembranstplein, Leidseplein--and neighborhoods.

Amsterdam is also incredibly beautiful--the architecture, the canals, the reflections and alleyways, tucked-away niches and cafes. It's certainly an inspiring city--an artist's oyster. Hope you all enjoy my snapshots!

Early morning sale of flowers

Canal at night

Street in the old city at night

In the Centrum by the train station

Canal by the Red Light District

The Wag

More picturesque canals

Graffiti art in the Centrum

Cafe in the Centrum


Famous Amsterdam coffee shops in the Centrum


Canals in and around the centrum

Street in the old city

Updates updates!

1. I've gotten a lot of very concerned emails and calls from friends and family about the increasingly volatile political situation in Thailand. I'm okay, everyone I know in Bangkok is okay but it has certainly caused quite the disturbance--airports are closed, people are taking ridiculous, multi-destination routes to get back into the country or to leave, but hopefully things will be resolved soon. I don't know anything other than what's on the news so can't really provide any insightful information.....

2. I have plenty of updates in other areas of my life and will be posting information shortly, including:

• Photos from my work trip to Amsterdam and Barcelona
• A brief narrative of the recent Thai holiday, Loy Krathong!
  
• Snapshots of Bangkok Thanksgiving!
• Progress of the V-Day campaign and "The Vagina Monologues"
  

That's it for now. I hope you're all well and are enjoying this holiday season!

xx
A