Cordoba/Granada

This weekend ISA took us to Cordoba and Granada. We didn't stay in Cordoba for very long. We were mainly there to see the Mosque/Cathedral. It was originally a basilica, then a mosque was built, and finally a cathedral was built inside of the mosque. It was very interesting to learn about the different parts of the mosque and see how the cathedral was just placed right inside it.

After Cordoba, we drove about 2 hours to Granada. The whole time we were in Granada it was raining which was really unfortunate. That night we went to a flamenco show (not as good as the ones I have seen in Sevilla). I of course got pulled on stage by the dancer to dance with her. Let me tell you: Flamenco and Molly do not go together but it was still fun. We then decided to go out for tapas after the show. In Granada wherever you go, when you buy a drink, you get a free tapa. Generally the drinks are more expensive though. I for some reason kept getting really bad tapas, like plain ham sandwiches so that was frustrating because you don't get to choose your tapa. The next day we went to La Alhambra. I was expecting great things because my parents had already been there and said they really liked it but I wasn't as amazed for some reason, possibly because it was raining. I realized that I really like natural beauty more than man made beauty and all of the architecture has started to blur together at this point for me.

For lunch we got kebabs and I had mine with falafel which was fantastic! We then walked around to little souvenir shops while it was still pouring (I of course forgot my umbrella and raincoat). We also went back to the hotel to play some card games which was a blast. That night we got more tapas but I had recently caught a cold so called it an earlish night.

The next day we woke up to see the Royal Chapel. It was cool to see where Ferdinand and Isabel were buried but besides that it kind of felt like ISA just added it into the itinerary for something to do. I spent the whole weekend staring at the Sierra Nevada mountains right next to Granada with perfect snow caps wishing I could've been snowboarding. It was actually the last weekend of snow season and they had a huge snow storm. Too bad I couldn't go.

I really liked Granada as a city but unfortunately we did not have great weather so I didn't feel like I could fully appreciate it. I want to go back though and also try snowboarding on the mountains.

Semana Santa in Sevilla

Sorry this post is a little late. 2 weeks ago was Semana Santa in Spain. Semana Santa means Holy Week which is the week before Easter. It is celebrated everywhere throughout Spain but supposedly Sevilla is the place to be. I was gone for the beginning part of it when I was in Morocco but made it back for the best processions.

Thursday night was the "best" night according to my ISA directors. My friends and I looked at the schedule and went out at midnight to get ready for a 3:10 am procession called Esperanza de Triana (Triana is the neighborhood I live in). It was almost like we were waiting for a 4th of July parade to come by. After sitting on a curb for what felt like forever, the procession began. It started with Nazarenos walking while holding candles. Their outfits resembled a purple Ku Klux Klan outfit which was a little startling. There were loud drums being played too. It was a very slow process and my lack of patience was not helpful during this time. According to my madre, there are 2,500 people in the Esperanza de Triana. Halfway through the float with Jesus came through. It was very exciting. At the end was the float with Mary. Each brotherhood has its own symbol of Mary (I think). To be honest, I'm not exactly sure of all of the meanings behind the processions. One of the Nazarenos handed me a card with a picture of Mary on it. My madre told me that doesn't happen often and it means he thought I was guapa (pretty). That was exciting. Also, some of the Nazarenos gave the kids caramels. It was just a really strange thing to watch, I wish I could post some videos of it on this blog but here are the pictures. I recommend Googling Semana Santa to learn more if interested because I clearly did not do a great job of explaining.

Morocco!

Unfortunately, I have to start off with some sad news about my time in Spain. I had to get to the bus to go to Morocco at 4 am on Friday morning. I wanted to sleep a little bit but at 2 am I started to get sick. It was so miserable (found out later my friend from home had the same sickness. Either the Spanish flu or food poisoning?). I had told my parents at 3:30 I wasn't going to make it to Morocco but a friend convinced me that throwing up on a bus the whole way there wouldn't be that bad (haha). Anyway, I was sick the whole way to Morocco but finally got there around 6 pm. I decided it was time for me to go to sleep and woke up the next morning to my roommates alarm. That day we were going to the Medina in Fes but I was way too weak to make it there. I had to stay at the hotel and sleep some more. Thankfully, I was able to make it to the bellydancing show that night. I'm pretty sure we saw a very touristy version but it was still very interesting.

Thankfully, I was feeling much better the next day. I had only eaten a roll and some white rice in the past two days. We had a long bus ride to the Sahara Desert! Once we got to the desert, we were supposed to take 4x4's to our campsite but of course there was a sandstorm. We decided to go to a store and learn about how they turn fossils into plates and countertops. They were really awesome but unfortunately I had no need to buy a sink. The sand storm stopped and we got into our jeeps! It was crazy. No lights anywhere except the headlights, driving on the sand. We got out in the middle of the trip to see the stars which were spectacular. Finally made it to our tents in the desert in time for dinner. I was going into the trip thinking that Moroccan food was going to be really good (I love me some couscous) but it ended up being a lot of plain vegetables and potatoes. I'm also not a fan of cold rice? That night we were all pretty exhausted so went to bed right after dinner. We had tiny mattresses right on the sand. We did find out later in the night that there were toilets... but we were pretty much roughing it.

The next morning we were supposed to be woken up by the Berbers (local people who live in the Sahara) to go see the sunrise. They didn't wake us up, but someone woke up just in time so I could see it. It was pretty awesome. I then went back to sleep and almost missed breakfast! Then it was time for the camel rides. What an experience that was. I named mine Toto... don't ask why, I have no idea. We rode the camels over to a huge dune which we climbed up. We then rode them over to a small town in the desert to rehydrate and go to some shops. I bought a Moroccan pillowcase, not exactly sure why but I can put it on the couch in my apartment next year. We walked back to camp in time for lunch. The afternoon was left for us to do whatever we wanted. Some friends and I decided to lay out in the sun while playing some card games. The Berber children started to come over to us and were taking our cards and putting bugs on us so we decided that was enough of that. Spent the rest of the afternoon climbing dunes and talking to the older Berbers. Their income is basically selling random things to tourists such as us. I felt so bad for them but I wasn't there to dish out money. It was then time for dinner and a band of Berbers played some music for us. Exhausted again, we decided to go to sleep.

The next day we woke up and it was time to head to Meknes. We had a long bus ride but finally got there. We really only spent the night there but it was the best shower ever (only because we hadn't been able to shower in the desert). ISA has programs in Meknes and it just made me think about studying abroad there. That was my first time in a largely Muslim country and I had not realized how out of place I would feel. Clearly the blonde hair didn't help, but being a woman on the streets in Morocco was very different than any other country I have been to. I really don't think I would be able to do 4 months in Morocco, way too different. And the next morning we woke up to drive back to Sevilla.

I am really glad I went to Morocco even though the first two days were spent extremely sick. There was a ton of transportation but being able to sleep in the Sahara Desert was really cool and definitely worth it. The culture really intrigued me though and I hope to experience more different cultures than the typical European ones. Another thing I found interesting was how the Berber kids acted. In my experience, the Latin American kids were so excited for us to be there and just happy for our company. They were so grateful when we would give them things, as if they weren't expecting it. In Morocco, they would beg and beg for money and food. A kid would come up and show me a lizard and ask if I wanted to take a picture so that I would then give him money. It was such a strange concept to me and I really did not like it. Just found that interesting.

Updates!

This weekend has consisted of chilling by the river, looking at internships online to apply to, and planning my spring break with my friends.

We have finalized our spring break plans!
April 20 I take a train to Malaga in Spain at 6:50 in the morning to catch a flight out to Budapest! I am meeting one of my good friends from high school in Budapest and another one of our friends is coming the next day.

April 23 We take a train to Prague! I am super excited to see Prague. I have heard it's absolutely beautiful!

April 26 We take a flight to Amsterdam!

April 28 I fly to Madrid at night and then take an overnight bus to Sevilla. I'm excited though because I get to see the last day of Feria de Abril which is a party in the streets in Sevilla (not sure the meaning behind it though. I tried to ask my host sister yesterday but she didn't seem to know either).

I'm so glad we have our transportation booked for that trip, now just have to figure out hostels.

This Friday I leave for Africa (hitting my 5th continent!). Then we have next week off from class because it is Semana Santa (Holy Week) which is a big deal in Sevilla. Lots of parades and guys dressed up looking like the Ku Klux Klan (it definitely startled me at first). Hopefully I'll have some good pictures coming your way soon!

In the mean time, my friend from home is coming to visit and I need to find an internship for this summer! Anyone have any offers?! wink wink

Portugal!

So last weekend I went to Lisbon with ISA. It may be my favorite place that we have gone to so far and I probably would not have made my way over there had ISA not taken us. We left Friday morning by bus and it took about 6 hours to get to Lisbon. We got to our amazing 5 star hotel (except no free wifi?) but it was just great. And had great buffet breakfast (if I haven't told you, in Spain the breakfast is usually just toast. I am craving some huge breakfasts over here. Walker Brothers Pancake house anyone?) Anywho, after getting to the hotel we went over to the Castle. I honestly don't know much about it, but there were some great views and it looked cool.

After the castle, we headed back into the main part of the city for dinner. It all seemed pretty touristy but we were told to try Bacalhau (codfish). It was so delicious! It was basically fish mixed with hash browns? I guess that is how I would describe it. Here's a pic

That night we walked around a little but decided to head back to our hotel. We watched music videos on VH1... shows how much we all miss American tv.

The next morning we woke up to our amazing buffet breakfast. We then went over to the Monestary of San Jerome. Once again, I really wasn't listening enough to the tour guide to tell you stuff about it but it was really pretty. After that we saw the Tower of Belem which was right on the water which was pretty cool. At this point though, the weather got bad and we were pretty cold.

After the tower, we went into town to find some lunch. We were also told to try this fish dish which is kind of like paella but more soupy. We found it for pretty cheap but mine had bones in it so it ended up being more annoying to eat than enjoyable. After lunch we roamed around awhile and I went back to the hotel for a little siesta. Since it was St Patrick's day, we decided to hit up an Irish Pub for dinner. It was at the docks which were pretty beautiful by themselves. Well we were maybe one of 6 groups of people in the bar (opposed to Ann Arbor where the bars had to be closed early because people were too roudy). After dinner we went for dessert and weren't really feeling the St Pattys festivities so we heady back for some more VH1.

Everyone in Portugal was just so nice and friendly. We were able to speak English, which was a nice little change from Spain. Even though the weather wasn't that great, I loved the country. I wish I could've made it to Lagos at some point during my study abroad because I heard the beaches are just amazing. Maybe in the future. Staying in Sevilla this weekend, going to be nice and relaxing while I sit on my computer trying to find an internship for the summer... woo?

Barcelona!

So this past weekend I went to Barcelona with a few friends. We left on Thursday after classes and arrived in Barcelona around 11 pm. That night we just got some dinner and went to sleep knowing we had a lot of touring ahead of us.

Friday we started off the day lost (of course) while trying to get to La Sagrada Familia. We finally got there on metro and it was amazing! It's really hard to describe but it's a basilica designed by Gaudi. We also paid a little extra to take an elevator up to the top which was well worth it. Here are some pictures of it:

After La Sagrada Familia, we metroed over to the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona. That was really cool but definitely a hike up a hill to get there. We then strolled through a garden and found some lunch (probably picked the worst place in all of Barca). Later we metroed over to the Picasso museum which was really cool. It's awesome to learn about art your whole life in school and then finally get to see it (Las Meninas, Picasso's version). I took a much needed nap after the museum. For dinner we played it safe and went to Wok to Walk (get it?) which actually ended up being kind of boring. I think though it was the first time I'd had broccoli in 2 months. That night we tried some local bars which ended up mostly being with Americans (whoops).

We started off Saturday going to the Gaudi Park. It was really awesome except there were a ton of people because it was such a nice day out. We made our way back to the Boqueria (main market). It was really cool to see but we couldn't really take the smell of raw meat much longer so we headed back to the hostel for a little siesta. After the siesta, we went by the harbor. Initially, we wanted to find the beach but we decided to sit on the lawn instead. It was so relaxing and seemed a lot more like the Barcelona I had imagined. We then took the metro to Casa Mila (another one of Gaudi's creations). It was so amazing. I felt like I was in a fantasy land. We had to carry around our bags with us for the rest of the day because we planned on sleeping in the airport (so fun! not...). We had heard about the magic fountain and thought it was a good thing to do at night to pass the time with our bags. It was pretty cool, a fountain that changed colors to the music playing but ended pretty quickly. We then

went to the supermarket for our dinners (baguette with sliced gouda and cream cheese. It was actually amazing at the time). We took the midnight bus to the airport, attempted to sleep (the police came by and told us no laying on the ground, we could only sit, or we could sit and sleep in the chairs... rude), and headed back at 7 am on Sunday.



Barcelona was awesome besides the last night of no sleep. It definitely felt like a different culture than the rest of Spain especially with them speaking Catalan (so confusing for me).

Update!

So last week was pretty busy for me. My parents were here in Sevilla for a few days and I also had my first day volunteering in a soup kitchen!

My parents started their week long Spain adventure in Madrid. They then came to Seville and ended in Granada. I had a great time with them and I think they came at the perfect time, right when I started missing home more. The first day they were here, I met up with them after class and we went to the Plaza de Espana. We then had a beer looking at the amazing cathedral and finally headed over to my home stay. It was so exciting for me to show my parents the family that I've been living with and the apartment where I've been staying. It was pretty funny trying to translate everything for my host mom and my parents. We decided to head to the river for a delicious dinner of paella! Afterwards we walked down the street to find a bar that had live flamenco and we could drink "Agua de Sevilla." I didn't really know what the drink was but I had heard it was hard to find and something everyone should try while in Seville. It basically tasted like a Pina Colada with a ton of whipped cream on top. It was delicious in my opinion. The most funny part of the night was me having to hail a cab for my parents and speak in Spanish to the driver because my parents didn't remember the name or address of their hotel.

The next day my parents went to the Cathedral and Alcazar while I was in class. After class, I met up with them and we toured the bullfighting ring in Seville. That was fun and very interesting. We went back to my parents hotel to get some R&R before dinner. We had dinner at a little cafe near their hotel and that ended the time I had with them. It was so great to see them and I was glad that I got to show them where I have been living. If only Rocky could've made the journey too...

I signed up to volunteer at a soup kitchen every Wednesday morning. If you know me at all, you know that I love to volunteer and I'm so glad that I am to do this. It's awesome to be studying abroad but not everyone has this opportunity and volunteering helps me to stay grounded. The first day was pretty stressful as none of the nuns spoke any English. I was having one person telling me to do one thing and being pulled by someone else to do something else. Then a homeless person would ask me for more bread and I wasn't sure of the rules so I wouldn't know if I was able to give them more bread. Once I volunteer more though, I will start to get the hang of things.

Wish I had some pictures to show you but unfortunately I don't. I'll also have my Barcelona update soon! Miss you all!