From Madrid to Morocco

And the study abroad adventures continue! This past weekend, three of the girls in my study abroad group and I ventured down south to Rabat, Morocco. We had so much fun! Though we were only there for a day and a half, we were able to see so much of the city and even make a trip to the beach!

Mandatory beach selfie

Our first night there, we went to the Medina, which is a huge outdoor market in the center of the city. There I bought a beautiful and very colorful Moroccan scarf and also a pair of turquoise earrings that I am in love with! It was so much fun to walk through and see what all of the different stands were selling. We saw one stand with buckets and buckets of turtles! Some were selling fruits and pastries, and I naturally had to try some Moroccan dates, which were SO GOOD. After walking through the Medina, we walked to a restaurant where we ate lots of couscous and I also tried the signature drink of Morocco, mint tea. It was so good! Anyone who goes to Morocco needs to try the tea because it was delicious!

A rug stand in the Medina

My perfect mint tea

The next day, we went to the beach in the morning because it was so incredibly hot. The heat felt very nice compared to the cold weather we’ve been having in Madrid! The beach was gorgeous and it was nice to relax and get some sun. Then we walked to an old palace near the beach (I honestly can’t remember what it was called!) and took a tour of the palace and the surrounding streets! It was lovely to walk around and stretch our legs! We stumbled across the most enchanting park in the middle of the city, and spent an hour or so meandering through paths in the park before heading to lunch.

Adorable door at the palace

At the park!

The unknown palace

After lunch, we took a little road trip outside of the city with our adorable taxi driver from the day before. He showed us some of the smaller villages outside of the main city, which were so amazing to see. It was very refreshing to be in a less urban setting and all of us absolutely loved driving through the lesser-known areas of Morocco. When we returned, our lovely driver took us to the Mausoleum of King Hassan, which was absolutely beautiful! We spent about an hour there, and our driver Gerald decided to become the personal photographer of the trip. He insisted on taking pictures of us from about every angle, and even jumped in a few of them himself! If anyone ever needs the number of a great, trustworthy cab driver in Rabat, look no further than Gerald. He was the only driver we used for the entire trip, and we LOVED him.

The Mausoleum

Ceiling of the Mausoleum

Gerald!!! Our favorite Italian cab driver!!!

After our long day seeing the sights of Rabat, we walked around the Medina one more time before having a delicious dinner of kebabs and dates for dessert! When we settled in for the night, we were all exhausted from a long day of exploring. The following morning, we left for the airport after having one last Moroccan breakfast.

So long Africa!

Though our trip was fairly short, we were able to see so much and I had so much fun going! I am so glad that we decided to take a chance on a less popular city to visit, because it turned out so well! I can’t wait to start our next adventure, which I am blessed to say is happening sooner than I anticipated due to a series of very fortunate events. This weekend I am jetting off to….SWITZERLAND! I absolutely cannot wait to go, since I didn’t originally think that I’d be able to make the trip to Switzerland this semester. But due to an unexpected long weekend and exceptionally inexpensive flights, I have just booked my ticket and will be leaving on Thursday with three other friends! So stoked!

Much love and happy traveling to all 🙂

Around and Around We Go

 

The whole group at La Sagrada Familia!

After spending over a week on the road, we are finally back in Madrid and ready to settle into our school schedule! The past week and a half has been spent traveling all around Spain with our awesome abroad group to some of the most beautiful and culturally rich cities I have ever seen. I can’t believe that I am actually getting class credit for this kind of experience! 

The first city we visited was Barcelona, which definitely lives up to its reputation! The picture above is from our class trip to La Sagrada Familia, which was one of my favorite sites of the entire trip. I cannot even begin to describe how incredible and beautiful this building is. I was in awe of it the entire time we were there. If I could recommend one thing that you HAVE TO see in Barcelona, this would absolutely be it. We were also able to see Park Güell, and I had my own personal Cheetah Girls moment (Yeah, I know its lame!) and we also went to La Rambla and the beach! Th nightlife was also very fun, and there are some very cool places on the beach to go for a nice night out!

At the pier in Barcelona!

Park Güell, Barcelona

The Mediterranean Sea at the beach in Barcelona!

The second city we visited was beautiful Valencia. I absolutely LOVED this city. The streets were full of cute little stores and restaurants and the food was the best! One day we all went to the beach and had the best paella I have ever tasted. While we were here, we saw the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, which is a much more modern Spanish monument. Unfortunately, most of it was closed because George Clooney was shooting his new movie there! We also saw the Cathedral, the old silk market, and the current market where we learned about the different types of Spanish ham and got to try some fresh fruit! Due to my wild excitement for this city, I only took a single picture. So you’ll just have to use your imagination for the rest! It was so beautiful, pictures wouldn’t do it justice anyway!

Before our perfect lunch!

The next stop on our trip was Grenada. Here, we saw the famous Alhambra and its surrounding gardens. It was absolutely beautiful and I was surprised by how well it has been preserved. Surprisingly, this was the coldest stop on our journey since it is nestled right into the foot of the mountains. I also loved this city because it reminded me so much of home. We also saw a Flamenco show here, which was so much fun and gave us an excuse to get out of the cold! Our last morning, we were also treated to an olive oil tasting, which was amazing! I am obsessed with bread and olive oil (anyone can tell you!) and this was some of the best olive oil I have had in my life! My roommates and I bought some to bring home to our host mom because it was so delicious!

Sunsetting on the Alhambra

At the Alhambra!

View from the guard tower of the Alhambra

View from my hotel!

 

The last city we visited was Seville! It was gorgeous and so so warm compared to Grenada! Here we saw the Cathedral and the tomb of Christopher Columbus, the Royal Palace, and the Plaza de España. It was sunny and perfect the entire time we were there. We hung out at the river for a while, and even rented bikes to ride around and see the rest of the city! Our first night there was Superbowl Sunday, so naturally all of us Americans huddled into a bar to watch the game that started at 12:30! Even though my team lost (Quite badly, I must say 😦 ) it was still such a fun time!

On the river in Seville!

Plaza de España on a gorgeous day in Seville!

Candid class photo at the Plaza de España

All in all, our trip was a huge success! It was so great to be able to experience so much of Spain with my class. We got to see some of the most important historical sites in Spain, and bonded in the process. After so much traveling, I might have to take a break for a while!

….

Just kidding!!! Because in six days my roommates and I are heading to… (drumroll please)

MOROCCO!!! Camels and castles and couscous here we come!! I can’t wait to continue my study abroad adventure!!

Happy traveling 🙂