Don't make me leave por favor

Boating in Retiro Park

Where is the time going?

Amity and I at the Azahar goodbye dinner

The girls outside of Palacio de la Pena

Padrao dos Descombrimentos

View of Sintra

Waterside of Cascais

Torre de Belem

View of Lisbon

With less than twenty-four hours at home in Madrid after spending a little more than five days in Paris, I was off to Portugal on Thursday morning with sixty or more students I traveled around Spain with at the beginning of the semester. We had a long drive from Madrid to the town of Cascais, a suburb of Lisbon where we would be staying for the weekend. Before getting to our hotel, we stopped at the ruins of Castel Sao Jorge in Lisbon and were given a brief history of Portugal. Who knew that Lisbon had to rebuild itself after a fire, earthquake and tsunami in the 1700's?

We drove through Lisbon and got to our hotel with enough time to unpack and shower before dinner. Many of the girls had five-person suites facing outdoors, so that night Azahar enjoyed each-other's company by hopping from one suite to the next.

Friday morning we were up early for a buffet breakfast and about half us decided to travel to Lisbon with the teachers while the other half hit the beach. I was tempted to ditch the lectures, but I knew I would regret not seeing as much of Lisbon as I possibly could, especially since I'll have all summer for the beach! We were dropped off at the waterside and learned about a lookout tower/prison called Torre de Belem. Fun fact: this building has the first ever representation of a rhinoceros in Europe carved into its exterior due to Portugal's ties to Asia and Africa when exploring and trading with them.

Next we climbed the Padrao dos Descombrimentos - a monument to Portuguese discoverers and a lookout over the Tajo river. We had a beautiful view of Lisbon and its famous bridge that replicated the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco. We walked a little ways inland and arrived at the Mosterio dos Jeronimos, a monastery and church. The Muslim influence that we learned about at the beginning of the semester was very prominent in this Portuguese church. Its architecture reminded me of the Alhambra of Granada. Inside the church was Magellen's tomb, but his body isn't in it because it was never recovered. After lunch, the teachers surprised us with a "treat" of an authentic dessert only found in Portugal, known as Pasteis de Belem. Delicious! That night was our Azahar goodbye dinner at a fancy casino with live music. By the end of the night we ended up at a club near the casino, and had a good time dancing to a live band.

The next morning, while even more people went to the beach, I went on the tour of the Palacio de la Pena in Sintra, Portugal. It was originally a Muslim palace then a hunting resort for the King of Portugal. I have never seen a palace like this in Europe, with such classical features but obvious remnants of Asian and Muslim influence. It was an absolutely beautiful palace, and luckily is still preserved after all of the natural disasters in Portugal. The rest of the day I spent with a few girls exploring Cascais: walking to the beach, buying souvenirs, and being tempted to eat seafood...but I'm such a wimp!

I'm so glad I got to see Portugal, as it is right next to Spain I would have felt awful if I had missed it! I only wish we could have seen more of Lisbon, as I have heard so many wonderful things about it. I am currently enjoying my second to last week in Madrid. The weather is perfect and I am trying to check things off my "Madrid To Do List" before time runs out!

Besos,

Emily

Merci Beaucoup Eyjafjallajoekull

Sacre Coeur

The Louvre

Notre Dame

The Eiffel Tower at night

It has been a whirlwind of a weekend full of travel and excitement and after an unexpected long stay in Paris, I am finally home in Madrid. On Thursday afternoon when I first heard about the volcanic eruption in Iceland, I had no idea it would be such a monumental event. Thursday night Monica and I headed for Paris to stay with a close family friend of hers. We had an incredible weekend seeing the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, Sacre Coeur, Notre Dame, Montmarte, the Moulin Rouge, and more. The weather was beautiful, and on Sunday we took a boat tour along the Siene, went shopping at Gallery de Lafayette, and had amazing nutella and banana filled crepes.

Our first flight out on Sunday was cancelled, and we were not able to make it out of Paris until this morning. By no means am I complaining, because Paris is one of the greatest cities I have visited thus far. There are less tourists than I had imagined, and the Parisian vibe of high fashion and street life is out of this world. I hope to return to Paris in the future, and see all of its great artwork and monuments again. I have much more to say but I have to go to bed!

This weekend our Azahar seminar has a four day continuation in Portugal. We leave tomorrow morning at 8am. So much for unpacking!

Bisoux,

Emily

Semana Santa in Italy and Malta!

Gondola ride in Venice

Venice is beautiful

Famous street market of antiques and jewelry

View of Florence on top of the Campanile

Il Duomo

Campanile

Our hotel in Malta...I don't hate it!

Yup, we really did nothing in Malta

Dinner in Roma

A street in Trastevere

Snapshot of the Sistine Chapel's ceiling!

Beautiful gardens of the Vatican Museum

Inside the Vatican

The Vatican, a day before Palm Sunday

Fresh drinking water all over Rome

The Pantheon

The Roman Forum

Inside the Colosseum

Part of Palatine Hill

Arc de Triumph

Us outside the Colosseum

The Trevi Fountain

Last week (actually eleven days including the weekends), was our Spring Break with SU Abroad. I spent it with my friends Jacqueline, Amity, Monica, and Kiki, in the cities of Rome, Florence and Venice in Italy, and the small island of Malta. Pardon the mass amounts of pictures, but I want to show everything I did that week.

We started our spring break, or "Semana Santa" as the Spanish call it, in Rome. I have been to Italy before, and have seen most of the monuments that we went to this past week, but Italy is such a beautiful place, you can go back several times and still be amazed by its monuments, landscapes and museums. In Rome we saw all of the necessary things, such as the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Palatine Hill, Vatican, Vatican Museum, and Sistine Chapel.

My favorite neighborhood in Rome was Trastevere, across the river from most of the famous monuments, it has beautiful streets and great places to eat. We also explored Campo de Fiori, a very cute neighborhood with outdoor markets and a popular nightlife. We had a little bit of a gelato problem...and ate it at various points throughout each day. I never thought I would say this, but I am so thankful there isn't a lot of gelato in Madrid. I think I was developing an addiction!

After Rome, we spent two days in Malta. We didn't know much about the island, but apparently it is the smallest country in the world (population wise). The people there speak Maltese, a mixture of Arabic, Spanish, French and English. There are apparently very historical and exquisite buildings of Malta, but we were so exhausted from the first four days in Rome that we laid by the pool the whole time! I feel guilty for not exploring the island, but I guess I'm allowed to be a little lazy over spring break. We had good food and a lot of sleep to get us ready for Florence.

On the last leg of the trip, we stayed in a very quaint and gaudy hotel in Florence two minutes away from Il Duomo. Each room was named after a different Italian artist, and ours was Botticelli. Florence is my favorite city in Italy, because it is a little less touristy than any other cities I have visited, but there are still plenty of things to do. We saw Il Duomo (nearly every time we left our hotel because of how close it was), Ponte vecchio, and hung out with some of Kiki's friends from home and celebrated her 21st birthday. On one of our last days of spring break we took a day trip to Venice. It was pretty crowded because of Easter weekend, but to escape all of the noise and busy streets, we took a very tranquil gondola ride around its water roads. I have been to Venice before, and am still amazed that our world has an actual city that is partly underwater. I can't imagine living there and being a part of such history.

Overall, we had a great almost two weeks. It was a long break, but if you have to be anywhere for a while, why not explore Italy? I only wish I could have seen more of the countryside, particularly Tuscany. Oh well...that means I'll just have to go back for a third time!

Besos,

Emily

"Insallah"

Street market in the Old Medina of Rabat
New friends

Graffiti in Asilah

First cous cous of the trip in the DARNA Center for Women

The girls and me at the Roman ruins of Chellah

Cous cous yeahh!

An old Mosque and Mausoleum of Muhammad V

A village family we had lunch with in the Rif mountains

Me in the Rif mountains

Street market in Chefchaouen

A little girl I met in the village of the Rif Mountains

The girls and me at Asilah

Beautiful view at the edge of the Old Medina of Asilah

Riding a camel!

View of Tangier

"If God wills it" is a phrase all Moroccans live by. I must admit that I never really understood how different a culture could be from the one I am accustomed to in the United States, for better or for worse, until I went to Morocco. This is a country with strong ties to both Africa and the Middle East and most people are practicing Muslims. In Morocco I experienced nothing but generosity, hospitality, and a willingness from everyone I met to share their beliefs and traditions with me.

A few Thursday mornings ago I traveled with eighteen other students from the SU program on a Moroccan exchange. We visited Tangier, Asilah, Rabat, Chefchaouen, and a small village outside of Rabat in the Rif mountains. I must say this was by far the most wonderful thing I have experienced in my time abroad. When we arrived in Tangier, our first stop was at the DARNA center for women. DARNA works with women who are in difficult situations, such as being newly divorced or having a baby out of wedlock. The women who come to DARNA are given schooling, and the necessary skills to find a job. The women who toured us around DARNA were wonderful. Over lunch, we had a discussion about the importance of the head scarf they wear, dating, religion, their views of Israel, etc. They were very open to sharing their opinions with us.

After DARNA we were surprised by our tour guide with a group of camels waiting for us at the beach. I was the first to jump on one (a little too excited) and had a great time riding down the beach. It was a little cliche for a Moroccan trip but hey...when else am I going to do it? Next we had a short drive to a small town outside of Tangier known as Asilah. The old Medina of Asilah is known for its summer festival where artists come to graffiti its white-washed walls. Asilah is GORGEOUS with beautiful graffiti, aqua green and blue doors, and a view of the Mediterranean ocean. I could see myself being very content there.

We had a three hour bus ride to the city of Rabat, Morocco's capital, and were assigned to our host families. I stayed with my friends Tara and Monica with a very sweet woman who has a husband and two daughters. Her oldest daughter is married and lives out of the home, but her youngest is in high school and was able to speak some English with us. Most everyone speaks French, some Spanish and a dialect of Arabic. Luckily Monica took French in high school so she could communicate for us! We had a great dinner of pasta, naan like bread, tea, and fruit. One thing is for sure: I would go back to Morocco if only for its food and tea.

After an early breakfast the next day, we gathered with a group of young men who work for an after-school children's program. It was formed after the Casablanca bombings in the early 2000's in an effort to educate young children and help them find hobbies, take an interest in sports, etc. The men were very hospitable, and it was interesting to see that some of their views about religion and dating were different from the views that the women of DARNA had. After this discussion we went to the Roman ruins of Chellah. This area of old columns and buildings is overgrown with plants and has been turned into beautiful gardens and a home for storks. The day was very hot, and I was reminded that I was in Africa because of the temperature and all of the wildlife.

After Chellah we all went home to have lunch with our host families. It is tradition in Moroccan culture to spend all morning in the Mosque on Fridays and then come home for a large lunch of cous cous. Our host mom made a huge bowl of cous cous with meats and vegetables, and we all shared it. It was a little difficult for me to eat because it is necessary to use the right hand for such things, as the left hand is traditionally known as being bad. But I soon learned my host mom did not mind which hand I used to eat, thankfully! After lunch we met up with students from the University of Rabat and they took us to the Old Medina of Rabat where there are many outside venders and stores to see. We bought teas, jewelry, and gifts for our families.

Our second discussion of the day was held in a Moroccan family's home with two Peace Corps members and an American student learning in Rabat as an independent major. I have always wanted to learn about the Peace Corps, as it seems like one of the most challenging and rewarding things someone could ever do. We learned about the innovative projects the Peace Corps volunteers were working on, and the loneliness of living in a city where it is difficult to speak the language and you don't know anyone. After a long, hot day in Morocco, we were taken to a Hammam, a public bath house. I have never experienced anything like a Hammam, and I guess it's equivalent in the United States would be a steam room, public locker room, and spa! We went home after this feeling very relaxed for a late dinner with our families and went right to bed.

Saturday morning we visited the Old Mosque and Mausoleum of King Mohammed V. It consisted of exquisite old ruins of a giant mosque, and a preserved building where King Mohammed's tomb is. This King of Morocco was very significant because he negotiated with France for Morocco's independence. Then we drove up into the Rif mountains, through a beautiful countryside with nothing to see but shanty towns, cows, sheep and horses. We were greeted by a young family with two children living in a small house in a village of the Rif mountains. They served us vegetables, cous cous, and tea, and with a translator we were again able to have an open discussion. It was interesting to contrast their beliefs and contentment living in such a rural area, with the desires of the Moroccans we met living in a more fast-paced and urban setting. We took a hike to see the beautiful landscape of the Rif mountains, and I met a young girl in the village who begged me to carry her all the way up. It was a work-out, but the girl was so cute I couldn't say no!

That night we drove to Chefchaouen, an old city of white and blue walls, small winding streets, and markets for us to buy blankets, jewelry, slippers, spices, and more. We spent our last night eating dinner atop a restaurant with a stunning view of Chefchaouen lit up at night. We even saw a wedding celebration dance through the streets! For dinner I had a cheese salad, pastilla (a Moroccan tradition of bread and chicken, with cinnamon on top), and fruit yogurt for dessert. Sunday morning, we awoke early to pack our bags and leave for the airport :(

During our last evening we had a reflective discussion about everything we had seen and done in our short time in Morocco, and the things we wanted to take with us and never forget. Something that really surprised me about Morocco, especially the people of the Rif mountains, is their ease and ability to enjoy life. I am so used to a life style of wanting and feeling like I need more, and never being content until I have achieved a goal. I was thinking that when I met impoverished people of Morocco I would feel "bad" or "guilty" that I have so much more than them. But the only thing I have more of is stuff. Stuff doesn't really matter if you have a family and are happy with yourself. It is a simple lesson to learn, and it does sound quite cliche, but I am so glad I have learned it. The difficult part will be integrating it into my life in the U.S.

My friends are enablers

I look like I'm 12...but I had to rock this t-shirt

Waiting for the show to start

"MJ" singing Black or White

"MJ" making his first appearance

Forever!

My four best friends in Madrid surprised me with tickets to the Michael Jackson Espectaculo last night! If any of you don't know...I am insanely obsessed with the King of Pop. It was a night of singing, dancing, and talking about all of MJ's songs. There were two impersonators...and I must say at times I forgot I wasn't watching the real thing. The show lasted about three hours (the Spanish really know how to drag performances out) and by the end I think they had done about 25 of his songs.

It was a great night. Monica, Jacqueline, Kiki and Amity...thanks again!