Hi, everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic April! I'm back in Swansea, and it's nice to be "home." I apologize for not keeping you updated while I was travelling. There was a bit of a problem with using my Iowa State account to manage my blog, but I finally got it worked out (so I'm good to go now!).
I've been getting back into the swing of things in Swansea, although I only had two days of classes this week with my final class on Thursday being cancelled. This have given me a lot of time to research for my African American History paper, which is my (sorry) excuse for not updating you yet!
I returned from my 4 weeks-worth of traveling on Sunday (I was back at my flat right at 3, which gave me time to relax and unpack). The first city I hit up was Paris; Rachael, Jessica, Stephanie, Nicole, and I spent a few days exploring the City of Light. I got to see the Eiffel Tower at night and go inside Notre Dame Cathedral (two things I missed out on during my last trip abroad). We also visited the catacombs of Paris, which came as a quite a surprise to me! I knew there were a lot of bones, but I didn't know that they were neatly stacked up in the open (or that there are 6 to 7 MILLION bodies worth of them there!). We spent on day at Versailles. The palace was very lavish (or lush, as the British might say), but the gardens were positively beautiful!
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| Rachael, Steph, me, and Jess at the Eiffel Tower |
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| With the gargoyles at Notre Dame |
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| Gardens at Versailles |
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| Steph, Nicole, and me by the Temple of Love at Versailles |
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| The catacombs- ew! |
From there I met up with Curtis and headed to Madrid (first flight of the trip!). We met up with our friend Rob, who was studying in Caceres, Spain. We checked out the Prado, the botanical gardens, and other parks in the city.
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| Rob and me at the botanical gardens (with ISU flowers!) |
Curtis and I took a day trip to Seville (first train ride of the trip!). I was able to reserve our tickets using my Spanish skills from high school (thanks, Ms. Ickes!). I loved Seville! Plaza de Espana was my favorite place because it was so beautiful. We also checked out the Gothic cathedral and bell tower. The entire city was very pretty.
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| Plaza de Espana |
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| I tried to get pictures of the Spanish cities I had visited or would visit |
We went back to Madrid and joined Rob for a true Spanish dinner. We had chicken paella, patatas bravas, and black pudding (which I tried DESPITE Rob revealing what it was). The food was very good, and we ate outside right by the Plaza Mayor.
On Sunday we visited El Rastro, a huge market in Madrid. It was reputed to be a favorite for pick-pockets, so I have no photo evidence of the market (though I absolutely loved it!). I was able to find a cute leather purse for myself. That afternoon we attended a bullfight. I knew that the bulls were killed by the matadors, but I was not really prepared to see the actual killing of the bulls (there were a few moments where my eyes were definitely covered!). Still, it was very interesting to see, and I enjoyed witnessing a major part of Spanish tradition.
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| Plaza de Toros |
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| Before the bullfight started |
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| Curtis, Rob, and me watching the bullfight |
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| This matador was really good; the crowd loved him! |
We said adios to Rob and headed to the Madrid airport--on to Morocco! We got there very early in the morning (too early, to be honest) and headed off in search of our hostel. It was rather stressful to be wandering around in a city in Africa not knowing either of the two main languages (Arabic and French) and having no clue where we were going. Finally some kind people pointed us in the right direction (without charging us), and we found the hostel. We spent the first day on the Tourist Bus, mostly because I was super tired and wanted an easy way to get around. We saw the Jardin Menara, Jardin Majorelle, and other sights before returning to the hostel (nap time for me!). The evening was spent checking out the souks (small specialty shops in Jemaa el Fna, the huge market). I discovered that I'm not terribly good at bartering, though I can honestly say that I never paid full price for an item.
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| I'm in Africa! At the Marrakesh airport |
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| Hostel lobby |
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| Camels! |
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| Jardin Menara |
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| I loved Jardin Majorelle |
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| Jemaa el Fna |
For day 2 in Morocco, we decided to go on an excursion to a waterfall in the Atlas Mountains. We rode out there with a group of tourists (the whole hop-in-a-random-van thing seemed sketchy until we were greeted by ten other tourists, mostly British-what luck!). The drive there was absolutely gorgeous! Marrakesh is called the Red City because the buildings are made of red clay from the surrounding hills, and the area surrounding the city is so colorful! We stopped a few times to take pictures (and once to cross a wood and wire bridge over a river flowing down from the mountains). Climbing to the waterfall was fun, though tricky at times. I was glad I'd been advised to wear tennis shoes! The water from the waterfall was freezing! I waded in the pool a bit until my feet started to go numb. It was a fun day away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
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| The valley near Marrakesh |
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| Wee! I felt so adventurous :) |
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| They keep the refreshments cold by running water over them. I didn't understand how this worked until I felt the water! |
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| Waterfall! |
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| Brrrr! |
The following day saw us to Barcelona. I liked Marrakesh but was glad to be back in Spain. The first evening we did a bit of wandering, and on our first full day there, we checked out La Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell. It was pretty much a day filled with Gaudi! I was amazed by the intricate details on the Nativity facade of La Sagrada Familia and loved the cathedral. It was a good change from the other cathedrals we'd visited. I loved Parc Guell, too, despite how crowded it was!
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| So, I'm not a huge fan of pigeons... |
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| House by Gaudi |
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| Inside La Sagrada Familia |
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| Nativity facade |
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| La Sagrada Familia |
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| Parc Guell! |
From Barcelona we took an overnight train to Milan. We spent the day in Milan, but with its comparative lack of sightseeing spots and in consideration for your time, I'm going to skip over it! That evening we took a train to Pisa. I love Pisa! It's a cute little city, and I found the Leaning Tower positively fascinating! We took a lot of cheesy photos with the tower (it's a must!) and climbed the tower as well (following in my mom's footsteps from when she visited Pisa). I found the sensation of climbing stairs at a slope to be quite amusing. The view from the top was gorgeous!
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| Enjoying the view |
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| After climbing the tower |
Our next stop provides quite the story! We took a train to Florence and discovered our hostel was a 45-minute bus ride from the city. No problem; we quickly found the bus station and purchased our ticket. I asked the employee which bus we would need, received my answer, and sat down to write some postcards. We board the bus, and I enjoyed riding through the Italian countryside. After 45 minutes, I realize we should be there soon, and after an hour, I become a bit worried. Curtis asks the bus driver when we will get to Tavarnelle (where our hostel was), and the bus driver tells us that this is not the right bus and instructs us to wait at the bus stop across the street. I'm a bit mad by this time (thanks for nothing, employee at the bus station!), but we sit down to wait for the next bus into Florence. A bus arrives...but it's not going to Florence. A lady who departed keeps repeating "half seven, half seven" (7:30), so we sit down to wait. At half seven, a bus pulls up...and drops off a group of school kids. A school bus! We are stranded in Greve, Italy and find out that a taxi to Florence would cost 90 euro (yikes!). However, a couple from a fabric shop in town offered to give us a ride, insisting on doing it for free because they used to be travelers and appreciated all the help they received. So before I know it, I'm zipping through the Italian countryside in the passenger seat of an Italian's car (the man even slowed down to point of great views of the valleys)! What nice people! Mental note to self: pass on the good deed. The man dropped us off right at the hostel, helped us unload our backpacks, shook our hands, and zoomed off. What an experience!
Because our hostel was in the middle of nowhere in the Italian countryside, we spent the next day riding bikes around the area (and walking them up the huge hills!). The weather was great, and the area was so beautiful! It was a great break from the usual sightseeing. If (...when!) I go back to Italy, I definitely want to spend more time in the country. We also discovered that two other groups of people had been told to get on the wrong bus as well. At least the guy didn't have something against just us!
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| With my helmet (no training wheels needed, Mom!) :) |
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| Vineyards! |
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| Visited Cortine and Tignano |
The next day we actually visited Florence (which I also loved!). I really liked seeing Ponte Vecchio and Piazzale Michelangelo. The weather was perfect for walking around the city. The next day, we were the VERY FIRST people in line to see Michelangelo's David. We met a nice family from California because they were right behind us (The dad had been to every European country except Spain!). David was much larger than I realized and just as impressive as I thought.
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| Ponte Vecchio in the background |
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| Piazzale Michelangelo |
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| First in line! |
We then headed off to Rome! Our hostel was about a 45-minute metro ride outside of the city, but it was on a beach (yesssss!). We met up with Cory and Zach, two of my friends from Swansea, the next day to see the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Spanish Steps, and the Trevi Fountain. It was great to meet up, and I enjoyed our full day of sightseeing! I loved the Spanish Steps so I was glad when we sat down there to take a break. I tossed my coin into the Trevi Fountain, which is said to ensure a speedy return to Rome. I hope so! :)
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| Beach near the hostel |
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| Curtis, me, Zach, and Cory at the Colosseum |
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| At Palatine Hill |
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| Seeing the ruins |
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| Roman Forum |
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| The Pantheon |
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| Piazza Navona |
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| Spanish Steps |
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| Tossing my coin in at the Trevi Fountain |
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| The group! |
My second day in Rome started out very early because I had to answer questions (through Facebook chat) about running for KKY secretary. It also started off great because I got the position! We headed to the Vatican to meet up with Cory and Zach. We got in the huge line for St. Peter's Basilica, went through security, and were ushered right back into the square because we didn't have tickets (what for?!?). We were standing near the entrance with Cory (Zach had run to the post office quickly) debating what to do next when a man approached us (I think he was a priest). He asked if we had tickets (we replied in the negative) and gave us each a ticket, saying that a Sister had given him a lot of them. We asked for one for Zach, and he jokingly gave us two. He said, "In case another friend of yours shows up!" We were very grateful and upon looking at the tickets, realized that they were for a special mass over which the Pope was presiding. It was the Thursday before Easter, so it was the Chrism mass. We entered the Basilica, received our bulletins for the mass, and discovered that the mass was entirely in Latin. The mass started, and we got to see the Pope during the procession at the beginning. We stood for the entire 2 and a half hour mass. I enjoyed following along with the notes in the bulletin and even recognized some parts of the mass from when I attend mass with Chelsey and Jennifer in Ames. When the Pope left after the service, I was no more than ten feet away! When we left the Basilica, a man ("Russian by way of Ohio") asked where we were from and how we found out about the mass. We explained that it was somewhat of an accident, and he told us we were lucky because most people don't know about the Chrism Mass. Agreed! We later visited the Vatican Museum (mostly to see the Sistine Chapel!). The frescoes in the chapel are absolutely amazing!
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| St. Peter's Basilica |
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| The bulletin and my ticket |
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| The Pope! :) |
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| In the Sistine Chapel |
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| Recognize this? :) |
Our next stop was Naples, which we'd been warned about. The best part of Naples was probably the pizza (sooooo good!). We were entertained at Piazza del Plebiscito, where there's a challenge to close your eyes and walk across the piazza to go between the two equestrian statues located there. On my first try, I closed my eyes, started off in the right direction, and... ended up almost exactly where I started. I failed the challenge, but my ability to walk in a circle is impressive, right? :) On my third try, I came rather close but didn't quite make it. We also visited San Carlos Teatro, which was gorgeous! I did buy a pair of Italian boots in Naples, which was one of the highlights of that part of the trip.
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| Piazza del Plebiscito--so close! |
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| San Carlos Teatro |
The next day we explored Vesuvius and Pompeii. We rode to the top of Vesuvius and hiked around the crater. Pompeii was very neat to see, but it was definitely sad to think of the catastrophe that made Pompeii the famous site that it is today. I was shocked to learn that the area around Pompeii is called the Red Zone; it is one of the most (if not THE most) densely-populated regions of Europe, and despite modern technology, the people would only be warned of a possible eruption two days before the occurrence. TWO DAYS! I think that I'd be constantly worried if I lived there, so a one-day visit was good for me!
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| Crater of Vesuvius |
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| Streets of Pompeii |
I spent the next few days of my vacation in Greece! I liked Athens right from the start (because the metro was so clean!). We explored the Acropolis on the first day, so I enjoyed seeing the Parthenon and the Karyatides. It's amazing to me to think that the Parthenon is still standing! Because it was the Monday after Easter, it was considered a holiday, so we got into the Acropolis and the Agora for free!
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| Climbing the Acropolis |
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The Karyatides--they make me think of the Muses from Hercules |
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Greek letters--they make me miss my KKY brothers! |
The next day we checked out the National Archeological Museum. My favorite part of the museum was the special exhibit on Greek mythology! We got a discount on admission for being students from the U.S., and we later found out that we got into the Temple of Zeus for free since we're students. I really liked the Temple of Zeus. It was a massive temple, and even though only a few pillars remain standing, it's obvious that it was quite impressive in the ancient days. We also saw Hadrian's Arch before heading on to the Panathenaic Stadium. This was a recommendation from the lady who worked at our hostel, and I loved it! The stadium is where the first modern Olympics were held in 1896. The stadium is made of marble and is very pretty.
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Running on the track at the stadium |
We met Ruth, a traveler from Israel, the next day on the way to our ferry to Crete. We hung out during the 6+ hour ferry ride and made plans to meet up the following day. It was great to make a new friend! We visited the Knossos (an old palace) before heading back to Heraklion to check out the beach. The water is so blue! I loved just being on the beach, though the water was a bit chilly. We met up with Ruth and went to a chocolate fondue place (she was couch-surfing, so the local she was staying with recommended the place). It was so delicious and a lot of fun! We then checked out some live Cretan music (very good!). It was a great evening!
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Realizing how cold the water was when I got soaked |
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Curtis and Ruth at the chocolate fondue place |
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Cretan band--they were great! |
We ended our trip in London, where we saw Wicked (so amazing!) and met up with Curtis' cousin and her husband. We went out for dinner with them in the Soho part of London; the food and the company were great!
I've been enjoying my time back in Swansea and have started preparing for finals! I missed my friends and Frisbee over break, so I'm glad to be back. I hope you all are having fantastic Saturdays! Thanks for reading!
