Rome cooking class

Sorry for being way MIA again but I've been re-adjusting to life in the good ole U.S.A. I arrived back in Minnesota March 31 and since then I've been crazy seeing all my dear friends. Monday I visited Riley, Tuesday went my sister's soccer game, Wednesday knitted all day with a good friend from high school and then I drove down to college to visit friends, Thursday through Saturday I went to visit the boy again and see friends in the city and now its Sunday we spent time with extended family! So needless to say its been crazy. Tomorrow I'm hoping to start a more normal schedule with blogging and life. So now that you know whats been up....we're going to rewind to my Rome trip.

On Saturday of our Roman adventure we took a 5 hour cooking class. It might be one of my favorite parts of all my European adventures. It was an experience filled with 2 of my favorite things...good food and my good friend Hannah. Our chef Andre and his wife were so welcoming to all of us in the class. We learned how to prepare artichokes, homemade pasta, some complicated chicken recipe that involved fire, delicious spinach, potatoes and soufflé. It was the best meal I have ever had and I actually plan to make everything again...except the chicken because fire and scary. It was not only fun because of the food but also because we met some really cool people from Portugal, the UK, NYC, Washington DC, and I believe Switzerland. It was a great day!

Much love,

Sara

A little hiatus

I am taking a little break from the blog because as you can see from the picture I have only 9 days left in Spain and 5 of those are with my family! So I have decided that I will not be blogging until back in the U.S. (so crazy!). But don't you worry I will have tons of posts for when I am back (ex. finishing up Rome from a month ago, more about my beloved Madrid and so much more!). It is just crazy that my time here is basically over! I miss Madrid and Spain and Europe so much already!              

Much love,

Sara

Vatican Museum

You guys it worked! Blogger uploaded my pics! I'm so excited! So here is a the second half of day 1 (Thursday Feb 28). So after our adventures around the Spanish Steps Hannah and I walked to the Vatican. We went into the museum and looked at amazing frescos and the Sistine Chapel! We also mailed some post cards from the vatican (which was 2 euros!!! so expensive!). I'm not catholic but it was still so cool to have a peek into such an old institution. 

Much love,

Sara

MIA once again...

So I have been very MIA once again because wifi/my computer will not upload pics on to blogger...I don't know how to fix this problem so I will just keep trying everyday and hopefully fix this problem soon....wish me luck because technology has not been my friend lately.

In other news, I have made some new great friends and have had some fun and crazy times going out with them (I may have lost a pair of earrings and have a wicked bruise on my knee...). It has been amazing to find people to click with but at the same time its sad because I have so little time left.

On that note, in 6 days my family lands in London and I will be going to Valencia with the friends! In 10 days my family will be in Madrid with me!!! I am so excited! And in 15 days I will be home in the U.S....how crazy is that?! I kind of don't believe it. I'm sad to leave but also excited to eat peanut butter and sleep in my own bed...oh and see that boy of mine:) 

As for now, I'm off to drink café con leche and then go explore Madrid.

Much love,

Sara

The camel's of Morocco

In Morocco, we were able to take a quick little camel ride, which was quite an adventure! I have video footage but it wont load so for now pics! It was quite a fun and crazy experience hanging out with the camels! I kind of love them! 

Much love,

Sara

Typical Spain Week

Becasue it probably seems like all I do is travel and do cool things I thought I would give a run-down on my average week in Spain. Honestly its like any other normal (boring) college student but in Spain!

Monday: wake up late (10:30), have breakfast, sit in bed and go on pinterest, get ready for school, go to school, class 12:45-2:15, lunch 2:15-2:30, second class 2:30-4, go home, go on pinterest or plan trips, 5:35 take metro to Carmen's apartment, play and speak english with Carmen 6-7, walk home if nice or take metro home if cold, do homework/study, eat dinner 9:30, shower, go to be 12

Tuesday: Repeat but no Carmen, after school I usually go to a cafe and do homework, blog or go on pinterest....I love pinterest! Or go explore Madrid a bit before dinner.

wednesday: Identical to Monday!

Thursday: Identical to Tuesday!

Friday: Identical to Monday, unless I leave for a trip or go out with friends later. Also I usually talk to the parents/family after school:)

Saturday: If in Madrid, sleep in (as per usual), go to a museum or some cool Madrid attraction, lunch at 2:30/3, siesta!!!, blog/pinterest/watch a movie, go explore the neighborhood, go out with friends and stay out late or stay in and have dinner at 9:30 and go to bed at a decent time....ha!

Sunday: Repeat of Saturday, minus the going out late because school is on Monday! Also, I sometimes get to Skype Riley and/or Nugget!

So after writing this all down....I realize I am so boring even in Spain...but I have been loving every minute of it!

Much love,

Sara

P.S. My classes this month are later in the day but my schedule is basically the same.

An adventure to Rome, the Spanish Steps, a Plaza and Pasta

In an ideal world I would have had this blogged 3 days ago however, blogger/wifi decided not to allow my photos to upload...so here is the first of my Rome adventures with my good friend, Hannah! 

We arrive in Rome late Wednesday night/early Thursday morning after the worst flight of our lives (Hannah had a drop of water fall on her in the plane, we were delayed 20ish minutes due to navigation system problems, so much turbulence, Asian man next to me took over the whole arm rest, so many ads on the plane, my head felt ready to explode when landing...just to name a few....note avoid flying Ryanair). We then barely making the last bus into Rome due to the delay (a cab would have cost us probably 50+ euros one way and the bus was only 8 round trip). So after the adventure getting in to Rome we arrived at our hostel and slept.

Thursday morning, we had the free breakfast from our hostel and headed off for the day. We walked to the Spanish Steps, which were about 15 minutes away from our hostel. It was such a beautiful day to just enjoy the weather (I love you sunshine!) and people watch as we explored the area. When we went on our bike tour on friday our tour guide told us some fun facts about the steps. Fact 1, there was (and still is) Spain's embassy in this area so the steps were open to only Spanish citizens. It was literally gated off! Fact 2, at the top of the steps was a french church and the French were mad they couldn't access their church through this area. Fact 3, France and Spain had a little fight over this area which is in Italy. Fact 4, now the steps are open to all! Hooray!

After exploring the Spanish steps and surrounding streets, we walked to this other plaza (name? I have no idea) and drank water out of the fountain because we felt like thats what we should do and posed by the lovely lions. We also saw a man with a cat on a leash....which was odd. 

After walking for some hours and doing some window shopping we got delicious pasta and wine (well not me because I was on antibiotics for my stomach bacteria deal and ear infection...boo) at Pastificio for only 4 euros (thank you Spottedbylocals.com). It was a great first official pasta meal in Italy (note: our first official meal in Italy was at 1am at a sketchy McDonalds of Chicken bbq sandwiches because we needed wifi to find our hostel). After lunch, we walked to the Vatican (Btw the pope was there too...history in the making!) but that is a post for another day!

Much love,

Sara

Sevilla, Espana

Hey all! Sorry for the lack of posts and such...its been crazy. After Morocco, I got ill. Originally I thought I just had a cold and would get over it but after a few days I was getting worse so I went on and adventure to the doctor solo (this was on Thursday)....this doctor (who was not through and didn't listen to my broken spanish) said I just had the flu and need to rest. So over the weekend I rested and didn't leave the house from friday night until monday morning for school. After not being better by Monday night my host mom decided she wanted to go with me to the doctor. This time we went to a different doctor (much more competent and they brought in a translator so I would know exactly whats happening)...he said I had a double ear infection and a stomach bacteria. Gross. So now that I'm hopefully on the mends and currently I am in Rome (after surviving finals), here are pics from my 7 hours in Sevilla before leaving for Morocco.

Hannah's roof top and neighborhood

Streets of Sevilla!

The Mushrooms

River!

Market of Triana

Cutest fresh juice cafe

Cool buildings on the street

Very old tower

Hannah and her NY style pizza

Plaza de Espana (its giving the America's a hug)

Much love,

Sara