Swiss Cheese is from Switzerland?

Our time in Switzerland can be summed up pretty easily--we stayed in a hostel called "Mountain Hostel" in a town called Gimmelwald which is almost 5,000 up in the mountains. When we arrived, we were dead tired and the weather involved a lot of clouds and scattered showers, so for our days in the Alps we were able to take it easy and hike around on the trails that left from the town we stayed in. We also got to experience some mountain life by hiking to get groceries! There was a town nearby with a coop that supplied us with food for the week, and an adorable woman down the road who sold us cheese and wine freshly made in the mountains.

Our best hike came recommended by the guy working at our hostel who we became friends with. Nigel sent us to a waterfall and we packed a lunch to come with us. The waterfall was so cool, especially with the rain it was gushing with water. We walked down some slippery steps to get under it and sat with a beautiful view of the mountains with our bread and cheese ("bread and cheese" can sum up a lot of our trip!). Our hikes were a nice breath of fresh air after going from London to Paris and then to Vienna--so I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Grace and I on our first hike to get groceries from a co-op

My favorite red flowers that are everywhere on the trails!

The little cottage that sold fresh mountain cheese, eggs and milk

Grace at the waterfall we hiked to

Great dinner after a long day of hiking: the famous Swiss Raclette
aka cheese, potatoes, little onions and pickles

The clouds cleared for our last morning, and this is the view from the
deck of our hostel 

The mountains were breathtaking and waking up with the views our our window was like nothing I can describe, but the most meaningful part of our week in Switzerland was the people that we met at Mountain Hostel. A family from Wisconsin with a daughter who just graduated from the U of M was staying in the family room while touring Switzerland to visit extended family. They had a daughter Grace's age named Leah and another my age named Jenna. The McNeills had such a cool trip going on and we just clicked as we chatted in the common area of our cabin-like hostel. It felt very much at home playing cards and chatting into the night--like a night at the Ott Cabin, but with mountains out the window.

There wasn't much nightlife in Gimmelwald, but us Midwesterners at Mountain Hostel knew how to have a good time thanks to our new friend Nigel--the Canadian who stayed at Mountain Hostel while traveling and just couldn't leave! He introduced us to a card came called "Frank's Zoo" that is designed for kids age 7 and up. Well us adults had so much fun pairing up our elephants and mosquitoes to try to beat the mice and whales--I can't remember the exact combos right now but I have already found Frank's Zoo on Amazon and I plan on ordering it when I get home!

Card games combined with the kindness of the McNeill family made it difficult to leave our little niche of Mountain Hostel. The night before we left, Mrs. McNeill treated us to chocolate fondue and sent us off with some bars of Swiss Chocolate before our first night train to Austria.

A Parisian Weekend

Our weekend in Paris was lovely. Leaving Paris was a pain in the butt, but that is an entirely different story to be told!

After saying goodbye to Polly and Sara and our flat in London, Grace and I arrived in Paris and found our way to our 5 Star hotel—thanks to our awesome Uncle Brian! It was a sight to see when we walked in with our giant backpacks into the lobby filled with crystal chandeliers and people dressed up for cocktails—Grace and I definitely didn’t look like we belonged there, but you don’t have to belong to enjoy a huge plush king size bed—again Uncle Brian is the best! We walked into the room with our jaws dropped as we walked down the staircase and saw the king size bed, giant ceilings, big windows, etc.

Big pillows, high ceilings, staircase... after carrying our giant backpacks
through Paris, this was our first reaction! Thanks Uncle Bri! 

For our first evening we decided to explore and find our way to the Eiffel Tower. The tower is such a common picture to see, that it is hard to know what it will actually be like to see it in person. Our hotel was only about a fifteen minute walk away, and all of a sudden we turned a corner and bam, there it was! We walked onto a balcony-like part of the museum nearby and saw the whole view, and then walked right up to the tower. It is a great part of Paris because there is a great big lawn leading up to the tower where people can sit in the grass and enjoy. We had dinner nearby and then went back to see the tower lit up. Just as we were about to leave, the lights began to sparkle—it was really beautiful.

Our first look at the Eiffel Tower

We just chilled in the lawn as a group of Parisian
guys played Sweet Home Alabama on the guitar

Back at night for a whole new atmosphere! 

Unfortunately the elevator was closed but we still
got up close and personal with the tower

The tower started to sparkle as a special treat for us before we left

For our second day in Paris, Grace and I had big plans to check out some museums—the Louvre of course, and the Orsay Museum which is right across the river. I was impressed with the big open spaces with gardens and lawns in Paris. By the Louvre, the walk leading up to it makes it much more special. The art inside is pretty spectacular—especially after I got in for free because according to my passport I am a resident of the European Union until July! Grace and I wandered the museum and didn’t get lost at all. We saw some great old statues and pottery from ancient Greece and Rome and other old artwork including the Mona Lisa.

After we got out, the sun was finally breaking through the clouds, and we decided to eat lunch on the lawn by the Louvre. All we wanted was a French baguette and cheese—bread and cheese pretty much sum up our time in Paris—and for some reason the process of finding these things took forever! But once we stumbled upon a cute little baker, we made our way back to the Louvre, sat down and shamelessly powered through and entire wheel of cheese!

Grace and I waiting at the Louvre for our cultured
activity of the day 

Lunch outside the museum. That wheel of cheese
disappeared a few minutes after this picture was taken!

With more energy and full stomachs, we made our way across the river to power through the Orsay Museum—it was free for the last hour it was open, so we got through the doors and ran up to the Impressionist gallery. During our time in Europe, Grace and I have discovered a love for Impressionism. The gallery was a great way to supplement the Louvre, because the artwork had a lot more vivid color, compared to the classical works, and although we didn’t know a lot of the historical context until after, it was nice to just walk from piece to piece and enjoy the beauty. We saw a lot of works from Monet, Renoir and Van Gogh.

Next we took the metro up to see the church on a hill—the Sacré Coeur—in the neighborhood known as Montmartre. The area used to be where the Bohemians spent their time in Paris, and you could find people doing various street acts or painting caricatures on every corner. We were in for a treat when we found the church, because this Spanish man was playing a mini concert with his guitar on the church steps. He played a lot of the Beatles, which made it feel like we never left London, and we sat looking over the city listening to music as the sun went down. It was one of those moments that is just so special to stumble upon.

A few from the back of the church. Just around front was a big set
 of stairs where the musician played for a big group overlooking the city

We had dinner where the "bohos" used to hang out
Nutelle Banana Crepes of course! 

When we woke up Saturday morning, Grace and I had to check out of our hotel and head to our first hostel of the trip. It was an easy metro ride from the hotel, but it is never easy to blend in with giant backpacks on two little girls. We got stopped multiple times by nice French people who helped us find our way to our hostel in the Latin Quarter of Paris. After the big schlep, we dropped off our bags and went on a search for more bread and cheese!

This day we ate lunch in the Luxembourg Gardens which hosts the palace where the Senate meets in Paris. The garden is complex and has special rules for where you can run, eat, walk your dog, play cards, etc. We found a lawn that had many other people having a picnic, with a view of the little pond in the middle of the garden. After finishing yet another wheel of cheese, we strolled though the gardens and saw kids on pony rides and little puppet shows.

Next on the Paris schedule was a walk across the river to Notre Dame. The bridge that leads up to the cathedral is covered with “love locks,” which I have been discovering all over Europe. Inside Notre Dame, the stained glass windows are super detailed and the colors are gorgeous. The gargoyles on the outside are pretty fun to see too.

A view of Notre Dame from the bridge covered in love locks. People
write their names on them, lock it to the bridge, and throw the key in the river

After a full day, we made it back to our hostel to relax a bit before dinner, and wound up meeting some Canadians who taught us some card games—also, Grace and I realized that a deck of cards would have been the best thing to have number one on our packing list! It was fun to hang out with some people our age who were in the middle of the same type of travel itinerary the Grace and I are doing.

Saturday night was a special late night, free admission deal at the Pompidou Center for Modern Art, and Polly and Sara said we had to check it out! So after grabbing crepes at a stand and eating them by the funky fountain, we ventured into the world of modern art. The museum is a quirky building that has great views of Paris from the top. Grace and I both agreed that we don’t necessarily understand modern art at all, but we still enjoyed wandering though the galleries and seeing the interesting things that people come up with. It was a great way to wrap up our art filled weekend in Paris—Impressionism definitely won, but we saw some great pieces all around.

Just a little taste of modern art! One night Grace and I ate crepes sitting
by this very unique fountain 

After the museum, I made Grace almost sprint to the nearest bar so we could catch the end of the Champion’s League Final—still trying to seize every opportunity to see good soccer in Europe. We made it to a bar just as the whistle was blowing, but it was a tie game, so we still had a lot of fútbol to watch—luckily the bar tender was Spanish, so I knew exactly how to order what I wanted, and Grace and I found a great little table to watch the end of the game. After a thrilling ending, Grace and I went back to our hostel to get a little bit of sleep before catching a train to Switzerland in the morning.

Our experience at the station was all but pleasant—I know that not everyone in the world speaks English, but you would think that in an international train station you could find at least some employees who could help us, but of course that wasn’t the case. And although we didn’t end up on the train we wanted, we made it to Switzerland with a good story—unfortunately it is far too complex to write it all down, but be sure to ask about it when we get back J

First Stop: London

It isn't over folks. The travel. The blogs. The photos. Nothing. I still have a few weeks in Europe and who knows where I will be at any given moment. With the perfect timing of Grace's graduation from college and my program ending in Sevilla, Grace and I were lucky enough to plan a trip for four weeks all around Europe. We had a couple of days between my housing ending in Sevilla and Grace's arrival in Europe, so I went straight to London to spend the weekend with my cousin Sarah before Grace arrived on Monday. Since my plane landed at Gatwick airport, it has been nonstop action, and I haven't had a chance to write everything down!

After going though customs in Gatwick, I had to find my way around the London trains for the first time, by myself, to a little area called Brockley where Sarah lives. Everything went smoothly, and she was right there waiting for me when I got off the train. Ten years had gone by since we last saw each other, but we are family and everything was just so natural. Sarah lives in a cute flat with a garden and a bunch of guitars. She also paints and you can find her originals hanging on the walls---a woman of many talents! Of course she didn't have any gigs scheduled for the 6 days that I was in London, but lucky for me, I get to see my rock star cousin play a gig in Minneapolis when I get home.

The first day, Sarah made me a delicious lunch and took me to Greenwich Park. It was nice and sunny, and there was a lot going on in the park to get ready for the Olympics--the equestrian events will take place there. For dinner I had my first Thai food experience. Sarah really does know how to order, and since London doesn't really have its own food identity, it was fun to try a bunch of authentic ethnic foods. We went to this little place where everyone brings their own bottle of wine and you can see you food being prepared in the kitchen. After dinner we went back to Sarah's flat and chatted for hours--that was the real story of my time in London!

On Saturday, Sarah had the whole day planned out for us, and I was lucky enough to experience a new piece of London. We spent most of the day on the South Bank, first with a visit to the Clink Museum--the first even prison in London. When I was little I used to love all of the Medieval stories of Kings and the weird prisons...strange I know, but it was fun to see! Next, Sarah and I met her friend Caroline for lunch and spent the rest of the day with her. Caroline has been a published poet since age 15, and her mom plans all of the creative events on the South Bank, so after a nice meal of fish and chips, we went to check out some modern art. I might not always understand it, but the exhibit we saw had me giggling the whole time--the artist was just really witty and had some great stuff. Next, we hit up a tent for a Cabaret show--basically we had these amazing seats to watch a group of performers do crazy things like kick themselves in the face or walk on wine glasses. One man blindfolded himself, climbed up a rope, and held on as they spun it around and around. There was also a woman who stepped all over one of the men with her heels on. It was unlike anything I have ever seen before! Next, we all had dinner and chatted about our crazy day of art over a bottle of wine.

On Sunday, Sarah had some writing to do, so I met my friend Aaron, who has been studying in London since August, in the city. We actually just walked and walked around the entire city, with a trip to Regent Park--another Royal garden-park thing. During our walk, Manchester United and Man City were both playing their final games of the season and the winner of the Premier League was going to be decided. It was fun to walk, peek into a pub check the score, walk a little more, peek in, etc. It was only around 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and everyone in London was inside some pub to catch the results--Man City ended up winning their game with a cool 2 goal come back to seal their first place finish in the Premier League. Sunday night, Sarah made us a lovely Mediterranean dinner, and the chatting continued.

Monday morning I was woken up by a distressed cousin telling me that the driver couldn't find Grace at the airport...we both freaked out a little, because Grace didn't have a cell phone or anything! Finally we called the driver back and heard Grace's little voice call out "I'm hereee" on the speaker phone. From there, I waited by the window for her to arrive. It took a couple of hours, but she made it! We took a bit of a rest, and then walked over to our flat--that's right, we had a flat for the week! Sarah's friend who lives down the road let us stay in her flat all by ourselves. I told Grace she wasn't allowed to be jetlagged, so we settled in and headed to the city. We did a lot her first day--museums, Buckingham palace, Hyde Park...I'll let the pictures to the talking:

Back to Trafalgar Square! Grace was trying to see if the pigeons
remembered her from 10 years ago

Grace and I in front of Buckingham Palace after crossing through
a bunch of construction for the Queen's Jubilee and the Olympics

The flowers were in full bloom in Hyde Park! Grace
doesn't discriminate--she hugs more than just trees! 

Grace and her long lost friend Ben!

Thumbs up for Ben!

Grace was a trooper and made it through a day of sight seeing after getting
off the plane. Then we made pasta for dinner in our flat to relax. 

We went to a lot of museums around the city. London is great because they have free admission to their famous museums. The British Museum was incredible, and possibly my favorite part place to see in the city. My pastor gave a sermon last year about the "Tree of Life" and I was lucky enough to see it in person at the museum. The tree is made out of cut up guns and weapons from Mozambique. The country has suffered from a lot of civil wars, and as an incentive for the people to get rid of their weapons and stop fighting, an organization gives things essential for living like plows and tractors, and makes pieces of art out of the weapons they destroy.

My favorite part of the British Museum: The Tree of Life

Grace on her way to the Hogwarts Express in King's Cross Station

We had a Harry Potter filled week! 

Cousin Sarah was so good to me and made my time in London so special 

For our last night, Polly came down and treated us to a fantastic
Turkish dinner. Family was the highlight of my week in London

I spent six full days in London, so I couldn't possibly write down all of the incredible things that I got to do. Grace and I saw birthday cards with original Beatles lyrics written on the back, bits and pieces of Shakespeare originals, parts of the Magna Carta...AAAAND the Harry Potter Studios. We have now seen a behind the scenes look at the making of eight incredible movies. After our day in the studios I gained more of an appreciation for the art that went into making the films. There are so many forgotten people who are masters of their fields that made things like the wand boxes, paintings like the Fat Lady, tapestries that hang in the common rooms---these things all exist and took a lot of hard work from artistic geniuses to make the movies so special. Really the four hours we spend experiencing Harry Potter deserves its own post, but travel doesn't allow much time for that, so I will leave you with some cool photos. 

Inside the Great Hall for the start of our tour

This is the portrait of the Fat Lady. We learned about the
talented artists that made the paintings used in the movies.
The film staff were often used as the subjects in the paintings

This is the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. I tried to get in,
but I don't speak Parseltongue very well... 

They really did make hundreds of Hogwarts letters for Harry

Hagrid is played by an actor who wears a big costume
that includes a mechanical mask!

Here we are in Diagon Alley

Here we are in front of Hogwarts castle. Not quite as big as you would expect.
They surrounded it with a green screen and used special effects in the movies.

With the first chunk done, Grace and I hopped on the Eurostar to go to Paris. 2 and a half hours and you go from the center of London to the center of Paris. Crazy. 

Here is a quick outline for the rest of the trip:

Paris, France
Interlaken (Gimmelwald), Switzerland
Zürich, Switzerland
Vienna, Austria
Salzburg, Austria
Venice, Italy
Verona, Italy
Cinque Terre, Italy
Pisa, Italy
Florence, Italy
Rome, Italy

Looks like a lot of blog posts coming your way--probably to be written on various trains around Europe. 

NO8DO

In Sevilla we have a motto. It looks like this: "NO8DO" with an 8 that represents a knot called a madeja, so when you put it together it is "No madeja do" or "No me ha dejado" which means "you never left me" in Spanish. You can find the symbol all over the city in the most random places.

On the random poles that were all over the city to protect buildings

On the sewer covers

Part of the logo for the public bikes

And on the bike parking around the city

On the park sign outside my apartment

I found the motto appropriate during this time because now that I have officially left Sevilla, I know that it will never leave me. I spent the most wonderful 4 months of my live living in that city. I met amazing friends, professors, sevillanos...I can't even describe how much I will miss it! Saying goodbye to my friends on our last night left me with a strange feeling in my stomach, but of course all things come to an end. No me ha dejado.

Basically I spent my last week cramming for my four exams and avoiding the heat! It was 100 degrees the last three days I was there, so in a way I was getting smoked out! Everywhere I went I was sweating, and when I got back to my apartment it didn't stop! Elisa and Monolo told me that I still hadn't experienced anything close to the heat of summer---I don't know how they do it! Trying to fit in everything I wanted to do "one last time" and trying to be at least a little prepared for my exams left me short on sleep and energy, but that didn't stop me! I spent time by the river, in the park, walking by the cathedral...and of course getting ice cream at my favorite place actually every day! That was one benefit of the heat, always an excuse for ice cream. 

My last day in Sevilla was simple. I took my exams, went to my last pilates class, and went home for lunch with Elisa. She made me a soup-like dish that I loved with garbanzos, spinach and rice---that day it was painful to eat because I was dripping in sweat! Luckily she also had my favorite cold soup called gaspacho too! Next I went to the river to visit with my old friend Libby and say goodbye to my favorite ice cream. Packing was a chore because of the heat, but after I relaxed in the living room with the sevillano family and had our last dinner together. After saying goodbye I went out one last time with my chicas. It was fun because everyone from our program seemed to be in the same place and saying their goodbyes. I had an early flight so called it a night early with some of my friends and did our last walk back to Triana. 

Saying goodbye to my señora Elisa

And Monolo! 

Out with my friends on our last night.
Back to a place where our guide Fran took us on our first night! 

In the morning, Elisa and Monolo were already gone when I was leaving so I got to strap on my giant backpack and carry my 50 pound luggage down four flights of stairs all by myself in the heat! So that was fun...but I made my flight, got to London and navigated myself on two trains to my cousin Sarah's flat! So now I am enjoying the sunshine and 50 degree weather---50 degrees cooler than Sevilla! It is strange to be gone, especially when my friends are all back in the States, but I am ready to travel Europe with Grace! I am thankful for Sevilla, for my host family, for my friends, and excited to continue our friendships now that we are gone. 

Winding Down

This weekend marks my last in the beautiful city Sevilla. Things are always bitter sweet when they come to and end, but right now it just seems bitter. Everything has turned into a "last" and I don't like it one bit! Last night was my last time experiencing the Sevilla night life, and I had a wonderful weekend dancing around town with my friends. Unfortunately we had a rainy couple of days, but it forced me to do a little school work for the first time in a while! This week I have my last two days of class, and then four exams and a paper due. That is a downfall of my program, they really pile on the work all at once and then expect you to be packed and out the door the next day. It sure makes it hard to enjoy the city, but I plan on being creative on my study spots this week because the weather is supposed to be gorgeous and the flowers are out in full bloom.

This Sunday afternoon I did get to have a "first"---my last "first" really. When my friend Aaron came to visit a couple weeks ago we were looking at post cards, and I noticed one spot that I had never seen or heard of before. After some investigation, I figured out that the "palacio mudejar" or muslim-stype palace was located in the Parque de María Luisa where I usually go to run, read, hang out in the Plaza de España, etc. but I just had never made it over that far. So this afternoon I ventured out with my friend Brandon to check out the palace that looked fantastic on the post card. It didn't disappoint, and I found my study spot for the next four days. The park is the largest in Sevilla and it is fantastic with flowers, fountains, waterfalls...I couldn't believe I had never journeyed over that far into it. The walk to the palace was enough to make it worth it. When we got there it was nice to just sit and the sun and enjoy the view. Really one of the prettiest in Sevilla. Shame on me for not finding it sooner!

Sorry Mom for not taking you to this place! But don't worry,
no Royals live here, it is a museum. 

So now off to enjoy my last 5 days in Sevilla---time has never flown so fast and I still have so much to do that is hasn't quite hit me yet. Between studying for exams and planning a trip I am one busy girl! But things are shaping up all around, and I while I am heart broken to be leaving this place so soon, I have an adventure with my best friend to look forward to. If I thought my semester went by fast, my sister is graduating next weekend, and I'm sure she would say the same about her college career. Hang in there sista we will be reunited in Europe before you know it! 

La Feria de Abril

Today is Labor Day in España, and as I am wrapping up my two weeks without class, I am fighting to keep my eyes open until after dinner because I am so exhausted. But a good exhausted, my señora says it takes a few days to fully recover from La Feria.

For my second spring break I decided to stay in Sevilla because there was a big fair going on all week. But even though it translates directly to "fair" in english, this was like no fair that I have ever seen. On Monday night Feria officially  begins at midnight with the lighting of the "portada" which is like a gateway to the fairgrounds. Before midnight, everyone in Sevilla (I don't think that is an exaggeration) either goes to the bars or a family spot and has a mixture of fried fish and the Feria drink known as "rebujito" (Manzanilla mixed with 7-Up). Then as midnight approaches everyone heads over to the grounds which to watch the lighting. There is a countdown and at midnight they light all the lights and the portada for the week to officially begin. The grounds are lined with tents called "casetas" that are owned by the more prominent families in Sevilla or groups like political parties, unions, or simply groups of friends. They are paid for by the owners all year, therefore you need an invitation to get in, or you are stuck with the public casetas. One of my good friends and I spent the week together with her host family who seriously knew everyone in every caseta! There are so many, you feel like you are in another city in another time---especially with the horse-drawn carriages riding all over the grounds!

Here I am with Sara, my Feria partner in crime!
It is typical to wear red flowers and black dresses the first night

Our traditional Feria dinner: Tomatoes with tuna, olives, fried fish variety,
etc. We celebrated with Salud's family at a bar owned by her sister. 

Belo, me, Salúd, Sara, and María.
My guides to la Feria de Abril

Here is the Portada right after it was lit at midnight, signaling
the beginning of Feria

These are the casetas lit up at night

During the week my friends Sara, Michael and I got sort of a routine with our Feria festivities. We would sleep in, eat lunch, take a nap, and then head to the grounds in the evening to watch Luis, Sara's host brother, and his band perform in a caseta. Every caseta either had live music or just music playing that was all sevillano. Also everyone would dance sevillana all day long which was one of the more interesting things to watch. I was taught a couple times but I don't think I could get it down unless I was born and raised in Sevilla. The dance involves four different "steps" that they do for each song that have a bunch of turns, pases, arm movements, etc. Even though I didn't quite know what I was doing, I was dancing with great teachers all week and I loved the sevillana style. The grounds are located just fifteen minutes by foot from my apartment, so after dancing and singing along with Luis, we would come back to eat dinner and put our feet up before heading back to the grounds around midnight. We were even lucky enough to have some good soccer to watch during our Feria break that complemented our routine perfectly! But my sleep schedule is so wacked out! 

Luis, Sara's host brother, and his band playing
at a caseta

Horses were all over the city, making it a challenge to cross the street!

Here are the casetas by day. 

Sara and I with our dresses and flowers. Every day I put on
a dress/skirt and a giant flower for my hair! 

Feria by day is completely different than Feria by night. According to Salúd and Belo, Sarah's host parents, Feria doesn't really get started until 3 o'clock in the morning! So it was a lot of late nights, rebujitos and sore dancing feet! But Feria is so important to the Sevillanos that I felt so lucky just to be experiencing it. People are preparing for months before Feria. My señora makes her own Feria dress every year and she is so talented. The dresses are called "gitano" dresses because apparently they are the style that the gypsies wore back in the day. Even the little girls have on the most adorable dresses and sometimes match their moms. I was lucky to have a skirt to wear for a couple days, but unfortunately due to my lack of height, I didn't get much use out of it when it rained and the ground got dirty. Her dresses are such a work of art that I just didn't want to get it dirty! Every night my señora would leave around the same time as me and would usually stay out until 6 o'clock in the morning! She didn't work all week, but most sevillanos still go to work by day and Feria by night. By the end of the week my señora said she didn't think her feet could ever walk again! I just don't know how they do it night after night. Very impressive. La Feria es muy dura. 

Every dress was unique, and with the majority of the women dressed
gitana, Feria was a colorful world! 

Here is a mother and daughter dressed in matching
trajes de gitana and dancing sevillana

So I could pass as a sevillana right???

When my friends got back from there Feria trip to London it was fun to show them how the whole thing works. We got slightly rained on, but always had a caseta to hide out and dance in. 

Feria wraps up with a bang--on Sunday at midnight they shut off all the lights and have a fireworks show to officially end the week of celebrating just for the sake of celebration. I went to a bridge to watch the show with my group of friends. Although it wasn't anything that could top the Bloomington fireworks, it was still a nice way to relax and reflect on the culture filled week that I had in Sevilla. 

Salúd (second from the right) was a fantastic sevillana teacher
for my friends Sara, Catie and me!

¡Olé! At least I can pretend to dance sevillana! 

Here I am with my best friends in Sevilla and our friend/sevillana teacher
for the night Alba (far left), who is a professional dancer! 

A little rain can't stop the Feria festivities! 

My best friend and me in front of the Portada saying goodbye to the
fairgrounds and to our whirlwind of a week!

Feria wraps up with a bang--on Sunday at midnight they shut off all the lights and have a fireworks show to officially end the week of celebrating just for the sake of celebration. I went to a bridge to watch the show with my group of friends. Although it wasn't anything that could top the Bloomington fireworks, it was still a nice way to relax and reflect on the culture filled week that I had in Sevilla. 

Feria had so much culture wrapped up into one week long event. But now tomorrow it is back to reality. Back to school, although I only have less than two weeks left. Today I hopefully took my last spanish siesta, because it is time to maximize all of the time I have out and about in Sevilla. I just don't know how I am going to handle leaving this beautiful place behind.