Winding down....

Again, there has been a long break in my blogs, but the end of the semester is approaching and I have been super busy. I caught a nasty flu a little over two weeks ago and I spent (no joke) seven days miserable in my bed. I had a couple doctor visits and prescriptions, but I think it just took some time for me to get over it. Mom and Hannah arrived on the tail end of it, so they had to explore (and get lost, haha) a bit on their own, but at least I got to spend the majority of their trip with them. I had a week’s worth of school to make up, with a big final paper among other assignments, but I made it through, and we had a really nice time together.

We rented an apartment like I did over fall break, and it worked out just as nicely. I stayed with them for the majority of the time, which was nice because we were so close to my school. We ate lots of cheese, chorizo, and bread, and Hannah and Mom enjoyed percolator coffee almost every day. We also made it to a dinner with Loli and Rachel and her family, which was crazy, but very nice. Most of our time was spent relaxing (with some recuperating and homework for me), but we did visit the Alcázar, one of my favorite places in Sevilla. There was some shopping done in there as well (and I finally got a coat!), a visit to the Cathedral while I was in class, eating out a few times, and Hannah and mom saw some Flamenco at La Carbonería (a less formal setting), and overall we had a very nice time. Sorry for the condensed version, but I am having a tough time remembering what was done each day! Once so much time has passed, I can never seem to recall the order of things.

Meara, Chelsea, Liza, and I left for London Thursday night (same day as Mom and Hannah left), first taking the airport bus to the Sevilla airport, a flight to Standsted Airport, then catching a bus from there to Liverpool Street in London, and finally a taxi to our hostel. We didn’t get to bed until just after four in the morning on Friday, so it was a pretty long night. After catching a bit of sleep, we woke up (and ate a free hostel breakfast) and set off to explore. Meara had previously been to London and remembered more than I did from my last trip (with my Thespian group in high school), so she led the way at first, and we headed to Piccadilly Circus via the Tube. We then walked to an amazing store called Fortnum & Mason, which has beautiful handmade sweets and lovely food products and, best of all, samples. We explored a bit in there (and tasted some yummy stuff including meat pie, shortbread, cheeses, and passion fruit filled chocolates) and then went to a place for lunch where we could plan out the rest of our day. I again brought tons of food to save myself some money, so I didn’t partake in the meal, but we set up a good plan for the day with the help of Meara’s tiny guide book.

We then walked through Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square and also around to see Big Ben, the Parliament Buildings, and Westminster Abbey, taking plenty of pictures (though unfortunately not with my camera, which still isn’t functioning). In Leicester Square, Chelsea and I inquired at a few places about tickets for musicals, because Liza and Meara had already purchased some for that night to see Wicked. I had already seen it in Chicago, so Chelsea and I decided if we could find cheap ones for Spamalot, we would go. At the first few places we were told the cheapest would be around £35 or £40, which I didn’t want to pay. Finally, we found a place with some for only £15, which was great. We continued wandering after our thrifty purchase and for dinner stopped at a noodle place for dinner before our shows started. I was planning on eating another sandwich, but Meara didn’t finish her noodles with chicken and veggies, so I finished that and it was delicious. We asked for extra chili sauce and I dumped all of it on the noodles. I really have been missing spicy food, so it was great to have something hot for once. Then we parted ways and Chelsea and I walked back to Leicester Square for our show. We were really high up in the balcony, and the guy in front of me was leaning forward really far, and thereby blocking most of my view, but it was still great. The show was hilarious and the songs were very amusing. I’m really glad I got to go. Then, on our way back, we stopped at King’s Cross Train Station (our nearest Tube stop in King’s Cross, right next to the train station) and found Platform 9 3/4 from Harry Potter. I am a big nerd and I love the books, so it was exciting to find it and get a few pictures (I know you’re jealous Katie!). Then we headed off to bed in preparation for another full day on Saturday.

We split up on Saturday, as everyone else wanted to go the War Cabinet rooms, and I wasn’t as interested and also didn’t want to pay the fee. I headed to the Camden High Street Market, not far from our hostel) and also stopped at the British Library. The library was beautiful and just wonderful to look around. The market was crowded of course, but fun to explore. I got a pair of tiny earrings for myself and then headed back to the Tube stop to meet up with everyone. Amazing, though London is huge, it’s so easy to get around. I think whoever planned out the subway system was a genius; though it’s not cheap, I think the Tube is one of the easiest systems I have ever used. Plus, it’s really neat to see all of the stops that play a part in another one of my favorite books, Neverwhere (Neil Gaiman). After meeting up on the Circle line platform, we headed to Notting Hill and the Portobello Road Market. It’s a huge market with everything from antiques to food to clothing and new things. I explored while everyone else at, buying a few tiny gifts, and generally enjoying myself. Though usually crowded, I think markets are such a fun way to spend your time because there is so much to see. After a bit more exploring as a group (after their lunch), we headed back to the Tube and headed to London Bridge. Luckily, it did not fall down (I had to say it) as we crossed and we got to enjoy the Tate Modern Museum as well. I had been on my last trip, but I enjoyed this visit more, as I have studied more of the works and could recognize them. Then, we headed back to our stop and found an Indian restaurant for dinner. This was the dinner I was waiting for, as I haven’t had Indian food since before I came to Spain. Chelsea and I split a lentil dish and some naan bread, and then finished off some of the sauce from Meara and Liza’s dish (too hot for Liza, but delicious for me, though I would still like something hotter). Then we went to McDonald’s (terrible I know, but I needed ice cream). McFlurries there were only 99 pence, and I got one with crunchies and smarties (M&Ms). It was delicious, though it was not too warm outside. For some reason, in London the cold just felt natural and refreshing, though I have been freezing in Sevilla and it’s warmer here. Then we headed to bed again (in our tiny four-person room with maybe eight square feet of room apart from our beds).

Sunday we headed first to the British Museum, which was amazing. There we got to see some art from ancient Egypt, including the Rosetta Stone (really neat), and a lot of statues with hieroglyphics. We also saw some Greek and Roman pieces, including statues, pottery, and jewellery. Interesting, there is a large exhibit of art taken from the Parthenon, which obviously sparks some debate because it’s technically Greek property, though the pieces haven’t been returned. Upstairs, we saw some mummies, which were really really interesting. My (I think) favorite part was the mummies of the animals, with cats, bulls, and even a crocodile, a hawk, and an eel. They were so tiny, and preserved in the same way as humans. I again departed from the group after leaving the museum, since my flight was a day earlier. I got my stuff from the hostel and caught the Tube back to Liverpool Street, where I could catch the bus for the airport. Since I had extra time, I got to go to the Old Spitalsfield Market, where I wish I could have spent more time. It was huge, and full of all sorts of exciting things. I then caught the bus, which marked the beginning of my long journey back to Sevilla. The bus took about an hour, and then upon arriving at the airport stuffed with a ton of other people, I waited in line to pay a booking fee and then made it through security with ample time, luckily for me. More lines followed in boarding (Ryanair, my carrier, doesn’t assign seats so you want to be near the front of the boarding line) and then a two and a half hour flight to Sevilla. Upon arriving there, I knew I missed the 9:45 bus, so I sat down to wait for the 10:45, which unfortunately, didn’t come. After over and hour and a half of waiting, the bus finally arrived, and I made it home around midnight. It was a lot of traveling, but the trip was definitely worth it and I had a wonderful time.

Currently, I only have about ten days left in Sevilla, and a lot to do. I have a final paper due for my composition class due tomorrow (Wednesday) and two finals for Friday (Usage and Art History). Then, after that, I hope to do some Christmas shopping and work on packing (though I have started to get organized already). It seems like my time here has just blown by, interestingly, and though I have loved my experience in Spain, I am about ready to be back, especially for the holidays. I’ll work on finishing my blog (filling in some of the gaps), but it might not be finished before I return. Anyway, thanks for reading!