Colosseum

Trevi Fountain

Spanish Steps with Nikki

Pantheon

Sistine Chapel

cooking class

The Chef

Pompeii

Duomo

Hey, Florence

Take me back to Tuscany with these aperitivos every night

Heidi & Lorenzo

Semana Santa

This past week was my spring break, or Semana Santa (Translated: Holy Week). Hello ITALY! It was such a great trip. I went from Thursday to the following Saturday, so I was there for about 9 days. 

After struggling through a 12 minute oral presentation in my class, as if public speaking isn't bad enough in ENGLISH, I hopped on a plane to Naples. No one had told me that Naples is a dangerous place. There must have been angels watching over me because the area around the train station looked pretty sketchy. We spent two days in Sorrento! I went to a cooking class and made pasta from scratch! I got yelled at by the chef because I wasn't making the pasta the right shape. We made meatballs too.MMMMHHMMM. It was so fun. The name of the place was "Mami Camilla".

We took a train to Florence where we had some interesting run-ins with hostels, to say the least. If a hostel is 13 euros a night, beware. Luckily, I made some Italian friends out of it and was thankful for the Spanish language which we used to talk to that crazy breed of humans. Florence was a blast. In the words of Mercedes: "Walking through Florence is like walking through an art museum." The Duomo is stunning! And I finally saw the real statue of David in the Academia after having grown up with the replica of it in my grandparents living room.

Then we went to a Bed and Breakfast that I highly recommend to any and everyone who ever wants to live out the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun." Le Due Volpi is the name of this enchanting Bed & Breakfast. Heidi, who runs the B&B, picked us up from the train station and pretty much babysat us for the two nights we spent with her on the Tuscan hills. She cooked us the most delicious dinner both nights. We had Gnocchi, pesto pasta, veal, cheese, chocolate mousse, gelato, prosciutto & wine. Needless to say I left Italy with a few extra pounds on me.

After Heidi and Lorenzo's low key Tuscan B&B we regained energy for Roma. What did we not do in Rome? We had a world wind of two and a half days there. Not to mention we were in the capital of Catholicism on Good Friday. Mass chaos. We had a guided tour of the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo is a the man. We saw all of the main things like the Colesseum, Pantheon, Roman Forum, Trevvi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps. I taste-tested gelato all over the city.

 I got back to Alcalá last night so I spent Easter with the family and some of my best friends. FELICES PASCUAS!

One of my good friends from high school, Jake Peterson, passed away this week and his funeral is this Tuesday. It's been hard information to swallow and to be away from everyone and home when you lose a friend. Everyone keep the Peterson family in your prayers.

familia!

Wednesday my mom, Emily, and Fran got here! Horay! They were jet- lagged but we managed to sight see in the city all day. We went to Retiro Park, the Prado, and ate at Plaza Santa Ana.

Thursday after I had class they came to meet my host family and see Alcalá. They had tons of ham for us! I was glad that my family could experience for one meal what I've been coping with since January. Abuela (my host grandmother) kept talking to my sisters in Spanish even though I tried to tell her they don't speak it. It was funny.

We drove to Granada Thursday and saw the Alhambra at night. The Alambra is spain's most visited attraction

Friday we went and saw the gardens of the palace then drove to Sevilla. Sevilla is a city in Southern Spain, a region called Andalucia. Spanish people talk about Southern Spain the same way Americans talk about the South. Everyone is happy, friendly, and nice. We arrived in Sevilla friday night and got tapas at a cute place near the river. Saturday we went to see the Sevilla Cathedral which is the 3rd largest in Europe. Woop woop. We shopped, walked around, and saw a Flamenco show. Flamenco is a type of Spanish music and dance that has been around for a while.

Sunday we drove back to Madrid and saw a Bull Fight! I had to right a paper about the controversial topic of Bull Fighting. Actually a lot of Spaniards are against it because they think it too harsh of treatment towards animals! It was a little strange seeing the bull die right in front of me and then watch them drag it out of the ring.

After the bullfight we ate dinner at one of my favorite markets off of Plaza Mayor, Mercado de San Miguel. I am sad that my mom and sisters had to leave! I'm really glad they got to come see my life on this side of the Atlantic. I wish everyone could live over here with me! Love you, family!

Barcelona, you stole my heart.

Park Guell 

Sara y yo

Italian boys

La Sagrada Familia

I love trips with these people

We went to the Sagrada Familia, some of the Gaudi houses, La Ramblas, the Park Guell, the beach, and a bunch of cool neighborhoods! Thanks to our professor at Auburn who is a Barcelona native, we had a ton of advice! Our hostel was in the Gothic Quarter. I am a little obsessed with Barcelona.

New Family

Thursday afternoon we moved families! It has been SO great. There is a grandmother, a mom named Mercedes, and a 9 year old brother named Alexis. They are so loud and fun and exactly how I picture a fun Spanish family. They are so much more open and loving than my last family. I thought I loved Spain before but now it's even better!