Where in the world is Annalise Sandiego, I mean Carmen Hale, I mean Carmen Sandiego!

I feel like I have fallen off the face of the Blogplanet! Work, Grad classes, and now - wait for it- an assistant editor position for the poetry section of the magazine Penumbra (the same one I participated in a fundraiser reading this past fall!!). So exciting! 

 

So what did I do tonight, instead of my piling up work and homework? Well, I wrote a blog of course!!! Just for all of you lovely readers, family and friends, and well, myself. Sometimes you need to relax and make time for something you enjoy doing. :D

I seriously feel like this woman sometimes. WTF... 4Rlz

So, you may be wondering, where in the world is Carmen Sandiego? Aslo known as Raelynne and Annalise, although we are not spies or wanted felons, not sure why Carmen was all over the world… 

So this past January I had the pleasure of a two week adventure with my cousin Annalise, occasionally confused for my twin due to our freckles and family resemblance, but this time, we were just two adventurous 20+ year olds!! 

Annalise and I

She came to spend her 20^th birthday, because everyone knows it’s more fun in Europe to be 20 than in the USA. Not that we did anything a normal law abiding 20 year old wouldn’t do in the US… >.>   <.<  

First we just hung out in Madrid and explored Sol and Plaza Mayor and all sorts of crazy neighborhoods, went to the Plaza de España Market, and the next day we all went Ice Skating!!!

The fountain in Plaza de España! We also took a million Christmas tree photos for our Aunti Joanna!

Outside the Palace!

The Post office building, also a government building - they look so important here!

And a Scientology Church... Which I was shocked by because I didn't know they were allowed in Europe...

We ice skated at the seasonal rink by my apartment! Soooo dangerous!

Guillaume came with us!! The ice was NOT Zamboni'd... ever... all winter.

Then, Sunday we had a girl's day with Caralyn, her cousin and friend who were in town, and Cari. We had some drinks and went to an awesome Flamenco show at Villa-Rosa (We sat at one of the front tables! GO us for reserving a month in advance for amazing seats!!!). 

Annalise excited for her first Flamenco show!!!

Me, trying to be cute, and failing. Awkward let's hold the menu moment, anyone? anyone?

The girls! Annalise, Cari, Heather, Emily, Caralyn and my chair.

Three dancers, one male, two female, two singers and a guitarist! Phenomenal Show!

It's all about the FEEEEET! hrm... may explain why I love Flamenco... lol

A beautiful finish.

We celebrated New Years at David’s amazing New Years party. Eating grapes and drinking Cava, poorly attempting to follow the Spanish tradtions (which we all forgot to give kisses… the most important and basic of wishing Feliz Año Nuevo. haha. Oops).

The boys.

Two of the girls... I actually don't have many photos of this evening...

The host, and his sexy Guitar.

We of course went to play Pool, after eating delicious Indian food in Lavapies at Shapla (my fav. Indian restaurant in Madrid), and seeing el Templo de Deblod earlier that day. 

Dancing under an Egyptian Rock Monument. Definition of Awesome Invented.

The foggy view, still beautiful.

Annalise and I at the restaurant!! -Thanks Guillaume for taking our photo!

Yummy after dinner Red Tea!

Outside of Guillaume and I's favorite pool hall in Madrid (Pool and Beer would be our favorite pool bar. teehee)

Whichever team Annalise was on, won! Rigged.

Then we went to Reina Victoria where I practiced taking secret photos, but this time actually got to take in and enjoy the museum! We saw an extremely bizarre existentialist French film from a time long long ago in a place very far away, that the director clearly had gotten to by taking LSD, Acid or Shrooms or all of the above. 

A nice man took our photo before we entered!

Secret Photo Success #1

Secret Photo Annalise!

Secret photo, blurry but great positioning.

Annalise again. Love this photo.

Awesome Sculpture.

Secret Photo Annalise and Guillaume. Double Score!

Secret Photo - Museum Fatigue: Cause unknown, may have a correlation with seeing too much artwork in one setting.

THEN! OH THEN! We went to one of my FAVORITE Cities in Spain, GRANADA!!!

It was gorgeous, and every time I go I see something different. 

Us - Tired but excited for Granada!

We of course went to la Alhambra. It was wonderful, although for January it was extremely packed due to it being the holiday week of New Years! We first stopped at the Generalife and the gardens. Then we explored the Nazarine Palace (Palacios Nazaríes), which was gorgeous and worth the long wait in line (even though we had a scheduled time to go in...).

We got in after dark the first night, and this was our view from our hostel/hotel CuevasColoradas!

Our view the next morning!

A rose in La Alhambra

One of the gardens!

They finished renovating the Court of the Lions - It was extraordinary!

My favorite wall in Generalife!

Then we watched the sunset, thrice! The first night we went to the lookout point of San Nicolas, the next night an even better sunset from the view of our amazing Cave apartment/hotel/hostel - CuevasColoradas. (You should stay there if given the chance to go!! The owner is amazing and the view, the four balconies, and the cozy cave were soooo worth it! Then the third day we climbed all the way up the mountain in our explorative mood and found a church, Ermita de San Miguel el Alto (The Chapel of San Miguel the Tall). PRECIOSO!! GO! Climb all the way up there, and you will receive the most amazing reward - the most beautiful view of Granada, La Alhambra and the Mountains! Then, go behind the church the next morning for the sunrise over the mountains, because behind that, is an extremely green and mountainous forest!

The walk up to el Mirador de San Miguel (Lookout point San Miguel)

Made it to the windy lookout point!

Sunset Numero 1!!

We were a little scared of falling off...

Our home for the week!

The steps up to the four balconies!!

The front room of our cave!!

The four balconies at night!!

We also watched a Flamenco show at Le Chien Andalou (always a good cave to stop in near la Alhambra and the center of town). Found a random Vegan Restaurant - Hicuri - with the best veggie soup I’ve ever had in my life - it was so good we had to go back for lunch the next day too! And bought some scrumptious teas and baklava in the Teteria street! YUMMY!
 

OMFG a VEGAN Restaurant! We found it just wandering around Granada!

Outside, amazing graffiti

Wandering the streets was one of our Favorite past times!

We stayed in a cave, drank tea in caves, and....

Watched a Flamenco show in a CAVE! oh yeah. Spelunkers? maybe  not... lol

To say the least, our trip to Granada was A-M-Azing.

Our Final Sunset...

The view from the great Climb to the Chapel!

Exhausted, yet somehow still stunning!

We returned to Madrid for a fun Veggie Paella and Croquetas Three Kings Day with wonderful friends (although, the Croquetas need some altering if we are going to make them vegan again). 

My first Paella EVER!!!

Had a great relaxing day of leftover Paella, Wiffle ball at the park (Guillaume and David’s idea *wink wink*), ping pong and Madrid Monopoly!!  David won, jerk, took all my money! 

David's Wicked Curve ball!

Guillaume's Homer!

We somehow acquired an audience of a father and daughter!

I'm NOT scared... at all. *Don't hit me*

Annalise's fastball!

The next day we drove to Cercedilla to climb la Sierra and look out over the fog. It was a perfect cold rainy day in Madrid to go to the Mountain where it was clear as a summer’s day, warm, and beautiful above all the fog. Also, the fog blocked out the city so you felt like you were in the middle of nature 500 years ago with nothing around you! 

Annalise being a clock.

Annalise, dying of laughter... or maybe that's thirst...

Men, having a manly conversation, atop a manly hill.

The B-E-A-UTIFUL Sierra

Chasing lizards!

Hiking back down at the end of the day!

The amazing view from the top!

After that we went to the RUSSIAN BALLET - Swan Lake. By far the BEST Ballet I have EVER been to in my life, and Annalise agrees! 

Annalise super excited about the BALLET!!

Waiting for it to start!!!

So quick back story, Annalise and I have always, and I mean ALWAYS gone every year for at least the past 10 years, to the KC Ballet with our Grandpa for our Birthdays (hers January and mine February, a new ballet always debuts around that time - perfect for two dancers!). We have seen some AMAZING shows, ranging from contemporary ballet, to traditional, to point, to ballet’s that tell stories, to modern, to the motherflippin RUSSIAN BALLET!! GAH!!!! So exciting, and we dressed up, like the sexxxxy hot ladies we are! 

Caipirinhas to finish our great two weeks!

They were as big as our heads!

The streets were still Christmas-y!!

And we found a pig in the Market de San Antón in Chueca!!

Then we wound down a little bit and unfortunately I had to return to work and the USA really really wanted Annalise back so she could go back to school and take some kick ass dietetics classes at SLU… So, our adventure came to an end. 

Now, I am back to work, back in my classes, and sorting through poetry entries.

Another side note: You should all submit!!! We want your poetry, prose, short stories, microfiction, art, photography in English OR Spanish OR both at PENUMBRA). 

Until next time,

Raelynne