Espana!

This trip to Spain was incredible, yet so bittersweet. 

It was the first trip we planned back in January (the 24^th to be exact) and it is the last one that  me, Sara, Jessie and Mandy all have together. So while I was super excited, it was also really weird to be thinking that this was our last trip. GAH!

 Mandy’s mother had a forgien exchange student when she was younger and that student’s father is named Joaquin.

Follow that? Kinda confusing but stick with me here!

 WELL they all became family friends, and Joaquin lives in Spain and had told Mandy to let him know if she planned on coming here because he might be able to put her and some friends in one of his apartments.

Joaquin is an amazing and very kind man. Not only did he let us stay in the most BEAUTIFUL of apartments, he picked us up from the airport, stocked the fridge and even let us hang out with him and his friends to watch the parade on Good Friday. I feel truly blessed and so grateful to be able to have had this experience (so a big thanks to Mandy/Joaquin). 

We got to Spain late Wednesday night and were in shock when we saw where we would be staying. Unreal. Luxury I tell you! 

After spending a semester of travel in hostels around the world, being in this apartment was so great. 

It had a huge living room that over looked the street where the parade took place. 

Jessie and I shared a room and battled some mosquitos, we both got bit RIGHT UNDER THE EYE and it swolled up really funny.…went to bed with normal eyes and woke up with one REALLY PUFFY ONE!

 It didn’t last very long which was good cause I felt like I was scaring children.

Kitchen

Fridge

Sitting Room

Living Room

Thursday we explored Cartagena.

 Sadly I had a fever and really bad sore throat, but I didn’t want to spend my time in Spain in bed so I soldiered on! 

(This here is the first submarine)

We went to the harbor and walked around and played in a park. 

Yes we are 20, yes the park is still fun. 

Then we went to a Roman Theater which was SO COOL. I love how the Romans were just everywhere, and I love the knowledge I have from the class I took this semester. Oh this was during Augustus’ time period, why yes I know EXACTLY who that is. 

Pretttttty cool!

After that we wandered on home and took a siesta.

 I slept for 3 hours and woke up feeling MISERABLE. Womp womp I had a fever. 

:(

Right as everyone was about to go get ready for Tapas and tequila I decided I was not going to be able to do it.

 So mature of me -I KNOW. 

So instead I watched Devil wear’s prada on Sara’s computer and was asleep by 11, earliest I have been asleep in a while. It helped though! My throat still hurt when I woke up but no more fever! Wooooo!

Friday

­ we woke up and it was off to Murcia. 

It’s funny how used to Italian I have gotten because I pronounced it “mur”- “chee”- “a” instead of “mur”-“see”-“a” OOPS! 

Surprisingly a lot of Spanish was coming back to me and Sara which I was really proud of us for. 

We could conjugate so much! “compramos billetes aqui?”/ “vas a Cartagena?”/ “voy a la manga, que autobus?” 

(WOW FOUR YEARS OF SPANISH AND KNOWLEDGE WAS RETAINED! 

Senora Gagnon would have been so proud!)

We took the bus into Murcia and there was a parade going on for Good Friday. 

The sculptures/statues they are carrying are all originally made and one of a kind. 

It was pretty cool to see we watched it for a while. 

It was funny cause you see these purple people all dressed up with funny hats and they are slightly intimidating and then BAM they reach into their outfits and pull out candy. 

It was pretty cool to experience the processions and see everyone in the streets watching. 

Clearly it is very important/religious and it was unlike anything any of us have ever seen! 

After watching that for a while we wandered around Murcia.

 Stumbled on a market and looked around

 (I was on a mission for the perfect gift for one Bryan Chehanske) nothing was good enough and my body felt weak so I sat in the sunshine while everyone browsed.

 Then we wandered to a little place for lunch, Sara and I got veggies and Mandy and Jessie got fish! Delicious J 

Lunch lasted a while, afterwards we OBVIOUSLY needed to eat more, and we got ourselves some frappes and smoothies, nom nom nom!

Than it was more wandering!

Then we went to the Cathedral and the bell tower:

 Jessie bought a jump rope! Great purchase, we did some jump roping in the streets. 

Cinderella dressed in yella went to the ball to kiss a fella by mistake she kissed a snake how many doctors did it take?!

It was a lot of fun J

Back to the buses after that! We went back to Cartagena and showered/napped.

 Around 9 Joaquin and his friends came over!

The processional for Good Friday that was happening in Cartagena that night goes RIGHT UNDER THE BALCONY OF OUR APARTMENT! So Joaquin was having some people over to watch it! We weren't exactly sure at first if we were invited but alas, we were!

Some pretty floats from the processional:

Joaquin's friends were really cool! There was a married couple (Manolo and Francisca) 

who work together as artists! They showed me their stuff and I showed them my sketchbook! It was so cool.

Photo credit: Sara Leavitt

Us and Joaquin:

It was a great night! It was amazing to be able to watch the procession from our balcony, and the company was great! It is definitely something I will never forget. 

I think it's great because thanks to Joaquin we were able to get a truly cultural/non touristy experience out of everything which I loved.

More floats:

SATURDAY

LA MANGA! Off to the beach! 

We woke up and got the bus to La Manga and hit the sand! 

There were some flies to deal with in the beginning which was annoying but they went away thank goodness!

 It was great to just sleep and listen to music under the sun. (Mom and Dad never fear, I kept reapplying suntan lotion on my face)

 Sara and I even went in the water!

We stayed in for so long it was great. She is a fish just like me! 

We spent the whole day under the sun and then got the bus back to Cartagena. 

The plan was to go home and shower and nap and then go out for seafood. 

Shower? – check! Nap?- check!

 Going out for seafood? 

Yeaaaaaaa about that, we woke up and were still exhausted so we decided to move seafood to another night. 

Instead we watched How I Met Your Mother and fell asleep.

 The four of us: 0 the sun: 1.

Wake up and find out we are all prettttttty burnt. 

The four of us: 0 the sun: 2.

SUNDAY:

Sunday we went into Los Alcazares to the Medieval Market! 

IT WAS AWESOME!

People were dressed up and selling SO MANY THINGS! 

There was jewelry, coffee and tea, a TON of food, scarves, etc. etc. etc. 

Mission: Find Bryan a really cool gift

MISSION COMPLETE!

I can't say here what I got him in case he reads this and the surprise is ruined BUT IT IS SO GOOD!!

We spent most of the afternoon shopping and walking and eating and loving the whole thing. They had kids going around on donkeys and people dancing to music. Then when they took a siesta we stopped by Joaquin's apartment for a quick hello! 

Well guess who had homemade grapefruit sorbet for us? 

Yes that is correct, Joaquin is too good to be true!

That night we got back into Cartagena and went out to eat! 

Great food and great company :)

MONDAY

Woke up and our hearts were breaking because it was our last day!

We cleaned the apartment,

 as my Dad has taught me "always leave the place better than when you found it"

and then Joaquin came to get us.

Joaquin took us out to eat at his second favorite restaurant (his first favorite restaurant wasn't opened)

and we got paella!

IT WAS GREAT! Then we had great chocolate cake and were so full.

It was so great meeting/talking to Joaquin! 

He drove us to the airport and we were all definitely very sad to say goodbye!

NEVER FEAR! WHAT DID WE FIND IN THE AIRPORT?! A LITTLE PICK ME UP ANYONE!

Oh yes, that's right. Did Mandy and I almost CRY of happiness? I'll never tell!

Got our flight and got the bus back to Florence. Sara and I watched her videos of all of this semester on the plane, it made me want to cry! We have done soooooo much and I don't know if I am really ready for it to end! GAH!