Travels

Wow, what has happened in the weeks that I have neglected posting???
I finished UPO, packed all of my stuff up (excluding all that I had to leave behind for lack of space), flew to Venice, flew to Rome, flew to Cologne, and somehow made it safe and sound in Antwerp.

Now is the countdown until home, James Taylor comes to mind now.

After Blizzard complications in Germany/Brussels and a freak out on my part, Miles made it to Venice to meet me. Since then, our time has been packed with seeing the sights. You know, Rialto Bridge, St. Mark's, St. Peter's, the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain...and all in the rain. Cologne was a nice break because the only thing to see was the Cathedral, and gosh was it beautiful!

Yesterday, we arrived at the Antwerp Central station relieved to know that almost all of the travel woes are behind us. We are here doing nothing until the 4th and that sounds pretty great!

Tons of pictures to come!
for the time being, here are some pictures of my last trip to Belgium forever ago, soooo funny!


Eating waffles in the Grand Place Brussels and a Market in Brugge

Countdown

My first though every morning is, "how much longer?"
5 days and two exams stand in my way now
5 of the slowest days EVER and 1 frightening exam
(maybe it's only 4 1/2 days now...)

The point is, I can't wait!

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Here are some snapshots that I took around Sevilla, while I was out and about in the rain last week!
(at least the rain was replaced by 70 degree weather and sun; I'm kind of dreading the bitter cold back home)

The top three photos are of the Cathedral of Sevilla, The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See
According to Wikipedia, it is the 3rd largest church in the world and the largest Gothic style church
The interior is unlike any other cathedral that I have been in; it is very segmented and has a lot of open space.
Plus, Christopher Columbus is buried here!

The other building is a typical government building, in a nicer part of the city. The orange trees are my favorite! They are ALL over the city and the oranges have just become orange. They are so beautiful.

A new development, is the appearance of the beauty in my kitchen!
I stumbled in one morning to make my coffee and this is what I discovered



Being in Spain, this isn't an unfamiliar sight however, I was hoping not to find it at home! Encarna just keeps chipping away at this leg and serving it to me, ugh! The ham is quite good and famous around the world (it can only be cured in Andalusia and is made from special pigs) but I can't eat it anymore. The presence of the whole leg and the smell makes me feel physically ill (I know I should like knowing where my food comes from, but I am a baby and I don't). Speaking of food, I think that Spain has turned me into a vegetarian. I could go the rest of my life without eating anymore pig and I am sick of eating mystery meat. Veggies here I come.

More to come as I count down, pace the floors, and procrastinate until I study.
All I can think is Venice, Venice, Venice

Caganer

While watching the news, I keep seeing images such as this one, associated with Christmas time. Nothing like someone pooping to spread holiday cheer?


Image from UltraGross

These figurines are called caganers and they are typical of Christmas time in Catalonia (you know, the region where Barcelona is). Apparently, they are placed somewhere in the nativity scene for many different reasons, such as uniting people, because 'everyone poops'. Bizarre, I know (I suggest checking it out on wikipedia). They come in all different forms: famous people, cartoons, athletes, there is even an Obama pooper. In fact, this year Barcelona is home to the biggest caganer ever, a huge pooping man wearing a Santa hat.


Image expatica

This tradition is considered very important in Catalonia; there was even public outcry when Barcelona didn't include it in the nativity scene one year (they were trying to discourage public defecation). Needless to say, the caganer is here to stay!

Hope this gets you into the Christmas spirit
(and don't forget to do an image search)

Churro Friday

I have a dedicated group of friends that wake up every Friday morning to go eat churros
Churros [choo-r-ohz]: a long, slender, deep-fried pastry resembling a cruller
aka the Spanish doughnut

photo credit: Courtney Hurt

I however, up until Friday, have turned down the offer to wake up early, commute across the city, and indulge in this sinful snack. It's simple, I love sleeping and hate running.

Despite my previous negativity on the subject, I am so very glad that I hauled myself out into the cold morning for these babies. Talk about delicious, hot, crunchy, fried goodness (and yes those are cups of thick, rich dipping chocolate). The churros were only made better with the best cup of café con leche that I have had in Spain, oh yeah and my friends too...

As a side note, churros are typically reserved for 6-8 am. This is the time that people usually begin heading home after a night out in Sevilla and stopping at a churro stand is only natural. Perhaps comparable to a cook-out run? They are also really important during the celebration of Faria (but that's another story).

In other words, be jealous!

In Spain...

People park their cars wherever they want to. In front of each other, on the sidewalks, even in the little parks along the street. In Boone, you get a ticket ANYTIME, ANYWHERE!



This weekend, I accomplished little; no schoolwork or site-seeing. The rain didn't stop and I found myself in a lot of cafes doing a lot of chatting (with great people). So no complaints here.
We attempted to explore Triana, which is traditionally the gypsy/flamenco area of the city. It is supposed to be very alternative and eccentric (I'll get back to you on it). We also attempted to go ice skating, but the rain spoiled those plans as well!

Today is dedicated to homework, I will be in Starbucks all day because it is Constitution Day and nothing else is open!

14 days left!!!

Rain, Rain, Go Away

I think that we have entered into Monsoon season here in Sevilla
It has been so cold and rainy ALL week! It makes it so much harder to get out of bed and go to school.


On the right, is the Torre de Oro (the tower of gold), it is a national monument, however it's most current use is as a place for the high schoolers to 'botellon'. Basically, they buy bottles of liquor and go drink at the tower before going out. In Sevilla, drinking in public is A-OK.

Tomorrow marks the end of my last school week at UPO and I couldn't be more excited!
We had to give evaluations of our experience and let's just say I wasn't the only one who wouldn't recommend the university to their friends! Now, I will have a week off to "study" and then a week of exams. Only 19 more days until I am on my way to Venice!


This is Calle Sierpes, it is the main shopping street downtown (there are at least 5 Zaras and 3 Mangos)

Since we have traveled a lot while being here, Hannah, Brittany and I have decided to spend the week thoroughly seeing all of the things in Sevilla that we have yet to take advantage of. Stay tuned for some pictures of our tourist adventures in the city. I am so excited that it is finally December, that I almost finished with my last semester of college, that I have started running again, and that everything is falling into place!!!


19 Days!

Lovely Day

Yesterday, everything went wrong.
Impossible paper, impossible cold, impossible weather, impossible host mom
AND
I couldn't pull myself out of the slump!!!

But, I woke up this morning to a much healthier body and the sun shining brightly!
(I am so thankful for how a night's sleep can make everything better)


Photo credit Becky Forrest

This quote was a nice reminder for me
"Joy requires freshness, newness, stimulation. Joy thrives on the unboxable largeness of life in all its bewildering variety. Depression feeds on sameness..."- Mike Mason

I Am Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving



I love Thanksgiving, I mean who doesn't, but I have been dreading it this year because I knew I was going to miss out! While I would love, more than anything else, to be home in North Carolina, eating my ritual 2 meals, and being with family; spending my first Thanksgiving away from home has made me ESPECIALLY thankful. As it turns out, the day hasn't been as depressing as I thought it would be! I napped, read, and spent the evening chatting and eating chestnuts with Encarna's family. All of the women (daughters, daughters-in-law) and grandchildren come over every Thursday and spend hours chatting and laughing; I guess they don't need a 'Día de Gracías' to get together!!!

To remind myself of all the I am thankful for I made a list, so here it goes...

I am thankful that:
1. I know God can deal with the things I cannot handle
2. That I have been blessed with a loving, wise, and generous family (you all mean the world to me!)
3. That I have always had much more than I need

4. For all the important people in my life who think I am special (all you lovely best friends+Walt that I can' live without)

5. For all that I have learned while living in Spain

6. For all the doors that are going to open up
7. For my normal everyday life that I took for granted and will soon get back!
8. For ruffles, netflix, and peanut butter
9. For skype!
10. Next year I won't have to miss Thanksgiving and I can tell you all in person how important you are!

I hope that everyone makes a list, it really helps to remind you!
At least I have continued one Thanksgiving tradition while here, my Thanksgiving day cold!!!
It followed me to Spain (despite the fact that I eat 3 oranges a day)

ps: I was lazy last week and didn't upload all of my Morocco photos BUT, they are now in the last post so take a look!

Tangier, Tetuan, Morocco Mash-Up!

The last day and a half of my trip to Morocco was a blurred medley of cities and activities.



I had lunch in Tetuan (top left). Enjoyed a BOTTLE of Coca-Cola with Arabic writing. Spent about ten minutes seeing the Caves of Hercules, near where the Atlantic and Mediterranean meet (middle left). Rode a camel, briefly...and reminisced about the first time I laid eyes on a toilet like this in Paris (I was slightly less horrified this time around).


This has to bring a smile to your face (photo by Brittany Mangold)




In front of this lighthouse is where the Atlantic and Mediterranean meet


(photo by Brittany Mangold)
It has come to my attention that some people found the tent to be a really important part of the trip so, here is a picture of the tent (where we saw the not so fantastic fantasia show) and Hannah, Irena, and I inside of it!

Chefchaouen, Morocco

Pronounced like Chef-showen
This little city is up in the mountains outside of Tetuan. What is most notable about it, are the painted blue walls and doors throughout the city. Everything is blue and it is gorgeous!
(there is a practical purpose for this too, apparently the blue keeps mosquitoes away)

There was nothing much to do except wander around the city and shop. We had a native guide, who led us around for a bit and took us to a rug makers shop. These were the highlights, ha ha.


These narrow, uphill alleyways make up most of the city






Hannah, Brittany, Irena, and I


This cooky little man was our guide, I was impressed that he knew English and that I could kind of understand it! These are also some of the rugs made in the city.


Inside the rug shop


These were my favorite! This is paint for sale.




This guy was trying to get all of the girls in our group to dance, too funny!

The rugged landscape in Northern Morocco is very beautiful; the slopes are rocky and barren. It is different from the lush green mountains I am used to.

Chirimoya

I was eagerly waiting for my after dinner orange, when it became evident that Encarna was doing something different in the kitchen this evening. She presented me with a plate, a spoon, and a large green fruit that she proceeded to cut in half.

When she saw my quizzical look, she told me with nonchalance that it was a chirimoya. A what, I said? A chickymoya??? This name meant nothing to me and as I looked at the white flesh of the fruit I was skeptical. I decided it was a fruit and that nothing could go too wrong with a fruit. But as I took the first bite, I thought of a Jamaican fruit my roommate had once told me about that tasted like ketchup (or maybe they ate it with ketchup), either way, I was hoping it wasn't this particular fruit. Turns out it wasn't!!! This weird, white, seedy fruit has an oddly delicious flavor. It is very sweet, but sometimes spicy and just a little salty. I did some research and us American's refer to it as a "custard apple". I suppose the texture is similar, but I thought of it as a pear meets pudding.

The point is, if someone places a chirimoya in front of you, give it a whirl. However, beware of how incredibly stuffed you are going to feel afterward (I may not be able to move for a while).

Gibraltar, UK

I don't believe in celebrating Christmas before Thanksgiving
BUT,
I am in Spain and we don't celebrate Thanksgiving
(guess who is drinking chai and listening to Christmas music and loving it???)

Last weekend, I visited Gibraltar, which belongs to England. It felt very strange to walk across a border and discover that everyone speaks English (especially since we were literally 5 minutes away from Spain). Gibraltar is small and relatively unexciting; except for the monkeys of course.


This is the rock


Hannah, Brittany, and I with Africa in the background


There were monkeys everywhere!!!


One climbed into the bus


A more successful monkey picture (this time it didn't jump on me)




We also tried to be English by drinking Strongbow
(this goes out to Rachel and Miles)


and yes...there were pictures with the telephone box!

All in all, I would say it was a great trip to the UK...
If you could call it the UK?

Barcelona II

Monday, again.
I'm pumping myself up to get through the last 3 weeks of real school
(this doesn't include finals...)
My motivation is waning and I'm turning to exercise and inspirational readings to keep my spirits high, ha ha ha (or ja ja ja, since I'm in Spain)

Here is some inspiration
Montserrat
definition: serrated mountain or a girls name


I can't tell you how happy seeing these mountains made me!
(I so miss this while living in flat Sevilla)



Since we were outside of Barcelona, stopping at Montserrat was on our way! We took the Cremallera (zipper train) to the top of the mountain and explored the area on top of the mountain. I am so impressed by the beautiful monastery that was built so high up. There were cute little gates, ponds, and doorways tucked away along the little trails that wound around the mountain.




Carlos, Brittany, and I

Lastly, here is La Sagrada Familia



It is a truly incredible cathedral and definitely worth visiting
Pictures just don't do it justice (especially mine, that's why there is only 1)
Unfortunately, the Pope was visiting Barcelona and ruined my visit
AND
I saw the cathedral in the dark
BUT
I am so, so glad that I could see it in person; the details are INCREDIBLE
Also, I added some new photos throughout, check them out

Home Sweet Sevilla

I made it back!



I had a great weekend visiting new places!
(It isn't often that one can go to three countries and two continents in one weekend)

Why this weekend was great:
1. I went to Africa!!!
2. Had a monkey jump on my head
3. I drank Strongbow in the "UK" and took pictures in a red phone booth
4. I rode a camel
5. Learned that I can understand and speak Spanish better than I thought

Pictures and details to come.
I am currently exhausted and very lazy!!!
(too much time on a bus...ugh!)

Barcelona, Spain

I have worked diligently today (that's a first), but slacked in other areas (like exercise)...Oh well! I'm rewarding myself with a break to post photos from Barcelona!

I really enjoyed this city, it felt like going to a whole new country (which I guess is why some Catalans want their own country...). To me, it felt like the San Francisco of Spain; cool, on the beach, and very trendy. I didn't have to deal with any of the complications of traveling like transportation, lodging, and a language barrier (and if you didn't know Spanish is not the language spoken in Barcelona, it is Catalan and it is quite different) because Hannah's friend Carlos was the most fabulous host!

This building is Casa Batlló

and this one is known as La Pedrera

As you can probably tell, our first day was a Gaudí day. Not on purpose, his designs are just great to see!!





Parqué Guell, my new favorite place on earth (I will post more pictures of this, promise)!


They were like gingerbread houses!

We got to the park when it was almost dark and there wasn't much time left for exploring (it was still magical)!

We also went to this incredible market called, Mercat de La Boqueria
It was seriously beautiful. Fresh fruits, juices, gelatos, vegetables, meats, and candies.
Did I mention it was all BEAUTIFUL!?!
In retrospect, we should have eaten dinner here BUT we did pick up a fruit medley and some coconut, delic!


Fulfilling my need for sour candies, fresh fruits, and beautiful things!



Barcelona post II to come. There is just to much to show!
(I have to sort through the Sagrada Familia pictures to find some good ones)

At least we were able to see all the sites from Vicki, Christina, Barcelona
(Don't worry, we watched the movie while we were there)