two homes and a bunch of places inbetween.

It's funny how true it is: "You don't know what you got 'til it's gone." In my case I had to go thousands of miles away from home to realize how much love/appreciate it. In the past three months I have been lucky enough to realize I have two places I call home. I have my home(s) in America where my family lives and where I was raised/grew up/attended school. I also have Israel. I considered Israel home even before I ever came here because of my heritage, but now I have came and went and came and went and now live and left for a vacation and came back, make sense? This vacation in Spain was wonderful and beautiful and somewhere I had dreamed of going for many years now. However, it reassured me of the way I feel about Israel and how it is my "home." Enough about this, all my posts are about my pride and bladddy bladddy blah. So, SPAIN. We all got the week off from teaching, so Amy and I took advantage and booked our flights to Barcelona and Seville. We saw all the sites, walked all the streets, and ate almost all the food (or at least it seemed so).

BARCA

An outside view of La Sagrada Familia.

A majority of my friends had studied for a semester in this beautiful city and I always envied them. I would see pictures and hear stories and continue to tell myself that one day I would get to see it for myself. Living in Israel has given me a geographic advantage, a.k.a a much cheaper flight, so why not?! Night one we arrived around 11 pm, a perfect time for a full night of festivities considering the Spanish lifestyle. We settled, changed, and started drinking. Our hostel (Kabul in Plaza Real) invites all guests to go out to a different place every night of the week. This particular night (or every Saturday) was Razzamatazz. This is the biggest club I had ever been too - this coming from a Vegas girl. Inside there are five different rooms with different music, different scenes, different vibes. Just massive! We had a good time, but it was overwhelming. 

Gorgeous fountain in Park Citadel.

We got just enough sleep to venture out for our first day in Barcelona. We strolled on Las Ramblas, a very popular main street for Catalonians and tourists. A nice art market lined the street closest to the marina and Amy and I both purchased ourselves handmade glass rings. The Chelsea vs. Liverpool futbal game was showing at all the local sports pubs in the late afternoon, so we did as the Europeans do and grabbed a beer and screamed when someone scored. The following couple of days are mumbled and jumbled and blur together. The reason for this is not strictly to blame on alcohol, but also because of the 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm siesta and the miles and miles of walking and even the one day of riding bikes (uphill mind you). To sum a lot of it up, we got to visit the BEAUTIFUL La Sagrada Familia church and Park Guell - Antoni Gaudi's incredible masterpieces. This is a man who really blows my mind. I understand being inspired by nature, but to the level he has taken it is really something extraordinary and something I don't know how to put down in words. Every street, lamp post, apartment, sidewalk, even graffiti wall was gorgeous. The people too! I have never seen so many fabulously dressed people in one area at one time. Loved it.

View of Barcelona from Park Guell.

SEVILLE

Amy and I on the "Big River" in Seville.

One hundred percent ready to head South, we left Barcelona on Ryan Air (which I do not recommend to fellow or future travelers). My lack of sleep and carb-filled diet left me a bit ill and Seville was a place where I could get myself back in order, rest up, and enjoy the rest of my holiday. Again, we arrived late but did not do the correct amount of hostel research prior. So we searched the streets for a place to stay and finally settled on a very quaint Spanish-style hotel. We ate the yummiest dinner and got in our first good night of sleep, all set to jump into what Seville had to offer. 

Spanish Style in Plaza de Espana.

First thing in the morning we switched ourselves over to the most wonderful hostel, The Garden. We explored all day and saw beautiful parks, the university area, the massive cathedral, and got lost in Reales Alcazares (the oldest palace in Europe, still active today). The city truly had the Southern feeling to it that Barcelona lacked. It was mellow, laid back, and peaceful. No one was hurrying to get anywhere, no cars honking, and I saw barely anyone using a cell phone - Todo, we are not in Kansas anymore! The hostel offered free Sangria from 8-9 pm, a perfect opportunity for Amy and I to let loose before heading to our first Flamenco show! Wow, talent. I don't know what else to say. The dancers tell the most passionate and fierce stories with their bodies and the costumes. The way they clap and stomp their feet is something I have never seen before. I couldn't take my eyes off! We met up with others from our hostel for a pub craw. At the first bar we took mini Salsa dancing lessons, but unfortunately I never got to use my moves out on the dance floor. 

Plaza de Espana.

Our second full and last day in Seville we signed up to go on a walking tour of the city (again offered through the hostel). Our guide, Phillipe, knew SO much information and was really silly and cute. Fun fact, Phillipe is from Italy, so the fact that he knew every detail about Spanish history and landmarks, the language and was fluent in English just blew my mind. Even though we walked for what seemed like forever, the tour was wonderful. We visited the bull fighting ring on our own, grabbed one last scoop of the best ice cream I have ever had in my life, and headed back to the airport. 

Back in Barcelona by 11 pm, we had five hours to kill before our flight back to Israel. We went late night souvenir shopping (but don't get excited because it was too expensive, I couldn't buy all of you something), grabbed sandwiches and a beer, went back to the airport to sleep on the freezing cold tile floor (then got kicked off the floor), checked-in, and Hasta Luego!

Two girls taken over Spain. I feel satisfied, like I got to see everything I had hoped for and more. Like I didn't waste a minute. This post could be pages beyond pages longer, but the details sum up like this: Spain is wonderful and magical. It was clean and aesthetically one of the prettiest places I have been so far. The people were the most surprising because I thought they would know much more English and that they would be rude. Total opposite. Very few people knew any English and they were so kind. I look forward to going back again some other day.