Just when I thought life in Sevilla couldn't get any better... it did.

Last week wasn't without it's moments, though. Here the preface to my story: my friends Rachel and Jan, who teach together at a school in Sevilla, had recently been told by their principal that the junta (the regional government) had sent a letter regarding their auxiliar work schedules. According to the school, Rachel and Jan not only had to make up the days they had missed (which is understandable) but also had to put in extra hours to account for the daily recreo (recess) period, which the school had been counting in the 12-hours we are required to work each week. Despite the fact that the discrepancy in their schedules was clearly the school's fault, not Rachel and Jan's, the principal and bilingual coordinator told my friends that they would have to make up the time by the end of April--or else they wouldn't be paid for the month of May. Considering we only receive a measly 700 euros a month, not receiving our stipend is a big deal. Thus, Rachel and Jan, naturally very upset by the situation (which wasn't good to begin with), waited for their school to decide what they were going to have to do and prepared to fight back.

Fast forward to early last week. I was working with Javier in our department office when the principal of our school came in and presented me with what I think must be the same letter that Rachel and Jan's school had received a few days before. Basically, the letter explained that there seemed to have been some discrepancies in the schedules sent by the schools to the junta at the beginning of the year and that the bilingual coordinators needed to fill out new schedules and resend them to the Ministry of Education. The letter also outlined the stipulations of our contracts as far as our schedules go. Obviously, I already knew that I was required to work 12-hours per week. However, the letter expanded on that requirement by saying that at least 8 of those hours had to be spent in direct contact with students in the classroom. This was a new piece of information that I don't remember ever seeing before and one that caught my attention as my schedule only has me spending 4 hours in class with the students... and that's on a rare good week, when there are no exams or other interruptions to keep me out of class. Considering what I knew about the events at Rachel and Jan's school, and despite the fact that my school is one of the more laid back I have heard of, I was scared that I was going to have to make up an absurd number of hours or adapt to a drastically different schedule in the last two months of work. Plus, I've missed my fair share of days for travel. Yes, I have had Ceferino's blessing and I had been told that I didn't need to make up those days. Still, it was beginning to seem like the government was realizing just how much of a joke the Language & Culture Assistant program is and wanted to cover their tracks.

The next day, Ceferino showed me a new schedule that added class time to my preexisting schedule. I was a little disappointed... until he informed me that this version was just to make the junta happy. I would still be working my old hours and there was no mention of making up any missed days. Unfortunately, Rachel and Jan's situation wasn't resolved as easily. I won't go into all the details because it's very complex but suffice it to say that I am very lucky to work where I do.

Relieved that my work dilemma had come to a quick and painless end, I was ready to enjoy another weekend in Sevilla. Thursday, after work and a much needed siesta, I met up with Pam, Andy, and Janet in Plaza del Salvador, which is once again filled with young sevillanos on weekend evenings. Thursday nights at Salvador were one of my favorite parts of the fall semester and I was glad to get back there after a very long hiatus. Friday afternoon I met up with some friends by the river to soak up the beautiful 80+ degree temperatures and strong sun. We spent a few hours out there, talking, drinking, and fending off the ducks, which encroached on our territory several times in search of food. After that outing, I headed home to get to sleep early, in anticipation of Saturday's day trip to Gibraltar.

Saturday morning at 7:30 I met up with Pam, Andy, Janet, and Jan at Puente de la Barqueta to catch a bus, along with about 50 other people from the Thursday night intercambio group, to Gibraltar. I had been wanting to see the famous rock and strange British colony since arriving in Sevilla and was excited to finally have the opportunity, with a great group of people no less. The bus ride itself was about 3 hours, including one stop for breakfast and bathrooms. Upon arriving in La Linea de la Concepción, the last Spanish town before Gibraltar, everyone got off the bus and was free to spend the day as they pleased. We flashed our passports and crossed the border and my four friends and I headed toward the city center.

After a bit of wandering, we stumbled upon a tour guide, who offered to take us on a 1.5-hour tour of Gibraltar's highlights for 25 euros, including tickets to enter the nature reserve. Since we had no idea what else to do, and he explained that seeing all of the sights on our own would take 3 times as long, we decided to take him up and boarded a van, along with a nice English guy. Our tour guide had lived in Gibraltar since he was a young boy and was very knowledgeable about the history of the colony, which has been under British control since 1704. We began our journey up the rock and made our first stop at a view point, from which we could see the Spanish city of Algeciras as well as the coast of Africa, which is only 17 kilometers away. Afterward, we continued onward, stopping next at St. Michael's Caves. Having seen many a cave in my day, I have to say that these were some of the most impressive I have ever seen. Perhaps one of the most interesting things about the cave is that there is a huge amphitheater in the middle, where musicians from all over the world come to perform. We spent about 15 minutes admiring the rock formations and then exited the cave to reunite with our guide. The next attraction was the official home of Gibraltar's famous Barbary apes, which allegedly came to live on the rock hundreds of years ago when merchant seamen, who kept the monkeys as pets, left them behind when they got too big to live on board the ships. We had been warned ahead of time to beware of the monkeys as they have been known to snatch belongings (sunglasses, jewelry, etc.) from tourists and occasionally get a little aggressive. Before we knew it, Pam had an ape on her shoulder, thanks to our guide who had called the animal over. Jan and Andy were also brave enough to hold a monkey. Meanwhile, Janet and I stayed as far away as we could, resolutely telling the guide that we wanted nothing to do with the animals. After telling the apes goodbye, we saw some more amazing views of both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean (which meet at Gibraltar) from the top of the rock and then made our last stop of the tour at the Great Siege Tunnels. All in all, I think we were very pleased with our decision to take the tour. We learned a lot about Gibraltar, which I am very glad to have seen.

As we were all very hungry and still had a few hours to kill before returning to Sevilla, we decided to take advantage of being on British territory and enjoyed a delicious lunch of fish and chips. After that, we wandered around a little before heading back to the bus to meet up with the rest of the group. We were back in Sevilla by 7:30, exhausted from a wonderful day.

Having had a low-key, restful Sunday, I am recharged and ready for another week of work. Two more to go before Semana Santa and my trip to Lisbon and Madrid. And on that note, it's dinner time. Hasta pronto...

Spring Has Sprung

La primavera has officially arrived in Sevilla. Temperatures are consistently in the mid-70's (which feels much hotter under the strong Andalusian sun), the Alameda and other outdoor gathering places are full of people, and the long-anticipated annual festivities of Semana Santa
and the Feria de Abril are looming on the horizon. There are other small things that make me overjoyed that the endless cool, rainy days of winter are now in the past--the ability to once again hang my laundry on the roof, no longer needing to turn my heater on the minute I walk into my room, and the resumption of my beloved Sunday morning paseos by the river. It sounds cliche but life is good.

That said, the onset of spring also means that my days in Spain are numbered. Come June 9 I will be on a plane headed to the U.S. and the fairy tale life I have been living since September will inevitably come to an end. My passive musings about "what I am going to do with my life" are quickly turning into something of a panic and it's beginning to dawn on me that I am going to have to say goodbye to all of the wonderful friends I have made this year. As with any major transition, there are both good and bad sides to the thought of bringing this chapter of my life to an end. I have come to realize that the key to a successful transition is balancing the two and approaching the situation with a realistic point of view. I am also beginning to appreciate the concept of living life to the fullest (another cliche, I know) and I have resolved to take every advantage that I can in my remaining months in Sevilla. Since I last wrote, I have had two experiences that exemplify this new carpe diem attitude.

Exhibit A: On Thursday March 17, my friends and I traveled to Ireland to enjoy an authentic St. Patrick's Day celebration. As we had to fly out of Malaga, we all made the executive decision to skip work that day and caught an early train out of Sevilla. Even though we felt slightly guilty about neglecting our auxiliar duties (okay, they felt guilty and I was indifferent), passing up the opportunity to spend "Paddy's Day" in Ireland was not an option. So, after a 2.5-hour train ride to Malaga, a 3-hour flight to Dublin, and a couple hours on a cross-country bus, we found ourselves in Galway, the main city in the western part of Ireland and apparently the fastest-growing urban area in Western Europe. Oddly enough, this wasn't my first time in Galway--I visited two years ago while studying abroad. Still, I was excited to be there and knew that there would be many new experiences to be had and plenty of people to meet.

After dropping our things off at our bed and breakfast, which was conveniently located about 5 minutes from the city center, we headed out in search of some pre-pub food. Unfortunately, we soon discovered that just about everything other than bars are closed on St. Patrick's Day and that the Irish subsist on beer, with a little whiskey mixed in, on their special day. Luckily, we did stumble upon a little pizza shop, run by Spaniards no less, and enjoyed a quick slice before getting the night started. We ended up venturing into a pub called The Front Door as it seemed to be drawing a pretty good crowd. We all decided to try Bulmer's, a hard cider that is very popular in Ireland and, once we had our drinks in hand, made our way through the pub (which turned out to be a lot bigger than it looked from the street) in search of some open space to stand. As you can imagine, the place was packed. Thus, after one more round, we decided to head out and try another establishment. The next bar we ended up at was equally, if not more, crowded than the first one and it was fast becoming apparent that the assumption that all Irishmen/women can hold their liquor goes out the window on Paddy's Day. People were falling all over the place, bumping into us, and I think that I spilled more beer than I actually drank. By the time we decided to leave, we were all soaked in various alcoholic beverages and I had come to the conclusion that big crowds and raucous party scenes in confined spaces are not my cup of tea. We walked around a bit more, hoping to find somewhere a little calmer to take in the festivities, but in the end decided to call it an early night. We were all happy to be able to say we had spent St. Patrick's Day in Ireland but I think it's fairly certain that we won't be making it a yearly occurrence.

It was probably a good thing that we didn't stay out too late on Thursday night as first thing Friday morning we were scheduled to go on a bus tour, which was going to be picking us up at 9:45. Much to our chagrin, we ended up on a bus with what appeared to be an entire sorority from a northeastern American university (not to be named) and their male counterparts. I'm not sure if they were still feeling the effects of the previous night or if they were just plain ill-mannered and disrespectful but suffice it to say that kids like these are the reason why Americans have a bad reputation abroad. There were several times when we crossed our fingers that the bus driver, Billy, would leave them behind at one of our stops. However, we had no such luck and were stuck with them for the day. The saving grace of the tour was that the Irish countryside is beautiful and well worth putting up with our unruly companions. We drove through the Burren, an area that is an interesting combination of rock and greenery, stopped at the Aillwee Cave, and saw some sort of Gaelic burial site. The highlight of the day, hands down, was our stop at the Cliffs of Moher. I had been to the cliffs on my first visit to Ireland but had been there on an extremely rainy, windy day with very low visibility. This time around, though, the weather decided to cooperate and I was able to take in their full beauty. Of course, we took copious pictures... proof that we did occupy our time in Ireland with activities other than drinking.

Saturday we went on another day trip with the same tour company as we had found a deal online that gave us both tours for only 22 euros. This time we were headed for Connemara, an area near Galway that boasts an absolutely breathtaking landscape. Some of our shorter stops included a coastal town, a village that was deserted during the potato famine of the 1800's, and the site where "The Quiet Man," starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, was filmed. Our main destination was Kylemore Abbey and Gardens. Even though the weather took a turn for the worse during our time at the abbey, it was a beautiful place. In fact, it made me want to move to the Irish countryside.

Saturday night we decided to give Galway nightlife another go, hoping that things would be a bit tamer than they were on St. Patrick's Day. We went back to our "favorite" pub, The Front Door, where we enjoyed dancing (albeit not to traditional Irish music) and people watching. By the end of the night, our opinion of the Irish and their way of having fun had been restored.

Having exhausted the tourist options in Galway, we spent Sunday, our last day there, walking around and exploring. We bought Claddagh rings, for which the city is known (and which I promptly lost in the Dublin airport), and visited the harbor area, which we had seen from the bus. We found an awesome little restaurant for lunch, enjoyed some tea at an adorable tea shop, and then went back to the B&B to collect our things before our train ride back to Dublin. Unfortunately, we were only able to spend about 12 hours in the capital city due to our Monday morning flight. We did manage to make it to Temple Bar, Dublin's most famous bar, and achieved our goal of hearing live music (though it still wasn't Irish music). Overall, it was a great weekend with great friends. Being able to hop from country to country at the drop of the hat isn't something I will be able to do in the future. Right now, though, I can, and you better believe I'm going to enjoy every last minute of it.

After getting back from Ireland on Monday, the rest of my week was busy with my usual engagements (work, tutoring, French, etc.) and by Thursday night I was exhausted. Despite being tempted to go out that night, I decided to stay in and get a full 8+ hours of sleep in anticipation of Friday's festivities. La Fiesta de la Primavera is an annual event in Sevilla, which was described to me beforehand as a mega botellón, or, in other words, where hordes of people gather in a public place to drink and socialize. Other than that vague description, I had no idea what to expect. What I did know was that whatever the fiesta would entail was going to be incredibly Spanish and well worth attending.

Friday afternoon, after picking up ice and a 2-liter bottle of pre-made tinto de verano (a red wine/fanta mix that is very popular in Spain, especially in Andalucía), I headed out to meet up with Pam, her friend Kevin (who was visiting from the States), her Spanish roommate Ivan and a couple of his friends, and Andy and Janet. With our plastic grocery bags full of ice and beverages, we made our way across La Puente de la Barqueta with all of the other party-goers who had similar supplies. It was a beautiful spring day and, as it was pretty hot in the sun, we couldn't wait to break into our tinto de verano when we reached our destination. It turned out that the fiesta is held in a huge parking lot on the other side of the river and, essentially, it amounted to the Spanish version of a tailgate--minus the ensuing sporting event. There were cars parked around the edges of the lot, each blasting music and competing to see who had the loudest speakers, and a few trucks selling food and ice. Mainly, though, there were just lots of young Spaniards, ranging in age from early high school to mid-to-late 20's. We picked a random spot in the middle of the parking lot, set our stuff down, and got to enjoying our beverages, which tasted incredibly refreshing at this point.

It wasn't long after we arrived that I spotted two familiar-looking faces in the crowd and realized that they belonged to two of my students from I.E.S. Torre de los Herberos. I was able to catch their attention and they came straight over to where our group was standing. I think that they were just as surprised and excited to see me as I was to see them. They spent a few minutes talking to us and then continued on their way. A little later, one of them and another student from their class returned. It seemed that news of my presence had spread quickly. This time they stayed much longer and even convinced me to give them a drink. They kept commenting that I am very shy at work. My only response was that being a female teaching assistant in a room of 9 teenage boys is intimidating, to say the least! I especially enjoyed hearing their opinions of the teachers in their program. Let's just say that we have very different opinions of them! Nonetheless, seeing my students was one of the highlights of my day!

After the excitement surrounding my students' appearance, the fun continued as we watched our supply of tinto get smaller and smaller. For the Americans in our group (it was about a 50-50 split), perhaps the best part of the fiesta was being surrounded by Spaniards, without any other guiris (non-Spaniards) in sight. There was no doubt that we got a heavy dose of authentic local culture! We stuck around the fiesta until around 9:30, by which time it had gotten dark. It was a good thing we left when we did... we later heard that someone was murdered just after our departure! Despite that bit of tragic news, though, Fiesta de la Primavera ranks among the best times I have had this year, if not in my life. As we enjoyed some very necessary tapas a little later in the evening, we all reminisced on the events of the late afternoon and early evening and agreed that we were glad we had gone. It was certainly unlike anything I had ever seen before.

Both my trip to Ireland and last Friday's fiesta are further proof in my mind that there is no time like the present to enjoy life and take advantage of every opportunity I have in the next two months. While few things could live up to La Fiesta de la Primavera, I am looking forward to many more good memories. Next stop-- a day trip to Gibraltar on Saturday.

And on that note, I am off to bed... my 6 a.m. wake-up call is going to come much to soon!

Hasta pronto!

Back by Popular Demand

I apologize to those of you (read: the 5 or so family members who read this) who have been looking for an update from me over the past several weeks. As I recently wrote to a family member in an e-mail, it's truly amazing how quickly I have gone from being bored out of my mind during the week to barely having time to catch my breath Tuesday through Thursday. Between my twice weekly French classes and tutoring in Dos Hermanas on Wednesday evenings, I am keeping busy. Although there are times when I miss the days of two hour post-work siestas, I have to say that I much prefer my newly full schedule.

The only part of my week that is lacking in activity is the time that I actually spend at "work." Since I first assumed my duties as an auxiliar back in October, I have written that my job is very minimal, with a maximum of 12 hours spent working each week and limited responsibilities both inside and outside of the classroom. My friends, who teach at other schools in and around Sevilla, and I have said time and again that the program we are in is a "joke." The past couple of weeks at I.E.S. Torre de los Herberos have taken those observations to a whole new level. There have been several days where I have commuted to Dos Hermanas, which in itself is an hour-long process from the time I leave my house to the time I walk into school, only to work an hour or less. Under normal circumstances I would be frustrated by going all that way only to be told that I'm not needed. However, at least it gets me out of bed and moving in the morning. There have been other days where I haven't gone in at all, either because I have been told ahead of time not to bother or because knowing I would only be there for an hour has led me to inform them that making the trip no vale la pena (isn't worth it). Granted, there is usually a good reason for days like those I just described--one of the teachers is sick, there's a test, or, in last week's case, there has been a family emergency for one of the teachers. Still, I wouldn't mind having more of a reason to get excited for work.

Luckily, my dull work days are balanced out by the weekend trips that I try to take once a month. Since I last wrote, I enjoyed a long weekend (February 24-28) in Belgium with Rachel and Briana. We had booked the trip before Christmas in anticipation of the February Puente, which we had off from work because of Día de Andalucía, the regional holiday. We arrived in Brussels on Thursday night, spent two days there, and then moved on to Bruges, where we stayed until Monday. If you were to ask me what we saw in Belgium, I would probably struggle to come up with very much. As we had been warned ahead of time, there isn't that much to see or do there. However, despite the lack of tourist attractions, we managed to entertain ourselves by doing lots of walking around and, of course, indulging in the foods (waffles, chocolate, and "French" fries) and beverage (beer) for which the country is famous. Even though I thoroughly enjoyed Belgium's gastronomic offerings, I think that the thing I liked most about it was the interesting mix of French, Dutch, and even German cultural elements. France and Germany are two of my favorite countries and it was neat to be in a place that reminded me of both. While I haven't been to the Netherlands, I can imagine I would like it. Overall, it was a successful trip and I wouldn't say no to going back to Belgium some day.

The beautiful weather that we experienced in Sevilla in the week leading up to my trip to Belgium didn't last long, meaning that, when I haven't been running around like a chicken with its head cut off, I have been spending lots of time inside, avoiding the seemingly endless rain and being forced to think about the day when I will inevitably have to leave Spain and return to the States. When I ventured across the pond back in September, I came with a one-way ticket since I had no idea when what the next nine months would hold. Thus, over the past several weeks, I have been checking out my options as far as flying back in June are concerned and trying to find the best deal on airfare. On Sunday morning, when I predictably woke up much earlier than I wanted to at 8:30 a.m., I finally found the lowest price I could and bought my ticket for… drum roll, please… Thursday June 9. While part of me was tempted to stay until the end of the month, I am quickly coming to the realization that I can't put off the real world (let's face it, the life I'm currently leading is in no way, shape, or form the real world) forever and that finding a job in the States from overseas is challenging. Needless to say, it was a tough decision but one that had to happen sooner rather than later.

I have no idea where I'll end up or what I'll be doing in the post-Spain chapter of my life. I do, however, know that thus far this experience has been the best year of my life and that I want to fully take advantage of the time I have left in my adopted home country. Aside from a trip to Ireland this coming weekend for St. Patrick's Day, I am planning on spending most of the next three months in Sevilla, or at the very least on the Iberian Peninsula. During Holy Week, which falls in mid-April this year, I am finally making it across the border to Lisbon, Portugal, for a few days of solo travel before meeting up with Pam and her brother in Madrid. Then, in early May, my friends and I are taking a beach trip to Lagos, Portugal.

More important than where I spend the next couple of months, though, is who I spend them with. The past six months have been the best experience of my life and I am determined to enjoy as much time as possible with the people who have helped make it that way. Recently, some of my friends and I have started a Saturday night supper club, which we are trying to make happen at least once a month. Because my house is centrally located and has the perfect set-up for entertaining, we always gather at my house to enjoy each other's company, good food, and cheap Spanish wine. This past weekend the five of us threw together a last minute potluck, complete with vegetarian lasagna, proudly made by yours truly. We always have fun and hosting dinner parties makes me feel incredibly grown up. There is no doubt in my mind we have many more such occasions to look forward to!

As I am writing this during a free period at school and the bell to end second period is about to ring, I am going to cut this entry off here. Look out for another post next week... and this time I mean it! Hasta pronto…

Life After January

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.

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.

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.

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...

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...

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!