El Fin

For our last night in Sevilla Sara and I went to Aladin's for a Kebab. So GOOD! Then we took one last walk down to the Cathedral. As we walked down the tiny streets of el Centro, I remembered just how unfamiliar all of this was on our very first day. I thought I would never be able to navigate my way around this foreign city. There I was, 4 months later, after meandering through those same streets countless times. We stared at the Giralda by moonlight for a good ten minutes before we continued our last walk through Sevilla.

The next morning I got all of my stuff together to walk the MILE to the bus stop with two huge suitcases, a backpack, and a duffel. It was a VERY long walk. I looked through the house one last time and then closed the door on an amazing semester. It was unreal that I was walking away from this apartment for the last time of my life. I got on the bus to find out that the Sevilla airport was CLOSED!! I couldn't believe it. Could this really be happening??? I had just told Brandon a week before that nothing would keep me from getting home on the 11th and now this? My initial instinct was to get off right there and catch the next train to Madrid. Since no one was getting off, and Sarah wanted to talk to the airline we took the bus there. They told us there was nothing they could do. Sevilla and one other airport were the only ones closed. We immediately grabbed a cab to the train station and prayed that we could get to Madrid. We still had our Eurail passes so it only cost 10 euros to get the train there. After another costly taxi ride we were there at the Madrid airport. With little help from any staff, we finally found where we needed to be only to find that they had closed the check baggage area. The nice lady at the counter told us that we couldn't get on that flight even though it still hadn't departed. She found the next flight out to New York and advised us to get the heck out of Spain because the ash cloud could do anything. We snatched those tickets and made our way to the terminal. The worst part of all was that we had to watch OUR plane to Dallas board and roll away down the runway. :( :( talk about frustrating!!!

After another two hour delay, they finally called for the boarding of the plane to Nueva York! I was so excited! We were going to get out of Europe, finally. I unknowingly let out a loud WOOOO HOOOOO and the guy in front of me turned around with the most puzzled look. I caught his eye and responded..."OH, sorry". Why did apologize? I have no idea. I didn't care. No one could understand how badly Sarah and I wanted to get home after so many mishaps.

We got to JFK airport and had to get another cab to La Guardia. We got there at about 11pm and had to stay awake all night for our 6am flight to DFW. We were back in the state of crazy delirium, but more than that, we were really just relieved to be back in the states. When that plane finally took off I could relax at last. I was so excited to see my mom at the airport and be welcomed back to TEXAS!

In that 32 hour trek home we took almost all of the forms of transportation; bus, 3 taxis, train, and plane. We only lacked boat. But, I was HOME, none of it mattered.

Studying abroad in Seville, Spain has been a dream of mine since high school. It really was a once in a lifetime experience that can never be repeated. I could never express how much I appreciate my dad and mom for supporting me, financially :) and otherwise, because nothing I could say would be be enough. Thanks, Momma and Daddy, you're the best parents a girl could ask for. :)

Well that sums up my semester abroad. Thanks for reading : D

El Fin

Chaos

We arrived in Geneva, Switzerland Thursday night after all the information booths had closed. We had NO idea where we could find a hostel and it was already dark. We just started walking down the streets of Geneva praying we would find something quickly. We walked for at least 20 minutes before we saw a little hostel sign. Hopeful, we went up to ask it they had room but were quickly rejected. The owner pointed us in the direction of another hostel and we headed there. Luckily this hostel had room even though it was a little sketch. We hadn't eaten anything for probably 10 hours so our next mission was food. We saw a McDonalds on the way to the hostel so we went in that direction. We had a good hamburger and McFlurry but we were floored by the prices. 2.50 Swiss Franc for a dollar burger! Ridiculous. We quickly realized how expensive everything was there in Switzerland. On the way back to the hostel we were walking by a clothing store and Sarah says..."even the manikin looks like he trying to get my money"

The next day we woke early to explore Geneva and then hopped on a train to Basel, Switzerland. We decided that we wanted to start the journey back to Sevilla the next day so we wanted to get to Paris where the only night train was going out that day. We also didn't want to pay for another night in a hostel so we decided to get a night train to Amsterdam. (Yes the delirium was still there...we were even beat box singing in the Basel station) There's just something about night trains...they're crazy uncomfortable but you feel like you are getting somewhere when you wake up in a different city and they are a lot cheaper than hostels.

This is where the complete insanity began. We got to Amsterdam and planned to explore the city a bit before going on to Paris. I thought it would be best to get our tickets for the next train before we explored so we found the place to do that. The lady was unhelpful and told us that we were completely out of luck for getting to Paris that day. We decided to get the next train to Brussels to try our luck there. A super nice worker there found us the cheapest way to get to Paris with ONLY 3 different train changes. We spent the entire day changing trains but eventually made it to Paris only to for more disappointment. After talking to a million people we were informed that all the trains were full for Eurail pass holders because of their "limit". We finally explained to them that we HAD to be back in Spain the next day and they explained to us that it would come at a cost. We had to pay full fare for the night train from Paris to the very top of Spain and then spent another day waiting for trains to get back to Madrid. At about 11pm we arrived in Madrid with no hostel plans once again. We found a McDonalds with WiFi and looked up the closest hostels. This is where we definitely knew that God was right there with us. We were both stressed and tired and didn't exactly want to spend the night on the streets of Madrid. (not the safest streets at night) I found a good prospect for a hostel and we started walking that way. We got there and I pushed the button praying they would have room. I asked the little old man in Spanish and he said that they had only 4 beds left for the night. Perfection. We weren't going to get murdered in Spain that night. We slept for a total of 5 hours before we got up to catch the first train back to Sevilla.

This last part of our European adventures was a bit stressful, and there might have been a few tears shed, but we had fun through it all. It was one of the best experiences ever because I was able to see SO much of Europe. I wouldn't change the experience for the world.

Getting home chaos soon to come :)

We laughed until we cried...literally

Germany and part of Switzerland

After an AMAZING time in Salzburg (my favorite city after Sevilla) we headed to Germany. We arrived in Munich in the morning to find it raining. :( We walked around the cute little city for a while then went to a little cafe for some coffee. Now, we are spoiled Spanish folk so we definitely didn't get what we were expecting. We did get "coffee" but it tasted funny and cost 5 euros. Oh well. We adventured around some more before we decided the rain was telling us to hop on the next train. The highlight of this day was BY FAR the curry wurst we had at the train station. INCREDIBLE does not even describe it. Those German peeps know how to eat.

Another train, another city. We arrived in Zurich just to catch the train to Geneva where we planned to stay the night. This is where the train adventures began. Let's just say that Sarah and I had hit a point of delirium from lack of sleep and too many trains. Not a bad delirium but one that makes you act kind of crazy. We were "fighting" over my fear of Sudoku, discussing the German use of K, dictating German cartoons, and describing cows in helicopters (because happy cows come from Switzerland). We've been living in an environment where 90% of the population doesn't understand us when we speak English and we've become accustomed to this. All this time that we are going off on these little tangents there is a lady in front of us who we assume doesn't understand a word we are saying. About an hour into the trip the conductor of the train comes on the loud speaker and says something in German. Of course we have no idea what he said. This little lady politely interrupts and asks us in English where we are going. We reply Geneva and she tells us that this train is not going to continue on. We follow her around like little lost puppies as she helps us find a connecting train. When we try to get off too early she states "no, you stay". Without the help of that extremely nice lady we might still be sitting in that train wondering what the crack was going on. On the last train to Geneva that night we finally realized that the lady had understood us the whole time!! We started to remember all the ridiculous things we had said and started laughing hysterically. We laughed until we cried.

more to come :)

I'm back!

We made it home safely and I'm so glad to be back. I still have a ton to blog about and will soon! Promise :)

Austria

Tuesday morning I said goodbye to Katy and headed out to catch the train to Florence. The plan was that Sarah and I were going to meet there before we headed out. I got to Florence and went to the meeting point of McDonalds. Five minutes later Sarah showed up. I have to admit that I was surprised. Not that she wouldn’t show or anything, but just the fact that it’s possible to meet so easily in another country.

“Hey let’s meet in Florence, Italy” – how crazy does that sound?

We got our night train tickets to Vienna, Austria for only 7 Euros. (we found out why so cheap later)

Anyway, Sarah’s roommate from Tech is studying in Florence so she let us stay in her apartment until the train left that night. The view from her cute apartment was SO Italy. She made us Eggplant Parmesan! Incredible! It was nice to just chill in a comfortable environment for a while. After dinner we went to get one last gelato L. (don’t count the number that I had while in Italy) :P

We boarded the night train and saw the tiny little rooms with six chairs and zero leg room….that’s what you get for a Eurail pass and 7 euros. It worked though. The air conditioner wasn’t working so to take our minds off frying to death we joked about my obsession with little kids clothes and Sarah’s obsession with dogs. Right then Sarah looks under my chair and says “Is that a dog under there or am I going crazy??” I didn’t believe her at all but sure enough there was a DOG under my chair on a European train Hilarious!!…they didn’t check his ticket though. (Now every time we get on trains we check under each other’s chairs for dogs) J

At about five in the morning the Austrian police, who were quite intimidating men, boarded the train to check passports. Of course Sarah and I didn’t have any problems. The next car down, however, did give us some entertainment. An Italian man was arguing that he didn’t need a passport to get to Austria. The policeman replied, (insert Arnold Schwrzenneger accent here) “Don’t tell me what is the law in Austria” Sarah and I looked at each other barley able to contain ourselves. Yes, I realize this may not seem that funny but at 5 in the morning everything is hilarious.

We woke up in AUSTRIA and arrived at Vienna at 8:30am. We found a map and started heading to the area that looked most touristy. Not at all sure where we were, we stopped at a bus stop to look at the map.

Sarah – “Well it looks like we take wienersnitchel down to …..” The butchering of the German street names made us realize that we were, in fact, in yet another place where we speak none of the language. Vienna was okay but after only a few hours we decided that it was time to head to Salzburg, Austria. Good choice it was!

more to come later on Salzburg and such!

Vatican City

Monday, May 3^rd, we went to Vatican City! We had reserved a tour ahead of time which proved to be a great idea. The Vatican museum had been closed the previous two days so the normal 20,000 guests the Vatican sees was estimated to be around 50,000 that day. It was packed. The Vatican museum was okay and our guide was boring, but we saw the Sistine Chapel!!! It was gorgeous. I can see how this one became so famous. After that, we went into the largest Cathedral in the WORLD. St. Peter’s Basilica was incredible. I was definitely awestruck.

After the Vatican tour we went on the quest for a cute Italian meal and we found it. We walked through the winding streets and came upon a little restaurant with outside seating. Perfect! Everywhere we looked was the essence of Italy. (Little streets with houses butted up against each other, street performers, artists, and just the feeling of Italy) We spent the perfect last night in Italy and even saw the Trevi fountain all lit up at night. I could not have asked for a better Italy experience. Good food, good wine, good conversation all shared with a great friend! J

Florence and Pisa

Sunday morning we hopped a train to Florence….because we could. It was raining all day, which was a bummer, but we finally saw REAL Italy. We saw the gorgeous cathedral of Florence and meandered through the tiny streets. We came along a cute Italian restaurant and stopped for a Calzoni. Another important sight in Florence was the old bridge. This bridge is the last in Europe to have stores and houses on the bridge itself. Around that area I bought some treble clef earrings from a man making them on the streets. It started pouring as we went to the “look out” spot. It was an incredible view but would have been better without all the rain. There is a huge leather market in Florence selling all kinds of items made of Italian leather. This was fun to walk around and attempt to barter down prices.

We jumped on the next train to Pisa…because we could. J We literally had about 2 hours to find the leaning tower, snap some pictures, and get back to the train station. We did JUST that…with a gelato stop of course. We saw the LEANING TOWER OF PISA and it was LEANING! We didn’t get the “perfect” tower pic and it was still raining but who really cares? I never thought I would be seeing so many world famous monuments in my life.

We got back to Rome late, about midnight. The buses were already off for the night so we started to walk back to the hostel. ROME AT NIGHT IS SKETCH…enough said. I’m sure we would have been fine, but after a while of walking through the scary streets Katy hailed the first cab we saw. We took a 1 mile 14 EURO cab ride. The driver totally ripped us off but at least we were safe.

Rome adventures

The first day in Rome Katy and I got up early and headed out to see all of the typical sights. The coliseum was first on the list and started out the day in a great way. Usually it costs 12 Euros to get in but that day was a holiday so we got in for 1 Euro. Score. It was pretty awesome. So much time and stories are caught within those walls of the Coliseum. After about a million coliseum pictures we headed to the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain. Of course we threw a coin in the fountain for good luck (my house madre explained the proper way to toss the coin before I left). We took a quick gelato break by the fountain and then went on our way to the Spanish Steps. The Spanish steps were so beautiful with all their flowers. We sat there for a while before wandering through the streets some more. All of these famous things are amazing but why are they so famous? We walked around a bit more and checked out the Roman ruins before heading back to the hostel. We picked a slice of ITALIAN pizza and some wine for dinner on the patio at the hostel. Later that night the host of the hostel brought out a HUGE jug of red wine and offered it to Katy, another guest from Canada, and myself. It was a relaxing evening after a lot of walking. We came to Rome with no agenda and no expectations. We just went when we wanted and had tons of fun doing so.

Milan

Let's see, where to begin?

I was incredibly nervous to start out this journey but the first day of traveling went very smoothly. I hopped on the train to Madrid where I caught one to Barcelona. I had a little lay over there and went walking around for a while. I got on the night train...didn't sleep much...but woke up in Italy!!! Early in the morning police came in to check passports and luggage. I guess I seemed harmless enough because they scanned over me pretty quickly.

I arrived in Milan and started my solo Italy adventure! After reading up on Milan, in my handy dandy Italy book (thanks to Suchira :] ), I navigated my way to the metro to head to the center of town. Milan is known for it's massive cathedral and for being the fashion center. When I came out of the Metro I was greeted by the site of the incredible cathedral know as the Duomo. I went in and looked around and took tons of pictures of the outside. It was pretty beautiful. After that, I just walked around and ran into a cute little Gelataria. I had my first chocolate Gelato and it was AMAZING!!! I made my way back to the train station, ice cream in hand, and taught myself how to use the self service train ticket machines. For ten Euros and my Eurail pass I was off to Rome! I got here with no problem and followed my directions to the Hostel. The area of the hostel was a bit sketch so I was glad that I came in before dark. The hostel, itself, was cute with extremely friendly hosts. Wine was provided so I approve of this hostel :). I waited for Katy to get here and we started our Rome adventures the next day.

Sarah and I are headed to Austria tomorrow but more to come later!

Goodbyes are difficult

I had a lot of time on the train to write so I thought I'd copy my journal entry from my last night in Sevilla.

So I'm on the train to Madrid starting out my last European adventure. last night was my last with my host family. All day kate and i had been saying that we were ready t go home but after last night we looked at each other and said "No Puedo" I was soooo lucky to have the perfect roomie and house family. Sure isa liked the microwave but their openness to us made up for any faults.

We went to take picutres with isa in the park and every photo seemed to catch her personality exactly. The whole time she was cracking jokes and saying "cheese", and "Patata" repeatedly. Then we waited for Ale to get home and went out for a special dinner. I had this chicken roll and we all shared papas with salsa. it was so good. Over an amazing DESSERT Isa began to tell us how much she was going to miss us when we leave. She told us that we were her best group yet. Now, yes, it seems like they would always say this but this lady tells it how it is. No beating around the bush. She explained how we all just clicked...and it is so true. From the very first day it was comfortable. Ale said that they wanted their house to feel like a home and not a hotel. They made it just that for us.

After our fun meal we headed back to the house. Instead of heading straight to bed, they came in our room for a good hour because they knew they wouldn't see me again. We laughed and joked and then it was time to say goodbye :(. Isa kept repeating "make sure you come back" "You can stay here any time". Ale told us how hard this part was for him and pretended he was going to sleep on top of Kate's luggage so he didn't have to leave. I parted with a hug and "besitos" from Ale and about 10 million kisses from Isa. Her hug was so tight I thought she was going to suck me in. In the background I could hear Ale chanting "llora, llora" cry, cry... he is such a goofball. she was about to leave when she turned around swiftly and said, "don't get married until AT LEAST 27...you are young and beautiful you don't need a man." She was completely serious in all of this. She added, " if someone tries to propose to you say 'TOMA de mi madre espanola'" as she threw up her middle finger. Kate and I died laughing. Isa continued "tell them to skype me and I'll do it" as she jumped around yelling "done estas , donde estas...TOMA" Kate replied that Isa didn't need to worry about me because she was going to come back old and unmarried. Isa replied "posible pero Kristen esta enamorada". Ale chimed in that I was going to come back with a husband and "mini-Kristineee". This last little advice session was the perfect parting gift from our feminist, man hating madre...so funny.

I said goodbye at least ten more times then headed to bed. I don't know how Kate and I got so lucky but I wouldn't have changed our living situation for anything.

I will never forget those hilarious lunches with Ale and Kate or those crazy long dinners listening to Isa go off on long but interesting rants. I have learned more this semester than any other.

Didn't I just get here?

"family moment"

Kate and I just had such a great "family moment" with Isa and Ale. Isa sat in our room with us for a bit discussing life, love and chocolate...our topics of choice around here. Then, Ale came in giving us a fashion show for our approval of his new clothes. Tons of laughing and joking like there was no language barrier at all. I can't believe how fast this time has flown. Kate and I were so lucky to the best host family out there. Yes, I may complain of the food and Isa's obsession with the microwave but we couldn't ask for anything more. Even though I'm so ready to get home I'm going to miss them. :)

malaga

We just got back from another beach weekend!! I'm about 10 different shades now but it was fun. Katy and I took the train to Malaga, Spain. It was a gorgeous city. The sand on the beach was almost gravel but the water was crazy clear. We stayed in this cute little hostel up in the rolling hills of the city. The only problem was that we could hear every car or moto that went by but it was only 20 Euros each. Anyway, we just laid out all Saturday and walked around the city. It was a nice relaxing weekend before the hectic couple of days to come.

Now I'm headed to my last mass in the Cathedral of Sevilla. :( I'm going to miss going to mass in the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world.

Luego

planning

So today I'm trying to get organized for my 15 day European excursion! It's stressing me out and making me nervous...but I'm still excited. Hopefully I will get to visit Lanciano, Italy where the Eucharist miracle is located. One of my lifelong dreams so with figures crossed it might happen. Other than that, I'm trying to finish up my last homework assignment. THEN I have to start packing to go home. I'm leaving next Tuesday to go on the train so everything has to be finished by then. Tomorrow we are going to Malaga to go to the beach! SO technically, I only have 2 full days left in Sevilla...INSANITY.

anyway,

luego

Feria de Abril

Last night was the lighting ceremony to kick off Feria de Abril here in Sevilla. On the edge of town there is a fair grounds area where this week long party is held every year since 1910. There were thousands of people there last night to see the Arch be lit up at midnight. Today we also went out at noon to see all the Flamenco dresses and such. It was a gorgeous day and Feria was alive. There were so many beautiful dresses and people on horseback. It was like we stepped back to 1910 in this mini city. There are tents, some public and some private, that line the streets where the people hang out. The insides of the tents look like houses all decorated and festive. There is also another part of Feria that is like a massive state fair. Rides, ferris wheels, fair food...everything. Our house madre is getting dressed up tonight to go out so we are going to get to take a picture with her! The culture is so apparent in all of this. Everyone, toddlers, teens, young and old get dressed up to socialize and dance in the streets. Que guay. I love it.

Anyway, just a little update for now. We are taking a siesta so we can go out again tonight.

Luego

Semana Santa

Semana Santa in Sevilla was absolutely incredible. It was a cultural experience to say the least. This tradition started around 1350 and by 1578 there were 30 processions. Processions called pasos are like the picture below. Every church has a hermandad, or brotherhood, that makes these processions. Each procession has a Christ "float" and a Virgin Mary "float". Float is definitely not the right word for these beautifully, intricate pasos.

The gorgeous Virgin Mary on the float from y bosses' hermandad, los negritos. All of the floats were similar but the details were different. The first day I watched the pasos with my house madre and brother. My house madre said that I had the eyes of the Mary of that procession... crystal clear blue. ahhhh :)

Nazarenos doing penitence through walking the 12-14 hour procession through the streets of Sevilla. Some even choose to make the pilgrimage barefoot. Yes. They do look like the KKK but the KKK actually stole their dress from the Semana Santa people. There are also groups of walkers carrying large crosses called penitentes. Under each paso there are between 24-54 costaleros carrying these massively heavy floats. Some hermandades have bands that will play and march behind the processions as well.

It was awesome to be living here during this tradition. Yes, it may be a little extravagant but it's culture. Over a million people travel to this city every year just to see it all. Other parts of Spain also have similar holy weeks but Sevilla is one of the most well known. The streets were completely packed every single day starting from about 3pm and lasting until 2-3 in the morning. Around 60 different processions went out over the week.

I definitely loved Semana Santa!!

Last Day of work

I'm officially into the "lasts" section of my study abroad experience. Thursday was my last day at my internship!! I can't believe how fast it went. It seems like just yesterday I was nervously walking up to Antonio to ask for a job...in a language I didn't speak well. (I just realized that the wall next to me, in the kitchen, is green...that only took me three months to realize) Anyway, now I'm finished and it was the best part of my study abroad classes. I learned more from this internship than all of my other classes combined. Even beyond the Spanish language, I learned so much about life, culture, people, business. It really was incredible.

About my last day...

Antonio wasn't there Thursday, which was a bit sad, but Aurelio who is also fun to work with was there. So, I'm working away and chatting it up with Aurelio when HE walks in. The same guy that I wrote about from one of my first days of work...the old guy who professed his love for me and blew me kisses...decides to show up on my last day of work. Anyway, at first it's not bad because he is sober but once the alcohol starts the mouth goes right along with it. He asks me when I'm coming back because he wants to return every time that I'm there. I was quite happy to tell him that it was my last day. He continues with the questions, asking about the United States, my family, and my boyfriend. As if it's not hard enough to understand Andalusian Spanish add in some booze. He gets to the point where I can't understand a word he is saying and then he starts being a dirty old man. Even though I couldn't understand him, his body language let me know he was being inappropriate. Aurelio got mad at him and told me that it was better that I didn't understand what he was saying.

All in all, it was an interesting way to end my internship but I wouldn't have expected anything less. :)

Well, I'm off to continue studying for my History final

Oh yeah...

another thing to add to the spring break blog...someone tried to rob me! how could have I forgotten.

Anyway, we (Mom, Janie, Katy, and I) went to a museum to waste time before we caught the train back to Sevilla. As we were walking there, these two middle aged women started walking close behind us. One of them had a map and the other was pretending to look at it as they walked. All of a sudden I felt the slightest brush on my side. I thought it was Mom or Janie poking me but I looked around anyway to see this woman's hand IN MY PURSE. I stared her down and asked "What the heck are you doing?!" (the heck word may have been substituted for another h word but who knows :P) I frantically started checking everything to make sure it was all still there. Thank goodness it was considering all our money and Mom's passport was in there. Mom and Janie, who were walking behind me so should have caught on but didn't. :) just kidding. The map the one lady was holding was purposefully place to keep them from seeing. I definitely felt a bit violated after that and clutched that purse all the way home. Learned my lesson there...always be aware.

Mom and Janie's visit!!

My amazing week with my Mom and Aunt Janie...ohhh where to begin?!?

So after Toledo we headed on to Madrid where we would stay for the next 4 days. Madrid as a whole was okay, but we all seemed to prefer the small cities like Toledo and Segovia. Blogspot hates me right now so I'm only going to add a few photos as I go.

Aight.

The first night in Madrid we hit up Happy Hour! Nothing beats a half price drink. After that we walked over to the Royal Palace and took a stroll through the park. Janie demanded that we take "funny pictures" at some point on the trip so we took that opportunity to make a fool of ourselves...in the Royal Palace park. We couldn't get Mom to get into the crazy pics (we did get one pole dancing picture) but Janie and I went crazy with them. At one point Janie was lifting her shirt...I'll leave it there. :)

The top picture is the aqueduct of Segovia! This was one of my favorite parts of the whole trip. It was constructed by the Romans in the first century, without any type of mortar, and is still standing and functioning today! Amazing. Segovia was simply a beautiful, simple town. We also saw the Cathedral of Segovia. It was pretty but nothing compared to the Cathedral of Sevilla. We also ate the renowned suckling pig. It was good but not amazing. (Mom had the piece with the eye and ear...thankfully not me)

The next day we went to the Prado! After hearing about this art in four different lectures it was fun to finally see the works of art. THEN...we went to Hard Rock Cafe!!! yep, I had an amazing hamburger with AMERICAN meat! sooo delicious and definitely beats the imitation Spanish hamburger.

The last day in Madrid we did a lot of walking around and toured the Royal Palace. Very cool, and Sarah and I got to see true Stradivarius violins! Sunday we hopped a train back to Sevilla. On Mom and Janie's last full day in Spain we had a final dinner at Flarhety's and I made them try the best ice cream in the world. (Chocolate Fondant from the little Heladeria near their hotel) It was so great to have them here for a while and I was definitely sad for them to go home :(

Semana Santa blog soon to come :)

more Paris!

We also visited the

Louvre museum to see the Mona Lisa. The picture above is the massive crowd that was standing around the Mona Lisa. How did she get soooo popular?

The Eiffel Tower SPARKLES at night!!! Every hour on the hour the tower twinkles. This was definitely the coolest part of the whole trip. Katy and I sat around for hours waiting for it to get dark enough for the lights to come on. Amazing.

The last day we did another walking tour through a part of Paris known as Montmartre. This area, with the cute little houses all backed up to one another and winding streets is what I think of when I think Paris. We learned a lot of the history of Paris during this tour and got a glass of wine at the end. Perfect way to end an amazing trip to Paris. :)

Paris!!!

My wings to Paris...yep that's how I roll. Obviously we had too much time on our hands during our lay over in Barcelona.

Our trip to Paris was absolutely amazing!! It might not have been straight out of the fairy tale storybooks, but we didn't let the cold and rain ruin our Paris adventures. We arrived at the airport and had to take a bus to the city, costing 14 euros, we new right away that it was going to be an expensive trip. Katy and I got so excited when we saw the Eiffel Tower from the bus! We've been told that Paris is the most romantic city in the world and it is pretty quaint. As we were arriving to the bus stop Katy nudged me and I said excitedly we are in PARIS...FRANCE. Her response... "I know! One of these days I might just end up holding your hand" LOL I understand it might be one of those things you had to be there for but it was pretty hilarious. :)

After getting lost for a little bit the first night, we had a good night's sleep in our hostel and got up to start our first day in Paris! There was a free walking tour that we wanted to check out but somehow we ended up with the wrong tour group. We had to navigate the Metro ourselves but somehow made it there in time to catch the free tour!

This is the Cathedral of Notre Dame!! there are more pics of this later.

Even the lamp posts were gorgeous. :) But really, that's one pretty light.

Yeah, we saw the Eiffel Tower and proceeded to take about a million pictures of it and with it. We may have gone a little overboard but it was the Eiffel Tower! How can you not? :) We stood in line to go up the Eiffel Tower but it was much cooler to look at than to be in. The tower was constructed in 1889 as the grand entrance into the World's Fair of 1900.

Those are some of the crepes we ate! Crepes are officially the best food in the entire world. We tried some with ham and cheese...yum... and Nutella an amazing chocolate spread. Be jealous :P

so my blogspot is hating me and erasing all of my pics so I will continue later.

alright alright alright...

I'm a terrible blogger! last week was so busy with tests and such. Buuuttt, I will post my Paris blog tomorrow and my Spring break right after that, even though it will be a bit out of order.

now sleep!!!

Spring Break!!

I'm here in Toledo on Spring Break with my Mom & Aunt!! Mom and Janie got in to Sevilla on Thursday with only a bit of drama. The airlines thought that they had jumped on the flight from Madrid to Sevilla without paying. Apparently they called out their names and made them go talk to the airline people in their broken English. THEN...their luggage didn't show. I could see them from the door but the little security man wouldn't let me go help them figure it all out. The important thing was that they made it safely...and no worries my peanut M&Ms arrived 2 days later with their luggage. :)
We had four full days to tour all of Sevilla at a very relaxing pace. We saw the Cathedral, Alcazar, Flamenco dancing and a some others I can't think of right now. They seem to think I'm a demanding tour guide since they now have blisters on their feet from all the walking. :) They'll get over it. We are now in Toledo where they are known for their swords. This morning we visited a 13th century castle and the Don Quijote windmills on the way here. Tomorrow we are headed up to Madrid stopping at a few sites. Should be fun! Guess I should head to bed soon. That's it for now.

Más de Sevilla

So, I should be studying right now but I'm going to blog first. Last weekend we stayed in Sevilla...finally. Saturday Katy and I ventured around for a while and went to the archeological museum. Eh. We had heard a lot about the Arab Baths here which is a kind of spa thing so we decided that we should check it out. The only opening they had left was at midnight that night so we went for it. We had plenty of time so we decided to out for wine and dessert before the spa. The Arab Baths are unique to this area and were sooooo cool. There were three different levels of huge pools that were heated to different degrees. You could swim to each one and try out the warm, super hot, and ice cold. We also had a 15 minute massage!! It wasn't a massage to write home about but the pools and the whole experience was amazing! Now that's my kind of night on the town.
Today......I got my hair cut....in Spain......explaining what I wanted in Spanish! I took in a picture of the idea that I wanted and told him to not make my face look any fatter than it already is :). Literally, that is what I said. He knew what he wanted to do so I just gave him artistic freedom. It's a lot shorter than what I'm used to but I really like it.
Soooooooo, my Mom and Aunt Janie are coming tomorrow!!!! Less than 24 hours. I can't wait! I just have to finish my project and take a test before they get here. Yay

Portugal!!

¡El viaje a Portugal fue increíble!

This is the Tower of Belem which was constructed in the middle of the River Tagus in the 1500s. It was built as a fortress and once completed the city of Lisbon was never again successfully sieged. The inside was really cool with a spiral staircase that led to four separate floors. Me gustó mucho.

This is the Jeronimos Monastery that we visited in Lisbon. Construction began on the Monastery in 1501 and shows Manueline architecture which is a combination of Gothic, Moorish, and Renaissance influences.

Another view of the Monastery... me gusta esta pictura.

I stood and stared at this cross in awe for a good ten minutes. It was made in 1550 and was carved intirely out of wood! It's not your typical portrayal of Jesus on the cross but more realistic. Amazing.

Monastery from the outside. Where the street ends is where the water came up to before the great earthquake of 1775. This earthquake destroyed almost all of Lisbon and killed thousands of people.

Vino Verde! We went to a Brazilian steak house! They would bring out different cuts of meat and cut them onto your plate. Kate and I definitely ate more meat in one night there than we have had at our host house the entire time we have been here. lol. The Spaniards like bread way more than meat.

Katy is my wine buddy here in Spain!

This picture was taken after our quest for vino Thursday night. We made it back to the hotel, but let's just say it was an interesting journey getting there. :)

I have successfully acquainted myself with all the major varieties of Portugal wine! Accomplishment? I do believe so =) At our little wine tasting party this weekend, we tried a normal Portugal red variety (LOVED), two different Ports (eh, not a huge fan), Vino Verde (definition of amazing), Madeira (overrated), and Ginja (yuck). Port was a little too sweet and "hot" for my taste and Ginja, a kind of cherry liquor that Portugal is known for, tasted like cough syrup in my opinion. Madeira was the wine that I was most excited to try because it has such a unique history and is made only in the Madeira Islands which are a part of Portugal. During the age of exploration, wine was taken on long voyages across sea and a barrel of Port wine was exposed to extreme heat. This extra heat increases the oxidation and makes the wine more hearty. Once again it was a little too sweet for me but I was glad that I got to try it.

There I was in PORTUGAL tasting all these wines that I learned about in my wine class last semester...twas fun.

This is the 25th of April Bridge. It was designed and built by the same designers of the Golden Gate bridge. It is named to commemorate the Revolution of the Captains on April 25th 1974. This revolution ended the dictatorship with only five causalities.

Hello Jesus! This is the Cristo Rei in Lisbon. We went up onto the observatory deck and got a great view of the city. No better place to spend a Friday during Lent. chyeah!

Cute little otters from the largest oceanarium in Europe that we visited Friday.

Lisbon has tons of Plazas. The buildings were also crazy colors. We walked down one street and saw mint green, pastel pink, yellow, deep red, purple, etc.

Saturday we took a bus up to the castle, which is pictured at the very top here, but it was closed. :( We still got some good pictures and walked around a bit but it was disappointing.

After an amazing trip we took their advice and headed back to Spain. :)

Morocco!

I can now say that I have been on the continent of AFRICA!! Morocco was such an amazing trip. We went with a travel group called WeLoveSpain that focuses on excursions for study abroad students. Since Morocco can be considered a dangerous country to visit, I'm glad we went with this agency that kept us safe. I definitely stuck out with my blonde hair and blue eyes. One guy even came up to me and started speaking to me in his broken English... "what beautiful eyes are those your natural color? Oh my God, so pretty, so pretty"....and I walked faster

This is on the outskirts of Tangier. That is the Mediterranean Sea and an Arabic lighthouse from 1865 in the background.

Name of our first hotel...in ARABIC! Our guide, who knows five languages, was telling us that all of the children learn Arabic and French and then later pick up English, Spanish, and sometimes German. I think the US has a lot to learn from them.

I rode a camel!!! The camel ride was the selling point of the excursion for me and I'm pretty sure I talked about riding the camels for at least two weeks before...sorry Brandon :). Buuuttt it was definitely the highlight of the trip!
I thought the streets of Sevilla were small, but the streets of Tangier and Tetuan were even smaller. Street vendors would chase us down bartering as we tried to walk around. I made the mistake of making eye contact and the man continued to follow the group for at least 10 minutes trying to sell me a camel skin wallet. These type of street vendors were everywhere and even young boys would come up to you trying to sell gum or little souvenirs.

Cute old couple watching the ocean! In strict Arab countries, women are not allowed to leave the house without a male by her side and must keep their heads covered at all times. Morocco, while an Arab country, is actually quite progressive. There were many women, such as the one above, who could be seen wearing the traditional head dress but there were also many who did not wear them. In this male dominated society the men would go out at night to bars or wherever, but never did we see a woman out after dark. It was interesting to see this difference in culture.

This culture is definitely a barter/haggle society. In shops like this there are no set prices. Instead, they say an outrageous price or ask what you want to pay. It was pretty intimidating but fun to try out my skills. I must say, I got a few good deals.

Mountains of North Morocco. Fun fact of the day...Morocco was actually not a country until 1956. crazy, eh?

Finally a little spice! This is the Moroccan Kuskus we had for lunch. ohhhh so good

On the beach of the Mediterranean sea with Sarah and Katy!

We visited a rug shop where we could see them making rugs and scarfs out of wool and silk.

Great memories!

Morocco!

I can now say that I have been on the continent of AFRICA!! Morocco was an amazing trip. I have so much to fill you guys in on but I need to get through finals week first. I will post pics and everything Wednesday! :)

Tierra!

Tierra is what was shouted by the lookout when land was spotted on Columbus' voyage...

School excursion to the Atlantic Ocean and Huelva!!

We went down to the Atlantic Ocean!! I can now say that I've touched the Mediterranean Sea, Pacific Ocean, and both sides of the Atlantic Ocean!

Last Friday we went to Huelva to visit La Rabida. La Rabida is a monestary where Christopher Columbus stayed while waiting for funding. He went there after being rejected by the King and Queen of both Portugal and Spain to convince one of the Monks that his theories on the Earth and sea travel were legitimate. This monk, who I have forgotten the name of, was well connected to Queen Isabel so it was imperative that he had his support.

This is a replica of the Santa Maria! They had to-scale replicas of the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria. Unfortunately, we didn't get to go on the ships because the weather was horrible. :( sad day
This is a table that was there in the Monestary when Columbus was there. Columbus touched this table and so have I!! :)

This is the room where Columbus met with the monk. It was a tiny room with no frills, however, the significance of this room is incredible. Kudos, Columbus for stumbling upon America!

This is the well and the exact location where Columbus took sail (obviously the water has receded)!

This is the well where Columbus drew the last batch of fresh water before his voyage to the new world.

Awesome trip...minus the monsoon type weather. :)

Granada

Granada was absolutely amazing!! We arrived in Granada at about 10:30am and immediately took off on a morning jog behind our tour guide. The time slot to get into the Alhambra was small so there we were running down the streets of Granada. What an entrance! We were laughing so hard because we could only imagine what a herd of Americans running through the streets must have looked like. Granada was the last Moorish reign that was sieged by Ferdinand III and Isabel on Jan. 2nd, 1492 ending the Christian reconquest. The Alhambra, which we toured, is the most visited site in Spain! It was originally designed as a military base but became the royal palace in the 13th century. The decorative detail and the Muslim influenced architecture was incredible to see. We also visited the Real Capilla de Granada where the bodies of King Ferdinand, Queen Isabel, Juana la Loca, and Felipe el Hermoso are located. It was so astounding to stand right in front of some of the most influential figures in Spanish history. I really can't even describe it.

Friday night a huge group of us went to a Flamenco show in the hills of Granada. This was the first flamenco show that I have seen so it was an awesome cultural experience. I have no idea how they dance like that...definitely put my moves to shame :)

This week has been sooooooooo long but tomorrow we are headed to Moguer-la Rabida for a day trip with the school. I have no idea what is in this city but since we get out of school for it...I'm down. That's it for now :)

...

Great trip to Granada!! Update soon to come but for now I'm in study mode for my history test tomorrow. Just a bit stressed. I know...me, stressed?? No puede ser! Ha :)

En mis sueños

So, I've always been known to talk in my sleep but Kate informed me today that I now talk in Spanish in my sleep. Apparently the other night I started rambling on about my job in Spanish!! Kate said I spoke really fast and she could understand everything that I was saying. Crazy! One of our teachers said that dreaming in Spanish is a sign of increasing proficiency so that's exciting. Anyway, thought I would share that tidbit.

Headed to Granada at 7am tomorrow so hasta Domingo :)

Sin Título

So far just another normal week. Work has been getting better and better! Less weirdos have been coming in and I am able to understand more each day. I can pretty much recognize and make all of the different orders expect for the alcohols. I'm even getting to where I know what the frequent customers will order before they even ask. School work is picking up so I have a lot of little things to get done. We are going out for pizza and ice skating tonight so that should be a lot of fun. I'm so ready for Friday since we are headed out bright and early for Granada!! Granada is known for its cheap spices and herbs. If anyone wants some cheap saffron or vanilla powder let me know. :) that's it for now

Barcelona!!

We went on our first trip that wasn't planned by the school to Barcelona this weekend!

Making it to the airport and to the center of Barcelona went off without a hitch. There were quite a few of us that went on this trip, so that made it a lot less stressful in the traveling portion.

Hostel Experience

Finding our hostel took longer than expected and when we turned the corner all we saw was neon lights. Kate's reaction is "No, no, No way...this is not happening". haha. Luckily our hostel was a little further down without neon or strobe lights. We made our way in and started talking to the host. Even though they speak the Catalan dialect of Spanish in that region the host spoke English very well. This is one major difference between Barcelona and Sevilla. Anyway, we got our keys and headed up to the room. I was the first person to go in the room that night and I guess my mind was still in "hotel" mode. I opened the door and turned on the light, not expecting to anything out of the ordinary, and all I see is a pair of eyes staring back at me. I quickly flipped off the light and jumped out of the room ridiculously fast. I have no idea why I took the lead, knowing how jumpy I am, but everyone got quite a laugh and said my face of terror was priceless. :) There were two other guys in our room the first night and the other men in the building didn't find it at all strange to walk into the women's bathroom. It was an interesting hostel experience but not at all bad. I felt safe the whole time and it seemed respectably clean.

After we got all settled Katy, Sarah, and I went out to explore a little. It was already past midnight so we went to a little wine bar that was close to our hostel. I ordered Brut Hill Cava Rosado. Cava is Spain's version of Champagne that is produced there in the Catalunya wine region. I was so excited to get to try it where it is made!!

The next morning, after a quick cafe con leche, we headed out to see the sights. Barcelona is a beautiful city but the best part is definitely the beach. It was so cool to be able to touch the Mediterranean Sea!!! Too bad it was freezing or we would have been swimming in the Mediterranean. For lunch we found this hole in the wall place that had an incredible deal and great tasting Salmon! Katy and I had more wine of course...I found my wine buddy for the semester! : D Stomachs full we went on the quest for the Magic Fountain. This fountain was supposed to be in this massive park. While we were exploring the park, we went off the path a bit and started hiking through a "forest". When we made it to the top we saw huge caution signs and realized that we had been hiking through a restricted area. We finally made it to the magic fountain and..........it wasn't even on. :( It was still a fun adventure though. We made it back to the hostel for a quick siesta and went out to find the "best chocolate cake in the world". We shared a piece for 3.5 euro!! It was pretty good but too expensive for us.

Sunday we just walked around a bit more making sure we saw everything and then headed for the airport. All in all a great trip!

More homework so that's it for now :)

Buen Provecho

Kate and I got so excited to see bacon cheeseburgers on our plates tonight!!! Buuuttt, our excitement was dashed after the first bite. The meat here is so much different and not quite as good as in the U.S. It was still a good meal but I can't wait for a REAL burger when I get back. ohhhh and some spicy Tex-Mex sounds amazing as well...and McAlisters!! Obviously I think about food quite a bit here :)

We are headed for Barcelona tomorrow evening! YaY!

No tengo ganas de estudiar para mi examen de mañana pero es necesario.

Adiós hasta domingo.