January has always been my least favorite month and, despite spending this one in Sevilla, I still found myself counting down the days until those dreaded four weeks were over. I have to admit that for the first time since I moved to Spain in September I was experiencing the occasional pang of homesickness and wasn't as motivated as usual to take advantage of everything that living abroad has to offer.
Part of this slump can probably be attributed to the less than ideal weather that I returned to after Christmas. Those of you at home in Nashville, who have endured an abnormal amount of snow and below average temperatures, are probably laughing at the fact that I am complaining about highs in the mid-50's and the occasional rainy day. Take it from me, though--not having central heat, combined with the fact that it is humid here in the winter rather than in the summer, makes for a rather uncomfortable season. My friends and I constantly joke that we are turning Spanish because we have started to wear coats and scarves at virtually all times, regardless of the actual temperature. I'm still not sure whether that is a good thing or a bad thing. What I do know is that next winter in the States will be a struggle.
I also attribute the minor seasonal depression I fell into after the start of the new year to the fact that the novelty of living in Sevilla had officially worn off. While I love having a routine here, there wasn't anything in my week that I really looked forward to. Back in September and October, everything was new and therefore exciting. I knew that I could rediscover the spark that made Sevilla great in the first place--I just had to figure out how to do it.
It's amazing how much of a difference a few short weeks can make.
Yesterday (Sunday) I woke up much earlier than I wanted to--leaving an entire weekend day with nothing planned. Luckily, it looked to be a nice day, leaving me with endless possibilities as to what to do with my time. After my usual morning routine, including my now customary café con leche at a little place on the Alameda, I decided to head out for a long walk, something I used to do regularly on the weekends but haven't lately because of the weather, traveling, and general laziness. I soon found myself crossing the bridge to Isla de la Cartuja, just across the river from my side of the city. I started going over there back in the fall but had forgotten how much I love it. Jardín de las Américas, where you can find just about any plant from North and South America, is easily one of my favorite spots in Sevilla. Maybe it's because of their location, or the fact that the gardens were just reopened last year and thus aren't as crowded as other parts of the city, but there is something incredibly refreshing about them. Sevilla isn't that big, and I would say that I am more of a city person than a country girl, but I have to say that I've missed going out into nature and enjoying some alone time since I've been abroad. If I can't take Lucie (my German Shepherd, not my mom) on a hike in Percy Warner Park, this is the next best option.
After spending some time walking around the gardens and enjoying the 60+ degree temperature and sunshine, I changed course and wandered toward el centro, with no real idea of where I planned on going. Whereas in recent weeks the streets and cafés have been relatively empty, Sunday morning and early afternoon was a different story altogether. Young people, families, and older couples were out and about, enjoying the beautiful weather. That's something that I have missed during the winter months. It really is true that Sevilla is a different place when it is warm outside.
By the time I got back to my house around 2 for lunch, I felt great. The way I am writing this makes it sound like I have been entirely unhappy here of late, which couldn't be further from the truth. However, my walk, combined with various new endeavors I have undertaken in the past couple of weeks, reaffirmed my reasons for being here--among others, to enjoy life and all of the opportunities it presents me--and renewed my commitment to taking advantage of my remaining time in Spain.
As I alluded to above and in my last post, I have picked up some new projects and activities which go a long way in spicing up my weekly routine. The first of these is my new tutoring job, which I started two weeks ago. Every Wednesday afternoon I go to the home of Rafael, a teacher of my school, to give English lessons to his children. The first time I went, I worked mostly with María Jose, who is 16. This past week, it was 13-year-old Rosa's turn. Both girls continue to impress me with their high levels of English. Especially in a country like Spain, which reportedly has the lowest English proficiency in all of Europe, it is a nice change of pace to find young people who not only speak English but are excited to continue to learn. It looks like from now on I will be working with María Jose for one hour and then splitting the second between Rosa and her 8-year-old brother, who is very eager to get in on the action. Unlike my last tutoring job (which I ended up leaving), I can tell that I am going to enjoy working with this family. I have definitely discovered that I work better with older kids than with 5-year-olds.
In addition to my new clases particulares, last Thursday I began my introductory French course at the French Cultural Institute. Learning a new language is something I've wanted to do for a while and I couldn't turn down the opportunity to do so now, when my work week is all of 12 hours long. I can already tell that the class, which meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30-7:30, is going to be one of the high-points of my week. It is taught entirely in French by Catherine, who is a native speaker. Even though my knowledge of French is very basic and limited to what I remember from my days at Ensworth (which is a lot more than I realized), I made it through two hours of class with very minimal problems and learned a lot, from greetings and how to introduce yourself to the alphabet and numbers. I am hoping that the class will also be a good venue for meeting new people (one of my New Year's Resolutions). There is no doubt in my mind that I made the right decision in signing up for this course.
Travel remains an important part of my life abroad and undoubtedly gives me something to look forward to. This weekend I am going to Belgium (Brussels and Bruges) with Rachel and Briana as we have Monday off in celebration of Día de Andalucía. I am really looking forward to the trip, as Belgium will be a new addition to the list of countries I have visited. Then, in mid-March, we are going to Galway, Ireland to experience an authentic St. Patrick's Day. I have actually been to Galway before but am looking forward to going back and seeing more of the surrounding area. After that, who knows where my travels will take me. There are still lots of places I would like to see but I think I will probably slow down a little as we get into spring. While it's nice to be able to hop on a plane and be anywhere in Europe in a matter of hours, I do want to be sure to enjoy Spain and soak it all in.
Sometimes, it seems wrong to complain about the small annoyances you find in day-to-day life abroad. After all, life could be a lot worse than spending a year in southern Spain. However, nothing is ever perfect, my present situation included. That said, I am learning to take this experience for what it is, the good and the bad, and learn from it. Ultimately, every once and a while I just need to readjust my perspective and adapt to my circumstances.
2.14.2011
2.08.2011
عطلة نهاية الاسبوع في مراكش
(Weekend in Marrakech)
Many of you have told me that you have been on the lookout for an update from me over the past couple of weeks. The truth is that up until this weekend there hadn't been much to report. It was nice to enjoy several weeks in Sevilla, getting re-accustomed to my routine and catching up on some very necessary rest. That said, I was excited to get back into the travel grind by the time my weekend in Marrakech, Morocco rolled around.
Last week found me feeling subpar as I was battling a slight cold and cough. By Thursday after work, I was pretty run down and even considered staying in Sevilla. After all, I know from experience that there is nothing worse than traveling while under the weather. However, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to visit somewhere as different as Morocco and, much to my friends' delight, I made it on time to the Sevilla airport on Friday morning.
Rachel and Briana had both already been to Morocco and even visited Egypt over winter break, just before all hell broke loose there. For Jan and me, though, it was our first time in Africa and our introduction to the way of life in an Islamic country. Thus, it took a few minutes for us to take in the new sights and sounds we encountered on our drive from the airport to the city center.
We had booked a room at a riad (essentially a Moroccan bed and breakfast) called Dar Choumissa, within the walls of the medina. We were welcomed with characteristic North African hospitality and shown to our accommodations, which were incredibly spacious and decorated in traditional Moroccan style.
Our awesome room at Dar Choumissa.
After getting settled, we set off towards the central square, dJemaa el Fna, to get our bearings. Once there, we got our first taste of the snake charmers and monkeys that the square is known for.
The square.
It seemed that the real fun and activity wouldn't begin until it was dark out, though, so we decided to winder through the curving, narrow streets of the souqs, where you can buy just about anything you could want, from scarves, rugs and shoes to spices, tea, and soap. It was certainly a sight to be seen and a shopper's paradise. If you have seen Sex and the City 2, this is where many of the Abu Dhabi market scenes were filmed. Although we all had things we wanted to purchase in mind, we held off so we could take it all in and prepare ourselves to haggle with the vendors. After exploring for a while, we decided to call it a day and give our feet a rest in a café before dinner.
The souks.
The busy streets of the medina.
That night we went to a restaurant with a great view of the square for our first Moroccan meal. We all ordered couscous dishes, which were delicious and nice for a change of pace. After dinner, we stopped at a booth on the square for some spiced tea and then headed back to the riad to get to bed. We were all exhausted after a day of traveling and exploring.
Couscous with chicken, onions, chickpeas, and raisins.
Saturday morning we woke up in time to enjoy a typical Moroccan breakfast under the berber tent on the riad's rooftop terrace. One of the highlights was the fresh squeezed orange juice, which is a Marrakech specialty. We were also served homemade semolina cakes, my personal favorite, which tasted like denser, chewier English muffins, along with fresh orange and date jams and honey. Needless to say, breakfast was already fast becoming a highlight of the trip.
After breakfast, we headed out to do some light exploring. We ended up back in the square amidst several opportunistic snake charmers, who were eager to take our dirhams in exchange for photos. Before we knew it, they had separated the four of us, thrusting snakes into our hands and, in Rachel's case, around her neck. This was all despite our adamant refusals and attempts to walk away. Eventually--and much to my friends' chagrin--the charmer convinced me to pull out my wallet and tip him. Luckily, my wallet was only 50 dirham (or about 5 euros) lighter than it was before. Still, after that chaos and confusion, we all vowed to steer clear of the snakes and their handlers for the remainder of the trip.
Me and the snake.
Around 11 we went back to the riad for a private cooking lesson. We were going to be making a chicken tangine dish with prunes, dates and apricots. The first step in the process was chopping onions. We soon learned that Moroccans don't use cutting boards. Instead, they chop the entire onion in the palms of their hands. Our two instructors were in stitches as their four American students tried and failed to cut the onions. After several minutes of this, they told us we only needed one onion, which the instructor had done herself. I think that our failure at chopping onions convinced the instructors that we probably weren't going to be much help in the cooking department. Thus, most of of our lesson was spent observing and taking notes. We also got to see how they make mint tea, which is a major part of Moroccan culture. Once the food was ready, we served our plates and enjoyed a delicious lunch under the berber tent.
The four of us and our cooking instructor.
Mint tea.
The finished product: chicken tangine with apricots, prunes, and dates.
Full and fulfilled, we walked over to the Koutoubia Mosque. We were especially curious to take a look at the mosque's minaret, as it inspired the Giralda, the Sevilla Cathedral's famous bell tower. Even though our status as non-Muslims prohibited us from being able to enter the mosque, the exterior was beautiful and well worth seeing.
Koutoubia Mosque.
Mosque courtyard.
After our stop at the mosque, we decided to get serious about shopping. Although I personally wasn't planning on taking home many souvenirs, my friends had long wish lists and I was happy to go along and witness the fine art of haggling, which is a way of life in Morocco. We spent the afternoon going from stall to stall, looking at every sort of lamp and teapot you could possibly imagine. One of my favorite stops was the spice shop, where the salesman let us smell several of Morocco's most typical spices.
Spices and such.
We eventually ended up in a small shop on the square, where the proprietor, Rida, was enthusiastic about showing us an endless array of handmade berber rugs, each of which told a unique story. Eventually, after God only knows how much time, my friends were able to find lamps that suited them and Jan was even sold on a small berber rug. By that point, we had become best of friends with Rida, who generously offered to show us to a restaurant for dinner. As is usually the case in these types of situations, the place was probably owned by some relative of his and the menu was a little more expensive than what we were looking for. Nonetheless, we took him up on the offer (it was getting pretty late) and got a table with a nice view of Marrakech. There were belly dancers and guitarists floating around but we didn't see much of them. We did have yet another delicious Moroccan meal, complete with couscous, and were exhausted after a long day of taking in the local culture.
Sunday morning we had another delicious breakfast, this time substituting Moroccan-style crepes for the semolina cakes. Afterward, we headed to a nearby hamam (Turkish bath) and spa, where we had appointments to get pampered in true Moroccan fashion. While my friends decided to try out the baths, I ended up getting a much-needed hour long "relaxing massage." Needless to say, we all left feeling very refreshed.
After lunch, we realized that we probably needed to do at least one educational thing in Marrakech and walked from the square toward El Bahia Palace. We soon discovered that the palace isn't maintained as well as it should be, probably because it only costs about one euro to get in! While I'm sure that the people of Marrakech are incredibly proud of their palace, it didn't begin to compare to the beautiful palaces of Andalucía (Sevilla's Alcazar and Granada's Alhambra). Still, at least we can say we didn't spend the entire weekend shopping, eating, and pampering ourselves!
Walking into the palace.
Inside the palace walls.
Doorway in the palace.
Beautiful Moroccan ceiling.
Palace cats.
We finished up the day with some last minute shopping (surprise, surprise). I finally bought some scarves and even haggled a little, although I didn't drive as hard of a bargain as my friends. For our last meal, we went back to the same restaurant we went to on Friday night and had our last couscous of the trip. We even made friends with a group of Colombians at the table next to us who had all sorts of questions about our stay in Marrakech.
Monday morning we slept in, enjoyed our last breakfast at the riad, and headed to the airport. At the time, I was ready to get back to Sevilla. I had enjoyed my time in Morocco but was a little overwhelmed by the chaos of the square and souks and the new experience of being in an Islamic country. As we left, I was glad that I had decided to go on the trip but felt like I had seen all I wanted to see of Morocco. Now, having been back in Sevilla for a few days, I am realizing just how much I really enjoyed Marrakech and how interesting it was to see a place so different from any other I have ever visited. I guess you could say that I was a little out of my comfort zone, culturally. However, I think that's a good thing, especially considering I never felt threatened or unsafe in any way. Now that I have broken the ice, I wouldn't say no to another opportunity to go back to Morocco. I think that I would be able to appreciate it more now since it wouldn't be so much of a culture shock. Given its proximity to Spain and the huge number of cheap flights between the two countries, I would say that there is a chance I could make it back some day. In the meantime, I am grateful that I had the opportunity to spend this past weekend there.
I am back in Sevilla now for another couple of weeks before my next adventure--a trip to Belgium at the end of the month. I have a lot to look forward to in the meantime. This week I started a new tutoring job, giving English lessons to the teenage daughters of one of the teachers from my school. Next week I myself will begin an introductory French course at the French Cultural Institute twice a week. I am excited to finally have some more ways to fill my free time.
I think that's about all the news from Sevilla. As I've said before, I love hearing from the folks at home who are keeping up with my blog and I promise I'll write back if you e-mail me. And on that note, hasta pronto...
Many of you have told me that you have been on the lookout for an update from me over the past couple of weeks. The truth is that up until this weekend there hadn't been much to report. It was nice to enjoy several weeks in Sevilla, getting re-accustomed to my routine and catching up on some very necessary rest. That said, I was excited to get back into the travel grind by the time my weekend in Marrakech, Morocco rolled around.
Last week found me feeling subpar as I was battling a slight cold and cough. By Thursday after work, I was pretty run down and even considered staying in Sevilla. After all, I know from experience that there is nothing worse than traveling while under the weather. However, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to visit somewhere as different as Morocco and, much to my friends' delight, I made it on time to the Sevilla airport on Friday morning.
Rachel and Briana had both already been to Morocco and even visited Egypt over winter break, just before all hell broke loose there. For Jan and me, though, it was our first time in Africa and our introduction to the way of life in an Islamic country. Thus, it took a few minutes for us to take in the new sights and sounds we encountered on our drive from the airport to the city center.
We had booked a room at a riad (essentially a Moroccan bed and breakfast) called Dar Choumissa, within the walls of the medina. We were welcomed with characteristic North African hospitality and shown to our accommodations, which were incredibly spacious and decorated in traditional Moroccan style.
Our awesome room at Dar Choumissa.
The square.It seemed that the real fun and activity wouldn't begin until it was dark out, though, so we decided to winder through the curving, narrow streets of the souqs, where you can buy just about anything you could want, from scarves, rugs and shoes to spices, tea, and soap. It was certainly a sight to be seen and a shopper's paradise. If you have seen Sex and the City 2, this is where many of the Abu Dhabi market scenes were filmed. Although we all had things we wanted to purchase in mind, we held off so we could take it all in and prepare ourselves to haggle with the vendors. After exploring for a while, we decided to call it a day and give our feet a rest in a café before dinner.
The souks.
The busy streets of the medina.
That night we went to a restaurant with a great view of the square for our first Moroccan meal. We all ordered couscous dishes, which were delicious and nice for a change of pace. After dinner, we stopped at a booth on the square for some spiced tea and then headed back to the riad to get to bed. We were all exhausted after a day of traveling and exploring.
Couscous with chicken, onions, chickpeas, and raisins.Saturday morning we woke up in time to enjoy a typical Moroccan breakfast under the berber tent on the riad's rooftop terrace. One of the highlights was the fresh squeezed orange juice, which is a Marrakech specialty. We were also served homemade semolina cakes, my personal favorite, which tasted like denser, chewier English muffins, along with fresh orange and date jams and honey. Needless to say, breakfast was already fast becoming a highlight of the trip.
Inside the berber tent.
After breakfast, we headed out to do some light exploring. We ended up back in the square amidst several opportunistic snake charmers, who were eager to take our dirhams in exchange for photos. Before we knew it, they had separated the four of us, thrusting snakes into our hands and, in Rachel's case, around her neck. This was all despite our adamant refusals and attempts to walk away. Eventually--and much to my friends' chagrin--the charmer convinced me to pull out my wallet and tip him. Luckily, my wallet was only 50 dirham (or about 5 euros) lighter than it was before. Still, after that chaos and confusion, we all vowed to steer clear of the snakes and their handlers for the remainder of the trip.
Me and the snake.
The four of us and our cooking instructor.
Mint tea.
The finished product: chicken tangine with apricots, prunes, and dates.Full and fulfilled, we walked over to the Koutoubia Mosque. We were especially curious to take a look at the mosque's minaret, as it inspired the Giralda, the Sevilla Cathedral's famous bell tower. Even though our status as non-Muslims prohibited us from being able to enter the mosque, the exterior was beautiful and well worth seeing.
Koutoubia Mosque.
Mosque courtyard.After our stop at the mosque, we decided to get serious about shopping. Although I personally wasn't planning on taking home many souvenirs, my friends had long wish lists and I was happy to go along and witness the fine art of haggling, which is a way of life in Morocco. We spent the afternoon going from stall to stall, looking at every sort of lamp and teapot you could possibly imagine. One of my favorite stops was the spice shop, where the salesman let us smell several of Morocco's most typical spices.
Spices and such.We eventually ended up in a small shop on the square, where the proprietor, Rida, was enthusiastic about showing us an endless array of handmade berber rugs, each of which told a unique story. Eventually, after God only knows how much time, my friends were able to find lamps that suited them and Jan was even sold on a small berber rug. By that point, we had become best of friends with Rida, who generously offered to show us to a restaurant for dinner. As is usually the case in these types of situations, the place was probably owned by some relative of his and the menu was a little more expensive than what we were looking for. Nonetheless, we took him up on the offer (it was getting pretty late) and got a table with a nice view of Marrakech. There were belly dancers and guitarists floating around but we didn't see much of them. We did have yet another delicious Moroccan meal, complete with couscous, and were exhausted after a long day of taking in the local culture.
Sunday morning we had another delicious breakfast, this time substituting Moroccan-style crepes for the semolina cakes. Afterward, we headed to a nearby hamam (Turkish bath) and spa, where we had appointments to get pampered in true Moroccan fashion. While my friends decided to try out the baths, I ended up getting a much-needed hour long "relaxing massage." Needless to say, we all left feeling very refreshed.
After lunch, we realized that we probably needed to do at least one educational thing in Marrakech and walked from the square toward El Bahia Palace. We soon discovered that the palace isn't maintained as well as it should be, probably because it only costs about one euro to get in! While I'm sure that the people of Marrakech are incredibly proud of their palace, it didn't begin to compare to the beautiful palaces of Andalucía (Sevilla's Alcazar and Granada's Alhambra). Still, at least we can say we didn't spend the entire weekend shopping, eating, and pampering ourselves!
Walking into the palace.
Inside the palace walls.
Doorway in the palace.
Beautiful Moroccan ceiling.
Palace cats.We finished up the day with some last minute shopping (surprise, surprise). I finally bought some scarves and even haggled a little, although I didn't drive as hard of a bargain as my friends. For our last meal, we went back to the same restaurant we went to on Friday night and had our last couscous of the trip. We even made friends with a group of Colombians at the table next to us who had all sorts of questions about our stay in Marrakech.
Monday morning we slept in, enjoyed our last breakfast at the riad, and headed to the airport. At the time, I was ready to get back to Sevilla. I had enjoyed my time in Morocco but was a little overwhelmed by the chaos of the square and souks and the new experience of being in an Islamic country. As we left, I was glad that I had decided to go on the trip but felt like I had seen all I wanted to see of Morocco. Now, having been back in Sevilla for a few days, I am realizing just how much I really enjoyed Marrakech and how interesting it was to see a place so different from any other I have ever visited. I guess you could say that I was a little out of my comfort zone, culturally. However, I think that's a good thing, especially considering I never felt threatened or unsafe in any way. Now that I have broken the ice, I wouldn't say no to another opportunity to go back to Morocco. I think that I would be able to appreciate it more now since it wouldn't be so much of a culture shock. Given its proximity to Spain and the huge number of cheap flights between the two countries, I would say that there is a chance I could make it back some day. In the meantime, I am grateful that I had the opportunity to spend this past weekend there.
I am back in Sevilla now for another couple of weeks before my next adventure--a trip to Belgium at the end of the month. I have a lot to look forward to in the meantime. This week I started a new tutoring job, giving English lessons to the teenage daughters of one of the teachers from my school. Next week I myself will begin an introductory French course at the French Cultural Institute twice a week. I am excited to finally have some more ways to fill my free time.
I think that's about all the news from Sevilla. As I've said before, I love hearing from the folks at home who are keeping up with my blog and I promise I'll write back if you e-mail me. And on that note, hasta pronto...
1.20.2011
2011, so far
I have been back in Sevilla for two weeks now and I have to say that it feels good. Having lived here for four months, it really does feel like home, especially considering that I have no idea where I'll call home when I return to the States in June. I have come to love the idiosyncrasies of my living situation, from the huge Rottweiler who lives on my roof to the enormous blue aquarium in my front hall and the constantly revolving door of Spaniards who always seem to be coming and going. Side note: I still don't know who 85% of them are. My job, while less than stimulating, is something I look forward to every day, even though I don't always acknowledge it. As I've said several times before, I am fortunate to work with a great group of teachers--Ceferino, Javier, Ricardo, and Cristobal--that have always been incredibly welcoming and patient with me. More than anything, it has been nice getting back into my daily routine and enjoying the simple pleasures of life in Sevilla, like having a leisurely coffee at the Alameda on weekend mornings or meeting up with friends for drinks at Plaza del Salvador. After my busy Christmas break, it was nice to come back and find that not much had changed.
That said, I'm determined not to get too comfortable with the way things are and to continue to branch outside of my comfort zone during the second half of my time in Spain. For that reason, I've come up with a few New Year's Resolutions, most of which I think I can stick to over the next several months. So, without further ado, here is a rough outline of my goals for 2011:
1. Continue to meet new people: As I've said countless times, I'm lucky that I've made such great friends since I've been here. Being away from my family and friends in the States for 9 months is no easy feat and I'm glad that I've found people who I can count on while I'm in Spain. It would be very easy for me to stop putting myself out there.. after all, making new friends does take a good amount of effort and there's something very comforting about the familiar. Still, I know that there are many more friends to be had out there and I don't want to miss out on the opportunity to meet them. I am going to make a special effort to get to know more Spaniards, as that's something I can't really do at home. Thursday night I took a baby step towards following up on this resolution when I met up with Pam, her friend Ana, and our new friend, Brett, to go to an intercambio (language exchange) at a bar in the Alameda. There was a huge mix of Americans, Spaniards, and even a few Brits and I definitely plan on going back next week.
2. Take better advantage of my free time: While my incredibly strenuous 12 hours of work per week and the commute to and from Dos Hermanas accounts for a pretty good chunk of my waking hours, I still spend entirely too much time sitting at home catching up on TV shows online and playing around on Facebook. In order to feel like a worthwhile member of the human race, I want to find more constructive ways to fill my free time. I'm working on setting up at least one new private tutoring job, which will not only give me something to do during the week but will also provide a little extra spending money. The thing I'm most excited about, though, is that I am planning on enrolling in beginner-level French classes at the French Cultural Institute here in Sevilla. I've been dying to learn French for a long time and my recent visit to France only increased that desire. Plus, it should be a good way to meet some new people and get out of the house for a few hours each week.
3. Be more adventurous in the kitchen: While I thoroughly enjoy store-bought tortilla española, turkey sandwiches, and scrambled eggs, I have to admit that the lack of variety in my diet is getting old... fast. Thus, I have resolved to get over my fear of undercooked chicken and my laziness when it comes to cooking and try out some new dishes. In the past week I've already cooked chicken, couscous, and asparagus, all of which turned out surprisingly well.
4. Enjoy the time I have left in Spain: With only a handful of months left in Sevilla, I have inevitably started to wonder (and worry) about what I will do when I return to the States. While I'm taking steps to figure out some semblance of a plan, I am trying my best to not let the future completely overtake the precious little time I have left in Spain. After all, this is a once in a lifetime experience and there's no telling when the next time I'll be back in Spain or Europe will be. I will do what I can to figure out my plans for next year but more importantly I will enjoy my last four months abroad. I have a lot to look forward to, from Semana Santa and Feria in Sevilla this spring to more traveling with my friends.
To close out this post, I wanted to relate an experience I had this week, which might seem insignificant but that was very poignant for me. As you all know, Monday was Martin Luther King Day in the States, a holiday which I have always taken for granted. However, when Javier asked me to find an article to read with him that morning, I happened upon an article on CNN about celebrating King's birthday and the different ways that he is honored across the country. I figured that reading the article would be a good way to share some American history with Javier. It had never dawned on me how unique the Civil Rights movement is to the U.S. and how little is known about it in Spain. I really enjoyed sharing the knowledge I have of that era with Javier and seeing his response to what we were reading about. I even had him read and translate parts of the "I Have a Dream Speech."
In the article, it also talked about how MLK Day is a National Day of Service. It had never really occurred to me that nothing along those lines really exists in Spain. To Javier, the concept of people across the country dedicating their time to helping a cause, on their day off no less, was completely foreign. Growing up, community service was something that was a normal part of my life, in school, in church, and with my family. While I know that it exists to some extent here, it is nothing like it is at home. Obviously, there are a lot of things we don't get right in the U.S. However, our dedication to helping others is truly remarkable when you think about it.
And, on that note, I am off to grab coffee at the Alameda and take my weekly Sunday morning stroll. Hasta pronto...
That said, I'm determined not to get too comfortable with the way things are and to continue to branch outside of my comfort zone during the second half of my time in Spain. For that reason, I've come up with a few New Year's Resolutions, most of which I think I can stick to over the next several months. So, without further ado, here is a rough outline of my goals for 2011:
1. Continue to meet new people: As I've said countless times, I'm lucky that I've made such great friends since I've been here. Being away from my family and friends in the States for 9 months is no easy feat and I'm glad that I've found people who I can count on while I'm in Spain. It would be very easy for me to stop putting myself out there.. after all, making new friends does take a good amount of effort and there's something very comforting about the familiar. Still, I know that there are many more friends to be had out there and I don't want to miss out on the opportunity to meet them. I am going to make a special effort to get to know more Spaniards, as that's something I can't really do at home. Thursday night I took a baby step towards following up on this resolution when I met up with Pam, her friend Ana, and our new friend, Brett, to go to an intercambio (language exchange) at a bar in the Alameda. There was a huge mix of Americans, Spaniards, and even a few Brits and I definitely plan on going back next week.
2. Take better advantage of my free time: While my incredibly strenuous 12 hours of work per week and the commute to and from Dos Hermanas accounts for a pretty good chunk of my waking hours, I still spend entirely too much time sitting at home catching up on TV shows online and playing around on Facebook. In order to feel like a worthwhile member of the human race, I want to find more constructive ways to fill my free time. I'm working on setting up at least one new private tutoring job, which will not only give me something to do during the week but will also provide a little extra spending money. The thing I'm most excited about, though, is that I am planning on enrolling in beginner-level French classes at the French Cultural Institute here in Sevilla. I've been dying to learn French for a long time and my recent visit to France only increased that desire. Plus, it should be a good way to meet some new people and get out of the house for a few hours each week.
3. Be more adventurous in the kitchen: While I thoroughly enjoy store-bought tortilla española, turkey sandwiches, and scrambled eggs, I have to admit that the lack of variety in my diet is getting old... fast. Thus, I have resolved to get over my fear of undercooked chicken and my laziness when it comes to cooking and try out some new dishes. In the past week I've already cooked chicken, couscous, and asparagus, all of which turned out surprisingly well.
4. Enjoy the time I have left in Spain: With only a handful of months left in Sevilla, I have inevitably started to wonder (and worry) about what I will do when I return to the States. While I'm taking steps to figure out some semblance of a plan, I am trying my best to not let the future completely overtake the precious little time I have left in Spain. After all, this is a once in a lifetime experience and there's no telling when the next time I'll be back in Spain or Europe will be. I will do what I can to figure out my plans for next year but more importantly I will enjoy my last four months abroad. I have a lot to look forward to, from Semana Santa and Feria in Sevilla this spring to more traveling with my friends.
To close out this post, I wanted to relate an experience I had this week, which might seem insignificant but that was very poignant for me. As you all know, Monday was Martin Luther King Day in the States, a holiday which I have always taken for granted. However, when Javier asked me to find an article to read with him that morning, I happened upon an article on CNN about celebrating King's birthday and the different ways that he is honored across the country. I figured that reading the article would be a good way to share some American history with Javier. It had never dawned on me how unique the Civil Rights movement is to the U.S. and how little is known about it in Spain. I really enjoyed sharing the knowledge I have of that era with Javier and seeing his response to what we were reading about. I even had him read and translate parts of the "I Have a Dream Speech."
In the article, it also talked about how MLK Day is a National Day of Service. It had never really occurred to me that nothing along those lines really exists in Spain. To Javier, the concept of people across the country dedicating their time to helping a cause, on their day off no less, was completely foreign. Growing up, community service was something that was a normal part of my life, in school, in church, and with my family. While I know that it exists to some extent here, it is nothing like it is at home. Obviously, there are a lot of things we don't get right in the U.S. However, our dedication to helping others is truly remarkable when you think about it.
And, on that note, I am off to grab coffee at the Alameda and take my weekly Sunday morning stroll. Hasta pronto...
1.10.2011
Vacaciones navideñas
It's hard to know where to begin writing after spending just over two weeks living out of a suitcase in five very different countries. I can't believe that my long-anticipated reunion with the majority of my family has already come and gone and that the trip that I had been planning virtually since my arrival in Spain in mid-September is now just a memory. It feels like a lot longer than it actually has been since I left Sevilla on December 23, probably because it has been a very full, fast-paced couple of weeks. For those of you who have stuck with reading my blog through the past four months, here is a small disclaimer--this is going to be a very long, but hopefully painless, entry. I was going to include pictures in the post but I have so many from this trip that I can't pick which ones to put here. So, if you haven't seen them already, look at my Facebook album by clicking on this link. Now, with that out of the way, here is what I have been up to since I last posted.
The moment I had been waiting for since last summer finally came on Tuesday December 21, when my dad, Shelley, Martha, Little Julia, Wardie, Jeanie and Bill arrived in Sevilla after spending one night in Madrid. I was anxiously waiting for them on the platform at Santa Justa and couldn't wait to give them each a big hug. I was excited to show them my new life in Sevilla and give them an introduction to Spain, a country which only my grandparents had seen before. I have to admit that I was a little nervous about how they would like it here. Spain is very different from any other European country I have ever visited and the way of life certainly takes some getting used to. However, my fears were put to rest in the taxi from the train station to their hotel as they commented that Sevilla was one of the most beautiful cities they had ever seen. I can't say that I disagree!
After helping them get checked into their hotel, we set off to grab some lunch. I wasn't sure how Spanish cuisine was going to go over with them. Countless varieties of jamón and fried foods aren't exactly things that they normally eat. Luckily, they all arrived with an open mind and were ready to sample some local delicacies. I decided that for our first meal we would go to Los Coloniales, a very typical Andalusian tapas bar and one of the most popular restaurants in Sevilla. As I had thought would be the case, the place was packed and we had to wait for close to an hour for a table. In the meantime, I went over the menu with them and told them what I thought they would like. To my relief, the meal was well worth the wait, as everyone enjoyed their food, especially the chicken with almond sauce (my personal favorite)!
We spent the rest of the day walking around el centro and ended up in my neighborhood, La Alameda, where I finally got to show them where I have been living. Everyone was especially happy to meet Jamón, the giant Rottweiler that resides on my rooftop terrace. Jamón quickly struck up a friendship with my dad, planting all 200 pounds of his canine glory on my dad´s foot and enjoying lots of male bonding.
That night, we met up with my friends Pam and Briana for dinner at a little place at the entrance to Santa Cruz that Pam had recommended. We enjoyed lots of delicious food and even more vino tinto. I was thrilled that my friends got to experience the Cammack clan firsthand and that I got to see both of them before we all dispersed for Christmas break.
On my family's only full day in Sevilla, I was determined to show them as much of the city as possible. We met up for breakfast and then set off to see the main sights in some of the heaviest rain I have ever seen. The first thing on our agenda was the Alcazar, the huge palace in the center of the city. Despite the rain, everyone was able to appreciate the beautiful architecture and I even got to put on my tour guide hat as I explained the history of Andalucía, the Moorish occupation, and the Reconquista. After lunch, we went to the Cathedral, the highlight of any visit to Sevilla. I even made everyone climb the Giralda belltower. Even though it was quite a workout, the view was well worth the hike up, especially as it had temporarily cleared off. Our final destination of the day was Plaza de España and Parque María Luisa. I was glad that they had a chance to see both of those places before the rain started again. I only wish that their time in Sevilla had been longer... there were several more places on my list that I wanted to show them! I guess they will just have to come back in the future.
On Thursday the 23rd we left bright and early for Rome. Somehow I managed to fit everything I would need for two weeks into a backpack and small duffle bag.. quite an accomplishment for a chronic overpacker like myself! After arriving, we met up with Alice at our hotel and went out in search of lunch before we started our sightseeing. That afternoon we went to the Colosseum and then split up so that everyone could see what they wanted to. Alice, Little Julia, Martha and I went to the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon and, at my insistance, stopped for gelato on the way back to the hotel.
We got off to a running start on Christmas Eve as we were scheduled to take a guided tour of the Vatican. Our guide, Francesca, was very knowledgeable about the history of the Roman Catholic Church and its art. Unfortunately, I think that her knowledge and her enthusiasm to share it with us were a little too much for our group, especially first thing in the morning. By the end of the tour, we were all tired, not to mention more than a little over-saturated with art history. Still, it was cool to see the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter´s in person and I was grateful for the opportunity. That said, we spent most of the rest of the day relaxing in the hotel as I think we had had enough of crowds and being tourists for one day.
After a lot of debate and going back and forth, we ended up spending Christmas Day in Viterbo with Alice's host family, who had graciously invited our group of 10 to lunch. At this point, Alice's friend from EHS, Jenny Ward, who is spending the year in France through SYA, had also joined our party. Alice's host mom, Alessandra, prepared a huge meal, which lasted over 3 hours! All of the food, from the pasta course (homemade lasagna with pumpkin) to the meat (pork with chestnut sauce) to the traditional panetonne, was amazing. And somehow, despite the significant language barrier, we were able to communicate with a mixture of the Italians' limited English, Alice's developing knowledge of Italian, and my Spanish.
The day after Christmas the group split up a bit as my dad, Shelley, and the 5 girls departed for France and Jeanie and Bill prepared to go back to the States the following day. We flew into Paris, where we picked up a rental car (or should I say huge van) and then drove to Normandy. We stayed in the charming town of Bayeux, which was centrally located to see all of the important D-Day sights.
On our one full day in Normandy, we had a wonderful tour guide, Rose, who drove around with us from place to place and explained the history behind what we were seeing. Even though it was very cold as compared to Sevilla and Rome, Normandy was one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited and I enjoyed learning more about its historical significance.
One of the coolest moments of the trip came at the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach. As we were taking a look around, one of the National Park employees approached us because he had heard our American accents. Since they were about to close down for the day, he asked us if we wanted to help take down and fold the flags. How could we say no? So, with all eyes on us, the 5 Cammack girls along with 2 Mormon boys (fulfilling a 2 year post in France) participated in a very somber, patriotic rite. Even though it seems a little cheesy, it was an experience I will never forget and one that I am glad to have had.
The following day we left Bayeux and headed to Paris, where we were to spend our last days as an entire group. Before leaving Normandy, though, we stopped for lunch in an adorable town called Honfleur. I have to say that, while I love cities, there is something about small French towns that never fails to charm me. I've resolved to learn French so that I can visit many more in the future... we'll see if that ever comes to fruition, though!
I will take this part of the entry to put our time in France into perspective and to take a little trip down memory lane. In the summers of 1999 and 2000, my dad, Shelley, and what were then the 4 girls spent 2 weeks in Provence. On each trip we rented a house and basically soaked up everything we could about French village and country life. It was a very formative experience for everyone involved, first and foremost because it marked the beginning of our life as a blended family and secondly because for us kids it was our first trip to Europe. Needless to say, being back in France as a family brought back a lot of memories for everyone and things really seemed to have come full circle. Of course, now we have Wardie along for the ride, which only made this trip all the more special!
Anyways, when we got to Paris, we headed straight for Hotel Montalembert, the same hotel that we stayed in all those years ago! I am happy to say that not much has changed about the hotel. The one thing that has changed over the years is my opinion of Paris. On my first trips to France, I have to say that I was not a fan of the City of Light. In fact, I hated it. Back then, Paris seemed a lot dirtier and I have a very vivid memory of a naked homeless man sleeping in a metro station. Luckily, things have changed, or at least that has been my impression. Two years ago, while studying abroad, I went back to Paris, where I stayed with a friend from Nashville who was living there and was able to give me an insider´s view of the city. During that trip, I started to come around to the idea of Paris. This time around, I fell head-over-heels in love with it.
The first step in my journey to re-acquainting myself with Paris was dinner the first night at Brasserie Balzar, a restaurant we went to several times in 1999 and 2000 and that we have all talked a lot about in the interim. Although it has become a lot more popular and thus more expensive in the last decade, Balzar did not disappoint as the quintessential Paris brasserie. The highlight of the evening was hands down the profiteroles (puff pastries filled with ice cream and covered in chocolate sauce) that we had for dessert. Add those to the list of things that haven't changed in 11 years!
On our first morning in Paris, Martha and I decided to branch out on our own and do the Sandeman's free walking tour, which I have also done in Munich and Edinburgh. Once again, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience as we had a great guide who was informative and, more importantly, entertaining, throwing in pop culture references throughout our walk through the center of Paris. Among the highlights of the tour were Place St. Michel, Notre Dame, the Louvre (well, the outside of it anyway), the Tuileries, Place de la Concorde, the Champs-Élysées, and Les Invalides.
That afternoon Martha and I had grand plans to go back to the Champs-Élysées to explore the Christmas market, which more than 1 person had told me was a must. However, on our way there, we had a bit of a situation when an ATM ate Martha's debit card. She headed back (in tears) to the hotel to call our mom and rectify the problem while I decided to continue exploring. I headed straight for the Christmas market, which was a little too crowded for my liking. Afterward, I walked over to the Eiffel Tower and then back to the hotel, which was quite a hike. It felt good, though, especially after consuming my fair share of Italian and French food over the previous several days! I was glad to learn upon returning to the hotel that Martha had talked to Suntrust back in Nashville and was able to recover her card from the ATM. Lesson, which most of us have to learn the hard way: always tell your bank when you are going to be out of the country!
On our last full day all together, we made the trip to Versailles, the famous palace (built by Louis XIV) just outside of Paris. As you can probably imagine, it was packed with tourists like ourselves. Luckily, we got tickets almost immediately after getting off of the train and only had to wait in a short line to get in. Although the palace was beautiful and is certainly historically significant, it didn't live up to my expectations... which could probably get me thrown in jail in France! After a while, all palaces and fancy houses start to look the same. Unfortunately, the gardens, which I am sure are beautiful in the spring and summer, were covered in snow. I guess I will just have to go back under warmer conditions!
After returning from Versailles, Martha and I embarked on a whirlwind lap around Paris so that we could see all of the places we had missed thus far. I think I nearly killed her as we walked a huge loop around the city and spent very minimal time on the metro. We did go to the Eiffel Tower (or at least walk by it), as well as the Arc de Triomphe, Montmartre and Sacre Coeur, the site of the Bastille, and Notre Dame.
On the morning of New Year´s Eve, Alice and I said goodbye to the rest of the family. We switched to a different hotel and then did some last-minute exploring. We finally got crepes (which were just as good as I remembered them being), walked through the Luxembourg Gardens (only because Mary Kate & Ashley went there in "Passport to Paris"), and visited the Pantheon, where Voltaire, Victor Hugo, and Marie Curie, among others, are entombed.
To ring in the New Year, we met up with one of Alice´s friends from SYA Italy and went out to dinner with her family. Unfortunately, because we had to catch a semi-early flight to London the following morning, we didn't have a wild and crazy night. Still, it was a good end to a great stay in Paris.
Upon arriving in London, we headed straight from Luton Airport (about an hour outside of the city) to our hostel, near King's Cross. Since our room wasn't ready yet, we dropped off our stuff and headed toward Westminster to see the Abbey, Big Ben, and Parliament and to grab some lunch. We found a very typical English pub, where Alice had some sort of meat pie and I had steak and eggs (minus the steak). We wanted to tour Westminster Abbey but it was closed for the day already, so we headed back to the hostel, where we hoped we would be allowed to go to our room.
Unfortunately, we soon discovered that our hostel room (which we were sharing with 3 other girls) left a lot to be desired and that maybe we shouldn't have been looking forward to getting into it. The room and bathroom were not exactly sparklingly clean and whoever our roommates were had mountains of clothes and suitcases piled up everywhere. Still, because it was Alice's first hostel experience and I didn't want to worry her by saying, "This might be the worst hostel I have ever stayed in," I tried to remain positive and continually assured her that it could be much worse... which it could have been (remember our airport hotel in Glasgow?). By the following morning, though, we had both had enough of the hostel, between the conditions already mentioned, our roommate's noisy and disruptive middle-of-the-night return, and the stench that had overtaken the room. I don't think the other girls showered once while we were staying there. After getting dressed, I immediately got online and found a hotel for us to stay in when we got to Berlin. The hostel was already putting a slight damper on our time in London... I didn't want the same thing to happen in Berlin too!
After getting over our less-than-stellar accommodations, we finally set off to explore the city. Our first stop was Buckingham Palace, where we got the only picture of the two of us in London. Afterward, we headed towards Notting Hill, an area I had loved two years ago. The colorful townhouses were still as adorable as ever and we found plenty of shops to keep us busy before going to brunch at a cute little cafe. Later on, we visited Harrod's.. it was only appropriate, as Alice is one of the biggest shopaholics I know! That night we broke down and went to see "Little Focker's". We figured we owed ourselves a little piece of America as we hadn't gone home for the holidays!
On Monday, our last day in London, we tried to cram as much in as we could. I had always been curious to see Shakespeare's Globe Theatre (or at least the replica of it), our first stop of the day. We had a brief tour and it was really cool to imagine plays being performed there hundreds of years ago. I would love to go back during the season some day and actually see a Shakespeare play performed. After we finished up there, we crossed the River Thames to go to St. Paul's Cathedral, something I missed on my trip two years ago. Even though I have become somewhat apathetic to cathedrals after seeing so many across Europe, St. Paul's was beautiful and probably one of my favorite religious buildings I have seen. Alice and I even temporarily got over our fear of heights to climb the stairs to the Whispering Gallery and then to an even higher outdoor viewing deck, which provided great views of the city. After lunch, we walked to Trafalgar Square and then spent a few minutes wandering around the National Gallery. Our plans to take a ghost tour that night were thwarted when we discovered that the Tube line we needed to get to the meeting point was closed for repairs. Luckily, we found yet another American movie to keep us entertained as well as a Mexican restaurant for dinner.
Tuesday morning we ¨deuced out¨ of our hostel to catch our early-afternoon flight to Berlin. London had been fun but we were both looking forward to our quieter and cleaner accommodations in Germany. After some initial confusion as to which train we needed to take to get to the city center and our hotel, we finally found our way. That night we basked in the glory of our new sleeping quarters and also stumbled upon an Argentinean steakhouse for some red meat and baked potatoes with sour cream. It was almost like being at home! I think that by this point in our travels we had both had enough of sampling the local cuisine. Thus, we never did get any bratwurst or sauerkraut. I think that my waistline and I are fine with that.
On Wednesday morning, we woke up to beautiful blue skies, well-rested and ready to take on the day. After a quick stop at Starbucks (we caved when we discovered we could use the free WiFi), we headed toward the Brandenburg Gate to meet up with the free walking tour, which is becoming quite a habit. Our guide was a funny little Irish guy who is living in Berlin while he figures out what he wants to do with his life. Obviously, since Berlin is huge and pretty spread out, we couldn't see everything in 3.5 hours. However, we did see most of the highlights and got a good idea of the history of the city, mainly focusing on the Third Reich and the Cold War era. Some of the most interesting things we saw were the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, the site of Hitler's bunker (where he committed suicide), the former Nazi and East German Air Force headquarters, remnants of the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, Gendarmarkt, the Berliner Dom, the Soviet-built TV tower, and Museum Island. I think that our guide was right when he said that Berlin was undoubtedly the most important city of the 20th century.
That afternoon, we decided to call it a day in terms of sightseeing. I failed to mention that the temperature was in the low-20's, with windchill much colder than that. By the end of the tour, neither Alice nor I could feel our extremities and we were literally jogging in place to stay warm.
On Alice's last day in Berlin before returning to Italy, we decided to take on some of Berlin's museums, which are said to be among the best in the world. First up was the Pergamon Museum, which contains rooms upon rooms of ancient artifacts, most notably the Pergamon Altar, the Market Gate of Miletus, and the Ishtar Gate from Babylon. Alice in particular was excited to visit the museum as she has been studying ancient history this year. The collection was staggering and it was well worth waiting for close to an hour in the freezing cold and snow.
After lunch, we ventured to the German Historical Museum to check out a special exhibit that our tour guide had mentioned. "Hitler und die Deutschen" ("Hitler and the Germans") is the first exhibit in German history to focus exclusively on Hitler. For obvious reasons, the German people have been hesitant to do anything that draws attention to the him as an individual or perpetuates his cult of personality. However, this exhibit was very careful to focus instead on the relationship between Hitler and the nation, the Nazi regime's rise to power and the reasons why it caught on. Although it dealt with an incredibly taboo subject, this was one of the best exhibits I have ever seen. It really made you stop and think, both about this particular time in history and about deeper questions of human nature. It was a lot to digest, though, so it was our last stop for the day.
Friday morning Alice and I said goodbye as she had to return to Italy. I spent the day walking around and revisiting some of the sights I hadn't gotten to spend much time at during our tour. I also got on a tour bus which allowed me to see some of the places that were not included on the tour, especially in East Berlin. That afternoon, I went back to the German Historical Museum to take a look at the permanent collection, which is very interesting and well put-together but way too extensive to take in during one visit. It was a nice way cap off my time in Berlin and one of the most memorable Christmas breaks of my life.
On Saturday, it was finally time to go back to Spain and resume my routine in Sevilla. After a 3 hour flight from Berlin to Madrid, a frantic race through the Madrid metro system to the train station, and a 2.5 hour ride on the AVE from Madrid to Sevilla, I finally made it home around 8:30 on Saturday night. While I love traveling, it was time for my trip to be over and I couldn't wait for some down time.
Now that I am back in Sevilla for the second half of this adventure, I have a lot to look forward to between work, reuniting with my friends, and trips planned for February to Morocco and Belgium. There really is never a dull moment around here... except for Sundays!
The moment I had been waiting for since last summer finally came on Tuesday December 21, when my dad, Shelley, Martha, Little Julia, Wardie, Jeanie and Bill arrived in Sevilla after spending one night in Madrid. I was anxiously waiting for them on the platform at Santa Justa and couldn't wait to give them each a big hug. I was excited to show them my new life in Sevilla and give them an introduction to Spain, a country which only my grandparents had seen before. I have to admit that I was a little nervous about how they would like it here. Spain is very different from any other European country I have ever visited and the way of life certainly takes some getting used to. However, my fears were put to rest in the taxi from the train station to their hotel as they commented that Sevilla was one of the most beautiful cities they had ever seen. I can't say that I disagree!
After helping them get checked into their hotel, we set off to grab some lunch. I wasn't sure how Spanish cuisine was going to go over with them. Countless varieties of jamón and fried foods aren't exactly things that they normally eat. Luckily, they all arrived with an open mind and were ready to sample some local delicacies. I decided that for our first meal we would go to Los Coloniales, a very typical Andalusian tapas bar and one of the most popular restaurants in Sevilla. As I had thought would be the case, the place was packed and we had to wait for close to an hour for a table. In the meantime, I went over the menu with them and told them what I thought they would like. To my relief, the meal was well worth the wait, as everyone enjoyed their food, especially the chicken with almond sauce (my personal favorite)!
We spent the rest of the day walking around el centro and ended up in my neighborhood, La Alameda, where I finally got to show them where I have been living. Everyone was especially happy to meet Jamón, the giant Rottweiler that resides on my rooftop terrace. Jamón quickly struck up a friendship with my dad, planting all 200 pounds of his canine glory on my dad´s foot and enjoying lots of male bonding.
That night, we met up with my friends Pam and Briana for dinner at a little place at the entrance to Santa Cruz that Pam had recommended. We enjoyed lots of delicious food and even more vino tinto. I was thrilled that my friends got to experience the Cammack clan firsthand and that I got to see both of them before we all dispersed for Christmas break.
On my family's only full day in Sevilla, I was determined to show them as much of the city as possible. We met up for breakfast and then set off to see the main sights in some of the heaviest rain I have ever seen. The first thing on our agenda was the Alcazar, the huge palace in the center of the city. Despite the rain, everyone was able to appreciate the beautiful architecture and I even got to put on my tour guide hat as I explained the history of Andalucía, the Moorish occupation, and the Reconquista. After lunch, we went to the Cathedral, the highlight of any visit to Sevilla. I even made everyone climb the Giralda belltower. Even though it was quite a workout, the view was well worth the hike up, especially as it had temporarily cleared off. Our final destination of the day was Plaza de España and Parque María Luisa. I was glad that they had a chance to see both of those places before the rain started again. I only wish that their time in Sevilla had been longer... there were several more places on my list that I wanted to show them! I guess they will just have to come back in the future.
On Thursday the 23rd we left bright and early for Rome. Somehow I managed to fit everything I would need for two weeks into a backpack and small duffle bag.. quite an accomplishment for a chronic overpacker like myself! After arriving, we met up with Alice at our hotel and went out in search of lunch before we started our sightseeing. That afternoon we went to the Colosseum and then split up so that everyone could see what they wanted to. Alice, Little Julia, Martha and I went to the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon and, at my insistance, stopped for gelato on the way back to the hotel.
We got off to a running start on Christmas Eve as we were scheduled to take a guided tour of the Vatican. Our guide, Francesca, was very knowledgeable about the history of the Roman Catholic Church and its art. Unfortunately, I think that her knowledge and her enthusiasm to share it with us were a little too much for our group, especially first thing in the morning. By the end of the tour, we were all tired, not to mention more than a little over-saturated with art history. Still, it was cool to see the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter´s in person and I was grateful for the opportunity. That said, we spent most of the rest of the day relaxing in the hotel as I think we had had enough of crowds and being tourists for one day.
After a lot of debate and going back and forth, we ended up spending Christmas Day in Viterbo with Alice's host family, who had graciously invited our group of 10 to lunch. At this point, Alice's friend from EHS, Jenny Ward, who is spending the year in France through SYA, had also joined our party. Alice's host mom, Alessandra, prepared a huge meal, which lasted over 3 hours! All of the food, from the pasta course (homemade lasagna with pumpkin) to the meat (pork with chestnut sauce) to the traditional panetonne, was amazing. And somehow, despite the significant language barrier, we were able to communicate with a mixture of the Italians' limited English, Alice's developing knowledge of Italian, and my Spanish.
The day after Christmas the group split up a bit as my dad, Shelley, and the 5 girls departed for France and Jeanie and Bill prepared to go back to the States the following day. We flew into Paris, where we picked up a rental car (or should I say huge van) and then drove to Normandy. We stayed in the charming town of Bayeux, which was centrally located to see all of the important D-Day sights.
On our one full day in Normandy, we had a wonderful tour guide, Rose, who drove around with us from place to place and explained the history behind what we were seeing. Even though it was very cold as compared to Sevilla and Rome, Normandy was one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited and I enjoyed learning more about its historical significance.
One of the coolest moments of the trip came at the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach. As we were taking a look around, one of the National Park employees approached us because he had heard our American accents. Since they were about to close down for the day, he asked us if we wanted to help take down and fold the flags. How could we say no? So, with all eyes on us, the 5 Cammack girls along with 2 Mormon boys (fulfilling a 2 year post in France) participated in a very somber, patriotic rite. Even though it seems a little cheesy, it was an experience I will never forget and one that I am glad to have had.
The following day we left Bayeux and headed to Paris, where we were to spend our last days as an entire group. Before leaving Normandy, though, we stopped for lunch in an adorable town called Honfleur. I have to say that, while I love cities, there is something about small French towns that never fails to charm me. I've resolved to learn French so that I can visit many more in the future... we'll see if that ever comes to fruition, though!
I will take this part of the entry to put our time in France into perspective and to take a little trip down memory lane. In the summers of 1999 and 2000, my dad, Shelley, and what were then the 4 girls spent 2 weeks in Provence. On each trip we rented a house and basically soaked up everything we could about French village and country life. It was a very formative experience for everyone involved, first and foremost because it marked the beginning of our life as a blended family and secondly because for us kids it was our first trip to Europe. Needless to say, being back in France as a family brought back a lot of memories for everyone and things really seemed to have come full circle. Of course, now we have Wardie along for the ride, which only made this trip all the more special!
Anyways, when we got to Paris, we headed straight for Hotel Montalembert, the same hotel that we stayed in all those years ago! I am happy to say that not much has changed about the hotel. The one thing that has changed over the years is my opinion of Paris. On my first trips to France, I have to say that I was not a fan of the City of Light. In fact, I hated it. Back then, Paris seemed a lot dirtier and I have a very vivid memory of a naked homeless man sleeping in a metro station. Luckily, things have changed, or at least that has been my impression. Two years ago, while studying abroad, I went back to Paris, where I stayed with a friend from Nashville who was living there and was able to give me an insider´s view of the city. During that trip, I started to come around to the idea of Paris. This time around, I fell head-over-heels in love with it.
The first step in my journey to re-acquainting myself with Paris was dinner the first night at Brasserie Balzar, a restaurant we went to several times in 1999 and 2000 and that we have all talked a lot about in the interim. Although it has become a lot more popular and thus more expensive in the last decade, Balzar did not disappoint as the quintessential Paris brasserie. The highlight of the evening was hands down the profiteroles (puff pastries filled with ice cream and covered in chocolate sauce) that we had for dessert. Add those to the list of things that haven't changed in 11 years!
On our first morning in Paris, Martha and I decided to branch out on our own and do the Sandeman's free walking tour, which I have also done in Munich and Edinburgh. Once again, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience as we had a great guide who was informative and, more importantly, entertaining, throwing in pop culture references throughout our walk through the center of Paris. Among the highlights of the tour were Place St. Michel, Notre Dame, the Louvre (well, the outside of it anyway), the Tuileries, Place de la Concorde, the Champs-Élysées, and Les Invalides.
That afternoon Martha and I had grand plans to go back to the Champs-Élysées to explore the Christmas market, which more than 1 person had told me was a must. However, on our way there, we had a bit of a situation when an ATM ate Martha's debit card. She headed back (in tears) to the hotel to call our mom and rectify the problem while I decided to continue exploring. I headed straight for the Christmas market, which was a little too crowded for my liking. Afterward, I walked over to the Eiffel Tower and then back to the hotel, which was quite a hike. It felt good, though, especially after consuming my fair share of Italian and French food over the previous several days! I was glad to learn upon returning to the hotel that Martha had talked to Suntrust back in Nashville and was able to recover her card from the ATM. Lesson, which most of us have to learn the hard way: always tell your bank when you are going to be out of the country!
On our last full day all together, we made the trip to Versailles, the famous palace (built by Louis XIV) just outside of Paris. As you can probably imagine, it was packed with tourists like ourselves. Luckily, we got tickets almost immediately after getting off of the train and only had to wait in a short line to get in. Although the palace was beautiful and is certainly historically significant, it didn't live up to my expectations... which could probably get me thrown in jail in France! After a while, all palaces and fancy houses start to look the same. Unfortunately, the gardens, which I am sure are beautiful in the spring and summer, were covered in snow. I guess I will just have to go back under warmer conditions!
After returning from Versailles, Martha and I embarked on a whirlwind lap around Paris so that we could see all of the places we had missed thus far. I think I nearly killed her as we walked a huge loop around the city and spent very minimal time on the metro. We did go to the Eiffel Tower (or at least walk by it), as well as the Arc de Triomphe, Montmartre and Sacre Coeur, the site of the Bastille, and Notre Dame.
On the morning of New Year´s Eve, Alice and I said goodbye to the rest of the family. We switched to a different hotel and then did some last-minute exploring. We finally got crepes (which were just as good as I remembered them being), walked through the Luxembourg Gardens (only because Mary Kate & Ashley went there in "Passport to Paris"), and visited the Pantheon, where Voltaire, Victor Hugo, and Marie Curie, among others, are entombed.
To ring in the New Year, we met up with one of Alice´s friends from SYA Italy and went out to dinner with her family. Unfortunately, because we had to catch a semi-early flight to London the following morning, we didn't have a wild and crazy night. Still, it was a good end to a great stay in Paris.
Upon arriving in London, we headed straight from Luton Airport (about an hour outside of the city) to our hostel, near King's Cross. Since our room wasn't ready yet, we dropped off our stuff and headed toward Westminster to see the Abbey, Big Ben, and Parliament and to grab some lunch. We found a very typical English pub, where Alice had some sort of meat pie and I had steak and eggs (minus the steak). We wanted to tour Westminster Abbey but it was closed for the day already, so we headed back to the hostel, where we hoped we would be allowed to go to our room.
Unfortunately, we soon discovered that our hostel room (which we were sharing with 3 other girls) left a lot to be desired and that maybe we shouldn't have been looking forward to getting into it. The room and bathroom were not exactly sparklingly clean and whoever our roommates were had mountains of clothes and suitcases piled up everywhere. Still, because it was Alice's first hostel experience and I didn't want to worry her by saying, "This might be the worst hostel I have ever stayed in," I tried to remain positive and continually assured her that it could be much worse... which it could have been (remember our airport hotel in Glasgow?). By the following morning, though, we had both had enough of the hostel, between the conditions already mentioned, our roommate's noisy and disruptive middle-of-the-night return, and the stench that had overtaken the room. I don't think the other girls showered once while we were staying there. After getting dressed, I immediately got online and found a hotel for us to stay in when we got to Berlin. The hostel was already putting a slight damper on our time in London... I didn't want the same thing to happen in Berlin too!
After getting over our less-than-stellar accommodations, we finally set off to explore the city. Our first stop was Buckingham Palace, where we got the only picture of the two of us in London. Afterward, we headed towards Notting Hill, an area I had loved two years ago. The colorful townhouses were still as adorable as ever and we found plenty of shops to keep us busy before going to brunch at a cute little cafe. Later on, we visited Harrod's.. it was only appropriate, as Alice is one of the biggest shopaholics I know! That night we broke down and went to see "Little Focker's". We figured we owed ourselves a little piece of America as we hadn't gone home for the holidays!
On Monday, our last day in London, we tried to cram as much in as we could. I had always been curious to see Shakespeare's Globe Theatre (or at least the replica of it), our first stop of the day. We had a brief tour and it was really cool to imagine plays being performed there hundreds of years ago. I would love to go back during the season some day and actually see a Shakespeare play performed. After we finished up there, we crossed the River Thames to go to St. Paul's Cathedral, something I missed on my trip two years ago. Even though I have become somewhat apathetic to cathedrals after seeing so many across Europe, St. Paul's was beautiful and probably one of my favorite religious buildings I have seen. Alice and I even temporarily got over our fear of heights to climb the stairs to the Whispering Gallery and then to an even higher outdoor viewing deck, which provided great views of the city. After lunch, we walked to Trafalgar Square and then spent a few minutes wandering around the National Gallery. Our plans to take a ghost tour that night were thwarted when we discovered that the Tube line we needed to get to the meeting point was closed for repairs. Luckily, we found yet another American movie to keep us entertained as well as a Mexican restaurant for dinner.
Tuesday morning we ¨deuced out¨ of our hostel to catch our early-afternoon flight to Berlin. London had been fun but we were both looking forward to our quieter and cleaner accommodations in Germany. After some initial confusion as to which train we needed to take to get to the city center and our hotel, we finally found our way. That night we basked in the glory of our new sleeping quarters and also stumbled upon an Argentinean steakhouse for some red meat and baked potatoes with sour cream. It was almost like being at home! I think that by this point in our travels we had both had enough of sampling the local cuisine. Thus, we never did get any bratwurst or sauerkraut. I think that my waistline and I are fine with that.
On Wednesday morning, we woke up to beautiful blue skies, well-rested and ready to take on the day. After a quick stop at Starbucks (we caved when we discovered we could use the free WiFi), we headed toward the Brandenburg Gate to meet up with the free walking tour, which is becoming quite a habit. Our guide was a funny little Irish guy who is living in Berlin while he figures out what he wants to do with his life. Obviously, since Berlin is huge and pretty spread out, we couldn't see everything in 3.5 hours. However, we did see most of the highlights and got a good idea of the history of the city, mainly focusing on the Third Reich and the Cold War era. Some of the most interesting things we saw were the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, the site of Hitler's bunker (where he committed suicide), the former Nazi and East German Air Force headquarters, remnants of the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, Gendarmarkt, the Berliner Dom, the Soviet-built TV tower, and Museum Island. I think that our guide was right when he said that Berlin was undoubtedly the most important city of the 20th century.
That afternoon, we decided to call it a day in terms of sightseeing. I failed to mention that the temperature was in the low-20's, with windchill much colder than that. By the end of the tour, neither Alice nor I could feel our extremities and we were literally jogging in place to stay warm.
On Alice's last day in Berlin before returning to Italy, we decided to take on some of Berlin's museums, which are said to be among the best in the world. First up was the Pergamon Museum, which contains rooms upon rooms of ancient artifacts, most notably the Pergamon Altar, the Market Gate of Miletus, and the Ishtar Gate from Babylon. Alice in particular was excited to visit the museum as she has been studying ancient history this year. The collection was staggering and it was well worth waiting for close to an hour in the freezing cold and snow.
After lunch, we ventured to the German Historical Museum to check out a special exhibit that our tour guide had mentioned. "Hitler und die Deutschen" ("Hitler and the Germans") is the first exhibit in German history to focus exclusively on Hitler. For obvious reasons, the German people have been hesitant to do anything that draws attention to the him as an individual or perpetuates his cult of personality. However, this exhibit was very careful to focus instead on the relationship between Hitler and the nation, the Nazi regime's rise to power and the reasons why it caught on. Although it dealt with an incredibly taboo subject, this was one of the best exhibits I have ever seen. It really made you stop and think, both about this particular time in history and about deeper questions of human nature. It was a lot to digest, though, so it was our last stop for the day.
Friday morning Alice and I said goodbye as she had to return to Italy. I spent the day walking around and revisiting some of the sights I hadn't gotten to spend much time at during our tour. I also got on a tour bus which allowed me to see some of the places that were not included on the tour, especially in East Berlin. That afternoon, I went back to the German Historical Museum to take a look at the permanent collection, which is very interesting and well put-together but way too extensive to take in during one visit. It was a nice way cap off my time in Berlin and one of the most memorable Christmas breaks of my life.
On Saturday, it was finally time to go back to Spain and resume my routine in Sevilla. After a 3 hour flight from Berlin to Madrid, a frantic race through the Madrid metro system to the train station, and a 2.5 hour ride on the AVE from Madrid to Sevilla, I finally made it home around 8:30 on Saturday night. While I love traveling, it was time for my trip to be over and I couldn't wait for some down time.
Now that I am back in Sevilla for the second half of this adventure, I have a lot to look forward to between work, reuniting with my friends, and trips planned for February to Morocco and Belgium. There really is never a dull moment around here... except for Sundays!
12.18.2010
Gearing Up for Christmas
It's hard to believe that Christmas is already here. Part of that can be attributed to the fact that the holiday season in Spain just isn't the same as it is in the States. It's difficult to get in the spirit when all you see are lackluster attempts at Christmas lights in the streets and you have to make a concerted effort to listen to Christmas music. Add to that the fact that the temperatures are in the low 60's, with 100% humidity, and you can see why I've had trouble getting into Christmas this year. More than that, though, it seems like just yesterday that I began my year in Sevilla. I remember thinking on my first day in Sevilla that my family's December trip to Europe was so far off in the distant future that it hardly seemed real. Now, in less than 2 hours, I will be meeting my dad, Shelley, Martha, Little Julia, Wardie, Jeanie and Bill at Santa Justa. I can't believe that they are getting to see Spain, at last. Given that I have spent a total of 7.5 (non-consecutive) months in Spain over the course of my life, I think it's time. As I said in a recent Facebook update, this country has defined a large part of my life. I can't wait to share it with the people who are most important to me. The only thing that would make their arrival more complete is if my mom was coming too. I'll just hold out hope that I'll get to show her the wonders of the Iberian peninsula some day too!
We will be spending two days together in Sevilla before embarking on what will be a couple very busy weeks of European travel. First, we are flying to Rome, where we will meet up with Alice. I am really looking forward to seeing the sites in Rome, since I was sick the last time I was there and didn't see very much, and especially to our private tour of the Vatican on Christmas Eve. Alice's host family, who are incredibly generous, as I learned during my visit to Viterbo in November, are having our entire group (10 people!) over on Christmas Day, for what I can only imagine will be a spectacular Italian feast. The day after Christmas we will be moving on to France, where we will visit Normandy and then Paris. The rest of the crew heads back to the U.S. on New Year's Eve, leaving Alice and I with about 10 days to continue our travels. We will spend NYE in Paris, a daunting but exciting proposition, and then spend about 3 days each in London and Berlin. It is a lot of moving around, to say the least, but I have a feeling this will be a great family vacation.
I have to say that the prospect of over 2 weeks away from Sevilla and my friends here is a little bittersweet. I have really come to love this place and the people here, despite the occasional frustration with the Spanish way of life. I guess that just means I have a lot to look forward to come January.
That's about all I can think to write right now. I hope to be able to update the blog as our trip progresses. Otherwise, I'll have to write one monstrous entry when I get back on January 8. Until I have a chance to write again, I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, or as they say here, Feliz Navidad. Hasta pronto...
We will be spending two days together in Sevilla before embarking on what will be a couple very busy weeks of European travel. First, we are flying to Rome, where we will meet up with Alice. I am really looking forward to seeing the sites in Rome, since I was sick the last time I was there and didn't see very much, and especially to our private tour of the Vatican on Christmas Eve. Alice's host family, who are incredibly generous, as I learned during my visit to Viterbo in November, are having our entire group (10 people!) over on Christmas Day, for what I can only imagine will be a spectacular Italian feast. The day after Christmas we will be moving on to France, where we will visit Normandy and then Paris. The rest of the crew heads back to the U.S. on New Year's Eve, leaving Alice and I with about 10 days to continue our travels. We will spend NYE in Paris, a daunting but exciting proposition, and then spend about 3 days each in London and Berlin. It is a lot of moving around, to say the least, but I have a feeling this will be a great family vacation.
I have to say that the prospect of over 2 weeks away from Sevilla and my friends here is a little bittersweet. I have really come to love this place and the people here, despite the occasional frustration with the Spanish way of life. I guess that just means I have a lot to look forward to come January.
That's about all I can think to write right now. I hope to be able to update the blog as our trip progresses. Otherwise, I'll have to write one monstrous entry when I get back on January 8. Until I have a chance to write again, I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, or as they say here, Feliz Navidad. Hasta pronto...
12.08.2010
The December Puente
In Spain, long weekends are known as puentes or bridges. This week I have enjoyed one hell of a puente, which started Thursday after school and came to an end on Wednesday night. Given that Monday and Wednesday were both national holidays, Día de la Constitución and Día de la Inmaculada, respectively, the good people of Dos Hermanas decided to take Tuesday off as well. After all, what's the point in going to work on a Tuesday between two holidays? With so much time off from work, my friends and I decided to escape Sevilla for a few days and take advantage of the ease of traveling around Europe. After a little deliberation, we settled on spending our short vacation in the UK, spending the first day in Liverpool and the remainder in Edinburgh.
Friday morning Rachel, Jan, and I met up bright and early at Santa Justa to catch a train to Málaga, where we had found a cheap flight to Liverpool. While Sevilla is a bigger city than Málaga, there are a lot of cheap flights out of Málaga to cities all over Europe due to its popularity as a coastal resort destination. Even though having to spend 2 1/2 hours on a train in order to get to the airport was definitely a little more difficult than flying out of Sevilla, it was a fairly easy trip and we got to see a lot of beautiful Andalusian countryside. After a couple of hours waiting in the airport, we finally boarded the plane, leaving the sunshine and relatively warm temperatures of southern Spain for the clouds and cold of Britain in December. With more than enough boisterous Spaniards and small children running up and down the aisle of the plane, the flight itself was a bit trying, which only made arriving at John Lennon International Airport that much more exciting. Despite a bit of confusion as to the best route to take to reach the city center, we eventually ended up on the right bus, where we met a friendly guy who told us which stop we needed to get off at and gave us some tips on restaurants and bars in the area. More than anything, I think that we were all happy to be able to strike up a casual conversation in English!
After a very cold and slightly snowy walk, we found our hostel, which was located in a very cozy old house. As we checked in, the incredibly welcoming owner, who has lived in Liverpool all of his life and witnessed Beatlemania firsthand, served us tea and gave us a rundown of the layout of the city and gave us some suggestions for our one and only night in the city. We decided that, after dropping our stuff off and freshening up a bit, we would head out to find some fish and chips (we were in England, after all) before checking out the Cavern Club, one of the most important landmarks in Beatles history. Since Briana was due to arrive in a few hours, we left instructions for her to meet us at the Cavern around midnight, when we figured she would finally make it to the hostel.
The guy that we met on the bus had told us that there was a decent fish and chips place on Hardman Street, so we headed in that direction. However, we couldn´t find it ourselves and literally everyone we encountered on the street was too drunk to help us out. Luckily, I spotted a restaurant that said ¨Fish and Chips¨in the window and we decided to try it out. Interestingly, although it was an Italian-English-Scottish restaurant, the fish and chips were delicious and we devoured our dinner, mushy peas and all. Afterwards, we were ready to begin our night out on the town.
After a very cold and slightly snowy walk, we found our hostel, which was located in a very cozy old house. As we checked in, the incredibly welcoming owner, who has lived in Liverpool all of his life and witnessed Beatlemania firsthand, served us tea and gave us a rundown of the layout of the city and gave us some suggestions for our one and only night in the city. We decided that, after dropping our stuff off and freshening up a bit, we would head out to find some fish and chips (we were in England, after all) before checking out the Cavern Club, one of the most important landmarks in Beatles history. Since Briana was due to arrive in a few hours, we left instructions for her to meet us at the Cavern around midnight, when we figured she would finally make it to the hostel.
The guy that we met on the bus had told us that there was a decent fish and chips place on Hardman Street, so we headed in that direction. However, we couldn´t find it ourselves and literally everyone we encountered on the street was too drunk to help us out. Luckily, I spotted a restaurant that said ¨Fish and Chips¨in the window and we decided to try it out. Interestingly, although it was an Italian-English-Scottish restaurant, the fish and chips were delicious and we devoured our dinner, mushy peas and all. Afterwards, we were ready to begin our night out on the town.
Fish and chips at the Italian Fish Club.
Most of the people in the Cavern Club were much older than us but we had a great time nonetheless. There was a band and plenty of interesting characters to keep us entertained for a couple of hours. However, as midnight rolled around and there was still no sign of Briana, we decided that we should probably head back to the hostel to find her. To our surprise, we were informed as we walked in the door that her flight from Málaga had been cancelled and that she was scheduled to fly into Edinburgh on Saturday afternoon. We chalked that minor snafu up to the inclimate weather and called it a night, exhausted from a long day of traveling.
Inside the Cavern Club.
Saturday morning we got up, ate a very quick--but free--breakfast and headed out on our much anticipated Beatles tour of Liverpool. Our guide, Stevie T., picked us up at the hostel and the four of us headed out to see the sights. As a lifelong Beatles fan and having read a huge biography of the group last spring, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the tour. Stevie told great stories, some of which I remembered from the book and others that I had never heard before. Among others we saw John Lennon's birthplace, the Liverpool Institute and School of Art, Paul McCartney's and John's childhood homes, the neighborhoods where Ringo and George grew up, Penny Lane, and Strawberry Fields. Since we had been in and out of the rain for four hours, I think we were all happy when the tour ended around 1. Stevie dropped us off at the Phil, supposedly one of John's favorite watering holes, and we all enjoyed a hearty Shepherd's Pie for lunch.
Strawberry Field (probably my favorite stop on the tour)
Jan, Rachel, and I on Penny Lane.
When we got back to the hostel to get our bags before heading to the train station, we checked our e-mail, only to discover that Briana's flight had once again been cancelled. At that point, we were aware that it wasn't weather that was holding up her travels but rather a Spain-wide air traffic controller strike. It seemed that Rachel, Jan, and I had made it out just in the nick of time. We made plans to hopefully meet Briana at the hostel in Edinburgh on Sunday evening and then left the hostel to catch two trains and a bus to get to Scotland.
The five-hour trip from Liverpool to Edinburgh wasn't nearly as bad as I had expected. It wasn't, however, without a little excitement. Just before we were to get off the train in Carlisle, about 30 miles from the Scottish border, Jan and Rachel decided to make a quick trip to the bathroom. Unfortunately, the only working toilet on the entire train was several cars down the line. I was still in our seats when a voice came over the loudspeaker and announced that we were arriving at Carlisle. Unlike at the other stops we had passed, there had been no advance warning. I started to panic... if my friends didn't make it back in time, should I grab their stuff and hope that they jumped off the train on their own? Luckily, just as we stopped, I saw the two of them running down the car, just as panicked as I was. We gathered our things and ran off the train, all the while coming up with a contingency plan in case anything similar happens in the future.
The last leg of the journey was a bus ride from Carlisle to Edinburgh. Somehow we were the only three passengers, aside from the bus driver, who we could barely understand through his thick Scottish accent. We slept most of the way, although I did wake up in time to see lots of the countryside and some very quaint small towns. The farther we drove, the more snow I saw. By the time we reached Edinburgh, we estimated that there was probably two feet of snow on the ground. Even though we hadn't expected so much wintry weather, it certainly made the city look even more picturesque than it normally does.
We made our way to our hostel and decided to call it an early night as we were all exhausted. We did have time to meet some of the other people staying in our room. One, a girl from Australia, was taking a gap year to travel around the world. Another, interestingly enough, was a 2003 Vandy grad who is living in Iceland on a Fulbright scholarship. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the shared room experience, something I had never done before in all of my travels. It was cool to hear everyone's stories and for the most part everyone was very considerate.
Sunday morning we got up ready to take on the day. We had decided in advance to go on a free walking tour of the city, which we picked up on the Royal Mile. The tour allowed us to get a feel for the city's layout and to decide which attractions we wanted to go back to. Our tour guide, Alan, was quite a character, to say the least. He more than slightly resembled Hagrid from Harry Potter and talked like a pirate. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the city and even said that he had written a book about its history. Even though I had been to Edinburgh before, I enjoyed seeing the main sights again and even discovering new ones. Some of the highlights included St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh Castle, Greyfriars Kirk, and various Harry Potter-related sites. More than anything I enjoyed hearing Alan's stories. Whether or not they were all true, they were highly entertaining. Despite the fact that we learned and saw a lot on the tour, it was kind of hard to concentrate because of the cold weather and two feet of snow on the ground. After 3 1/2 hours of walking around in the elements, none of us could feel our feet and I was actually shaking. We were relieved when Alan finished his stone of destiny story (don't ask) and set off in search of a warm restaurant with good food. It goes without saying that I was beyond happy to have my first cheeseburger in months.
Alan, our fearless leader. (Photo courtesy of Jan)
St. Giles Cathedral.
Greyfriars Bobby, supposedly the most photographed statue in Edinburgh.
Greyfriars Kirk
To kill time between lunch and Briana's arrival, we did a little shopping and stocked up on some much needed winter accessories. We all gave Briana a huge hug when she finally appeared at the hostel around 7. After two days of waiting, she had finally made it to the UK. To celebrate having the whole group together, we went to a Thai restaurant nearby for dinner. It sounds pathetic but I think our favorite thing about the weekend was the food. Tapas and jamon are good (from time to time) but there's definitely something to be said for having options. Afterwards, we went to another restaurant for tea and dessert before hitting the hay pretty early.
Monday morning we woke up to snow. My inner southern girl came out and I was giddy at the sight of white flakes falling from the sky. We bundled up and headed out to see some more of the city. Unfortunately, our first stop--the Castle--was closed due to the inclimate weather. Luckily, we had seen one of our top choices on the walk up and decided to escape the cold to learn about the national beverage at the Scotch Whisky Experience. We heard all about the distillation process and the different whisky-producing regions of Scotland before we got to choose a whisky to taste. It turns out that none of us are destined to be Scotch drinkers as we could barely choke down a few sips. Nonetheless, I'm glad we gave it a go. When in Rome, right?
Edinburgh in the snow. Simply beautiful.
Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas (or Sevilla) anymore.
Me, Rachel, Briana, and Jan at the whisky tasting.
For lunch we headed to the Elephant House, the café where J.K. Rowling wrote the first two Harry Potter books. I had been there on my first trip to Edinburgh and loved going back. Our favorite part of the café was the bathroom, where there was a Harry Potter toilet seat and the door was covered in notes people had written to J.K., thanking her for changing their lives. It was pretty cool (albeit a little weird).
The Elephant House, a.k.a. the Birthplace of Harry Potter.
After lunch we were stunned to learn that the Scottish National Museum was closed, also due to the weather. Thus, we decided to warm up inside by seeing the newest Harry Potter movie, which hadn't yet made it to Spain in English. Although the fifth book was the last one I read and I hadn't seen any of the movies since the fourth, it was really cool to see the latest installment in the city where the craze began. Plus, I'll take a warm movie theater over walking around in the cold any day!
Tuesday was our last day in Edinburgh, so we were determined to see the Castle. We were ecstatic to learn that it was in fact open for visitors. The views of the city and water were beautiful, especially with all of the snow. We also got to see the Scottish Crown Jewels, the Stone of Destiny (which we had been hearing about since our arrival), and a famous sword (whose significance is escaping me). We followed up our tour of the Castle with some souvenir shopping (cashmere scarves and real Scottish shortbread) and then grabbed a quick lunch. My traveling companions were brave and tried haggis, the quintessentially Scottish dish that is basically the leftover parts of the sheep, oatmeal, and spices, all wrapped up and cooked in the the animal's stomach. I couldn't bring myself to try it... I guess I'll just have to go back to Scotland and try it in the future! We decided against touring the Palace of Holyrood House (the Queen's official residence in Scotland) in favor of getting a head start on our journey to Glasgow, where we were to spend Tuesday night before catching a flight back to Spain on Wednesday morning.
View of the Castle from the Princes Street Gardens.
Finally entering the Castle.
The Castle, covered in snow.
View of Edinburgh and the water from the Castle.
Haggis... I'm sure it's delicious but no thank you.
This is the point in our trip where the real adventure began. We arrived at the bus station only to learn that all of the buses between Edinburgh and Glasgow had been cancelled for the day because of the road conditions. We would later hear on the news that this week marked the "collapse of the Scottish infrastructure." Thus, our only option was to take the train. Once at the train station, we waited for our platform to be posted, which it was... approximately one minute before the original departure time of our supposedly delayed train. We quickly made our way to the platform and discovered that the train had already left, leaving us and several other Glasgow-bound travelers confused and very cold. Our only choice was to wait for the next train, which was scheduled to leave in about half an hour. With every passing minute, we got more and more cold and couldn't wait to get on what we could only assume would be a heated train. Eventually, they posted the platform for our train, which brought on a literal stampede of people, all of whom were just as eager to get to Glasgow as we were. We somehow were able to get on the train, which we soon learned was in fact not heated. Thus, by the time we arrived in Glasgow, none of us could feel our feet and we couldn't wait to get to our hotel, located by the airport. Unfortunately, finding transportation to the hotel wasn't as easy as we had hoped. It seemed that the unseasonably cold weather and snow had ground the city to a halt. After waiting for a few minutes for the bus to the airport, we decided to stand in line for a taxi. In the twenty or so minutes that we waited, however, we saw only one taxi. Thank God the airport bus finally showed up. We were hopeful that our luck had finally turned. If only...
Upon reaching the airport, we found a taxi to take us to our hotel. When I told the driver the address we needed to go to, he asked if it was a hotel. I replied, "Yes, do you know it?" To which he answered, "Unfortunately." That should have been our first clue that something wasn't right. After about a ten minute drive the taxi stopped outside of a very eerie looking Victorian-esque house that was apparently our hotel. I should say that at this point we were in the middle of a very dark, abandoned neighborhood with lots of boarded up windows and abandoned factory buildings. Despite the fact that we were all more than a little creeped out at this point we paid the cab driver and headed towards the door. As we approached the building, someone commented that "this looks like the kind of place you go in and never come out of." We rang the doorbell (which was falling off the wall) and were greeted by a Pakistani man, who appeared to be on some sort of mind-altering substance. Our next clue that something wasn't right came when he told us he didn't have our reservation. Luckily (or not) there was plenty of room. Rachel, Briana, and I were going to be staying in a triple and Jan was in a single across the hall. When we got upstairs, Jan unlocked her door, shut it, and ran across the hall saying, "I can't do it. It's the ring!" (referring to the horror movie) We soon discovered that our triple wasn't much better. There were no sheets on the bed, only one towel for 3 people, no lock on the door and suspicious stains on the carpet. The worst part was the bathroom... not only did the floor look like it was about to cave in but the toilet didn't flush and there was an unidentifiable liquid backed up in the tub. At this point we were having serious doubts as to whether we could stay here or not. We had already paid for our rooms (in cash) but this place didn't even begin to meet any standards for a hotel. After much debate we came to the conclusion that we needed to leave immediately and appointed Rachel our spokesperson. We got our bags and went back downstairs, asking our Pakistani host for a cab and a refund. When he refused to refund our money without blinking, it was clear that this was not the first time he had been in this situation. Eventually, we decided that the money was the least of our worries and asked him if he would just call us a cab. Unfortunately for us, the wait was going to be close to an hour. So, we very dramatically exited the building, happy that we would never have to see the Lomond Airport Hotel again. As luck would have it, our streak of not slipping on the ice came to an end when I fell down in the hotel parking lot. Given the circumstances, all I could do was sit in the snow and laugh.
Our next step was to find some way back to the airport, where we had seen a Ramada Inn. Clearly no taxi driver in his right mind would be hanging around this neighborhood. So, running on adrenaline, we high tailed it out of there and made our way towards the only signs of civilization in the vicinity. A teenage boy pointed us toward a taxi stand at the local train station, where our discomfort level was multiplied by a host of unseemly characters, including a drunk guy with a black eye. Eventually, we got in a cab and asked to be taken straight to the Ramada. When we told the driver where we had come from, he informed us that the Lomond Hotel was a "shit hole" (direct quote). Obviously we told him never to drop anyone off there again.
We were all quite relieved to learn that there was vacancy at the Ramada, as well as a restaurant (and more importantly, a bar) in the lobby. Yes, we spent more money than we had anticipated but a clean room with a functioning bathroom was well worth the price. We all agreed that if we had learned anything in our time in Glasgow it was the importance of trusting our instincts. We should have run for the hills upon seeing the outside of the hotel, if not the minute the first cab driver told us that he had "unfortunately" heard of it.
Wednesday morning we woke up early to catch our flight back to Málaga. After the events of the previous night and having spent 5 days so cold that we couldn't feel our extremities I think we were all ready to get back to Spain. Nonetheless, despite everything, we all had a great time and can't wait to go back to the UK. Hey, it wouldn't be travel without a little excitement, would it!?
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