Not much time...

Hey, well I'm packing and getting ready, so in a rush, but I just wanted to say I'm about to leave in several hours to go meet up with Phil in Madrid!!! This is gonna be awesome!!! Dublin, London, and southern Spain for 2 weeks with ya boyyyy!

In other news, EXAMS are finished!!! Last one done today (it was also easy, so that makes 3/4). It was kind of sad. Rafa arrived late so Carmen gave us the exam until he arrived. By the time he did, I was done (short exam) and walking past him in the hallway. He seemed almost as sad as us to no longer be in the student/teacher relationship with each other. I told him we'd have to get together for lunch or dinner sometime next week after I get back, and he and Carmen (his wife and fellow teacher) both said that if I pick a day they'll be there. They're both so sweet! I think if they had babies they would be donuts or palmeras or something, haha. Well, I'd better keep packing. I'm out for a week but still, loyally yours.

We're talking weeks

This should be my last post for the month of May, and, as today is May 30, I have right around 2 weeks left in Europe. It's ridiculous to think that I have such little time left here, but the good news is that time here moves like a tractor trailer: generally slow, although at times it gains a lot of momentum and flies on the downhill stretches. So, for the most part I should be able to relish what time I do have left. Honestly, that's what I've mostly been doing the past week or so. I've gone on walks down by the cathderal, Plaza de Espana, or Parque Maria Luisa and just spent hours taking it in. Of course I've been studying and working too, but I'm just not overly preoccupied about classes. I mean, I only have one exam and one paper left, and the paper is almost done.

Exams
So, the exams here have turned out to be really easy so far. Both my university classes had exams that I really overstudied for. That's saying something since I really only studied a few hours for each of them. My hardest exam was actually a UNC program exam, but I'm pretty sure I passed. I got the final grade back from my Archaic Mediterranean class, and I got a 7.5 (the highest obtained was an 8), so I'm pretty happy with that. Like I said, exams have really been a no-stress thing here. That's been great, but I am worried about my work ethic next semester at UNC.

Phil time
So, tomorrow night I'm taking an overnight bus to Madrid. My friends Bennett and Alyssa are going with, which will be a good chance to say goodbye to them (they are embarking on a LONG series of travels which begins in Jerusalem). When I arrive in Madrid, I'll head to the airport to meet up with my cousin and dear friend Phil! Needless to say, I'm really excited to see him, and it'll be even more exciting to go to Dublin and London with him! Right now we have tentative plans to tour the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland, go to the Guiness factory, and visit Trinity College in Dublin. In London, we are looking to go to a play at the Globe Theater, visit Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Parliament, the Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square, etc etc. I can't wait!!! For those of you that don't know, Phil is a part-time model. Here's a picture:


So, life is good. God is good. I'm really glad to be seeing Phil, seeing London and Dublin, showing him my city, and just relishing my last little stretch here. I'll be happy to go home too, when the time comes. But the more I think about it, the more I think that one day I'll want to come back to visit Sevilla again if I have the chance. It's been an odd home for me for the past few months, but it's been home all the same. Hopefully I'll see a lot of you very, very soon! Yours, TJT.

Otra vez

Well, the past couple of weeks in Sevilla have been pretty tranquilo (peaceful). There's a sense that things are winding down a little bit; don't get me wrong, I'm still here for 3 weeks and looking forward to every minute of it, but people are starting to talk about it. On top of that, people from other programs are leaving. Tonight I went to a so-long party for 3 friends from the US that I met here that leave very soon (one left less than an hour ago). It's pretty weird.

Lo que me queda
So, I don't know how much blogging I have left in me. Probably 2 or 3 more posts after this one. Here's the breakdown of the rest of my time here: a week of exams, a week traveling to the British Isles with Phil, and a week in Sevilla with Phil. I have 3 exams and one paper left for classes, and that's it. I'm not very worried about any of them, but I need to get on the paper, which I have yet to do. I can't wait to go to Dublin and London, and the last little while in Sevilla should be precious.

Lo que hago
The past couple of weeks have been fun just being around Sevilla. I've been hanging out with people from my program and people from the summer program. We go out for tapas or drinks from time to time, but those of us that have been here longer try to keep the spending to a minimum. Classes are about done...I've got literally 2 class periods left. I spend time reading and taking walks every now and again, but the heat keeps me inside more than I'd like...it's HOT here now. Like dead of summer in NC hot. And we don't have A/C. Yeah. Still, it's fun to be in chill mode although I'll be working more this week. I feel like this past month or so I've gotten the hang of living in Sevilla. It's not that I was uncomfortable before, but I really feel like I'm somewhat experienced here, but I think that's partially because of my new housemates...them coming in and not knowing the city or as much Spanish is a kind of ironic confidence boost for me, haha. Not too surprising though I suppose.

Reflexion
So, this get-together I went to was at Martha's place--the same place as the birthday party I went to earlier in the semester. We were saying so long to Jake, Sierra, Rob, and Elizabeth, who all leave within the next couple of weeks or so. Jake, Sierra, and Rob were people that I didn't see a ton of this semester, but I knew we would b great friends if we did. They're enjoyable, respectful, friendly people that are just pleasant to be around, and the times we did have together are great memories. It's weird to think about going back...even if it's for them not me. It's made me think a little harder about it all; I already knew there are things I will miss about Sevilla and things I will look forward to getting back to at home. Still, I really am thinking about what I've gained from being here, why I came here, how things will be different back in the US, and what exactly it will be like when I show up in NC again. It's late now, but I think I'll ponder these things a little and perhaps jot them down another time. Or if something more interesting happens, I'll post that.

"Gay Chicken"
A quick story: a memory of the first time Jake and I met. He engaged in game of what I call "gay chicken" that was really funny. So, we were all meeting in Plaza Nueva at the beginning of the semester to go to a nearby church. Jake and Sierra showed up, and they began greeting all of my friends and I. As you probably know, the typical greeting here is a kiss on each cheek, and they were going down the line (all girls except me) and greeting everyone that way. Sierra greeted me and gave the dos besos, which is fine. Then Jake comes up to me, and I'm thinking, "Okay, what's this guy gonna do...". He proceeds to introduce himself and lean in like he's going for the cheek. I'm just thinking, "Oh gosh"
Closer
"Oh no"
Closer
"NO"
Closer
"Okay, whatever. It's Europe." I start to turn at an angle to accept the embrace and at the same time maybe avoid the impending beso. However, the second I move an inch forward, Jake smiles, yells "HA! Come here!", and bear hugs me. I gotta say, it was well played; for a second, I was scared this guy was actually gonna kiss me on the cheek, haha. Good times...I hope Jake and I meet again someday. We'll see, but for now, I'm yours.

My Road (pt. 2)

So, part 2 of Rome coming up. Before we get started, a brief update on the here and now. Not much has gone on here...comparatively. I got 2 new roommates that are here until the end of June. It's hard to believe that the summer program is only 6 weeks...I feel like you just couldn't do a fraction of what we've done with just 6 weeks. Anyhow, they seem like nice guys, and it's nice to have a group to talk to at the lunch table. I mean, Marisol, you're great and all, but after a few meals with just the two of us, I run out of stuff to talk about. For real. My first final exam is Monday (yikes) and I can finally begin studying now that I've finished editing a 25-page group paper that's due at the exam. Editing it was much harder than writing my part was. So, that's what I'm up to now, and we return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

"The Colosseum...is this where Jesus fought the lions?"
So, Friday I actually woke up with a decent amount of sleep under my belt and a shower to boot (it was clearly going to be a good day). We woke up, ate breakfast, and headed for the Colosseum (try REALLY good day). We went with a company that offered admission with 45-minute tours of the Colosseum and Palantine Hill for a price cheaper than just buying both tickets. The tour of the Colosseum was fine, but I hardly paid attention...it was just that amazing. It's hard to believe that a building that big (capacity est. 65,000 people) could stand for 2,000 years. Come to find out, it had been raided for metal to make weapons and had holes punched in its walls and many of it's support pins taken out. And it's still there. It was huge...colossal even. If you've ever seen the movie 'Gladiator', your imagination runs wild. Come to find out, someone's imagination ran too wild one time. The story goes that this one avid history buff asked a tour guide if the colosseum was where Jesus fought the lions. Yeah.

Friends, Romans, countrymen...
Palantine Hill was next, and it was really interesting. Our tour guide was great; he knew his stuff and knew how to present it in a way that stirs your thoughts. We saw the places where some of the Roman emperors lived and walked--on a hill overlooking what was the cultural heart of the city. From there we ate a couple of protein bars and went down into the Roman Forum. These days, the Forum is entirely ruins; however, where these old stones, columns, statues, and arches lie was once an are that was possibly the most important place in the world. Among the ruins, we saw the place where Caesar was brought after his death, supposedly where Marc Antony gave his famous speech that Shakespeare re-imagined. After spending some hours walking through the ruins, we moved on.

Francesco and Co.
We walked around a lot more that afternoon, went to several churches, including one that houses Michaelangelo's Moses. We walked to Capitol Hill and back by Altari de la Patria, past the Circus Maximus, and stopped to enjoy an early evening view of the Colosseum. Afterwards, we met up with Francesco. Francesco is Rachel's friend who studies at her university in Milan but hails from Rome. He was in town the same weekend we were and offered to show us around a little bit, which was much appreciated.

We began by going to a delicious restaurant towards the suburbs of Rome that we could never have gone to without Francesco, his car, and knowledge of the city. After a declicious meal (pasta with shrimp and veggies, fiori de zucca, and a truffle), we hopped back in the car for a special tour (accompanied by some Ligabue, an Italian superstar musician evidently). We went by the Tiber River near St. Peter's, up to some gardens with a marvelous overlook of the city, and then proceeded to the most interesting place. At one spot in Rome, there is a doorway that has a keyhole--not unusual. However, if you look through that keyhole at the right angle, you get a perfect view of St. Peter's Basilica. I know it sounds weird because you can get great views of the Basilica from lots of places, but it was really exciting to get to see this little-known spot and a keyhole view of St. Peter's. After that, we took an evening stroll by the lit-up Colosseum and parted ways with our friend Francesco.

I just need to sit down...
Our lighting tour of Rome continued on Saturday. We met up at the Pantheon (Rachel got up early to get holy water from St. Peter's), and proceeded inside to witness yet another Roman marvel. The Pantheon was amazing because of, obviously, the world-famous dome, but also because of the marble. There were tons of different colors and types of marble used in the walls and floors, and the mixture was really a visual sensation. Inside the Pantheon we also saw the final resting places of the first two Italian kings and the world-renowned Renaissance artist Raphael. After the Pantheon we grabbed a quick bite to eat at Miscellanea (I had gnocchi al pomodoro...mmmm), and proceeded to the Trevi Fountain for a second visit and another coin thrown in for good measure.

After the Trevi, we walked all over that dang city. I mean really. Fortunately we split it up with a nice, relaxing break in the parks of Villa Borghese. I suppose I didn't feel very tired at the time, but when I went to bed that night, I was exhausted. We saw tons of Rome, including the non-touristy section of Trastavere, where we stopped for a wonderful pizza dinner. At dinner, we ran into a guy that was actually a UNC graduate who lives and works in the Triangle and was in Rome for the start of a week-long Mediterranean cruise! It was crazy, but it was also so much fun to talk to yet another fellow Tar Heel. After dinner, we swung back by Giolitti's for some more delicious Gelato.

Back and grateful for it
Saturday was kind of scary because I thought that my flight from Rome to Sevilla might be cancelled due to more ash-cloud interference. News said that airports in Portugal, France, and Spain were having trouble, and as the ash cloud moved, it gave Italy some problems. Sadly, Rachel had her flight to Milan cancelled and had to go book a train. Somehow, in the end, my flight to Sevilla left with only an hour's delay, and I made it back safe and sound. Rachel made it back to Milan as well, and I suppose that's the last time I'll see her until next semester. In conclusion, I am extremely happy my road led me to Rome, equally happy it led me back safely and promptly, and even happier to have the memories from a great trip in a great city with a wonderful friend. The memories were made in Rome, and it's easy for me to believe that anything made in Rome lasts for an eternity.

My Road (pt. 1)

Well, as I was saying in the last post, my road led me to Rome. And yes, Rome was so awesome that it merits multiple posts about it. In short, it was simply the best I could've imagined. The Eternal City really is a magical place, and, as my coin in the Trevi Fountain indicates, I hope I make it back someday.

I knew I was forgetting something...
So, I usually do a decent job packing. But this trip was a disaster. I won't have photos consolidated for this post for a while because, although I brought my camera, I forgot my camera charger and was pictorally helpless before the first day in Rome was over. In addition, I forgot my phone charger and Rachel's birthday present. I think I deserve an award.

"May the force be with you"
So, I knew instantly that if the very first night in Rome was any indication of how fun the vacation would be, it would be one for the history books. I met up with Rachel at the central train station and immediately headed over to eat some real Italian pizza for the third time in my life (delicious). Then we decided to walk around a bit as we were both fully energetic and ready to take on Rome. Later we joked that if we had pulled an all-nighter we could've seen Rome in one night. We walked a long ways, and, when it started pouring rain, it didn't deter us from continuing (sorry, Rachel haha). We ended up at a plaza that we didn't know the name of and saw a massive monument that looked like the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in DC. The building behind it, however, was huge and very distinct. I guess compared to everything else in Rome it's just normal, but it was hard to believe it wasn't famous. I proceeded to joke that this must be the hidden jedi temple or something George Lucas made. As we departed the plaza, I just said, "May the force be with you..."
[We later found out that it was Venice Plaza and, sure enough, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is exactly what we saw.]

Benedict-ion
Thursday we went to the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica bright and early. We started at St. Peter's; it is the biggest cathedral in the world and is literally 6 acres. Yeah, insane. It was also one of the most ornate buildings I've ever seen, boasting a dome designed by Michaelangelo, Michaelangelo's Pieta, a curvy wooden canopy over the main altar, St. Peter's final resting place, and the coolest stained-glass dove in the world. We climbed the dome (in typical Rachel and Thomas style...always with the stairs and climbs) and got to see views from high up both inside and outside the cathedral. We then proceeded to the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. Words cannot describe the Sistine Chapel--I love Michaelangelo. That man was an absolute artistic paragon. Anyhow, afterwards we went back to St. Peter's so Rachel could buy holy water. It turned out that we were not able to get any holy water, so we just decided to stay in the Basilica for a while and enjoy the strains of music from the service going on. As it ended, Rachel was scanning the room and said, "Is that...is that the POPE?" I turned and, sure enough, we were not belied by the pointy hat or golden staff. It was Pope Benedict XVI. Needless to say, for the next hour we were somewhat shell-shocked. About every 15 minutes on the dot one of us would shake our heads incredulously and remark, "We just saw the Pope!"

From "Et tu Brute?" to Baileys (mmm creamy)
Thursday evening ended with a scenic walk through what Rick Steve (travel guru) calls the "Heart of Rome." We saw multiple plazas, the place where Julius Caesar was assassinated, the Pantheon, and the Trevi Fountain at night. Along the way we stopped and had dinner at a marvelous restaurant. I had lasagna (real Italian lasagna...seems obvious but it just makes it so much cooler) and veal in white wine sauce with roast potatoes...SO good. We also stopped a little later at a little place called Giolitti's, which was the best gelato/ice cream I have EVER had. I had 2flavors: Bailey's cream of whiskey and chocolate. This place knew how to pile it on, and it was just HEAVENLY! I cannot even describe the 10 or so minutes of ecstasy that envelop your senses while consuming the chocolate-dipped cone and the gelato it contains. Tired but overwhelmingly happy, we headed back to the hostel to rest (at least I did; Rachel woke up at 6am to get that holy water...) for Friday and some Ancient Rome...

A Month and Change

A month and change is how much time I have left here in Europe. My classes will be finishing up in May, and I fly back home on the 13th of June. It seems odd to hear about all my friends back at UNC finishing up exams while I still have a month of classes left. Even odder is the fact that a lot of my friends are graduating, and I will not be able to see their graduation. I suppose all reunions will have to wait until the summer...except a couple.

Spring Break 2 (Feria de Abril)
My London and Paris trips were cancelled over the Feria break because of the volcanic ash. In the end, I stayed in Sevilla for a few days and then went to Barcelona, which had been part of the original plan. However, I was extremely glad to get to see some of the Feria de Abril (April Fair) here in Sevilla. A large section of the town is decked out with lights and small pavillions called 'casetas' in which everyone engages in non-stop fiesta-ing. I actually met several new Spanish friends and went to the Feria with them, and I must say I had a delightful time. But it was pretty ridiculous...most Sevillanos head to the Feria in the afternoon and eat and drink NON-STOP. For real. They stay until the next day. My senora Marisol told me she was there until 9 am one day! Unbelievable. It was my bedtime by 2 am, haha.


The trip to Barcelona was a ton of fun. Barcelona is definitely the most industrial, modern city I've been to in Spain (Madrid is a close second). In the same vein, Barcelona is famous for its 'modernista' architecture, which is embodied by mastermind Antoni Gaudi. We visited Gaudi's cathedral (Sagrada Familia--still under construction after about 100 years) and some of the houses that he designed in Barcelona as well as Park Guell--a former Gaudi development that never took off and became a public park. Gaudi's stuff looked downright looney at times, but it was interesting to find out that a lot of his whimsical designs had practical purposes. Some other highlights of Barcelona were going to the Gothic cathedral, watching Sardana dances, seeing Alice in Wonderland in an IMAX theater, buying fresh fruit at the large Boqueria Market, seeing the Olympic Stadium from the '92 Barcelona Olympics, seeing Picasso's younger, more normal works at a Picasso Museum, watching a huge fountain show near Plaza de Espana, and (my favorite) climbing to the castle on top of Montjuic (small mountain) for a magnificent view of the Mediterranean sea and the ENTIRE city of Barcelona. It was a good trip and a great chance to get to know another city.



We'll always have Paris...but all roads lead to Rome
So, the other result of this botched Feria trip is that I have replaced Paris. In 4 days I am going to take a VERY long weekend trip to Rome (Wed-Sun) instead. I have got to say, I am sad not to see Paris, but I am really looking forward to Rome...probably more so than I was to Paris. Once again, I look forward to meeting up with my friend Rachel who is studying in Italy, and if this Italy trip is anywhere near as fun as the last, I know it will be unforgettable.

Well, for the sake of being brief (and leaving to walk around Sevilla in a minute), I'll leave off here. It's still hard to believe that my time here is down to a month and change. But change is good. I have a lot to look forward to...Rome, my cousin Phil's visit (Did I mention that before? Well June 1 can't come soon enough!), and even my return home. I imagine that going home will be a happy occasion. I certainly realize that there is a multitude of things I will miss about Sevilla, but when home calls, I think I will be ready to come. Until then, I'm yours, TJT.

Backlog

I have wayyy too much to go over now to bring this blog up to date. For the past few days especially, I have been running around like a badger with a [insert end of bad analogy]. So, I will hit some highlights to the best of my ability.

Something Familiar
So, back to my first spring break: semana santa. After returning from Italy, I had a couple of days in Sevilla. I spent the first resting since the entire Italy trip kept me pretty perpetually tired. The next day (Tuesday) I hit the street to watch some of Sevilla's famous Semana Santa pasos, which consist of 'nazarenos' (people dressed in outfits strangely similar to the KKK...see picture) parading through the street carrying crosses, candles, or massive, heavy float-like things that involve a sculpture of either Jesus or the Virgin Mary. They're pretty impressive, but the popular religion here is very unique...and a little sad.


After that, I jumped on an early flight and headed to Madrid to meet up with my family! As it turned out, their flight was delayed by some harsh weather, but they made it eventually. While I waited, I explored Madrid a little bit, including an actual Egyptian temple that was given to Spain by Egypt's government decade ago. The Temple of Debod is now...in a park in Madrid.

It was wonderful to see everyone, and we absolutely tore up the tourist scene around Madrid. We saw one of the top art museums in the world in the Prado, went to Toledo and visited the neo-Gothic cathedral there, and took a trip to El Escorial to see the palace/basilica that contains the final resting place of the monarchs of Spain from Charles I (AKA Charles V) on. Afterwards, they came to Sevilla, and it was a joy to show them around the my city. We saw the cathedral, Alcazar, and took a day trip to Ronda. I especially enjoyed smoking pipes with dad while watching the night-lit cathedral in Sevilla, a wine and cheese picnic in Ronda, and a marvelous (and much needed) back-rub from Deborah and Mary. I miss them already, but it's not but a couple months (hopefully) until I see them again.

Iceland...
...evidently the world's largest producer of volcanic ash...and heartache. I know I may be skipping some things that I have done or stories I could tell, but I can't seem to focus enough to recall them. In short, what has been occupying my mind over the last few days is the deconstruction of my big trip.

My second spring break is here now, and since the end of February or beginning of March, I have been planning a trip to London, Paris, and Barcleona. As you have probably heard, a volcanic eruption in Iceland has canceled flights all over Europe. The London portion of my trip is effectively wasted, and now Paris is questionable. I have a flight from Madrid to Paris on Monday, so my friend and I are going to look tomorrow morning and see what the chances of it actually taking off are before buying bus tickets and going to Madrid. Ayayay. What can we do though? Nothing but hope and pray for the best...it's a curveball. But, we'll see what happens, and there will be updates to come! I guess I should consider myself fortunate that I wasn't already in London and stuck there indefinitely. Actually, that may have been kind of cool. But whatever.

So, either Paris on Monday or not. Whatever happens, I remain yours, TJT.