I do have to say, since it was the only place, with the exception of London, that we went back to, it was funny walking out of the train station and knowing exactly where we were supposed to go.  We already had a hang of the city and where everything was located and we already did the walking tour and learned all about the city, so now we could just go and do whatever it was we wanted.  One of the first things we did was climb to the top of Arthur’s Seat, a tall mountain/hill in Edinburgh.  Accidentally, Emelie and I ended up climbing up the higher, much steeper mountain right next to Arthur’s Seat, in the wind and the rain.  Whoops.  It was still quite an experience. From up there we could see all of Edinburgh below us.  It allowed us to actually realize how close to the North Sea Edinburgh actually was.

Something else I really wanted to do ever since that first weekend was to go on the Covenanter’s Prison Tour of Greyfriar’s Cemetery.  Ever since hearing all of the stories about the prison and researching it once I returned to Cambridge, I have wanted to go back and see what all the hype was for myself.  The history behind the prison, and that cemetery itself is remarkable.  So many horror stories have come from authors who were inspired by the cemetery, such as Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, and Dracula.  Naturally, nothing supernatural occurred while we were there, but it was still something I had to experience on my own.  Our tour guy himself was enough of a show for me.  He was a bit nutty and hopped around the cobblestone the entire way there refusing to step on any cracks.

Since it was Bank holiday, meaning we didn’t have any classes on Monday, Emelie and I came back from Edinburgh on Saturday and headed for our last hoorah in London for Sunday and Monday.  It was nice having just a little more time to see everything in London we saw on our very first trip there, such as London Tower and Tower Bridge, Piccadilly Circus and Leister Square, and even Big Ben and Parliament.  We even did the same telephone booth pose that we had from week one by Big Ben!  Luckily, a women from our hostel mentioned that we should go to the market in Camden Town, somewhere no one had previously mentioned going to, and we headed there on Monday.   This market, literally, just went on and on and on.  It never ended.  There were shops that sold anything you could think of and even a huge courtyard with different tents of food from mini pancakes served with Nutella, to paella, wraps, chicken burgers, cheesecake, pineapple smoothie in a pineapple, and even options of kangaroo.  As for crafts, there was a man that sold candles in the shape of wine bottles and cheese, that would melt in the most amazing looking ways.  The market itself was a sight to see and somewhere I would definitely tell people to go to.  It was bursting with people, especially since most of the people had off work.

Hopping off the tube for the last time Monday was pretty hard to do.  I have grown to love the city so much and especially the tube!  Once you have lived and experience London, you’ll understand too.  It is my favorite city in the world, one that I would love to come back and move to one day in the future.  Saying goodbye to Cambridge these next nine days is not going to be easy either.  It is unbelievable how fast these past four months have gone by.  As much as I want to see my friends and family, I’m dreading hopping on that plane for the long nine hour journey back home, knowing that I really don’t know the next time I’ll be back again.  So I’m going to make sure to live up these next few days and do everything my heart desires, going home with no regrets and nothing left undone.

St. Gile's Cathedral

While I had dreamed of traveling the world when I was younger, I never fully believed that would be possible for myself. There was always some seemingly big obstacle in the way, such as money or being too young. Last week I found myself doing the “impossible”: I traveled around Europe, living out of a backpack. While I have been on a few weekend trips already this semester, it felt so authentic to be traveling for a whole week. I finally felt like a real traveler that spends their life meeting new people, wearing the few clothes that they have with them repeatedly, and learning about many new cultures while seeing it before your own eyes. After traveling for a straight week, I finally realized how fun it is to wake up in the morning and think, “Where am I going next today?”

My first stop was in Edinburgh, Scotland. I had really chosen this location randomly based off the opinion of a friend who had been there already, and I didn’t know much about the city or even Scotland itself. I had head that it was a very beautiful city, but it wasn’t until I stepped off the bus and took a look around that I knew the stories were true. Edinburgh is an amazing city. It isn’t very big, but it makes up for its small size with its sheer beauty. Everywhere you look, there is something wonderful to see. It has a castle, many cathedrals and churches, mountains, and a lake. What else could you ask for from a city? One small downside to living in Edinburgh is the weather. Although it was the end of April when I visited, it was only in the 50s all week, and there would be random boughts of wind and rain. A lot of locals said it was summer weather! Despite the bad weather, Edinburgh charmed me in so many other ways that I soon forgot about the cold.

Athur's Seat

The first day my friend and I were there, we climbed Arthur’s Seat, which is the highest peak of a group of hills in the center of the city that were formed by an extinct valcano. It was a little steep going up, but there were steps built into the hills to help us along. The grass on these hills was incredibly green, and there was a huge breeze that nearly knocked us off the side of the hill as soon as we reached the top. The view was wonderful, and it was an amazing start to my weekend in Edinburgh.

Throughout the few days that we were there, my friend and I went on three different tours of the city. The first was a ghost tour at night which took us to a graveyard, underground vaults, and other spooky places while telling us about the dark history of Edinburgh. The next tour was a free three hour walking tour, which was surprisingly great for a free tour. I learned so much more history about the city and Scotland than I thought I would in the few short days I was there. The company (Sandeman’s New Europe Tours) has tours all over Europe, so I would recommend checking them out if you are ever in Europe. We also went no their spooky tour about witches, fairies, and cannibals, and that was pretty awesome as well. Overall, I really enjoyed my time in Scotland, learning about its history, and talking to the locals.

The Cliffs of Moher

Next on our agenda was Dublin, Ireland. I have heard so many times that Ireland is an amazing and beautiful place to visit, so of course I had to see it for myself. Dublin is a fairly large city with lovely cathedrals and a fun nightlife. What else would you expect in Ireland? We ended up taking the same free walking tour around the city and learned a lot about Ireland’s history. I’m not much of a history buff, but it’s so different when you’ve thrown yourself into a strange city and have no idea about its present or past. That’s why I really liked taking these walking tours; it’s so much better learning about a foreign city if you are actually there to see the sights for yourself.

My favorite part of my trip to Ireland was when we went on a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher and Galway, which are on the complete opposite side of the country from Dublin. The Cliffs of Moher look over the Atlantic Ocean and are just breathtaking. On the way to Galway, the bus took us through the countryside along the coast, and we stopped at a few sights to take pictures. It was a perfect sunny day, and I had such a great time looking at all of the sheep and rock walls amongst the green fields. Galway was a very sweet town next to the sea filled with ancient churches, landmarks, and good food.

I had a wonderful time seeing the sights in Scotland and Ireland during my first week of spring break, and I can’t wait to continue my journey around Europe this coming week.

Rocks on the Irish Countryside

In a world where there's so many acts of terror and fear, it's a blessing to remember that there are also so many examples of incredible beauty out there.

Just so you know, this blog post is about to get very serious. However, I think it’s an important thing to talk about, because my personal experience abroad has related so strongly to this topic. In light of what happened in Boston two weeks ago, I’ve been reflecting a lot on the awful, crippling power that fear has over human beings. It amazes me how a single act of terror can transform the way the entire world looks at society: Americans aren’t the only ones who were affected by the Boston Marathon bombings. Airport security around the globe has tightened. I’ve received e-mails from the Spanish Embassy in Madrid to be extra vigilant in my day-to-day routines outside of the house. My host mom just about had a heart attack when I wasn’t home from school on time the other day because I was talking to my professor after class. People everywhere are treading on eggshells around one another, trusting each other a little bit less than they did before, all because of the spell that terror has cast over this world.

It’s all for good reason, and I can certainly say that my guard is up a little higher than it was two weeks ago. The scary reality is that there is no place that is truly safe from unspeakable tragedies, and there’s always going to be people out there who seek to stir up our deepest and most paralyzing personal fears. Not so long ago, I used to view the world around me from that point of view – constantly letting worry get the best of me and fearing the worst of humanity. I called myself a “realist” because, let’s face it, all of these terrors are very, very real. What I didn’t know at the time was that being a realist can coincide perfectly with being an optimist, and that choosing to seek the good and the beautiful in this world is the recipe for finding courage in the face of fear.

Getting out of your comfort zone, making friends from all over the world, and learning from them is one of the best parts about living abroad!

The thing about studying abroad is that it has the power to truly force you out of your comfort zone if you let it do so. Get out of your room and just go take a walk by yourself without a map. Strike up a conversation, no matter how bad your Spanish is, with the lady waiting with you at the bus stop. Watch a movie with your host family, even though half the dialogue goes over your head. Go to the bars (don’t be stupid about it), and meet people. Try that weird food. Navigate a bus system that you’re unfamiliar with. Travel to a place where they speak a language you will never learn. Learn from people who don’t come from the same place you do, and teach them new things as well. These are all choices, and a lot of them will make you uncomfortable. But with each baby step out of your comfort zone, you start to learn that there’s beauty and light in this world that you never saw before. Before you know it, you’re taking leaps and bounds out into the big wide world, and discovering the courageous person that lives inside of you.

We’re called to live boldly, to seek the best in people, and to overcome the fear that acts of evil can instill in our hearts. It doesn’t mean to be careless, but rather to choose courage over worry. One of my thematic Bible verses of this semester has been 2 Timothy 1:7 – “ For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” It’s a nice reminder that we’re not alone in this world, and if we can choose to see things in a different light, we might just be amazed at how easily the beauty that surrounds us can overcome the darkness.

Biking to Giverny

Just as spring finally made its way to Paris, my program and I spent a little time enjoying the sun in Giverny, France where we visited Claude Monet’s house and gardens. One thing I’ve learned to love about Paris is the short amount of time it takes to take the train anywhere. If you want to get out of the city for the day, all you need is a train ticket, and in about a short hour, you’re there! After we arrived at the train station in Vernon, we rented bicylces and took the scenic route to Giverny just a few miles away. The day was absolutely gorgeous, so we stopped and had a picnic for lunch. The town of Giverny is a typical small, French village or in other words, just adorable. I just love seeing the other side of French life outside of Paris. The green fields and complete silence reminds me of my home in the country back in the states.

Monet’s house and gardens are quite a popular place to visit in France, and we saw at least four other American study abroad groups there on the same day. The property has been open to the public since 1980, but before that, it took many years and a lot of money to restore the house and gardens back to their former glory after the bombings in World War II.

Monet's home

I had seen Monet’s water lily paintings in the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris, and I was very excited to see them in person. Unfortunately, the water lilies were not in bloom yet (July is when they really bloom), so we were a little disappointed. Despite this small setback, the rest of the gardens were quite beautiful. It was so refreshing to see so many colorful flowers everywhere after such a long winter. There were tulips, violets, and many other kinds of flowers that I couldn’t name offhand. By the small pond, there was a weeping willow along with a Japanese bridge, which can be seen in Monet’s paintings.

I naively assumed that Monet’s house wouldn’t be anything special next to the amazing gardens, but I proved myself wrong as soon as I stepped in the door. Monet’s house is moderate in size but makes up for this fact with what is inside. All of the furniture is old fashioned, and the walls are covered with Japanese art. One thing I really enjoyed was the brightly colored walls in the dining room and the kitchen, which were yellow and blue respectively. My favorite room was the studio, which held at least twenty paintings by Monet. I am currently learning about Monet in my art history class, so it was really nice to see some of his work and its inspirations in person. I would love to come back to Giverny someday in the summer to see the water lilies in full bloom and to see this quaint house again.

View of the pond with the Japanese bridge

View from the house

The Catedral de Santiago de Compostela, in Galicia.

Nobody takes this phrase to heart quite like my good friend, fellow Valpo student, and traveling companion, Kevin Miller. Back in February, we read an article in class about a tradition that dates back to the middle ages: a cross-country pilgrimage known as the Camino de Santiago. Beginning as a religious journey towards the destination of what was once considered “the edge of the world” (the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela on the westernmost coast of Spain – where the apostle James is buried), the Camino has been traveled over the centuries by millions of “pilgrims” from all over the world. After learning about this tradition in class, Kevin mentioned that he’d really like to try it. Last week, that’s exactly what he did. Kevin wrote a little bit about his experiences for us to read, and gave me some photos from his journey to post here…

Each shelter that Kevin ate at or slept at put a stamp in his "pilgrimage passport".

“It’s dubbed El Camino de Santiago (The Way of St. James), but in reality, it’s a network of many different routes that all converge at the destination point of the pilgrimage, the Cathedral of Santiago. I spent seven days biking on the Camino Frances, which begins in St. Jean Pied de Port, a small French city only a few kilometers north of the Spanish-French border.  I began my journey in Pamplona, which is about 100 kilometers from St. Jean Pied de Port, and finished at the Cathedral.

A gorgeous sunset along the Camino.

Most pilgrims do the Camino by foot, normally walking from about 8am until sometime in the mid afternoon, where they then find a shelter where you can shower, get some dinner, relax, and recharge for the next day. But some, like me, decide to do it by bike (and even some, although I didn’t see on my trip, by horse!). Naturally, the Camino Frances is a nearly perfect east to west route.  Therefore, each day the sun served as my guide: creeping up my back, illuminating my helmet, and then sneaking down my front side before sending its last few rays over the distant horizon.

Kevin's view along the Camino (notice the other pilgrims ahead on the road) while entering one of the many pueblos along the way.

The Camino attracts people from all of the world, all doing it for some particular reason, whether for religious or spiritual motives or solely for the adventure. During my journey, I spent time talking with pilgrims and Spanish locals, either in the shelters in the evenings or during the day when I felt like substituting my biking legs for walking legs. I met an economist from Denmark, a Venezuelan software engineer, a construction worker from San Sebastian (northern Spain), a mother and son from Alabama, a Belgian architect, a truck driver from A Coruña (northwest Spain), a Canadian medical technician… the list goes on and on. It was quite a beautiful experience, and if any of you reading this have the opportunity to do it, I’d recommend it. You certainly won’t regret it.”

The view of the Camino from the top of one of the hills that Kevin climbed up - looking back to the east.

Kevin’s unique journey across the country of Spain is just one of those things that resonates so appropriately with the concept of aprovechando. Taking advantage of every opportunity, every adventure, and savoring those moments to the fullest are such important aspects of studying abroad, and are things that can only be learned through taking a leap of faith into those types of journeys. It’s a way of thinking that I’m blessed to be taking back home with me. I know without a doubt that all students who have been abroad can easily say the same after experiencing their own individual leaps of faith, savoring the details of such journeys with a new found sense of what it means to take advantage of the moments we’re given.

There were so many interesting aspects to Greece that were very unique and that I never noticed anywhere else.  One being, how there are so many stray animals all around the city.  Not stray animals as in only cats wandering around like we have at home, but dogs as well.  This bewildered me.  Everywhere I looked were random, full grown dogs wandering around the streets or sleeping on the sidewalks.  It was very sad at first, since at home, the only dogs you see are either pets or in a shelter.   What was even more interesting was how nice and friendly all of the dogs were.  They would casually walk up to you and wag their tail if you pet them.  As the weekend wore on, I noticed that locals in town would put out food and water for the dogs to have.  None of them looked to be starving in the least, but very well fed.  I was almost floored when I saw dogs and cats hanging out in the Parthenon at the top of the Acropolis.

Something else, that is very random but definitely worth mentioning, is how amazingly sweet the strawberries were.  They were sold at a lot of the little stands in the squares and markets.  Now that may not seem too unusual, but they sold them by the kilo, which is 2.2lbs.  Between myself and a friend of mine I traveled around Greece with, and within the three full days we were there, we ate more than 3lbs of strawberries.

It surprised me after visiting places like Paris, how much the Greeks loved Americans and loved that we were there visiting their country.  Everywhere we went and spoke, someone would ask us where we were from.  Once they heard “Chicago”, they would tell us how much they loved America and Chicago.  More times than not, they would also tell me how beautiful my “ocean eyes” were, since no pure Greeks had blue eyes.  Many restaurant workers on the streets would warn us to keep a close hold on our bags for those non-Greeks living in Athens, because, of course, no Greeks would steal from you.  The restaurant workers would always give you a good deal to come and eat in their restaurant.  On our first full day in Athens, we ate at a restaurant that offered us free wine as well as a free shot after dinner.  The waiters were very nice and welcoming, helping us decide what to order and what was good, which, of course, was everything.

Something that I did expect, though, were the cheap prices that we found.  Since Greece’s economy is not the best, prices for food or souvenirs, compared to other places, were very inexpensive.  We found souvlaki  for only €2, and t-shirts were as low as €5.  It was great! Though, we might have went a little overboard since everything was so cheap.  However, I would rather spend my money and help out the caring people of Greece than some of the other places that I visited where they hated Americans.

On Saturday, we decided to go to Aegina, one of the Greek Islands for the day.  It was so excited as we got on a huge cruise ship to take the hour journey through the Mediterranean.  The ship had a nice seating area and food.  Once we were on the island we rented 4-wheelers.  We each decided to get our own and for the entire day, both of the 4-wheelers were only €55, something unheard of back home.  He allowed us to have them for the day, and we could take them anywhere.  Gaining up to 40mph, we flew down the streets and rode all along the coast.  It was the most beautiful sights with bright, clear blue water all the way.

Though, things couldn’t go smooth sailing all the way.  After our fifth stop, we found that we could no longer kick start the ATV, the clutch kept getting stuck.  As though this may seem like a huge inconvenience, which, in a way it was, it was a blessing in disguise too.  We were able to meet so many new people since, anytime we wanted to stop and explore, we had to ask someone to kick start my bike for me.  We met a university professor who invited us to stay with him for the summer so he could teach us Greek and who was obsessed with our blue eyes.  We also met construction workers who told us not to stop the bikes again, seeing as by the end of the day it took them quite a while to even get them working again.  Each person was always more than happy to help us in any way they could and give us any helpful hints about the island that would make our stay more enjoyable.  Riding up through the mountains and overlooking the coast and beaches was breathtaking.  If I could go somewhere next week and I didn’t have to worry about cost (since flights to Greece are a bit pricey) I would definitely hop on a plane to Greece, probably Santorini, another island that is known to be the most beautiful.

Though the people were nice, they might have been a bit too nice at times.  It was clear to me the difference in the culture in Greek and the culture in America.  In America, you usually don’t go up to someone randomly while they are walking down the street and start talking to them and ask them out.  Well, at least not in my experience.  However, I do have experience with that happening to me in Greece.  Walking down a main street one night, a guy, probably around my age, came up to me and starting walking and talking to me.  I assumed that he was a restaurant worker and was trying to get us to go into his restaurant to eat, but I soon realized this wasn’t the case as he asked me to go out for drinks with him.  I was very thrown off by this and really didn’t know how to respond.  He told me how he loved America and stared hard into my eyes.  I’m really not used to that kind of attention and, since I did not know his intentions, I told him I couldn’t, but thanked him for the offer.  He looked at me with a blank expression, not seeming to have understood that I was saying no, so we turned and continued walking.

This was not my only experience with very forward Greek men.  On our last night, we were sitting in the square talking, when a middle aged man who was sitting next to us asked us where we were from.  We told him Chicago and then had a nice conversation with him about where our ancestors were from and how the economy in Greece got so bad.  It was very interested and we appreciated finally having a normal conversation with someone who didn’t end up creeping us out.  We thought too soon.  After about a half n hour, the man asked us to go get drinks with him and his friend.  We respectfully declined saying we had an early flight the next morning.  He told us we should just go out with him and he could drive us to the airport in the morning, but we said no.  He then proceeded to look at me and tell me that I had “the body for sin and the mind for challenge”.  Though I think that’s supposed to be a compliment, I took that as my cue to head back to the hostel and go to bed.  He insisted on giving me his business card because “now that I have met you I don’t want to lose you”.  The whole encounter was very weird in my American perspective.  The man was probably my parents age.  Walking home, we counted how many guys looked us up and down and I realized that wearing a dress in Athens was not a good life decision.

Though the men might be more forward than we’re used to, it might just be a part of their culture and what they think is appropriate, so I’m not holding it against them.  They were always respectful and nice, which is still better than some of the creepy people back home.  Even though some of the guys did creep us out a bit, we never felt like we weren’t safe or too uncomfortable.  I absolutely loved my stay in Greece and wish it didn’t go by as fast as it did.  If anyone is thinking of a beautiful get-a-way vacation, I highly recommend going to Greece, you can’t go wrong.

Big Ben and Parliament

I have always dreamed of visiting London; seeing Big Ben has always been towards the top of my bucket list. Last weekend, I finally got to make that dream a reality. Of course I wanted to see as much as possible in the three days that I was there, so I arrived with a long list of sights to see. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize how big London is, and I didn’t get to cross everything off my list during this trip. As soon as we walked outside of the train station, I instantly knew that I was in London. Everywhere I turned, I could see red double-decker buses and telephone booths, and as I listened in on conversations on the street, I could clearly hear British accents. I can’t describe how nice it was to finally be surrounded by English for a change!

When we arrived, the weather was a bit rainy, so we didn’t get to see many sights at first. Instead, we spent our time mostly indoors on Saturday, first at the world’s largest Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum. I had been to one before in Wisconsin Dells, but this one was undoubtedly the best of its kind. I personally love everything bizarre, so I had to go inside once I heard it was the world’s largest Ripley’s museum. They had all sorts of strange items, including a prehistoric shark’s set of teeth, an iron maiden, and shrunken heads. It may not have been worth the 22 pounds that we paid (even with a student discount), but it was a nice was to pass the time out of the rain.

Bre and I in front of Buckingham Palace

The highlight of my weekend was without a doubt seeing The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre. I am a huge fan of the story; I have read the original book and many other fanfiction novels about the Phantom, and I have seen the both original and most recent film countless times. I adore the soundtrack and can sing you any song you choose by heart and play it for you on the piano (not necessarily at the same time!). During the show, I couldn’t help but mouth the words along with the actors. I was completely blown away by the quality of the singers’ voices and the special effects. When the chandelier went up at the very beginning and the organ started wailing the main tune, I had a mini heart attack and had the widest grin on my face. I believe that the Phantom of the Opera is a very important part of London’s broadway history, and I am so happy that I had the chance to see my favorite musical on stage in the best place in the world to see it performed.

After two days of rain, the sky finally opened up on Sunday and made way for a unbelievably beautiful day. My friend and I spent the entire day walking around London sight seeing. Our first stop was Abbey Road, made famous by the Beatles’ album of the same name. There were many tourists there literally stopping traffic just to snap a photo like the Beatles, and of course I became one of them. We then headed toward the River Thames, where we passed Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Westminister Abbey, and a lot of other really cool buildings. I was really surprised by how many great tourist spots were all clustered together in the same area. It did make for an easy sight seeing tour, though! After that, we saw the Globe Theatre, Millenium Bridge, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the London Bridge, just to name a few.

I was completely amazed at how much there is to see in London, and I’m sad I couldn’t see it all in three days. Now that I know how great London really is, I am itching to go back and take a closer look at all this city has to offer.

Millenium Bridge and St. Paul's Cathedral

London Bridge

Yesterday, my housemates and I were fortunate enough to get the chance to go to Margaret Thatcher’s Funeral Procession in London. We were there to witness history being made. We got up at the crack of dawn to get to London at a good time so we could get front row spots along the procession route from Westminster Abbey to St. Paul’s Cathedral. I’m sure some of you are thinking “Weren’t you guys afraid of going to something so controversial right after the bombings in Boston?” We sat down as a group and decided that it would be safe enough and it was something we really wanted to do. However, just to be safe, we didn’t choose a hugely popular place to stand in case something would happen. We chose a spot along Fleet Street across from the Courts of Justice and it proved to be a very successful location for us to stand. Some of our group were interviewed by the Guardian Newspaper, the biggest newspaper in London (equal to the New York Times) and also by another public newspaper. There was a camera set up right across from us on the street and a picture of us and the casket being pulled by the carriage ended up on Yahoo! news UK and USA versions. How awesome is that? And there was a picture of us on the Guardian Newspaper’s website that went a long with one of the Iron Lady articles. We got our 15 minutes of fame from that spot we picked.

The procession itself, though. That was the best part. It was so incredible to witness such a historical event. The passing of an era, the funeral of one of the most influential Prime Ministers that England has ever had. Depending on what Brit you talk to, her influence could be the best thing or the worst thing. She was very influential, but she also divided a great nation with her decisions in while in office. Yesterday, we saw many people protesting the funeral and there were signs that said things along the lines of “Rest in Shame” and “The Iron Lady, Rest in Rust” however, we also saw signs from the polar opposite viewpoint like the one that said ” But We Loved Her” It was so interesting to see all this division in the nation again because of her death. It gave me a little insight as to what the nation was like when she was still in office. She was undoubtedly a great lady, yet one of the most hated in all of English history.

However much she was hated, she was also loved by a great many, and she received a great farewell from the people of England. People cheered and clapped and roared when she went by as a sign of respect. The procession started at Westminster Abbey with her casket in a hearse car driving down Whitehall Street toward Trafalgar Square. The hearse was surrounded by the British Army, Royal Air Force, Palace Guards, and the Navy, as well as the Metropolitan Police force. It was a huge procession. The Royal Air Force lined the streets of the procession all the way from Westminster Abbey to St. Paul’s Cathedral with their heads bowed in a sign of respect. There were also many different bands playing along the procession. From Trafalgar Square the hearse drove along the Strand and on the Strand, her casket got transferred from the hearse to a horse drawn carriage. After that it came down Fleet Street where we were, and on the St. Paul’s Cathedral. It was a grand procession and very impressive. It was an incredible experience and one I would witness again in a heartbeat.

One of the many patios within the Real Alcázar, which was once a Moorish fort/palace. See the fishies in the reflection pool?

Okay, before I get started here, I’m going to warn you. I’m about to sound like a travel agent who’s sugarcoating everything in order to close a deal. I promise you, none of this is an exaggeration. Southern Spain is a world entirely of its own, and for lack of a better description, it’s magical. The air is filled with the smell of orange blossoms and the sounds of street musicians playing flamenco guitar, the sun shines in a bright blue sky until 8 pm. Wrought-iron balconies spill flowers out into winding narrow streets, ornate ceramic tiles adorn every door frame, and the clock slows down to match the laid-back, fun-loving lifestyle of the south. Words and pictures don’t do it justice, it’s just something you have to feel… but it exists and it’s definitely magical.

Ceramic tile work outside the Plaza de España. This kind of detail is part of almost every building in the city.

Seville is a city steeped in a rich and diverse history. Thus, its culture has developed over the centuries into a beautiful mix of flavors that is entirely unique to the south of Spain. Conquered by first the Romans, then the Moors, and then the Jewish and the Catholics, the city shows evidence on every corner of how it has aged and evolved over time. Take, for example, the Roman wall that surrounds the city center. After the Romans left, parts of the wall were incorporated into different structures, serving as a supporting wall of the Real Alcázar (one of my favorite places in Seville, a Moorish palace that is filled with acres of incredible gardens and patios), or even being built into houses. There are a number of houses that were built right onto the wall throughout the Moorish and Catholic reigns that still are inhabited today, covered in the intricate tile work common to the Moors and the close influence of Morocco and North Africa. And yet, they bear the family crests from the 1500s-era Catholic families that lived there centuries ago. This type of culture-blending is evident everywhere you look in Seville, and has since become a trademark of the city’s flavor.

The breathtaking view of the city from the top of La Giralda, a 34-story tower attached the the Catedral de Sevilla.

The architecture isn’t the only thing about Seville that serves as a distinctive symbol, though. What brings the real magic to this city isn’t the buildings, but the people and their customs. The home of Flamenco, Sevillianos take their music, dancing, food, drink, and parties very seriously, and everything else kind of happens by its own time. Siestas are an even bigger deal here than in Zaragoza, and nobody’s ever in a rush (unless they’re talking. Understanding the Andaluz accent at the speed with which they talk was next to impossible!) I got hooked on the beauty and tradition of Flamenco while I was there, thanks to a few factors: trying on a traditional gown (I felt like a human Barbie doll!), watching a Flamenco dancing show over a pitcher of sangría, and perhaps most importantly, the buzz in the air regarding the upcoming Fería de Abril.

Alright. Obviously not my picture, since I missed the Fería. But this is what it looks like and is the reason why I was so enchanted.

The Fería started this past Tuesday, and is essentially a week-long dancing, eating, drinking, and socializing

extravaganza. At the edge of the city, they set up 1000+ massive tents, called “casetas”. Each caseta is an exclusive access facility, and you can only get in if you know a member (one of the group of people who are paying for the caseta to function at the Fería). Thus, it’s not unheard of for someone to be on the waiting list to be a caseta member for 30+ years. In each caseta are a bunch of tables, a dance floor, and a bar. Each day at the Fería, women dress in traditional Flamenco attire, and men will wear suits and ties. Dancing is a big part of the event, and the “Sevillana” style of dress, music, and dance dates back to the 1700s. We didn’t get to see the Fería in action, because we left Seville on Monday morning, but we did get to go to the fairgrounds and saw a caseta, thanks to a friend who has been living in Seville for six years.

My friend Margaux (from Marseille, France) and I at the Torre de Oro, enjoying the sunshine!

One of the things I love most about Spain is the way that the Spanish have done such a great job preserving and celebrating their roots. Nothing gets washed away by history… the past is beautifully blended into the present in all aspects of life: culture, architecture, food, lifestyle. Seville is such an explicit and colorful example of that phenomenon, and I’m never going to forget the unending beauty of it all, and the way it swept me away to the point of being unable to convey it in words. I think this is my longest entry to date, and I’m still frustrated that my pictures and descriptions don’t do it justice. Guess that means that you all just have to find an excuse to go there and see for yourself…

On Wednesday April 17, there was a procession in London for Margaret Thatcher’s funeral that started at Westminster Abbey and ended at St. Paul’s Cathedral.  When she died last week, there was an uproar in the UK.  What I never realized as a US citizen, was how divided the country became when Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister.  I have learned in my history class here how little people thought of her and how they believed she was the worst thing for this country.  There are many reasons the British feel this way, one having to do with the high unemployment rate when she was in power.  When she died, there was riots and demonstrations in London that went hand in hand with cheers and celebrations.  I actually received an email sent from the government about how US Citizens should be weary going into London from April 13-17 because of all of the demonstrations that were going to be held. There was also a lot of talk about possible bombs going off, which, once the bombing in Boston happened on Tuesday, did not make me feel anymore confident about making the journey to London Wednesday morning.

Though we did make the journey and I am really glad that I went.  Although, as soon as we got off the tube at Temple we were greeted by about eight police officers, one who asked us what we were doing and where we were going.  They knew the controversy and were taking all of the necessary precautions.  All throughout London, there were police heavily armed, especially in the train stations, tube stations and huge public squares like Covent Garden and Piccadilly Circus.  Luckily, we did not see any bombs going off or riots.

It was so interesting seeing so many people lining the streets, waiting for the procession.  There were press everywhere, on balconies and roofs taking pictures and interviewing people in the streets.  Zach, Jess and Nola were even interviewed by different newspapers and our group as a whole are in a picture in The Guardian’s news online (the link is below).

What I would have to say was the craziest part of all was what happened as the casket went by on the street.  We were standing along the second half of the procession, so the casket was being pulled by a horse drawn carriage versus in a car like it was from Westminster to Trafalgar Square.  As she passed by, everyone in the crowd starting cheering and clapping.  Some, not where we were but earlier on, turned their backs on the casket.

Being able to witness this piece of history was incredible.  It is something that will definitely go down in history and something I will be able to tell my children about one day.  So rest in peace, or maybe shame, Margaret Thatcher.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/apr/17/margaret-thatcher-funeral-streets-procession