The Beauty of Paris... Sightseeing and More!

   To say Paris is beautiful would be an understatement. I was told, prior to coming to Paris, that in Spring time Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I now understand why. There is definitely no denying that. Of course, Rome and Seville are beautiful as well...all three cities are just very different and beautiful in their own way.
     I have finally been able to start doing some exploring...I am still a little under the weather, but I am trying to not let that stop me this weekend. It has been helpful that my Art and Architecture of France class has us go on a lot of different trips throughout Paris. Today I was able to see Notre Dame and several other famous sites in Paris, but before I discuss those backtracking a bit! Between classes the last few days Adrian and I have tried to get out in the sun...I am trying to burn the sickness out of me! hahah. On Tuesday we went to park about ten blocks away from campus. There were lots of people laying out on the green grass, sunbathing and picnicking. Adrian and I plopped down next to a little fountain and people watched for awhile...soaking in the sun and sights. I actually fell asleep for about an hour and was awoken to my alarm warning me it was almost time for class.

      At night Adrian and I have still been taking it easy. We have watched a lot of movies... we try to watch movies that take place in places we are going to (Spring Break is just one week away!) or have already been too. Our movies have consisted of Ratatouille (Paris), Once (Ireland) and P.S. I love you (Ireland). Adrian has been such a great sport with me being sick. It has meant so much to me that he is so understanding. This weekend we are definitely going to be making up for our movie nights by doing some more sight seeing!
      The last two days in between classes Adrian and I went to a different smaller park closer to campus. Once again, everyone was out picnicking and sunbathing. This morning I went there on my own for about two hours to do homework and Adrian met up with me after. I love just being able to escape to these little parks in Paris. Its the dream life.

          For Art and Architecture class today my Professor took us to see Notre Dame which I was very excited about. We got both an outside and inside tour of Notre Dame where she explained the various aspects of the Church. We started our tour though at Jardin de l'hotel de Sens which is now home to one of the nicest libraries in Paris. We went to see it because of the Gothic and Romanesque architecture it possesses with rectangular windows and pointed arches. It is located right in the heart of Gothic/Urban Paris. It has been restored several times and is one of the oldest surviving pieces of architecture in Paris. France had a tendency to restore completely their ancient architecture to the point of it almost being entirely different. This was one structure they only half restored so it still has a lot of the Gothic Architecture France is notorious for.
    In the front is located beautiful French gardens. The reminded me of the gardens in front of the Palace in Madrid. Our teacher gave us a lot of information at once about all of the architecture and it was almost hard for me to keep up. I will just basically do an overview of each place I suppose!

    After Hotel de Sens we made our way across the bridge towards Notre Dame. Across from the bridge is located the Mayor of Paris' offices...if you look closely to the picture you can tell.

The bridge itself had a unique atmosphere. It reminded me of what all the movies about Paris portray Paris as. There were people eating ice cream, couples holding hands, live music and boats floating on the river. I really enjoyed the brief people watching.

       We then made it to Notre Dame!!! We started on the East side of Notre Dame which was probably my favorite view of the Church. There was a garden with beautiful flowers and trees, a park where children were swinging on the swings and benches everywhere. It was a beautiful sight. Our teacher actually told us though that when Notre Dame was first built it was considered to be ugly by the French people. It was not about what it looked like on the outside, but the inside instead. I guess I am biased, but I would beg to differ.

                 After the east side of Notre Dame we made our way to the north entrance. On the way to the north entrance there was a lot more parks. Flowers in bloom, more benches and beautiful trees. It was also very lively with people everywhere.

  The north entrance to Notre Dame is the entrance for Bishops and the higher up in the church. Our teacher talked a lot about why specific arches were used in specific places, the style of construction used and the building of Notre Dame as a whole. I never realized that literally every last detail on a Church like Notre Dame has a purpose whether it is something to be funny (yes, artists did that), religious meaning, symbolic meaning or for aesthetics.

        After the north entrance we made our way through the crowds of people to the front entrance or main entrance of Notre Dame. It was packed. It is referred to as the gallery of Kings. There are three different entrances on the main entrance side. Our Professor explained that is because three is a Holy number in the church. In this case it could be interpreted as standing for the Trinity. It also is sometimes interpreted as representing the three Kings from the old testament. Their three statues were originally out in front of Notre Dame and during revolts the heads of the statues of the three kings were all chopped off and hidden. The statues were rebuilt and not until the 1970's were the heads found underground very close to Notre Dame.

     Notre Dame has so much to it on the outside. Our Professor pointed out so many religious and historical figures throughout the exterior of the church. Adam and Eve, St. Ann, Jesus Christ, St. Joseph, various Martyr's, scenes of Heaven, Hell and Biblical figures. She also pointed out the various gargoyles. She explained gargoyles were used in churches like Notre Dame for many reasons. One reason was superstition. To scare off evil spirits from entering into the church. Another reason was because prior to the Renaissance religious people needed religion to be not only a spiritual thing, but a magical experience as well. Things like lavish paintings, gargoyles, demons and such got people excited about religion and the Catholic Church acted upon that. It gave the people a magical experience they so craved. I literally could have spent days picking out all of the details that our Professor pointed out. She is so intelligent when it comes to art history. She knows the purpose of every last detail of art and architecture.

    Its truly amazing a structure like Notre Dame has been around for 850 years. I can remember watching the Hunch Back of Notre Dame as a little girl. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would see such a thing up close. This weekend Adrian and I are going to try and climb to the top. I wonder if I will run into the Hunch Back then!?

   It usually costs five Euro to go inside Notre Dame, but our Professor brought us in without charge. The inside of Notre Dame was amazing, but I have to admit...I liked the outside even more. It reminded me a little bit of the Vatican and a little bit of Sevilla's Cathedral. Once again, every church is unique in its own way. That is the beauty of traveling. 

   There was amazing stain glass windows throughout Notre Dame. They were stunning. I literally do not think I have ever seen stain glass quite like it before. My pictures really could not capture the stain glass adequately.

       Our last stop was to the Latin Quarter a famous part of Paris. Originally it was geared towards college students because the oldest University in Paris is just ten minutes away from it. Latin was the primary language spoken at the time this area was created, hence the name. The area is now much more affluent and expensive...though rumor has it that it is still the cheapest place for souvenirs! A lot of the SJU students hang out in the Latin Quarter because of the night life. Our Professor showed us some of the little shops and restaurants. She also shared some stories about riots that took place here during the 70's. She said the "sex revolution" had a great influence on the college students in Paris and caused them to constantly be revolting and rebelling. The very streets we were walking on once were home to some of the most famous college protests in French history.

    The reason our Professor took us to the Latin Quarter in the first place was to see another Church so we could compare the art and architecture with that of Notre Dame. The church is located right next to the Latin Quarter and is called Rue Saint Severin. It has some similar characteristics to Notre Dame, but through our Professor talking and showing us it is easier to pick out the differences as well. It is obviously much smaller than Notre Dame too.

  We were also able to go inside this Church. It was beautiful. Much different than Notre Dame on the inside and a lot less crowded. It had more of an intimate feel. The alter was breathtaking.

     Our class basically ended after the tour of Saint Severin. We were able to get a quick peek at one of the oldest cemeteries in Paris located right next to Saint Severin. There are not many cemeteries in Paris at all because during the Renaissance they were moved outside of the city and continue to stay there. It did not really look like a cemetery anyway and more like a garden. 

 

     We parted our Professor from here... and the weekend was officially underway! It took about twenty minutes to walk back from the Latin Quarter to campus...the semester kids of Paris lead the way. After a very busy day of class, tours and sightseeing I was exhausted. Adrian has community service at a local soup kitchen until late tonight. I had a very nice dinner with Eduardo and Ricardo reminiscing about Freshman year of College. Those two guys have been my best friends from day one of college and I really enjoyed their company.

   I am not sure what exactly Adrian and I are going to do tonight after he gets back from service. I don't want to push my health too far and I assume he will be exhausted too. We are in Paris though...so nothing is ever really planned... if we feel like it the Eiffel Tower is just a few block away :) Gosh...I love being able to say that.

   I am also happy to report... I got my Spanish grade today. After a lot of hard-work, some tears and the best tutor in the world...I pulled off an A-! Now just waiting for my Ethics grade and module two will officially be in my past. I cannot believe a week from TODAY I will be leaving for Ireland. A dream come true... at this point these last 10 weeks have really just been one huge dream come true. I am a lucky girl, that is for sure.

   Thank you for reading :) keep checking up on my Blog...I will most likely have another one soon...tomorrow we are going to Versaille with St. John's! Have a nice weekend everyone... lots of love to my family. I miss you all so much.

 

XOXO

Shann

Bonjour de Paris!

    Bonjour all! I made it to France!
     It has been forever since I wrote a Blog. Honestly, when I sat down to write this Blog I thought to myself, "What the heck do I have to write about so far!?" I have spent the last four days since I got to Paris, France in bed with a double ear infection, chest infection and throat infection. Not a great start for sure. As I started to brain storm what I could Blog about I realized...actually I have learned a lot these last few days in Paris and definitely enough to write a Blog post about. I also got to do some sightseeing yesterday :) Not a lot...but I am still excited to share!
   Well, backtracking about five days...traveling from Spain to France. It was quite the miserable experience actually, flying on a plane with a double ear infection (that I only realized I had just hours before I boarded) was one of the worst experiences I have ever had. Not only on one plane, but two (one for both ears I suppose!), but I actually still had a very interesting conversation with a man on the first plane that was a nice distraction from my ear pain. I was able to move my seat on the plane next to Adrian, in-between him and an older man. The older man and Adrian had been engaging in conversation and kindly invited me to do the same when I sat down. I could tell Adrian was excited to share with me whatever this man was sharing with him. The man was from Great Britain and through an hour long conversation with him I learned all about why he was in Spain. He was from Manchester, England more specifically and explained that often the European Union tries to make an example out of the UK. Yet, the UK's economic situation is nothing to brag about either.
      He was an investment banker from the European Union (currently the class I am taking is on the EU and for those that do not know the European Union is; it is a collection of member-states within Europe. France, Germany, Spain, Great Britain, Italy, Greece, and so on. They follow some common laws and policies. Help with finances and solving major issues. Very controversial institution. Was first established for safety reasons aka war)
    This man's job is to basically find projects to invest the EU's money in, but these projects have to be geared towards fixing the economic crisis the European Union is facing. He has worked endlessly for years to try and convince the European Union to invest in a small, poor, desolate village in the center of Spain. The EU has finally agreed and he has spent the last three weeks there.
    His goal has been to invest money into small projects within this village where the main industry is mining. I pried him for a lot of questions and through those learned that he chose this village in Spain in particular because the economy was so horrible, education level so low and youth unemployment at nearly 65% this village is desperate. The EU investor believed if he could change the future of this village, it is an example for the rest of the world. If he can change the economy and youth unemployment rates (that are causing not only the EU, but the US as well to lose a entire generation of workers) then there is hope. He was an extremely intelligent man, pulling out his notebook and showing me all his ideas about saving this village and the economy. Ideas included a different method of using currency, not only investing, but educating people as well and encouraging parents to educate their children. He was brilliant and I truly could not follow everything he was telling me.
   What I did walk away with was enough though. He reiterated to me several times, "It just takes one person to make a difference. I just hope I can be that difference." He also told me that he feels like the world has given up on trying to solve the economic crisis. There has to be totally new ideas out there, even if that means starting from scratch. Things are not working right now...that is clear. It is time we start from the drawing board and figure out what needs to be change. Things cannot continue as such.
    I left the man I met on the plane quite astonished. I could not believe in an hour I was able to have such an inspiring conversation. I guess it truly does only take one person to make a difference. I wish that man luck and know I will think about his project in Spain often.
     The second plane ride was MUCH less pleasant. By the time we got off I was in tears and knew it was crucial I get to a doctor that night. Once we got to the Paris, St. John's campus the staff was so kind and helpful, calling me a doctor right away. As much as it really stinks to be sick in a foreign country, I definitely got an upfront experience with the system here. Within an hour of the doctor being called he was sitting on the couch in the St. John's lounge ready to write me a prescription. The doctor spoke broken english so the female RA was able to translate everything. She was so helpful. By the end of the appointment I was prescribed seven different medicines. I was overwhelmed, but looking forward to feeling better. I was also frustrated as I had to cough up (no pun intended) 100 Euro for a fifteen minute visit. Apparently, I will be reimbursed by the insurance company. Lets hope that is sooner rather than later!
    After the doctor appointment I was given the only pharmacy that was believed to be open in Paris at that hour (about 11pm)... no 24 hour CVS/Pharmacy here! Eduardo was kind enough to take Adrian and I to go find it. Unfortunately, just our luck, it was closed. I would have to wait until the morning. On a positive note, I was able to get a beautiful breathtaking view of the Eiffel Tower at night. I really needed the fresh air and Adrian, Eduardo and I sat by the river for about thirty minutes admiring the tower I had dreamed about seeing my whole life. Eduardo has been one of my best friends since my first day at St. John's (along with Adrian) and the three of us enjoyed this really special moment together. Talking about the beginning of college, the future and just admiring where we are in life right now. In hindsight, I probably should have went straight back to campus and crawled into bed, but oh well! I enjoyed being able to see the tower the first night in Paris. Despite the fact the French think the Eiffel Tower is an ugly sight... I think it is just beautiful. Probably one of the most beautiful structures I have ever encountered. The Tower itself is enough to come to France.
     The next morning I felt really horrible. I was able to get to Pharmacy with Adrian (I missed orientation) and got all my medicine. I broke out into a fever and couldn't help but miss my family a lot. Being sick in a foreign country really makes you appreciate all those nights your mom and dad stayed up with you when you were a sick kid. I definitely missed that a lot... but Adrian being the great guy he is came to the rescue. He ran out a bunch of times to the market and got me everything I needed. He basically skipped out on the first day in Paris to take care of me and for that I am forever grateful. He truly is such a great guy...and I have no shame in bragging about him!
   I have started feeling better everyday, it just takes time. I am looking forward to this upcoming week in Paris. This weekend Adrian and I plan on making up on all the sightseeing we lost out on by sticking around here. From what I have seen Paris is absolutely gorgeous. It reminds me a little of NYC and a little bit of Rome. The feel here in the dorms and outside of the dorms is very homey and comfortable.
   Yesterday my first class began. Metaphysics which is a Philosophy class. Everyone has been claiming it is very boring, but I actually enjoyed it today and yesterday. Some of the topics are interesting such as having alternate universes and questioning reality. The class I guess could be kind of boring...but so far I am enjoying it. Later today I begin my Art and Architecture class of France which I am looking forward to as well. As a requirement of the class we have to go to several art museums and sights...yay! Later this month we are going to Normandy. St. John's is taking us and I am looking forward to that. Also, Spring break is just 9 days away! Ireland, Germany and England... here I come!
    After class yesterday St. John's took us to do some sightseeing. Once again, hindsight, I probably should have stayed behind. I just really was over missing out and decided to suck it up and try and go. Our first stop was to go see a different viewing sight of the Eiffel Tower...it was a farther away view, but also overlooking the pools in front. I swear...I really think the view of the Eiffel Tower will never get old. Finally....some pictures!

After the Eiffel Tower we made our way to the Arc de Triomphe. It is a famous arc, featured in many movies and right in the heart of Place Charles de Gaulle. For those that do not know, it was commissioned to be made my Emperor Napoleon. It is a symbol of power which is quite obvious even at first glance and hence the name Arc de Triomphe. It is located by the famous Louvre museum (which I will be going to soon!) which used to be the King's palace. The entire road leading from the Louvre is the "King's Driveway" and perhaps one of the most famous roads in all of France. The French king used to be known as the closest thing to God. The Arc is also quite well known for its tomb of the unknown solider.

      There were many military officials around the Arc. Both the inside and outside of the Arc were so detailed and intricate. Most of St. John's climbed to the top of the Arc, but Adrian and I opted out. At this point I was already feeling pretty bad again and that would have pushed me over the edge. We decided to duck out early and head back to the dorms so I could rest before dinner. Overall, I felt better about having seen some sights at least. Hopefully as the week goes on I will be able to do even more. Adrian and I are hoping to see a movie later this week and go to Notre Dame this weekend. 

  The weather in Paris has been delightful. Our advisor here explained that Spring in Paris is not always this beautiful and we should take full advantage of it. I am really looking forward to doing so. In a way, as strange as it sounds, getting sick was probably good in a way. I feel like since I got to Europe I have been living in fast-forward and getting sick was my body way of telling me...its time to slow down and relax. This little weekend of relaxing is helping to prepare me for the next 5 weeks in France and for that I am grateful.
   Sorry this Blog post was not too exciting...but I just wanted to remind my readers I am still here! and will be posting some super exciting things soon! Just a little set back! Thanks as always for reading :) Hope you enjoy!
XOXO

Shann

Great Last Day in Spain... Bittersweet.

     My five weeks in Spain is officially up as of tomorrow morning. I cannot believe it. It feels like my life is moving in fast forward. I had such a great last day in Spain and it was a great way to wrap up the last five weeks in one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.
    This last week was rather busy as the semester in Spain was coming to an end. In Spanish I had two tests...I am proud and surprised to report I got a 95 on one and a 100 on the other. My hard work and hours of studying finally paid off. I also had the best tutor in the world...Adrian! I learned so much more in Spanish than I ever thought I would. I remember the first week I was in tears every single day because our professor only spoke in Spanish. As the weeks went on and I started to understand more and more...and our professor began speaking more and more English... I really started to enjoy learning the language. I proved to myself I can succeed in a language and it gave me hope one day I may be able to learn Spanish fluently. Ethics also ended up being a great class. We had a lot of intense discussions including the Death Penalty, Abortion, Gay Marriage and Feminism. Our class room was an open forum and everyone's opinions were heard. I really enjoyed the discussions and though none of my opinions on anything changed, I learned a lot about other peoples opinions.
   My community service also came to an end this week. I really enjoyed that as well. I mentioned in earlier posts I was working in a High School in a poorer part of Sevilla. I was in a English class with students around seventeen and eighteen years old. I really enjoyed getting to know the students, practicing my Spanish and helping them learn English. The last day I went our regular class was not in session. I was a little bummed, but we were able to go talk to the faculty and staff for an hour. The teachers were so nice and welcoming. Most of them spoke broken English and really wanted to practice with us, which they did. The principal of the school Christina was the sweetest woman. When we first started doing service there 5 weeks ago the only thing she could say in English was "Hello. How are you?" and "Goodbye. Thank you." As the weeks went on I noticed she was picking up more and more English. By the last week we were there she could hold a conversation. She was almost fluent with only some grammar issues. I could not believe it. Through spending time with her on our last visit I learned she is teaching herself English. Once a week she attends a English class at another High School along with another male teacher who is also learning English. The dedication Christina and the other teacher who were practicing English was amazing. They really inspired me to continue my Spanish studies. I had such a great time being immersed into the Spanish culture within the High School while in Spain. It was a much different experience than the one I had in Italy and I loved both so much. As we were leaving Christina gave each of us (Dana, Sean, Ashley and myself) a really nice ballpoint pen. It had the High Schools name and address on it. It was so sweet.
      Yesterday Adrian, Anthony and Chris got haircuts at a local barber shop. I decided to go to see what it was like getting a haircut in Spain. It was just like the United States! hahah. There haircuts came out really nice except for the fact Anthony was cut really bad on the back of his neck. Overall, I found it really cool to just be in the environment.

       Last night I packed my suitcase and organized a lot of my stuff. Adrian and I considered going into the city center, but were exhausted and got into some great conversation with Dana and Sean. Sometimes nights like that with deep conversation are just the best.      
      Today, our official last day in Sevilla was bittersweet. St. John's...ONCE AGAIN....planned a great day trip. Maybe, even my favorite. They took us to a Bull Fighting Ranch... not where the actual Bull Fights take place, but where the bulls and cows are trained and raised. I do not condone bull fighting, even knowing the historical reasons for it I still do not think it is humane. With that said, to see the culture in this way was interesting.
     The ranch was about an hour away and a lot of the drive was on a dirt road. The ride was very scenic though with a lot of rolling hills, pastures, cows and even bulls. When we pulled up the ranch I knew it was going to be a good day. Animals everywhere including dogs and horses, flowers and even more pastures. We started off by going into the restaurant part of the ranch to have a snack and drink. The outside of the restaurant was just beautiful. They gave us homemade chips and pork.

             After our quick break we started our tour of the ranch. We were shuffled into a cart pulled by a tractor. It reminded me so much of the haunted hayrides I would go on in High School. It was on all of the dirt roads and even up and down the big hills. 

I mentioned earlier how there were dogs everywhere on the ranch and there was. I am still not sure if they were stray or owned by the ranch. At some points they ran right into the same pasture the bulls were in. They followed our tractor the entire way, running behind the entire time.

       Our tour started by viewing of the bulls that were three years old. At three bulls are basically considered to be teenagers or like middle school as our guide explained. They sometimes fight at this age, but it is as if they are in a second division, not the big time fights. Also, I almost forgot to mention! Our "tour guide"! Basically he was like a man you would see in the movies. He rode next to the tractor on horseback and was also a bull fighter. He had been fighting bull since age TEN! He explained in Spanish, as our adviser Raul translated, he had been near death because of a bull many times. At times he was so badly hurt he prepared himself to die. Bull fighters must be around or exactly 150 pounds. Our guide really just seemed like a movie star! His bull fighting name was "El Rubio" meaning "The Blonde One" in Spanish. He is now 35 years old.

     On the other hand, the bull is sometimes as large as one thousand-five hundred pounds, but on average one thousand-three hundred pounds. The force of a bulls horns comes at a human flesh as if it were three-thousand pounds! Bulls, if you did not already know, are extremely dangerous. The horns can easily go through the flesh of a man. Back when bull fighting first began, if bull fighters were not killed in the ring, they were killed outside the ring by infection. The bull horns carry a lot of bacteria so before penicillin was around simple infections that could usually be treated would kill the bull fighters.
   Bulls only see in black and white. The reason the bull fighters use a red cape to get the bull to charge is just purely tradition. I learned today the name of the cape in Spanish is Muleta. The bull fighter must keep completely still before they are about to fight the bull and they just move around the cape in order to get it to charge.
    A bulls diet consist of hay, wheat and cereals. The bulls must pass a test in order to train for the actual ring. Only the best of the best are picked. There are about six-hundred bulls on about two-hundred acres worth of the ranch. The other 1, 200 acres left over on the ranch belong to a few cows and just scenery.
     After viewing the three year old bulls we were brought to see the four year olds. The four year old bulls are considered adults. They are on a higher level of bull fighting, but still not the highest or largest in size.  
    The last bulls we saw were the ones we were able to get the closest too. They were the five years olds that will fight this summer. It is not the season for bull fighting so even if I wanted to see a bull fight in Spain it would not be possible. It is sort of like Horse-racing in Saratoga, it has a season.
      These bulls were the largest and most trained. Our tour guide actually went right into the pen with these bulls and directed them to sprint past us several times so we could get pictures. It was wild. Some pictures I got myself and others Adrian took.

           I have never actually seen a bull in real life. I felt like I could not leave Spain not seeing a bull just because their culture is so involved in the art of Bull Fighting. The ranch was so interesting and I learned so much about Bull Fighting and the raising of bulls. I still am not sure how I feel about it. It just seems so unethical to raise an animal to fight.  It is seen unethical to raise dogs to fight, yet it is still okay to allow bulls to do the same. Also, it is not myth that the bulls are killed after they fight. Most of the time the bulls are still killed right out in the bull ring in front of the crowd. Even if the bull "wins" the bull fight by killing the human, they are still killed. It is just a really strange. It is an industry and apart of the culture..but still just seems cruel.

     After we saw the bulls we were brought to another part of the ranch to see the cows. There were one hundred-eighty cows on the ranch and they were in groups of forty. Like the bulls, they also had to pass an exam to be there. If they did not, they were sent to the slaughter house. We got to see a baby cow that was born just last night. The baby was pointed out to us after his mother went after a dog who was trying to go after the baby. It was fascinating to see that motherly instinct in an animal.

     Cows on average have one baby a year. Like humans, they take nine months. After two years of age a cow is able to start having babies. Cows can live up to about twenty-four years old.  As we were pulling away we actually watched a dog chase a cow all around the pen. The cow was literally sprinting away from this tiny dog and "moo-ing".

     After our tour concluded we had lunch at the restaurant sort of place on the ranch. They made us homemade Paella. I really haven't been a Paella fan since I got to Spain because of the meat that is usually in it. Today though, by far one of the best dishes I have had in Spain yet. There was no meat in it at all and I could have had five more plates. Delicious. For those that do not know Paella is a rice dish. YUM!

     After lunch Adrian, Dana, Sean and I walked down the dirt road to just see anything we could see before we left. It was a nice little walk and we got to see some more cows and dogs. 

     A few minutes later we were called by our adviser to go inside one of the bull rings on the ranch. It was a small bull ring and I don't think it is even used for bull fighting anymore. We thought we were leaving from here, but much to our surprise there was more! Bird trainers with various kinds of birds came to talk to us about the birds and we even got to hold some!!! The first bird we were shown was the Falcon. The fastest animal in the WORLD. Some St. John's students were able to hold it before they switched to the next bird. The Falcon wore a cover on its head so it could not see anything. If it did see anything it would basically freak out. 

   After the Falcon the bird trainers brought out a Hawk from the States. The Hawk was really big AND I got to hold him! He flew from the trainers arm to my arm. I was a little nervous, but I did it!

    Next came out the owl. I absolutely loved this owl. Watching the owl turn its head all of the way around was crazy. Also, its eyes. They were mesmerizing.

The next bird that came out was definitely my favorite. The bird trainers claimed they were about to bring out the biggest bird yet. They tricked a girl into holding it, pretending it was huge, but it was a teacup owl!!!!I did not pass up the offer to hold him for a second!!!!

      Such a great day and so much fun. It was a great "good-bye" to Sevilla. After our trip back Adrian and I grabbed a coffee at Starbucks in the city center. It was so weird to think it would be the last time we would be in the city center of Sevilla.  I really fell in love with Spain. It is going to be so difficult to leave.

       I look back on the last five weeks here and once again I just cannot believe it. It started off with bungee jumping, Madrid, Morocco, Horseback riding on the beach, exploring the city center, exploring Sevilla,  Portugal, Cadiz, beaches galore, learning Spanish, sunbathing, boating, climbing and lots of laughing. It has been a hectic five weeks, but I have loved it all. I learned a lot about myself here too and other people as well. Some positive, some negative, but all in all life goes on. As much as I love Spain, I am ready for Paris. I am so excited to see Eduardo and explore a whole new city. I am also beyond excited for Spring Break. 

      To think I only have six weeks left in Europe is scary. I cannot wait to see my family, but I also don't ever want this trip to be over. Also, as many know Adrian is from California and I don't get to see him during summers. Last summer was very difficult being apart and I am just dreading that so much. We are trying not to let it get in the way of the time we have here, but as time keeps slipping away...so does our time together. Being apart for four months is really not easy.

    I am so thankful for my time in Spain. I love this country so much and all it has to offer. Leaving Spain is bittersweet...but I am so thankful I have my memories (and Blog!) to take with me forever. Thanks for reading and sticking with me through the last ten weeks :) and the next post I write will be from Paris, France! But for now...Adios! :)

XOXO

Shann