Hasta Luego España

Hasta luego literally translates to "until later." That exactly what my goodbye to Spain is going to be, I can't imagine not coming back here at some point in my life. I have truly fallen in love with Spain, especially with Alcalá. These past four months have been everything I could have imagined and more. I met amazing people, traveled all of Europe, and learned a new language.

This past week has been absolutely a great way to end my four months here in Spain. Thursday night we headed to Mamma Mia. We got to go backstage and see the props and costumes. The show was all in Spanish and all my classes have paid off and I could basically follow the whole thing! During intermission we got to meet a few of the actors and have our new cd signed. All in all it was a great night!

With the Actors!

Friday night we had our farewell dinner with Maria Jose. After the dinner we saw a Flamenco show, which was absolutely amazing. My draw dropped just watching the footwork itself. The show was intense, aggressive, passionate, and wonderful.

Flamenco Show

Saturday was spent in Madrid at two flee markets, one in Plaza de España and one in Plaza Mayor. The flee market in Plaza Mayor was a Christmas market and the place was absolutely packed! I did get some more needed gifts there and enjoyed the beautiful day. We then headed to Corte Ingles, the very large department store in the center of Madrid. At Corte Ingles was a large Christmas display titled "Cortelandia"and once again the crowd was overwhelmingly large!

Christmas in Sol

Sunday morning was spent at el rastro (the big flee market in Madrid), where once again I found some great gifts! Sunday night my host mom was nice enough to invite over two of my friends for dinner. We had a great night and I am so glad some of my friends got to meet my amazing family. Once again I cannot say enough nice things about them. They truly made this experience one-of-a-kind.

Today will be spent doing some last minute errands and packing. I can't believe I leave tomorrow! Hasta Luego España! I'll miss you.

Thanks for reading...see you all soon!

Last Hurrah: Paris

Paris was an absolutely whirlwind, but wonderful weekend! It began Friday night with a canceled flight, it luckily was only three of us traveling so we were able to get on the 7am flight the next morning and were put up in a hotel! So Saturday morning we were up and running by 4:30am and started out our very full day. We arrived to Paris, navigated our way to our hostel (which was extremely nice) and headed to the Eiffel Tower! I was truly in awe when we turned the corner coming out of the metro stop and there it was, absolutely enormous and truly breath-taking.

Ali and I at the Eiffel Tower

After visiting Paris' most famous landmark we head to the Arc de Triomphe. The traffic circle around the arc is enough of a site to see! The arc is absolutely gorgeous and I am so glad we made the trek over! After the arc we headed back to the hostel for a bit of rest and than began our evening adventure! We headed to Moulin Rouge to see the area all light up with bright lights! It was truly amazing. The night was topped off with the perfect French meal (french onion soup, duck, and creme brulee)!

Me at the Arc de Triomphe

Moulin Rouge

Sunday morning we were very proud of ourselves and made it to Lourve without any lines! The Lourve was wonderful, although a little too big for us to see everything! We of course saw the Mona Lisa and a few of the other masterpieces, which were all spectacular!

Ali and I in front of the Lourve

The Mona Lisa

After the Lourve we took a stroll through the beautiful garden and then decided to take a ride on the large ferris wheel. It ended up being a perfect way to see the whole city. We laughed about the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe looking like they had been placed into a Children's play city, because of their size and how much they stand out! After the ferris wheel we headed to Norte Dame. It was truly unbelievable and I am so glad we went to see it!

Ferris Wheel

Rosie and I at Norte Dame

 We finished our trip off with a delicious fondue lunch and headed to the airport! Only five more days here in Spain! I can't believe that was my last trip! Tomorrow night we are going to see Mamma Mia and then Friday to a farewell dinner and flamenco show! I also have my last exam tomorrow! See you all soon! Besos!

Córdoba y Sevilla

Córdoba and Sevilla provided a wet, but wonderful three days away. It was out last group trip and I absolutely loved both places, I just wish the sun would have come out! We left early Sunday morning on the bus for Cordoba. We arrived just in time for a late lunch and then headed to the Mezquita/Catedral (Mosque/Cathedral). It was absolutely unbelievable. The size of the mosque was indescribable and with the columns and arches it looked as though it could have gone on forever. Inside the mosque is a traditional Gothic style Cathedral. The mix of Muslim and Christian art makes this building one-of-a-kind.

Mezquita

We then headed to Sevilla, where we found our once again gorgeous hotel and were given free time to explore the city. Unfortunately the rain and the wind put a bit of a damper on everything, so we just headed around the corner for a delicious dinner and then back to the hotel. We were up early Monday morning for a full day of sightseeing. The day began with a quick tour of the city of the bus and then we headed to the palace. It is the oldest palace still in use today and when the royal family visited Sevilla this is where they stay. The palace is absolutely stunning with its Muslim influenced art and architecture.

Alcazar

We then headed to the Sevilla Cathedral, which is the largest Gothic style cathedral in the world and the third largest Catholic Church. The building was absolutely enormous, as well as beautiful. The gold backdrop to the altar itself was enough to leave anyone in complete awe. Monday afternoon we had a group lunch of delicious paella. We then attempted to do a little shopping but the pouring rain got in our way so we headed back to the hotel to relax until dinner. I was able to get some delicious treats made by the monks at the Cathedral though!

Gold Altar

View from the top of the Cathedral

Tuesday morning we were up early again and headed to La Plaza de España. The plaza is extraordinary with all the detailed artwork and design. Each province of Spain is represented along the plaza with its own image describing the province. We then tried to do a bit more shopping but once again the rain ruined that, so we headed back onto the bus for what ended up being quite an interesting ride home! With all the rain the roads had flooded and it felt and looked as though we were driving through rivers and it took us 10 hours to get back to Alcalá. It is nice to be back, unfortunately I have lots of work to do, but would love to return to Sevilla again especially if it was sunny! Besos!

Plaza de España

Lisboa, Portugal

What a fabulous weekend away! I absolutely fell in love with the city of Lisbon (Lisboa in Spanish). I went into without many expectations and was truly blown away. We arrived Friday afternoon to our amazing hostel. It was basically everything we could have asked for and more. The six of us had our room and the manager planned our trip for us! We spent Friday walking down the road to the water. Lisbon is a port city and it was absolutely gorgeous. The street our hostel was on a pedestrian only road with many shops that we enjoyed exploring as well!

Saturday morning we were up bright and early to head to a flee market. We got to take a small yellow tram there, which made the whole experience even more exciting. The flee market has basically everything you could imagine and we all got some great gifts there! We then headed to uphill to a church which we were told by João (the manager) there was amazing view of the city! Boy was he correct! It was absolutely stunning and you could even see the castle we headed to just after. The eighth century castle was extremely fascinating, as well as provided amazing views of the entire city. We headed back down hill and found a great restaurant for lunch right on the water!

Lisbon

Me at the Castle

Saturday afternoon we headed back to the hostel to find João waiting for us ready to help us purchase tickets to a soccer match that night! After successfully getting our tickets to the game we headed back the water for sunset! We then climbed again up to another look out point, where we got to see another beautiful view of the whole city (João showed us a way to climb it instead of pay for an elevator up...we definitely worked off lunch!) We ate dinner at this same point so the entire evening was a spectacular view! We then were off to the game, Sporting vs. Porto, and absolutely had a blast!

Sporting vs. Porto

Sunday morning we enjoyed our delicious breakfast of eggs and toasts (which came with the hostel!) and were off the airport. We all were sad to say bye to Lisbon and I would have definitely stayed longer if I could! Overall it was a great weekend and I can't believe how much we saw in such little time! Off to Sevilla and Córdoba on Sunday until Tuesday (more fiestas in Spain!). Hasta luego!

La Reina Sofia, Toledo, and Thanksgiving

Two weeks ago, the entire group headed to Madrid to the Reina Sofia museum. Here we were able to see Picasso's Guernica, which was absolutely breath-taking. I was completely in awe of the sheer size of the masterpiece. We also got to see some of Dali's work, as well as other famous Spanish painters. It was a great trip and I am so glad I got to see it all.

Last week we headed to Toledo for a day trip. Toledo is about an hour away from Madrid and was absolutely beautiful. We started the day off with an unbelievable view of the entire city.

Toledo

We then headed to see many a few churches, a temple, and a monastery. All were equally beautiful and had their own special charm. We got to see beautiful artwork, as well as mixed styles of Christian, Muslim and Jewish architecture.

After lunch we finished the day off visiting the Toledo Cathedral. Maria Jose had emphasized its size and importance, but not until I got my own look did I understand what she meant. The cathedral is truly breath-taking and I basically walked around with my jaw open in awe. The size, detailed art work, and architecture are all unbelievable. I wish I could have taken pictures inside!

Cathedral

Thanksgiving was spent in a not-so-traditional way, but it was still the perfect "holiday" (we still had classes and even an exam!). Our director organized a group dinner in Madrid. We all put on our little black dresses and headed out to the beautiful restaurant. The restaurant was a former theater and was absolutely gorgeous and the food and wine were just as good. I had fried shrimp for appetizers and salmon for my main course, not quite turkey and mashed potatoes but definitely hit the spot! We all stopped to say what we were thankful for and in the end we all agreed we were just incredibly thankful we had the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving in Spain with new friends! All and all in was a great night!

Thanksgiving Dinner

Just three weeks left! Can't believe it! Abrazos y Besos!

Tour Guide and Translator

On Thursday, my mom, brother, Geraldine, and her friend all arrived to visit me in Spain! I got to play tour guide and translator for the weekend which turned out to be a lot of fun! Thursday morning my mom and Colin arrived and I showed them around Alcalá, including La Casa de Cervantes and La Catedral. Thursday night we headed to the airport to pick up Geraldine and Simone, which ended up being more difficult than expected and returned to Alcalá for a nice dinner and off to bed for some rest!

Mom, Colin and I at La Casa de Cervantes

Friday we headed to Segovia and I played tour guide for the palace, cathedral and aqueduct. Segovia is a beautiful little city, a little hilly though, and we also got to do some great shopping! While at lunch we got to see another table order Segovia's traditional meal, suckling pig. It served complete and was definitely a sight to see! Friday night we were back in Alcalá and I introduced them to tapas! We went to the Indalo, one of Alcalá's most famous restaurants, and enjoyed a variety of free tapas with drinks!

Segovia from Alcazar

Saturday was spent in Madrid where we first headed to El Prado. This beautiful art museum is one of Madrid's top tourist destinations, so of course being the typical tourists we are we had to stop in! We then headed onto the double-decker red tour bus to explore the entire city. We got to see all the famous spots while listening to the historical background of everything we were seeing. I was glad to have a bit of a break from being the tour guide! We then stopped for a delicious lunch near la Puerta del Sol and finished the day off with some shopping at el Corte Ingles (a eight floor department store!).

Sunday we were up bright and early for El Rastro. We headed back into Madrid to the enormous flee-market! It was a bit rainy, but didn't stop us from enjoying all the vendors! We then headed to el palacio real, the royal palace, which was absolutely incredible. Each room is decorated in elaborte and ornate way which is truly gorgoues. We had another delicious lunch and headed back to Alcalá. Geraldine and Simone unfortunately had to head by to Ireland Sunday night, so we took them to the airport, which was much easier the second time around!

Colin, Mom, Geraldine, and Simone in front of El Palacio Real

I unfortunately had to go to classes on Monday, but my mom and Colin were able to explore Alcalá a bit more on their own. We then had an amazing lunch with my host family. It was all absolutely delicious and I am so glad my second family and my real family got to meet. I had a lot of translating to do, which at times made the lunch quite comical! Monday afternoon we explore the famous University of Alcalá, the Convent of San Diego and did some shopping along Calle Mayor.

Colin, Me, Cris, Laura and Mom

Tuesday morning, my mom and Colin headed back to the United States, but not before enjoying a cup of tea and hot chocolate at my favorite tea shop. It is right around the corner from my school and we have become regulars. It is the perfect atmosphere and the two women who work there are absolutely wonderful! Overall, I think everyone can agree we had a wonderful visit! I wish they could have stayed longer!

Just over a month left! I have friends who are studying France visiting this weekend and off to Toledo on Sunday! Hasta Luego!

Back to Ireland!

I am truly in love with Ireland. Each time I head back there, I fall more and more in love with the country and people. I had another fabulous weekend with Geraldine, Dave and the girls! We also had another visitor, my friend, Alexa who is studying abroad in Cork for the year! It was great to see a familiar Loyola face and I think both of us enjoyed the "family" time.

Friday night was spent relaxing, coloring (with the girls), watching movies, and catching up on both of our semesters. It was the perfect evening that I have definitely been missing while in Spain. I have never appreciated a language as much as I do now. Every time I hear English it is a breath of fresh air and being able to watch TV is English is much more relaxing then trying to translate the whole time!

Saturday was a bit rainy, but didn't stop Alexa and I from heading into the big city! After enjoying our fair share of brown bread, tea and a traditional Irish breakfast, we were off on the DART. Both Alexa and I have explored most of Dublin, but neither of us had visited the wax museum so we decided to try it out. It ended up being a lot of fun and slightly educational, since it went through the Irish history all in wax! We then headed off to explore the temple bar area, where we popped into The Temple Bar for a quick pint and just took in the fabulous atmosphere of it all. There was an Irish Rugby game going on so the bar was packed, which definitely added to the experience. We finished our day by walking around the gorgeous Trinity College and headed back to Swords. We had another evening of coloring, English TV and bonding with the girls (who stayed up until 9pm!).

Me and Ireland's Tallest Man (in Wax)

The Temple Bar

Sunday morning was the perfect typical Sunday morning, where we lounged around in our pj's until it was time to take Alexa back to the bus station. Sunday afternoon we headed to the golf club for dinner and once again had another relaxing evening! I had an early flight back Monday morning and as always had to fight back tears when saying goodbye! It was just the type of weekend I needed and I can't wait until I get to return, hopefully it won't be too long!

We have exactly six weeks left here in Spain! I can't believe it! I will be playing tour guide this weekend for my mom, brother, and Geraldine and her friend...it will be nice to see more familiar faces and get to explore Madrid a little more!

Hasta Luego!

Barcelona

La Playa

Barcelona was absolutely amazing, I loved the city. It was a group trip, so we had our director Maria Jose with us. We left early Saturday on the Ave (the high speed train) and ended up in Barcelona just 2 1/2 hours later! After checking into our 4 star hotel!, we had free time to explore the city. We walked down Las Ramblas, a main road where there were small shops, many vendors and street performers, to the Mediterranean.

Las Ramblas

After having some delicious paella for dinner, Saturday night was spent at the world's first ice bar. The entire place is made up of ice and is -10 C inside. We were given spacesuit-like jackets and enjoyed the freezing temperatures for about an hour. Barcelona was filled with other students from Loyola, which made the whole night even more enjoyable.

Becky, Kelly-Ann and I trying to stay warm!

Sunday morning we were up early and began our day with a bus tour around the city. During this tour we stopped to see some of Gaudi's amazing architecture. I was truly in awe of the the colors and shapes. We also went up to the top of a mountain, where we had a breath-taking view of the entire city. Sunday afternoon we were given more free time where we spent some time at the beautiful beach and then took much needed naps to rest up for Halloween night! Sunday night we dressed up at soccer (or football) players and headed out to one of the many Barcelona clubs right by the beach!

Gaudi

Barcelona!

 Monday started off with another 8:30 am wake-up call! We toured the city by foot and explored the Picasso Museum with our tour guide. We also got to see some other amazing places on the side streets of the city, including the oldest Gothic cathedral in Spain. We grabbed lunch, met back up at the hotel and headed to the train station for our ride back. It is nice to be back home, but I think I could have enjoyed spending a little more time in Barcelona (as long as I could get some sleep!).
Back to Dublin for the weekend, I can't stay away while I am so close! Muchos Besos!

Halloween

Marrakech, Morocco

Africa - Check! After spending the weekend in Marrakech, Morocco I can officially check Africa off my list of places visited! My dad and I spent the weekend exploring the city of Marrakech. I have never seen or experienced so many new things in just 48 hours! We arrived early Saturday morning and headed to our Riad (basically a bed and breakfast with a open garden/patio in the center). After walking down very narrow cobble-stone ally-ways and having to avoid the many motorbikes we found the Riad. We were sure there was no chance of us finding our way out of these windy and very confusing streets though! That seemed to be a theme of the trip, where we ended up lost a decent amount of times...it did lead to us seeing quite a lot though!

Saturday was spent exploring Jemma El Fna square, the main square of the old city. Here we saw snake chambers, story-tellers, monkeys doing tricks, women giving out henna tattoos and many food vendors. We were both truly in awe of what we were seeing. We decided we wanted to get a glimpse of the whole city so ended up taking a horse-drawn carriage ride, which was nice and relaxing after our busy morning!

Jemma El Fna Square

Horse-drawn carriage - Dad and Me

Saturday afternoon was spent trying to navigate to an old historic school (Ben Youssef Medersa) and art museum, which once we got to, were absolutely beautiful. The ceramic tiles throughout all of Marrakech are truly a sight to see! I have been learning about Muslim architecture and art in my culture class, so this was a perfect learning experience as well. We had a delicious Moroccan meal at a restaurant near by and headed back to the Riad for some rest! That night was spent as the main square again, which has two very different personalities (day and night). We had another traditional Moroccan meal (I had chicken and couscous) at a restaurant right on the corner of the main square. At night the square is incredibly lively with performers, vendors, and crowds. This included large circles gathered around a certain act, some were bands, some story-tellers and one was even a boxing match!

Ben Youssef Medersa

Jemma El Fna Square

Sunday morning was spent with a hired guide. He spoke perfect English and made the morning educational and entertaining! We began the day at one of the many palaces inside the old walled city. Once again I was in complete awe of the architecture and art throughout. We then ventured into the souks (this is where we got lost many times the day before). The souks are is a large covered market that runs for blocks on narrow roads. The souks have various sections including leather, cotton, metal, and shoes. We bought a few things and improved our bartering skills.

Bahia Palace

The Souks - Dying of Fabrics

Sunday afternoon was spent at the Majorelle Gardens, which was absolutely gorgeous and had plants from five continents! The cactus especially were truly extraordinary. We had delicious salads for lunch in the small cafe in the gardens, which provided the perfect atmosphere. For dinner Sunday night we ate a delicious meal of lamb and couscous at the Riad, which was home-made by one of the Riad employees and then headed back to the main square.

Majorelle Gardens

Monday morning we took an early flight back. It is nice to be back in Alcalá, not worrying about getting run over by a motorbike, but I definitely would love to go back to Morocco or see more of Africa in the future! I registered for classes for next semester today...this adventure is going by way too fast! Off to Barcelona for the weekend! Muchos Besos!

La Vida de los Reyes - El Escorial y Segovia

This past weekend was filled with two day trips, one to El Escorial and the other to la Granja and Segovia. They are about an hour outside of Madrid and a perfect place to spend the day! El Escorial is one large complex that has basically anything a king could ever want. Rey (King) Felipe II of Spain created this masterpiece in the 16th century. El Escorial has a Basilica, a library (2nd only the Vatican in its collection of religious literature), beautiful gardens, a palace (where the kings would vacation), a school for monks, and the burial spot of almost all the Spanish kings. The entire building is truly stunning, but of course I was only allowed to take pictures of the simply decorated outside.

El Escorial

La Granja is another palace where the kings would spend  the summer. It looks very similar to Versailles. We didn't go inside, only walked through the gardens (on a beautiful fall day), and saw the many fountains and statues.

La Granja

Aqueduct - Segovia

Segovia, a small city outside of Madrid, was exactly what I had been picturing Spain to be like! It is very rustic looking with lots of hills and narrow roads. The city has a aqueduct, which is truly astonishing. It also holds another palace, Alcazar, which is what Disney's Magic Kingdom is based off of. We climbed over 150 stairs to the top to see a stunning view of the whole city and surrounding land. The Cathedral, is the last Gothic Cathedral built in Spain and the spires are absolutely gorgeous. I had to give an oral presentation on the Cathedral, so I could tell you lots more facts (they are all pretty boring though)! We had two wonderful days, despite the cold temperatures!

Alcazar - Segovia

La Catedral - Segovia

Kelly-Ann and Me - Top of Alcazar

I also had my first midterm today, 17 centuries worth of Spanish history... a lot to learn in just two months! Off to Morocco this weekend with my Dad, hopefully will have lots to tell!
Muchos Besos!

Mercado Medieval

Last week Alcalá celebrated Cervantes' Birthday, as well as another fiesta in all of Spain. During this time the city turns into a Medieval Renaissance Fair. After returning from Dublin, my host family and I ventured onto Calle Mayor and into the plaza. What a sight to see! The whole area is completely decorated, with banners hanging from building to building. There were tons of vendors selling hand crafted items and food. Almost all the vendors were dressed in medieval attire, as well as some of the people roaming the streets.

Calle Mayor

In the center of the plaza there were rides for children, including a "pirate ship" ride and a carousel. Also in the center there were animals. This included live owls (a favorite in Spain) and other birds, as well as pigs and a few other "farm" animals. Surrounding the edges of the plaza children were able to participate in helping craft pottery or helping with a print-press. The whole experience was very enjoyable, I didn't purchase anything but my host mom's boyfriend purchased a small sword for his brother.

Plaza de Cervantes

I can't believe I am almost at the two month mark, this adventure is flying by!