J'adore...

Hola! I am back in Sevilla after 7 days away traveling for my Spring Break and Semana Santa! I spend four days in Paris and four days in London- both amazing cities with incredible sights and history. I had a great time, but am happy to no longer be living out of a suitcase...

Paris

At 6:15 I arrived in Charles de Gaule airport after a long flight from Seville, which included a stop in Strausbourge, France. My flight was filled with old french people, all over the age of 60. They were so nice and since I was the only person on the flight who didn't speak French (literally), they did their best to help translate the announcements. I fell in love with the French language and wished I could communicate with them, as the only words I know how to say in french are bonjour and merci...

I took a train to Gar du Nord, where I was greeted by Brittany! It was so great to see her again for a weekend in the most beautiful city in the world. We settled in the hostel and, starving, went to get a bite to eat from a small french cafe. I loved every cafe in this city- small, cozy and filled with beautiful Parisians sipping wine and nibbling bread in the dimly lit setting. Some cafes had small tables lining the sidewalk where couples would meet to grab a drink and people watch. Brittany and I decided to take our time and relax in the beautiful setting and with great company and good conversation our meal lasted hours. After dinner we found a crepe stand and both ordered banana-nutella crepes from the funniest french man in Paris. He loves Americans and even gave us both extra nutella. Before we left, he insisted on taking a picture with his favorite American girls, which he also called his wives. Strange? Yes. Creepy? A little. Hilarious? DEFINITELY.

When we returned to the hostel, Mica and her friend Aliza were there and settled! We immediately passed out in our small room to prepare for a day filled with sight seeing. Some highlights: Walking literally through the entire city of Paris passing through the Louve, Pompidu, arch d'triumph, Notre Dame, Filafel in the quaint jewish quarters, french baguettes with salami and rockfort cheese, Laurdee macaroons, and fondu. We also met up with Julia Baron on Friday and Saturday nights, which was so nice! She brought us to 3 very cool bars- the first on Friday had delicious and cheap drink specials including a mojito-like drink with vodka and mint. The next night Julia and her boyfriend Trafton brought us to a bar called Prescription Cocktail Club. It was a really cool bar filled with the most beautiful and definitely wealthy Parisians. The bar served the most amazing drinks as well- very expensive, but worth every penny. Mica and I tried a drink which had champagne, vodka, fresh grapefruit juice, fresh fruit, and mint leaves. It was delicious! The next place we went was more in our price range and we all shared a pitcher of sangria- very Spanish, but always a good bet. Julia and Trafton were great tour guides of Paris nightlife and it was great to catch up with Colgate alumns! I am so jealous of their lives and wish I could speak french and live in a great area like them!

I loved everything about Paris- from the food to the museums, to the art- it is a young, fashionable, and breathtakingly beautiful city. Hopefully I can go back soon with my mom for an extended stay- I know she would love it. And until then, I am thinking about taking intro to French so that next time I can communicate better.

London

After London, I hopped a short flight to London, England, where I met my friend Victoria who is also studying here in Sevilla. I got there before Tory so I went straight to the hostel to get settled. However, the hostel was disgusting- really the worst hostel I have ever been in. We were in a mixed room and it was dirty and the people were kindof creepy. While I waited for Tory to arrive, Ryan Winn met me for dinner. It was so great to see him and catch up! Ryan is studying political science and right now is working at Parliament. It was really cool to hear him talk about British and European politics and some things are really different. For instance, in the House of Commons they still have red lines which the members cannot overstep because in the past, members would pull out their swords in the heat of debate. After dinner, I went back to the creepy hostel for a whole 10 minutes before I found Allie's address and went over to her apartment to hang out for a bit. Her flat is really big and so nice! I saw Allie, Caroline, Becca, Steph, and met Morgan and Anna- two other Colgate girls. It was so nice to see Allie and catch up. Tor finally arrived to the hostel and we got a very restless sleep. Thankfully, the next day Allie said we could crash on their couches- so we got our money back and moved out of the hostel- it was so nice of them to let us stay there!

On Monday, Tory and I toured Parliament for FREE with the best tour guide ever- Ryan. He knew so much and it was awesome to see the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the throne of the Queen, and other rooms filled with some much history. After the tour we ate lunch in the cafeteria, which i subsidized by the government- I ate steak, salad, and vegetables for four pounds. Amazing. After lunch we toured Westminster Abby, saw Buckingham Palace and then finished off the day with English fish and chips and cider- Yum!

Tuesday, Tor and I went to the Tower of London! It was a really cool tour and our tour guide was hilarious. We saw the prisons where they kept traitors who were later executed in public on a hill. We saw lots of old armour worn by kings and horses, the royal jewels, and the grave of Ann Boylin. After the Tower of London we went to St. Paul's, which I believe is the second largest Cathedral in Europe- it was beautiful! After this, Tor and I explored a little more and got delicious cookies and Hummingbird cupcakes! We finally settled in a cozy bar to have some cider, where we met 2 40-something British lawyers. They were hilarious and very passionate about American politics. One even let me try on his wig and robe that he wears in court! Quite a ridiculous memory. But I have to say, the people in London were really friendly! I didn't meet one rude person there, and of course they love America so I think that helped two cute girls :)