London & my last week in Spain

I'm laying here almost packed wondering where the time has gone.  My flight to Nice is at 7:20am tomorrow morning so this is my last day in Spain.  I'm glad I'm done with finals but ahh this is crazy.  But anyways before I get into that I'll tell you all about my amazingg trip to London :).

So Sara and I got to the airport Thursday night to find out that our flight was delayed 45 minutes.  We were surprised because Ryanair prides themselves for being on time but whatever.  We were sitting in the terminal waiting when all of the sudden everyone who had been in there walked out and we were so confused.  Eventually a guard came and told us we had to go out of the terminal to get our passports checked.  In the madness of all of this we met a guy named Kevin on our flight who was also studying in Sevilla and was from Kansas.  We all showed our passports and then got in line to board.  The attendants started boarding us and we walked outside but apparently there was some misunderstanding so we had to walk all the way back through the gates to the terminal.  After more waiting they finally let us through again and this time there was a plane waiting for us.

The flight was about three hours and when we got there we got off the plane and walked to customs.  The line was forever long and was not moving very quickly because there was only two people working.  It took us an hour to get through customs and when talking to the guy he seriously interrogated us like we were doing something wrong.  Anyways after we got through that madness we found a little store to buy some snacks for the hour long bus ride to the center of the city and bought round trip bus tickets and an oyster card for the tube and buses in London.  We found the bus and went to town on some salt and vinegar pringles, coke zero, and twix.  When the bus dropped us off at Liverpool St we would have been completely lost if my mom hadn't told us which night buses to take.  After we figured out what side of the street to be on it was relatively easy to use the night buses with our oyster cards ... and yes they were red double decker buses!  The second night bus we had to take dropped us right next to our hostel so we buzzed down and they let us in.  The staff was extremely nice and there were a bunch of people in the common room still up drinking even though it was 4 or 5 in the morning.  We got to our room and had to use my phone light to get situated and in bed because there was only one major light for the room and everyone else was asleep.

We woke up around 9:30 the next day and barely made it downstairs in time for breakfast.  Thankfully we were able to grab 2 pieces of plain toast.  Since we had gotten very little sleep we walked across the street to Starbuck's and got coffee.  The guy even gave me 2 extra shots even though I only paid for 1!  The friendliness continued at the tube station when we asked at the information booth how to get to the place where our open-bus tour started.  He not only gave us very helpful directions but also gave us maps.  When we got off the tube we went to the Original Tour office and picked up our tickets.  They told us where to go to get on the bus.  A guy from their staff was standing at the stop and was really funny and nice.  Once we got on the bus it took us around London and the tour guide told us about everything.  He had a great sense of humor too.  We could hop off and hop on anywhere we wanted so we stopped and got off at one point when we were across the river from Big Ben and Parliament.  We took pictures in front of that scene and in a telephone booth nearby.  We also found a cute little garden and park to walk through.  We walked across the bridge to get closer to Big Ben and Parliament and after that walked over to Westminster Abbey.  It was all so gorgeous and I couldn't stop taking pictures.

After that we got back on the tour bus until we got to St. Paul's Cathedral.  We decided to get off and take pictures in front of the cathedral and eat lunch.  There was a grocery store that had a bag of 5 chocolate chip cookies for 2 pounds and a ham sandwich for 1 pound so we split the price of the cookies and I bought the sandwich.  Then we walked down to a cute little sandwich shop and I ordered tomato soup to go with my sandwich and cookie.  We saved the other 3 cookies for later.  After lunch we got back on the tour bus and took it across London Tower Bridge and then got off.  We walked back across the bridge and took pictures and then went to look at London Tower.  Our Original Tour tickets included a Thames river cruise so we got on the boat at London Tower and rode it to Parliament and back.  The guide on the boat told us a lot of interesting facts about the bridges and the buildings on the river.

After our river cruise we got back on a tour bus and took it to the Globe Theatre.  We walked around there for a little bit and then found our way to the tube which we took back to our hostel.  We found a small, cheap bagel shop next to the hostel where we went for dinner.  After such a long day of sightseeing and not getting much sleep the night before we decided to go to bed early.  We spent some time talking to one of the guys staying in our room but still went to sleep around 10:30.

We woke up at 8am the next morning and got ready and ate breakfast.  We took the tube to the center of the city and went on a walking tour for the changing of the guards.  It was awesome because our guide new exactly where to take us so we got good places to stand and could see all the action.  We even got to march with the guard down the Mall.  Buckingham Palace was gorgeous and overall it was a fun experience.  We went to find an italian place for lunch I had read about but it was closed on weekends along with a lot of other things in the area so we found a sandwich shop and bought sandwiches, apples, and water which we ate on the tube back to the hostel.  At the hostel we got ready to go see Chicago at Cambridge Theatre.  Then we got back on the tube and walked to the theatre.  The musical was amazinggg!  I love the movie but have never seen the musical and it was everything I expected it to be.

After the musical we tried to go to the British Museum but it was closed so we went to platform 9 3/4 instead.  Kings Cross station was under construction so the original was covered up and instead they had a poster of brick and the shopping cart and the plaque outside of the station.  It was a disappointment but at least they had something.  We ended up going to McDonald's for dinner because it was cheap and close to where we were.  Then we took the tube to the Tate Modern which had really cool modern art.  After that we took the tube back to the hostel to get ready for the night.  We heard Soho was cool at night so we took the tube to Soho after we finished getting ready.  We walked around for awhile but couldn't decide where to go because we were tight on money.  Some promoter tried to get us to pay five pounds to get into a club/bar and get a free shot.  It was tempting but we decided to look around more first.  We found a pub that looked like it had cheap drinks and we split a pear cider which we heard was really good and definitely was.  We talked to an old guy sitting at the bar for a long time who was really nice and we got shots of jager for only one pound each.  Then a guy was passing out cards to get free entry to the same place the promoter tried to get us to go earlier.  We walked over there when the pub closed and danced for awhile.  Sara made friends with a group of French students.

After we got tired we walked back hoping to get cupcakes from a place we saw on the way but sadly it was closed.  We weren't sure were to get the night bus but as soon as we looked confused a guy came over and showed us exactly where to go.  We took the bus back and got muffins at our bagel shop instead of cupcakes.  When we walked back into the room the two guys that were in there had just turned off the light so they said we could turn it back on and we ended up talking for an hour or two before we went to sleep.  When I woke up the next morning around 9 there was a random Asian man lying on the floor of our room which was extremely funny.  We never got the whole story but apparently he knew one of the people in the room.

We packed up and ate breakfast and paid for a locker at the hostel because we wanted to go check out the huge mall across the street.  On the way there were Italian food tents set up and one of the tents had pastries.  I asked how much it cost for one and he said we could have one for free which was awesome.  We then walked to the mall to find that it didn't open until 12 which was a let down.  We decided to go back and get our bags and go to the city instead.  In the city we found another place to shop and I ended up buying a really cute dress from Mango.  We walked back to where the bus was supposed to pick us up looking for something to eat for lunch.  We ran into the same guy who we met flying over and the three of us got lunch at a breakfast place.  We were tight on time but ate really fast and made it to the bus stop just in time.

At the airport we had to wait in line to get our tickets stamped and then Sara and I got some snacks at the  store we had the night we got there.  We went through security which was insane.  Someone puts your bags through for you.  My bag got stopped and I stood there as he completely destroyed everything in my bag when the only reason was because my ziploc of liquids was too big and I needed to put them in a smaller ziploc which I had in my bag.  We literally stood there for 30 minutes as they went through my whole bag and then put it back through security when all that was wrong was the size of my ziploc bag.  We had to rush to the gate and got there about ten minutes before they started boarding.  We got back to Sevilla without any problems and our señora made us dinner.

Looking back on the trip I'm so glad we decided to go.  It was such an amazing city and I definitely want to go back one day.  It was cold and rainy the whole time we were there but we still loved it which I think says something.  I could definitely live there.  The day after we got back was our last day of classes and then I had my Spain Today final yesterday (Tuesday) and my Literature final today.  It feels good to be done with classes.  I'm packing now and hopefully I'll be able to fit everything and it won't weigh too much because Ryanair charges crazy fees if you go over your weight limit.  Since it is our last night here and we haven't been able to go out this week because of finals Mackenzie and I are going out tonight and have decided we just are not going to sleep.  Our flight is at 7:20am and we have to check baggage so we have to get there 2-1.5 hours ahead of time.  We are going to try and catch the 4:30am bus to the airport.  We are flying to Marseille and taking a train to Nice.  When we get to Nice I guess we can sleep on the beach :).  I'm so excited to start traveling around Europe but it's crazy how time has flown by.  I'm going to try and keep up with my blog between cities while we are on the train.

For my last 12 hours in Sevilla Sara and I are going to go see Plaza de España, buy some last minute souvenirs, and eat churros.  Then we are going to eat dinner at the apartment for the last time and go out with everyone.  I'm sad to leave Sevilla but sooo excited for traveling.  ¡Hasta luego!

...p.s. blogger is being lame right now and not letting me add pics so I will do it later when I have time/it is working

"10 Points for Gryffindor!" ... Lagos, Portugal

Wow where to begin.  It's been over a week so this is going to take some mad memory skills.  Last week in Sevilla I was mainly busy with homework and classes I think so we only went out one night.  Mackenzie and I tried to go book train tickets for our travels after but apparently we can't book trips outside of Spain at the Sevilla station so it was kind of a waste of time.  Our Lagos group went to the bus station to buy our tickets but between Sara and me that is all we can remember.  I feel like I'm always busy but that sounds like a pretty uneventful week so maybe I'm forgetting something.  Oh well our Lagos trip makes up for it.

picture of Portugal from the bus

Thursday night everyone in our group went out except for Mackenzie, Caroline, and me because we valued our sleep and our bus left at 7:30am Friday morning.  I was there to wake Sara up, Kerry magically woke herself up, Harrison woke Danielle and Stephanie up, and then there was Tyson.  We waited for him at our meeting spot but he never showed up.  The night before he had gotten sick and apparently gave Stephanie and Danielle his phone so there was no way to call him.  Everyone who had gone out that night had little to no sleep and were still drunk so to say the least it was an entertaining walk to the bus station which was a good 45min walk.  When we got to the bus station we got coffee and I got a croissant at the cafeteria and then we found our bus.  The bus left right at 7:30 and one guy had to run to get on as the bus was pulling out.  I was looking out the window as we started to pull away and saw Tyson running through the bus station looking for the bus.  I told the others and all of us started yelling at the driver to stop and starting banging on the windows.  Danielle ran to the front of the bus and begged the driver to stop pointing to Tyson and thankfully he agreed.  When Tyson walked on the bus everyone on the bus started clapping and one of the guys behind us yells "10 points for Gryffindor!" ... hints the name of the title.  We were all so happy he made it and it started the beginning of an awesome trip.

Lagos!

The bus ride was 5 hours long and when we got to the border the police looked hard at all of our passports.  When we finally got to Lagos I had directions to the hostel that I got from the hostel that was seriously like a treasure map.  It only talked about landmarks we would see as we were walking.  We found the hostel and when they realized we were a group of 8 instead of a group of 6 and 2 separately like we had booked it they offered us our own apartment.  We agreed and it was literally a minute away from the hostel so we could use all of their facilities.  The staff was sooo nice and one lady we were told to call "mom" because she was there to look after us and cook us crepes every morning.  She even gave us our keys without requiring the deposit that usually is required and locks for the lockers that normally you have to rent.  Our apartment had 12 beds, our own kitchen, 3 bathrooms, 2 showers, and a deck on the roof!

After we got settled in we put on our bathing suits and headed for the beach.  The beach was gorgeous.  There were huge rocks and caves everywhere and the water was so pretty.  After laying out for a bit and testing the water Caroline and I took our cameras and went on an adventure through the caves to different beaches.  We eventually got to a point where we couldn't go any farther with our cameras because we had to swim to the next place.  On our adventure we met a guy from Wake Forest named Gerson who knew some of her friends which was really cool.  We walked back to our towels to drop off our cameras so we could explore farther.  Mackenzie and Sara joined us but Mackenzie brought her camera even though we warned her not to.  When we got to the spot Caroline and I stopped at Sara and Gerson joined us on our adventure while Mackenzie had to stay behind.  I started swimming thinking the water was pretty deep but suddenly I swam on top of a rock and scraped myself up.  It was well worth it though because it was amazingly beautiful and I was sad I didn't have my camera.  Eventually we decided to head back but to put a twist on things we decided to swim all the way back to the first beach instead of climbing through the caves.  It was a long swim but we made it and afterwards we felt like champions.

After a nice long day at the beach Caroline and I headed back to the apartment first.  On the way I stopped at a souvenir shop to get a postcard.  It said you could get a stamp too so I decided that would be the easiest way.  However when the man gave me a stamp it wasn't a sticker and didn't say the price.  I decided there was no way it was real and went back and said it wouldn't work since it doesn't have a price and could I just get my money back.  He gave me one that did say the price and I asked how I was supposed to put it on.  He said glue and I said I didn't have any glue so he gave me some.  I kept asking are you sure this is going to work and he told me 3 times "you are so stupid" which I don't know if what he was trying to say was lost in translation or what but I was shocked.  I ended up walking away with my glued-on stamp pretty sure it wasn't going to make it back to the US.

When we got to the apartment we discovered there was no hot water so we both took freezing showers.  It was humorous how horrible my shower was because not only was it cold but the shower head wouldn't stay on the wall so it kept falling and spraying everywhere.  It was nice to be clean though.  When the others came back they went to the front desk and they sent someone over to turn on the hot water so after that we had hot water.  For dinner we went to a famous burger restaurant called Nahnahbah's that was featured on "Man vs. Food" and was voted one of the top 50 burgers in the world.  They have a burger that is a kilo of meat that you have to order 24 hrs ahead of time and if you finish it then your meal is free.  We didn't do that but I helped myself to an amazing burger, homemade chips, and a sex on the beach.

After dinner we went over to the hostel for trivia night.  It was 5 euro and you got to play and have unlimited sangria and beer.  The sangria was good and had a good amount of wine in it instead of fruit juice.  We also met a lot of people in the hostel and had a lot of fun playing trivia.  After trivia the hostel had a free bar crawl.  At the first bar some of the people we met bought us all shots that the bartender set on fire which was really cool.  Then at the second one they had fishbowls full of drinks that you drank with really long straws.  We met some of the girls from our program there that we had seen earlier on the beach.  Our group split up into smaller groups after that but in the end we all made it back safely to the apartment.

The next day we woke up at 9:30 for mom's crepes.  She cooked us as many crepes as we could handle until we literally had to say stop because we were so full.  There was jam, chocolate, chocolate swirl, and she gave us money to buy fruit even though usually you're supposed to bring your own fruit.  My favorite crepe was chocolate and strawberry.  She also served magic drink which is basically lemon rinds boiled which is then a yellow liquid and when you mix it with lemon juice it turns clear.  It was really cool and tasted good too.  We went to a different beach Saturday.  We just walked farther up the main road and found another one that was extremely pretty.  It was more secluded than the other one.  We laid out and cooled off in the water and then decided to go to a really good Mexican restaurant for lunch.  I had a burrito that was so big I couldn't finish it!  We also got chips and salsa which were good.


After lunch Tyson, Caroline, Sara, Mackenzie, and I went on a small boat tour of Lagos which included going in the caves and stuff.  It was pretty and our driver pointed out how some of the rocks looked like different things like elephants.  There was a booze cruise with our hostel that was longer and had unlimited beer and sangria but it was 40 euro so I was more than happy with our 8 euro tour.  After the boat tour Mackenzie, Sara, and I went back to the beach for a little bit.  Sara left to get in the water as soon as we got there and found herself some Portuguese men to talk to the whole time we were there (typical).  She got information on where to see the sunset that night though so it was time well spent.  Danielle had also gotten information on where to see the sunset so after we got back from the beach and showered off we walked to Ponta da Piedade.  It was a pretty long walk but when we got there we realized it was well worth it.  We had a perfect view of the sun setting over Lagos and we were near a bunch of huge rocks and gorgeous ocean views.  We even saw someone standing on top of one of the rocks fishing which looked really scary.  Even though it was cold from the breeze this scene was breathtaking and probably one of my favorite moments since I have been in Europe.

After the sunset we all went back to the apartment, sat on our deck, drank, and talked.  It was nice and relaxing to just hang out with everybody.  Eventually we decided to go out to bars but after awhile Tyson, Mackenzie, Caroline, Stephanie, and I were tired and ready to go to sleep.  We stopped at a pizza place on the way back to get late-night which was so good.  Then we went back and got in bed.  Mackenzie and I woke up at 8:45 so we could get breakfast at 9 and spend a couple hours on the beach before our bus left at 1:45.  The crepes and magic drink were amazing again.  I had bought a banana so I had chocolate and banana crepes.  We went to the same beach we did the first day which was nice and eventually other people from our group came down to join us on the beach.

Sara and I left to meet Tyson and Caroline for lunch at 12 and I hopped in the shower quickly before we left.  By the time we got to the restaurant it was about 12:30 and our food wasn't coming very quickly.  It was a cute little place and I wish we had time to enjoy it.  They served breakfast and all sorts of other things.  I got a strawberry milkshake and a toasted ham and cheese sandwich.  We got our food around 1 and since I wasn't packed yet and they were I had to literally grab it and eat it as I ran back to the hostel to pack up.  I threw my stuff in a bag and thankfully the rest of the group was back by the time I was ready to go.  Someone from the hostel also showed up right when we needed to leave which was nice because we didn't have to go back to the hostel.  We quickly walked to the bus station and made it with 10 minutes to spare.  The whole thing was extremely stressful though.

The bus ride home was long and uncomfortable.  I watched "The Wedding Date" on my ipod which is one of my all time favorite movies but even it didn't make the ride seem shorter.  We got back to Sevilla around 8 and didn't want to wait for dinner from our señoras so Tyson, Sara, Kerry, and I decided to eat dinner at Domino's.  When we walked in there was no one at the counter and the bathroom was locked.  Kerry found the keys on the counter and went anyways and we stood there trying to figure out how to order.  Eventually someone came and I ordered a medium pepperoni pizza that was on special for 7 euro.    I ate the whole thing by myself and it was amazing.  I was so stuffed afterwards though that I couldn't get the churros con chocolate that I had wanted before we got pizza.  When we got back to our apartment we unpacked and did a little bit of homework and went to sleep.

Monday was a normal day of class and I found out that since I didn't send my postcard with the glued on stamp in Portugal I would have to buy a new one in Spain.  So all that struggle was for nothing except a good laugh.  Today for my Spain Today class we took a field trip to the Andalucía Parliament building which is one of the biggest buildings in Spain.  We were kind of left to fend for ourselves and Caroline and I had to figure out the bus system.  We knew which line but didn't know when to get off so we literally held the map out the whole time watching where the bus was going so we would know when to get off.  We made it there 20 minutes early so spent the time hanging out in a really nice hotel where we were all supposed to meet.  Once everyone got there we went to the building and had to go through security which was a lot like airport security.  Then we had a tour guide take us around but no one understood him because he had a really thick accent.  Even our teacher said he had to pay close attention to understand what he was saying.  It was a cool building though.

After our tour our teacher took us to Rayas which is the best ice cream place in Sevilla that serves gelato.  I got something with caramel in it and something else with a type of cake in it.  It was really good but a little bit pricey (4.50 euro).  Caroline and I then found our way back but we kept seeing random old, pretty buildings which was kind of cool.  We've been here for a little over a month but there is still so much to see.  I wish I had more time to explore but I'm really busy with school and then this weekend Sara and I are going to London.  I'm extremely excited for our trip ... especially to see platform 9 3/4!

I have a 5-6 page paper due in my lit class the day of the final (Wednesday) that is about my time in Sevilla but it has to be in a certain style that is like really descriptive and has a lot of imagery which should be interesting to do in Spanish.  Thankfully I have this blog so I can remember what happened.  For my Spain Today class I have a presentation Thursday on Cataluña and Catalán nationalism that I'm almost finished preparing for.  Other than those 2 assignments basically all I have are my finals Tuesday and Wednesday.  It's crazy how little time left I have until my Europe adventure with Mackenzie.  I literally have 5 days left in Sevilla since I'm going to be in London this weekend.  I started making a list of things I need to do in Sevilla before I leave which includes eating churros and going to see Plaza de España.  I don't know if I'll have time for another blog until after London but I'm sure I'll have plenty of stories from that!

Córdoba y Granada

I just got back from my trips to Córdoba and Granada and overall had an awesome weekend!  Saturday we met at Hotel Alcazar at 8:15am and drove about 2 hours to Córdoba.  We got a tour of the Cathedral which was originally a Mosque and it was beautiful.  Every time we get tours they are extremely interesting and I learn a lot about what I am seeing but after the tour is over I don't usually remember what I learned.  However they are definitely helpful so I know what I am seeing.  After the Cathedral we went through the old Jewish quarter and to the synagogue.  All the streets in Córdoba are very small and cute.  There are a lot of tourist shops but overall its a nice little town.  We tried their specialty wine which tasted like honey but was interesting.  They are also known for their silver so we went in a few jewelry shops.  We got back on the bus around 3pm and arrived in Sevilla around 5.  Since I had to get up early again Sunday morning for our Granada trip I didn't do much Saturday night.

our hotel

Saturday morning we drove to Granada which was about a 3 hour drive.  We got to our hotel first to drop off our stuff and it was really nice.  It was a four star hotel with a pool and spa.  The beds were super comfy and we even had our own balcony.  After we dropped our stuff off we went to get a tour of la Alhambra which is a Moorish palace/fortress that is HUGE!  It is one of the most visited places in the world.  It was gorgeous and from the top of one of the towers you could see all of Granada.  After the tour we drove back to the hotel and had some free time.  A small group of us went to get drinks and tapas.  It is a custom in Granada to get free tapas when you buy a drink so I bought a glass of wine and we got a tapa that was pork on a stick in a pesto sauce with bread which was really good.  We also got some ice cream.  Later that night we had dinner at the hotel which was amazing.  They had a buffet for appetizers, we chose between two main courses, and they gave us ice cream for dessert which was really good.  After dinner one of our instructors took us on a walk to a place overlooking the city.  It was really pretty and you could see la Alhambra lit up too.  We were exhausted by this point (around midnight) so we went back to the hotel after our walk and went to sleep.

the cathedral

We woke up Sunday morning and got breakfast at the hotel.  They had all kinds of fruit, pastries, and some hot dishes that looked kind of questionable.  The coffee was just okay but everything else was really good.  After we got ready we left our stuff on the bus and went on tours of the Royal Chapel and the Cathedral.  We couldn't take pictures at all inside of the Royal Chapel or in some parts of the Cathedral which was kind of sad.  The Royal Chapel was really cool because it had the tombs of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.  It also had Queen Isabella's crown, jewelry box, and some of the clothes they wore.  The Cathedral was really tall and pretty.  After our tours we shopped, ate, and bought gelato which was sooo good!  Then we walked back to the bus and drove back to Sevilla.

Now I'm back in Sevilla and getting everything sorted out.  We are going to Lagos this weekend which I'm really excited for.  I need to go reserve train tickets for my travels afterwards sometime this week.  I also need to plan what I'm doing next weekend.  We want to go to London but we will see.  I can't believe the program is over in 19 days!

Barcelona!

As usual I've been super busy and haven't been able to keep up with this blog so I'll just hit the highlights from the last week.  Last Thursday we went on a trip with the program to Reales Alcázares de Sevilla which is basically an old palace where the king stays when he visits Sevilla.  It was gorgeous!  Other than that I don't remember anything very exciting happening.

our awesome hostel

La Sagrada Familia

Friday we left for Barcelona!  We flew on ryanair and got there around midnight.  We had no problems with the flight or finding our hostel.  When we got to our hostel it took awhile to check in but afterwards we started to look around and it was awesome.  They had a kitchen, computers, and a lounge area.  Everything was really clean and seemed new.  Our room was nice and we all got our own lockers.  We dropped off our stuff and went down the street for a few drinks before bed.  Saturday morning we woke up and got coffee and muffins.  We then walked to la Sagrada Familia because it was really close to our hostel.  It was huge and so pretty.  The Barcelona vs Manchester United playoff game was that night so we bought things to wear for the game.  I bought a barca scarf.  Some of us then went to see the hospital sant pau which was under construction so we couldn't see much but it was still cool.  We walked back to the hostel and took a nap to prepare for the game.



Our hostel got us free entrance to one of the biggest sports bars in Barcelona right near the plaza de catalunya.  We walked in a big group to the bar and it was packed.  The atmosphere was insane and every time Barcelona scored the whole bar went crazy.  Barcelona won 3-1 so we rushed the street.  We stopped at the plaza to take pictures by the fountain but then we ran into the madness.   There was fire, people climbing up lamp posts, fireworks, and just plain craziness.  It was like Franklin Street after UNC wins a national title only times 1000.  We stayed there for awhile until we decided to return to the hostel and go to sleep.





Sunday we took the metro to the beach and had a gorgeous beach day.  The beach was pretty and the Mediterranean water was awesome.  The only annoying thing was the vendors walking up and down the beach constantly screaming "masaje" ... "tatuaje" ... "colaaguacervezabeer"... and other things.  We all split a pizza for lunch and then went to the picasso museum which was pretty cool.  When we got back to the hostel Caroline and I made spaghetti and marinara.  We bought a pack of spaghetti and a jar of marinara when we got there and it lasted us the whole time.  Also there was a shelf for left over food that people left because they couldn't take with them that we took advantage of.  That night we went to ice barcelona which was a bar made completely of ice including the cups.  We had to pay 15 euro but they gave you a jacket, gloves, and a free drink.  It was smaller than we expected and freezing but overall a cool experience.  We went to a club called Opium afterwards but didn't stay too long.  Everyone then wanted McDonald's so we asked people where one was and walked there.  The drive through was the only thing open so the girls who wanted food had to make friends with people in a car to order their food for them.  After they got their food we walked back to the hostel and went to sleep.

Monday we got up and went to the beach but it was cold and rainy so we decided to eat while we waited.  It eventually cleared up and we had a few hours on the beach before it got cloudy again.  On the way back we walked up the Ramblas which was interesting.  Then Mackenzie, Caroline, and I decided to go to park Grüel which was designed by Gaudí.  It was really high up so we had a view of the whole city and the park itself was awesome too.  The architecture was so colorful and cool.  We walked back to the hostel and ate dinner.  That night we went to a bar called Chupitos which means shots in spanish.  They had a huge list of names of shots and you can't know what is in each one you just have to pick a name.  First we tried a Harry Potter which was really cool because they lit it on fire and it tasted good too (almost a pumpkin kind of taste).  Then we tried a boy scout which consisted of them creating a fire on the bar to roast marshmellows and then use the marshmellows to chase the shot.  It was really good.  There were a bunch of other really cool ones too.

Tuesday we had to get up by 10 to check out and then we went to our favorite cafe to get coffee.  We then got a bus to the airport and flew back to Sevilla without any problems.  We got back around 3 and I made it to my class at 5.  Wednesday morning Caroline and I had to take our midterm for our literature class and then had a paper due in our other class.  We also had two papers due today.  So now I finally have time to breathe for a bit.  Sara and I went out last night to a really cool club.  We knew one of the promoters so we got in for free and got free shots which was nice.  Tonight I'm going to catch up on sleep because my throat is a little sore and I'm pretty congested.  This weekend I have trips with the program to Córdoba and Granada.  ¡Hasta luego!

Vamos a la playa & the sounds of FIESTA!

It's been a week since my last post since I have been sooo busy!  With class, group excursions, our own trips, going out almost every night, and way too much homework there is almost no time to do anything including sleep.  My two classes aren't too hard there is just more work than I expected.  I have a literature class that has a lot of reading and writing assignments every day and since I don't like reading and writing in English I obviously don't like it in Spanish.  I actually like my other class called "Spain Today" because we are learning a lot about Spain's history and what is actually going on around us in this country today.  It also has less assignments and the professor is much more organized.  My literature class is at 12:30 and my Spain today class is at 5 so I eat lunch and catch up on homework in between during siesta.  We have started to figure out where to go to each nights and are starting to become friends which some of the locals which is cool.  Speaking Spanish with them is more fun because they speak some English so can help us when we don't know a word unlike my family I'm living with that doesn't speak any English and looks at me like I'm crazy if I say an English word.

colosseum

Saturday we went on a group excursion to Itálica and then they took us to Matalascañas afterwards (the beach I went to a few days after I got here).  Usually for group excursions they divide us into two groups based on our level of spanish but this one we got to do as a whole group which was fun.  Itálica has a lot of Roman ruins that have been preserved which was kind of cool.  It was hard to picture what it was like though.  The coolest part was the colosseum where they used to fight lions.  It was huge and we got to see where the people came to pray before a fight and where the lions were kept.  The beach was fun and I didn't burn too badly except for a couple streaks I missed.

Saturday night we had a learning experience through trial and error.  First we met a huge group of people from the program at a bar to pre-game and since we were sitting outside some people brought there own bottles of wine.  There is technically an open container law in Sevilla but usually they don't enforce it.  All of the sudden I turned around and a police van was facing us perpendicular to the street.  Around 5 cops got out and since we had bought drinks from the bar we walked away.  Apparently the people who did just had to poor there wine out and didn't get in trouble.  However we learned not to botellón at Coffee & Tea.  After this we went to a club we had gone to the first Friday we had in Sevilla that was a lot of fun.  Eventually we started noticing groups of guys taking pictures together, holding hands, and dancing together and we realized it must be gay night.  So our second lesson was not to go to Abril on Saturday nights.








Sunday a bunch of people from the program and I went to Cádiz.  We took a train and got there around 11am.  The city is really old so it had a lot of really cool buildings and was overall a really cute city.  The beach was gorgeous too.  It had old castles surrounding it and one was completely in the water.  After we decided we should start heading back to the train station we stopped at an American restaurant so people could get their American food fix including french fries, ketchup, ranch, burgers, etc.  I wasn't hungry so I didn't get anything.  Anytime we are not going to be in Sevilla for lunch our señora makes us a bagged lunch to take with us which is nice.  We got back to Sevilla around 8 which left plenty of time to do homework before Monday.

That is about all I have time for now.  We are about to go to a bar that has free sangria until 1am!

Primer Día de Clases y La Catedral de Sevilla

I woke up yesterday around 11am to get ready for my Literature class at 12:30.  Caroline and I met in front of the school and then walked up to the classroom together.  Our professor Coro was very nice and funny but had an accent that was a little difficult to understand.  She told us about the different assignments we would do and gave us three short stories to read.  We only get 2 free absences and overall I think the class is going to be a little more work than I expected.  Thankfully I only need to pass to get credit because the grade doesn't transfer to UNC.  However it is hard to get myself in the mindset that I don't have to get an A.

Christopher Columbus's Tomb

the tower

After class I walked back to our apartment for lunch at 2.  We had pasta with marinara which was really good.  Then I had to rush to meet people to walk to the Cathedral because we were supposed to meet there at 3:15 and it was a relatively long walk.  I had seen the Cathedral before from the outside shopping so I knew where it was.  Once we got there we took some pictures and waited for the tour to start.  Our professor that teaches "España Inmediata" (my second class) gave us the tour in spanish.  I understood him well and it was cool to get a tour in Spain in spanish.  He told us really interesting things about the cathedral but also gave us plenty of time to take pictures.  Apparently the builders were trying to build the biggest cathedral in the world so it is huge, although it is not the biggest.  In the cathedral were a lot of cool things including the tomb of Christopher Columbus and a room dedicated to him where he came to pray before he left on his trip where he discovered America.  There was also a huge tower that you can only climb using ramps which were built so that the horses could carry up supplies to build it.  There were 34 flights total but once you got to the top you could see everything!  It was like Sevilla's Eiffel Tower.

view from the top of the tower

After the tour of the Cathedral we convinced our professor to have class in a plaza near the cathedral so we wouldn't have to walk all the way back to the school.  He gave us the syllabus and explained what we would be doing.  Then, he discussed different things about Spain such as the name of the king, the major soccer teams, etc.  It was really interesting and I think this class will be awesome to take to really understand what is going on in Spain while I'm here.

caña de chocolate

We started walking back to our apartments but stopped at a cafe to get something to drink.  Everyone drinks bottled water here but one of the girls in our program explained that if we asked for "agua de griffo" (tap water) it was free.  This has become one of my favorite phrases in spanish.  It is so hot here and we walk so far everyday that I am always thirsty and don't want to pay for bottled water.  At the cafe we sat down next to a display of pastries and of course we gave in and bought some.  Caroline and I split a caña de chocolate which was basically like a chocolate croissant which was sooo good.  After we finished eating we all went back to our separate apartments.

Once back at the apartment I started my reading for my first class.  It took me a pretty long time to go through and define the words I didn't know so I could thoroughly understand what was going on.  I only finished one reading before dinner.  After dinner I talked to Mackenzie about trying to plan our trip to Barcelona not this weekend but the next.  There is a big soccer game that Barcelona is supposed to win so we want to be there for the fiestas.  However we are obviously not the only ones with this idea because most of the hostels were booked.  We finally found some options and decided to meet the next day to finalize plans.  After I finished all that it was already really late and I still had homework.  That is my problem here ... I never have enough time in the day!  I don't know when I'm going to have time to do homework.  Thankfully I didn't have class until 12:30 the next day so I could sleep in but on nights when I want to go out getting my homework done is going to be a problem.  I'm sure over time I will figure it out though.

I was thinking the other day that on my blog I have said what I have been doing each day but not just facts about Spain that are interesting.  So here are some I have come up with:

1.  In Spain there is a national nap time called "siesta" where all shops and businesses shut down from 2 to 5 and bars and restaurants shut down from 4 to 8.  It is separate because obviously people want to go eat during the 2 to 5 siesta.  I read that siesta started so the workers in the feels could rest during the heat of the day (around 5) and then go back to work until late.  However today people use it so they can stay out all night.  Spanish nightlife doesn't get started until around 12am and people typically stay out until 3 or 4am and later as we have experienced.  I wish I had time to nap during this time but this is the time I use to blog, upload pictures, do homework, etc.

2.  Lunch is the big meal of the day and it is usually around 2.  Everyone comes home from work to eat a big meal before siesta.  Dinner is usually smaller and much later, usually around 9:30 and sometimes later.

3.  Since there is so much time between meals tapas are popular in Spain and are served at most cafes.  Tapas are like snacks that can be a wide variety of things.  I haven't had any yet but they but I have seen them everywhere.

4.  It is extremely hot here and the hottest month isn't until July.  The nights are extremely pleasant but the days I am always sweating.  I am forever craving water so I've started carrying around a water bottle.   I can't imagine what it is like in July.  Thankfully we are leaving at the end of June.  Even in the heat almost everyone in Spain wears skinny jeans and loose shirts.  I probably stick out in my dresses but it is the coolest option and I would probably melt into a puddle if I attempted to wear jeans.

5.  The fruit is awesome.  They have fruterías scattered throughout the city where you can buy fresh fruit.   Our señora de la casa usually serves us fresh fruit for dessert.

6.  We have discovered that most public restrooms don't have toilet paper.  It isn't that they run out but that they don't offer it period.  For this reason most spanish women carry around small tissue packets to use instead.

7.  Water is really expensive in Spain.  On our list of rules it said only to take one 5 minute shower a day.  I haven't had a problem so far I am just going to have to shave in the sink.

That's all I can come up with for now I will add more as I think of more.  If I have more time later I will write what I did today but it hasn't been too eventful so far.  I have to leave for class now though.  ¡Hasta luego!

La Playa de Matalascañas

the beach when we got there ... empty

I had to be ready this morning at 7:10 in order to catch a taxi to the bus station where a bus would take me and five other girls in my program to the beach.  The taxi came on time and we went to meet the other girls.  Everything worked out fine but when we got to the train station I realized I left my bus pass that I bought yesterday in a pocket in my satchel and had not moved it to my beach bag.  I had to buy another one which was a waste of 12.88 euro but I guess it could have been worse.  It was extremely early and were all tired but figured out how the bus system worked and then spent some time sleeping on the bus.  When we got to Matalascañas it was around 9:30 and the beach was pretty empty.  We walked down the beach for awhile and found a spot to lay down.  It was kind of cold at first but as time passed it quickly becoming extremely hot and sunny.  Also as it got later, a lot of people started coming and the beach became much more crowded close to the main walkway.

we are sitting on the top!

After relaxing for a few hours in our more remote location we moved closer to the people and the rock of Matalascañas.  It is an old watchtower which the ocean caused to collapse that now appears upside down.  When the tide comes in people climb on the rock and some jump off so we decided to join in.  It took incredible effort for the four of us to get onto the rock but with some great teamwork we made it.  We climbed to the top but only one of the girls was daring enough to jump off from the top.  It was scary because it was not a straight jump so you had to jump out too.

the beach got crowded quickly

With more people around we started seeing more and more topless women.  They were everywhere and walk around like they are completely covered.  It was definitely interesting but none of us were daring enough to try out that custom.  There were also a lot of dogs on the beach which was cool.

After some of the girls got ice cream and we spent more time laying out on the beach, the sun had worn us out and we were ready to go back to Sevilla.  We went and waited for the bus which left a little before 6pm.  Once back at the train station in Sevilla a few of us had to use the restroom but when we got in there you had to pay to use it.  A spanish lady told us not to pay and just hold the door open for each other and she explained how there is no toilet paper and offered to give us some of her tissues.  It was a weird experience but not having toilet paper must be common in Spain because many of the bars we went to last night didn't have it either.

La Plaza de Toros

While the other girls decided to take a taxi back from the station I decided to walk because I didn't want to spend money on a taxi.  While walking I passed a lot of places I had passed before but also saw La Plaza de Toros.  On my walk I also realized that I have become pretty familiar with some of the area and am feeling a lot more comfortable walking around which is good.  Tomorrow we start classes and have a tour of the Cathedral which should be cool.  I'm not going out tonight since there is not as much going on Sunday nights and I have a lot of sleep to catch up on.  Thankfully my first class isn't until 12:30.