The End is Near!

Hola,

I am hanging out at my home after a hot and sunny day at the river. We leave for our Semana Santa trip tomorrow. Seven of us are going to Germany, Scotland and Ireland together - it's our last trip! I am so excited to visit three different countries in seven days, but I think it's going to be exhausting.

I wanted to share a little bit about Semana Santa. Semana Santa is "Holy Week" in English. It always occurs during the week prior to Easter. I really don't even know how to explain it - it's near unexplainable. My host brother works for Semana Santa, as his job, others are just members of the brotherhoods and participate in the events. The brotherhoods and participants of Semana Santa have been practicing for the past month, so we've become more familiar with it that way. They are supposed to be anonymous and wear head-to-toe coverings during the actual processions. There is a specific smell and sound to Semana Santa that we have come to know. The smell is of incense and the sky becomes hazy with all of the smoke from the incense. The sound is of the music that is played. It is mournful, depressing, and off-tune (on purpose). This is about as well as I can describe the scene. It is a very important event for many - some for religious reasons and others for tourist reasons. Some hate it because of the way the crowds take over the town. Sevilla gains an immense amount of people during this week. The processions take place through the small roads in the "center" of town and they become packed solid with people. My host brother has told us about how his girlfriend, who is petite, has literally been picked up to where her feet were unable to touch the ground because of the huge crowd of people pushing and shoving in such a small area.

I figured I would share a couple of pictures and a video - hopefully the video works. I don't think there's really any other way to understand the Semana Santa scene.

Semana Santa in Sevilla

That link should be to a 10 minute Youtube video that I thought gave a pretty good representation of Semana Santa.

Ha. I wish I could see some of your reactions to this. Our brother has one solid white outfit and one solid black outfit although I'm not exactly sure why. He tried on the white mask/hat for us one day at lunch. Then I guess he brought home the black one and decided he would try it on completely for us. Our bedroom door opens towards my bed, so I am the first person seen when the door is open...the door has to be open all the way to see Kelsie. This particular night, our bedroom door was shut, so he knocked on the door and cracked it open and peeked in with his FULL black outfit, hat and all, so all I could see were his eyes...talk about creepy. I don't fully understand the outfits or the morbid music, but this week is a very interesting and passionate week for many people in Seville. I have had the opportunity to watch numerous videos of Semana Santa processions because of my brother and at my book store. We will not be in town for any of the actual Semana Santa events, but I am somewhat glad. I do not think I would like the mass amount of people that flock to Sevilla throughout this week.

Everything is still amazing in Sevilla! It is starting to become a little depressing around here knowing we only have so much time left together. We only have five days of classes left, and then a few days to hang out together after that before everyone starts leaving.

I forgot to mention in my last post that when my parents were in town they got to meet my host family! I wish I had a picture of it...it was so much more fun than I expected it to be. I was initially concerned and stressed out at the idea of me having both of my parents, who barely speak a lick of Spanish, meet my host family, who barely speaks a lick of English. Just the concept of having to translate and comprehend that many people talking to each other back and forth gave me a headache, but it was actually very fun! :) My mom and host mom got along GREAT, even with the language barrier. They are both outgoing and crazy and I have said from day one that my host mom reminds me of my real mom. After their meeting my host mom even said that she thinks my mom and her could be great friends - ha. I loved it! My dad enjoyed it too and both my mom and dad seemed to get their points across with a little bit of help from me - of course. :) Overall, it was one of the highlights of my week with my parents, and I think it was one of my parents' most exciting moments in Sevilla too.

I FINISHED MY INTERNSHIP AT THE BOOK STORE! I am so relieved. It was a great experience and I am so glad I did it, but it is a bit of weight lifted off of my shoulders now that I don't have to stress about working and getting enough hours.

I received an Easter package from my mom yesterday! I have a picture of it on my phone, but not on my computer - bummer. It was so cute! She sent me, a few of my girlfriends, and my host mom different O.P.I. nail polish colors from the Texas line that O.P.I. came out with this semester. They are so cute, and so fun, of course, being related to Texas and all. :) I guess that's the last package I'll receive this semester - how bittersweet!

If you had asked me three weeks ago if I was ready or wanted to go back to Texas the answer would have been, "No!" Now that a few more weeks have passed I am becoming more and more ready and getting excited to get home and see everyone. I would still say I am not completely ready to leave Spain, but I think once the time comes I will be. Although, I do think after a week or two in Texas I'll be ready to come back, ha. I can't WAIT to have Mexican food on the way home from the airport in Dallas. It will be my most-cherished meal in four months. I'm going to savor every bite, and I will NEVER take Mexican food, tacos or iced tea for granted EVER again.

That's about it for now...I just wanted to give an update before I had a ton to tell about my trip to three different countries in seven days. Sorry I didn't have any personal pictures to update y'all with, but I'm sure I'll have plenty, and then some, once I get back from this trip! Also, just keep me in your thoughts while I'm trying to pack tomorrow and fit SEVEN days worth of clothes, for fairly chilly weather, into ONE backpack. It will be a miracle. I'll definitely have to take pictures. :)

Hope all is well in Texas! I love hearing from everyone every-so-often, and soon enough, I'll be home and everyone will be able to contact me by phone at any point in time...WOOHOO. What a concept.

Love to you all!

XOXO
Paige

Gran Canaria - Sunshine, Foreigners and Good Times

Second blog post in two days, and I'm all caught up! YAY!

Hello again,

I just got back from spending five days in Gran Canaria! It was SO. MUCH. FUN. I aboslutely loved it, but, as my boss pointed out today, I love every place I go. I know - I just love traveling. Talk about being my mother's daughter.

Anyways, Gran Canaria (aka The Canary Islands) are islands off the coast of Africa, more or less, that are Spanish property. They are home to the highest point in Spain - a volcano. Therefore, the sand on the beaches at Gran Canaria is much more black than I have ever seen...because it is from the volcanic rock.

We had a long weekend this weekend and were off of school Thursday, Friday and Monday, so my friends and I claimed this as more of our "type" of spring break and enjoyed the beach for five days. We arrived on Wednesday night and didn't do much because our flight got in late. Our hotel was actually very nice. It was fully equipped with a little kitchen and had a nice pool too!

View of our pool at night from our balcony

On Thursday we all got up fairly early, went and bought food and drink supplies to get us through the day, and headed to the beach which was just a short 10 minute walk from the hotel.

We actually did use our kitchens while we were there. We enjoyed cooking, in general, and things that we enjoy, and at this point we'll do just about anything to save money - ha. We're all becoming broke now that the semester is coming to an end!

Our pasta meal one night

Breakfast burritos - potatoes with onions, bacon, cheese, eggs and salsa that tasted like BBQ sauce - WIN

One of our new favorite places brought our cute little drinks out with sparklers in them.

All of the girls

One of our new favorite places

The scenery around the island was gorgeous and it's amazing to me how there are so many places with huge mountains right next to gorgeous beaches and the ocean. I had never witnessed anything like this until this semester, and I love it.

There were all kind of nationalities in G.C., but I think we were by far the only Americans found on the entire island. People were amazed that we were from America and no one ever guessed that was where we were from. Some thought we were German and others thought we were English. It was pretty entertaining, and almost flattering, considering in Sevilla people know we're American when we breathe.

We didn't do much sight-seeing around G.C. It almost makes me feel unproductive in that we didn't do ANYTHING but lay around the beach and by the pool, eat good American-like food and hang out together at night. I think it comes from us doing so much traveling and sight-seeing with The Center that when we get a chance to get a way for a beach vacation...all we want to do is sit back and relax, and that we did - without a worry in the world...

Until about 20 minutes before our return flight to Sevilla, of course. We got to the airport a good two hours early or so because our flight was at 5:20, but the gate closed at 4:50 and we had to be out of our hotel by 1 p.m. After we arrived we tried to find the RyanAir help desk where we usually have to go, as non EU citizens, to show our passport and get our boarding passes stamped. We couldn't find the RyanAir counter and even asked some really important security guard/government looking men - they said we didn't need it. We sat around for a while at Starbucks (yes, at this point, we will pretty much jump on any American-like opportunity in food/drink consumption). Then we went and were about the second group in line for boarding.

Once they STARTED boarding the plane, we finally got confirmation that we DID need the stupid stamp on our boarding passes, but oh, even better, the RyanAir counter is now outside of security, down stairs and on the other side of the airport. Here begins our own version of "Vegas Vacation" when nine of us started SPRINTING through the Gran Canaria airport.

All of us had our one allotted carry-ons that we stuffed five days worth of clothes into. Personally, my backpack was LITERALLY about to bust at the seams. So...there we are sprinting through the airport...making it to the RyanAir counter, some of us sliding into it. One lady was working and had to stamp all of our boarding passes. I took my shoes off this time, and proceeded to sprint back up the stairs and through security over to the end of the plane boarding line.

We made it! But then we had the stress of whether or not they were going to tell us our bags were too big. Those of us with backpacks have never been hassled before because, typically, if you have a bag on your back they aren't going to bother you. Then...there was me with my almost-seam-ripping backpack who got stopped, after I was drenched in sweat and huffing and puffing from my sprint back-and-forth through the airport. THANKFULLY, there was a man with a suitcase larger than me that he was trying to carry on so the baggage check guy got distracted and was suddenly unconcerned with my almost-seam-ripping backpack. Whew, we officially made it on the plane and were all fanning ourselves with our, now, stamped boarding passes. Vegas Vacation meets Gran Canaria? If only someone could have been recording us...or if only someone had been recording our lives for the past three months. I think that could have served as prime entertainment, but it's a little late now.

Now we're back in Sevilla for a couple of weeks until Semana Santa hits. Then we're heading to Germany, Scotland and Ireland where we will definitely be doing some sight-seeing. Our relaxing vacation is over and we'll be back on our educational Eurotrip soon enough. :) Ha.

Only two more weekends left in Sevilla, one month exactly left in Sevilla as of today, only 12 more days of classes left and 40 days until I'm home in Texas! Let the bittersweet countdown begin.

All my love to Texas,

Paige

Madrid and More...and more and more and more

*Sidenote: I started writing this post PRIOR to my Gran Canaria trip, but I'm going to finish this one and THEN move on to G.C. I'm catching up...no worries!*

Hola :)

Spring break just passed and my PARENTS WERE HERE! It was so much fun having them here with me, and it was definitely a nice touch of home - just what I needed. My parents ended up getting in town pretty late on Friday night, so I just met up with them and we went to dinner and then started our adventures in Sevilla on Saturday. We pretty much just walked around Sevilla and enjoyed the atmosphere of the city. I think they quickly realized that Spanish food isn't so great - ha - welcome to my life! On Sunday, the rain really began. It rained practically the whole time my parents were in Spain except for the last two days. I was really disappointed because Sevilla has gorgeous weather 90% of the time! I don't think my parents believed me that we actually do have sunshine in Spain, lol.

We decided to go to a town called Rhonda on Sunday. Minus the cold and rain - it is a cute little town with some BEAUTIFUL views!

Rhonda is one of the many "Pueblos Blancos" (white villages) in the Andalucian area of Spain

We returned to Sevilla later Sunday afternoon and had an amazing Italian meal at a cute little, vintage-like, Italian restaurant that was right near the Giralda. That was definitely one restaurant I'll have to visit again before I leave! On Monday, my parents and I did some more sight-seeing and shopping around Sevilla and then that night all of my friends, my family and Kelsie's family went to dinner at a restaurant that used to be old Arab baths. It was a great atmosphere, we had a room to ourselves and another amazing meal that was kind of my birthday celebration in Sevilla. Of course we discovered all of these restaurants I had never been to when my parents were here.

Not the best picture, but it gives the idea of the cute restaurant with our private room.

The next day was my birthday - 21, woooo - and what did we do? We rode in a bus all. day. long. I'm not complaining though. It was a good day regardless and I got to spend it with some of my favorite people. We stopped at a castle on our way to Toledo, Spain.

Such pretty countryside views of Spain! :)

Before we made it to Toledo, we stopped in another small town and got to see lace being made. It was one of the coolest things I had ever seen and made me think of my Grammy!

If you're familiar with Don Quijote de la Mancha by Miguel Cervantes - these are the windmills that are said to have been those in this "Claim to Fame" Spanish story.

A little view of Toledo, Spain from our hotel - where I spent the night of my 21st birthday.

Birthday dinner - ON my birthday in Toledo with my sweet Momma :)

A bunch of my friends after dinner outside of another cute little restaurant. Yes, we pretty much just hung out and ate good meals while my parents were here, but I could ask for nothing more.

Aqueducts in Segovia where we experienced our out-of-the-blue SNOW STORM. It was freezing cold, raining, snowing and none of us were prepared or dressed for the weather. Ha. Needless to say, it was a calm day mostly indoors.

Dad and I in front of the Royal Palace in Madrid on his birthday!

There were tons of street entertainers all around the city of Madrid. My favorite, though, was when we got to see some getting ready for the day.

That pretty much sums it up for Madrid and my parents' visit to Spain. We visited other sites and I absolutely LOVED Madrid. It is like the New York City of Spain, and we all know NYC is one of my favorite places. :) The last couple of days my parents were in Spain they got to see some gorgeous weather, but I do wish the weather had been better while we were in Sevilla. Overall it was a fabulous trip and perfect timing for some family time. I had an amazing birthday and am so blessed that I got to spend it with some of my favorite people. Although, we were definitely missing some!

Once we got back to Seville, we had some perfect weather for going to the river, so here are some fun "rio pics."

Although the river may not be the most glamorous thing in Sevilla, it will be one of my most-missed places. 

That's it for this blog post, but, like I said, I should be getting another one together to catch myself back up and tell all about my trip to Gran Canaria!

Besos,

Paige