futbol and bulls...

Well, my last weekend in Sevilla has now been completed. It was full of fun and "Spanish" activities! On Friday, we went to the beach for one last time. It was very relaxing and overall pretty much perfect besides the painful, lobster-red sunburn I got on my legs. They were throbbing all Friday evening and made for a very uncomfortable night.

On Saturday, we went to a professional Sevilla soccer game! It was a blast, and a really good taste of Sevilla culture. Sevillans LOVE futbol and they LOVE their team. It reminded me of going to a Twins game, but 100x more fun. (not that i don't like Twins games! this was just really cool) We ended up getting seats in the front row, which was amazing. I have no idea how we pulled that off, because we bought our tickets the day of the game and opted for the cheapest ones. We didn't realize we were in the first row until we were actually at the game. The fans were really into the game and always singing or cheering. In the end, Sevilla won 3-1, so it was muy perfecto. 

On Sunday, we went to a bull fight. Once again, we ended up getting great seats even though we bought cheap, last minute tickets! Bull fighting is not something I will never really understand, but it was really interesting and I'm glad I went. It wasn't as bloody as I had anticipated, so that was nice. The fighters were novices so it took them awhile to kill the bulls... but they got around to it eventually. 

Last night, we took our senora out for dinner as a kind of "thank you", and that was really fun. It felt good to finally be able to give a little something back to her after all she's done for us. Now I have 2 days left here, and I'm going to soak up every last drop of Spanish life. I am extremely excited to be home, but I know there are things that I will miss from here. 

When I'm home, I hope everyone will be ready to look through pictures and hear more stories! This blog has been a little taste of what has gone on here, but if you're interested, I have much, much more to show and to tell you. :)

ireland!

Ireland was not exactly what I had expected, but it was wonderful nonetheless. The people were extremely friendly and respectful, which is pretty different from the people in Spain. I loved being able to actually talk to people (in English) and of course, I loved all the Irish accents!

Ireland is famous for its fish and chips - and rightfully so! They are very fried, greasy, and delicious. We only waited about 2 hours after arriving in Dublin to try some. :)

















One day, we did a hike up to an area where we could look out over the Irish sea. It was a great hike, and the view was incredible. It had rained that morning, so it was a little muddy... but overall it was definitely worth being a little dirty.


We got lost on the way down and ended up on someone´s private property. Oops...

















There was a cross at the top of the mountain, and no one really knows why it´s there or who put it there. It was a really cool spot to sit and soak in God´s majesty.

















Our last day in Ireland, we went to the cliffs of Moher. It was an amazing view, but the weather when we were there was terrible! It was cold and windy, and there was a sudden downpour so we had to make a mad dash to the visitor center. Inside, we enjoyed ice cream and looked at the cliffs through the window. :)

more switzerland pictures...

Here are just a few more pictures... Switzerland is a hard place to capture with a camera, but hopefully you can get an idea of some of the beauty we experienced there. 

Our group of five girls was perfect to travel with. They are (r-l in the picture in the grass) Ellen, Michelle, Bethany, me, and Kayla.  We shared lots of laughs and made lots of really fun memories together! 

traveling the world...

This week, I had the opportunity to visit 9 new cities in 3 different countries! Not a lot of people get to say that. I am so thankful for all of the traveling I have been able to do. I love it! This week, I traveled with Kayla and three other girls from my program here named Michelle, Bethany, and Ellen.

While we were in Switzerland, we spent most of our time in a precious town called Interlaken. This town was recommended to me by lovely older sister Lindsay, and it was a wonderful recommendation. The town is situated between two lakes, and everything is surrounded by the Swiss Alps. Every direction you look, there is a breathtaking view.

Our first day in Interlaken, we were lucky enough to have good weather even though it was supposed to rain. We attended a church service in the morning, which was given completely in German. I understood about 1% of what was spoken, but it was still a really cool experience to know that we were all worshiping the same God even though our backgrounds, languages, and cultures were completely different.

Interlaken also has some spectacular chocolate. One afternoon, we went to a chocolate show where we learned about the different kinds of chocolate and also how to make truffles. It was so fun! We also got to sample everything, which was amazing. I definitely ate too much Swiss chocolate in that 1 hour time period.

We stayed in an apartment that had a kitchen, so we were able to cook our own dinners. When my mom came here, she brought a box of Kraft mac ‘n’ cheese, so one night in Switzerland we enjoyed a good old American dinner. Thanks, mom!

One day we also hiked up to a place where we got to see caves and waterfalls and more mountains! I think pretty much anywhere we would have hiked would have had incredible views of mountains. There were also gorgeous flowers everywhere. I have never seen such a variety of colors in tulips!

off i go!!

Tomorrow starts a week of adventures for me. It is our "second spring break" as we like to call it... otherwise known as "Feria." During Feria, Sevilla will be full of people, horses, lights, food, beer (unfortunate but true), and flamenco! There will be tons of flamenco... Some girls from my school took flamenco classes and put on a show this past Monday, so that was really fun to watch. We (as spectators) even got to put flowers in our hair so we could feel like flamenco dancers too. :) 

An overview of where I will (or plan to) be this week is:

Friday-Saturday: Madrid

Saturday-Sunday: Basel, Switzerland

Sunday-Tuesday: Interlaken, Switzerland

Tuesday-Saturday: Dublin, Ireland (with a day trip to Gallway somewhere in there)

I will let you know how it all goes when I'm back! You can look forward to lots of pictures!

things i will not take for granted!

Today I was thinking of some things that I don't really appreciate when I'm at home, but now that I don't have them or they are hard to come by I have really missed them! For example:

1. carpet

2. cold milk

3. paper dollars (euros are coins and they are heavy and obnoxious)

4. places to run where you aren't always dodging people

5. dryer

6. my bed

7. Target (I miss Target SO much!)

8. gatorade (I never liked it that much until now when I can't get it)

9. English ads, newspapers, tv, and movies

10. English speaking hairstylists (I got my first haircut today and it was an adventure to say the least)

11. good customer service in restaurants, etc.

12. free refills

13. lower prices on pretty much everything

14. my car and driving

15. having a variety of classes in a day versus having spanish grammar for three hours

This list, plus more of the things I don't want to take for granted when I get home, is going in my journal and I am planning on putting it somewhere where I will see it and be reminded to appreciate all of these things!

Last day trip!

This past Friday, our program went to Ronda for the day. It was our last day trip as a group! As far as cities in Spain go, Ronda is definitely one of my favorites. It is situated among beautiful mountains and countryside, and it has the small town feel that I prefer to big cities. The weather was spotty that day... random rain showers alternating with sun... but we all came prepared with umbrellas and sunglasses. :) 

This week I have four days of school and then I'm off on my last big European adventure! On Friday, me and four other girls are going to Madrid. We will be there only one day and then Saturday we leave for Switzerland. In Switzerland we will be in Basel, (maybe) Bern, and Interlaken. On Tuesday, we will leave to go to Ireland, where we will spend a few days in Dublin and the surrounding cities.

I can't believe how quickly my time here is winding down. I would appreciate prayer this week to stay motivated in school since it's going to be pretty hard! 

One other exciting thing that happened this weekend is that I actually watched my senora make tortilla espanola (my favorite Spanish dish). She was so cute when I asked her if I could watch. She got really excited and then showed me how to do it step by step... now I think with some practice I'll be able to make it when I get back! 

there are hard times too...

This past week was the hardest week for me thus far in Spain. If all you know about my time here is from this blog, it may seem as though I've been living in a fantasy world here since January. This, however, is not true. There are plenty of good times of course, but there are plenty of bad times as well. I just tend to post the "happy stuff" on my blog so that may be all you hear about.

After spending a week with my mom, I was reminded of how much I love home. I talked about home and thought more about it than I had in the months before she came. When she left, I wanted to hop on the plane with her and fly right back to Minnesota. 

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday this week were really tough. Home was the only thing on my mind. By Thursday I was able to turn things around, and this weekend has been good. I want everyone to know though how much I miss all of you! I am getting very excited to see everyone again and to be HOME.  

Florence

The three days that we spent in Florence were unforgettable, to say the least. The city is full of people, history, and famous landmarks and was so fun to explore! We spent a lot of time walking, sometimes knowing where we were going and other times a little bit lost, and it was a perfect way to see what Florence is really like.
My favorite day in Florence was our second day there, when we went on a bike tour right outside the city. I had been feeling a little sick of being "in the city" so it was reall refreshing to be out in the countryside. The tour lasted almost all day, and it included a tour of an old castle where they make wine and olive oil, lunch at a cute family owned restaurant, and biking though fields of oilve trees and little towns outside Florence. The weather was perfect for biking, and overall it was a great day!


One of the major landmarks in Florence is the Duomo, which is the second largest cathedral in the world. It is HUGE. There is a tower next to it that we climbed, so we got to see it from many different vantage points. We could even see it from our window in the Bed and Breakfast!




Michelangelo´s "David" is another thing that Florence is known for. It really is a sight to see! It was a lot bigger than I thought it was, and when you get up close the proportions of his hands and feet are really weird. I guess I wasn´t supposed to take pictures, but I just couldn´t help myself...





















One thing I loved about walking through the streets was seeing all of the street venders and artists. They were all over the place. There were people who would offer us paintings and also people who would offer to paint us! On the last day we gave in and got caricatures drawn. They more or less resemble us. :)
















The River Arno ran through the entire city and had lots of old, beautiful bridges over it. The streets by the river had all sorts of stores and restaurants, so we had a great time browsing and shopping.
















The streets are also full of motorcyles and/or scooters. Everyone used them! I tried to convince my mom that we should rent some, but she was not too excited about that idea.






















And of course, Florence had incredible gelato. Since ice cream is my favorite food, I appreciated this part of Italy very much!

more pictures! (from pisa)

The typical leaning tower of Pisa picture. :)

The long, winding staircase to the top!

The cathedral with the leaning tower peeking out from behind...

The view from the top!

sorry to my faithful readers...

Hi! I am sorry that my blogging lately has been LAME at best. It is hard for me to sit down at a computer when I feel like I want to be exploring Italy! I will write more about my trip after I get home, so just be patient with me. For now, here are a few more pictures from Cagliari.

picnic lunch in cagliari

first authentic italian dinner!

Pisa, Italy

Next, we spent a day in Pisa. Getting to Pisa was much less hassle than getting to Cagliari! Almost directly after we arrived, we headed to the one thing Pisa is really known for. The leaning tower!

For some reason, before I went to Pisa I had it in my head that the leaning tower was all by itself in the middle of a field somewhere. Well, that was proved very wrong. The tower is surrounded by several other very impressive (and huge!) buildings and cathedrals.

We got to climb the tower, which was definitely the highlight of my time in Pisa. It was a  weird feeling going up the stairs because I could actually tell that the tower was leaning! The city looked gorgeous from way up there, and we were lucky to have perfect weather which made it even better. 

Cagliari, Italy!!

I’m in Italy! I have been here for a few days now but have not blogged. Sorry about that… Anyways, my mom came in to Sevilla on Saturday and got to see where I live and go to school. She also got to meet my senora. That was really fun! We spent the day just walking around the city a little and then we left for Cagliari, Italy that night.

Traveling to Cagliari proved to be more difficult and more of an adventure than we had planned on. We arrived pretty late at night, so the doors to our B&B were locked and there was no one there. We were stranded in the middle of a street in Cagliari at 1:00 am with all our luggage and no idea what to do! Thankfully, our taxi driver was extremely nice and he drove us around to a bunch of other hotels and B&B’s to find one that could accommodate us. We nicknamed him “Mario” because it just seemed to fit, and I’m pretty sure he was our guardian angel! It was an adventure, to say the least.

The next couple days in Cagliari were much less frantic. We spent lots of time walking around the city, shopping, and asking strangers for directions when we were lost. The people there (and in all of Italy so far) are so nice! Even if they don’t speak English, they try to help and are very patient.

My favorite things in Cagliari were the little balcony off our hotel room, the old men at the hotel front desk, the view of the city, the cathedral, a pier that had incredible views of mountains and the ocean, the market, and the authentic lasagna I had at a very cute restaurant there. 

laundry day

Mondays in Sevilla are a very important day in my apartment here... Mondays are laundry day! All of our dirty clothing from the week accumulates in bright blue garbage bags, and then on Mondays our senora takes on the task of washing all of it in her little tiny washing machine. Then, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays they are all hung out to dry. If we go to the roof on these days, which we often do, we see all of our clothes hanging by clothespins and perfectly organized. I think it looks like something out of a little kids’ book. J I will miss this very much when I am back at home, holding out as long as I can to do laundry in order to not use up all the money on my laundry card. 

flat Rodrigo!

The other day, I received a very cute little package in the mail from my almost seven year old brother. Inside, there was a paper "flat Rodrigo!" I am now supposed to take this little Rodrigo with me to wherever I am traveling, take pictures with him, and then record in a journal what we saw or did. I am excited to help out with this project! Flat Rodrigo will be going to many places in Spain and Italy with me.

halfway pancakes

In order to celebrate our "halfway point" in Spain, me and Kayla went out to have an American pancake breakfast!! We are now a couple weeks after halfway, but our date kept getting postponed... The pancakes were a little different than they are at home, but they were still delicious and familiar enough to make us feel American for the morning. :)

more about Morocco!

After trying to explain the more serious side of my trip to Morocco, I will now tell you a little more about the more light-hearted side. As I stated in my other post, we spent a LOT of time in a bus or on a boat. Driving through the mountains was absolutely gorgeous, but sometimes terrifying. There were times when I thought our big coach bus would fall right off the side of the cliff it was driving on.

The hotel we stayed in was a four star hotel, and it was actually very nice. We got to have Moroccan-style buffet a few times, so it was fun to try the different foods. On Saturday night after spending the whole day in Medina, Kayla and I went with some other girls out to dinner. At the restaurant, the very friendly owner, named Abdul (all of the men that I met in Morocco were either named Muhammad or Abdul!), was very helpful and made our evening quite enjoyable. It was really fun to be able to talk to a Moroccan man and learn a little bit about his life in Fez.

On Sunday, the highlight of my day was my ride on a camel. When I heard there was a camel ride included in this trip, I got super excited about it and could not wait to have that experience. I was imagining a one or two hour ride on a camel into the sunset in the Moroccan desert…

Well, that didn’t exactly happen. When it came time for our camel ride, our bus pulled over to the side of a highway and met up with a man standing in the middle of a field with two sad-looking camels. We all lined up, and then two by two we took our turns riding the camels for approximately two minutes. Basically, we got on the camels, they got pulled around in a circle by the Moroccan man, and then we got off. Haha… not what I had originally pictured. It was still pretty fun and now I can proudly say that I have ridden a camel!

We thought the "McArabia" was pretty funny...