Casey's Semester Abroad in Europe

For my last weekend in Europe, I was fortunate enough to make it to Lisbon, Portugal! I had anticipated a trip to Portugal ever since I decided to study abroad. I was so excited to make a trip to the motherland. J Because it was the last weekend, many people opted to stay in Seville and attend the school-planned activities so it ended up to be a girl’s weekend, which I was so ecstatic about. Me, Emily, Sharron, Victoria and Nicole hopped on a bus Thursday night at midnight and arrived in Lisbon around 6am on Friday. As we arrived in Lisbon I was immediately shocked as to how industrial and built up it was. I was expecting a more rural and quiet town. That definitely wasn’t the case for Lisbon. Being that it is the capital I guess I should’ve had a better idea of what to expect. We grabbed a cab that took us to our hostel. We couldn’t check into our room til noon but they were very accommodating and let us crash in their TV room for a quick nap. The hostel was really cute and was well suited for a young adults and teens.

After we took a catnap we were ready to head into town. We weren’t really sure what to do so we asked the receptionist at the hostel. He told us about the main tourist attractions and handed us a map. From that point on we were completely on our own. We decided to check out the iconic Lisbon sights. We took the tram, which one of the several public transit systems Lisbon has (buses, subway, trams, cabs, trolleys) down to the famous church. We didn’t go in the church but it was massive! Next we walked over to a Christopher Columbus monument. It was right near the water and had a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge… Yes, they have a golden gate bridge too. I actually felt like I was in San Francisco a lot of the time considering they have a Golden Gate Bridge, trolleys, hilly streets and tons of tourists. We walked along the pier like walkway they had from the Columbus Monument down to the famous Tower. We had such beautiful weather so it was enjoyable to be outside and walk around. I also enjoyed not really having a set schedule. We were able to enjoy ourselves without the rush of having to be somewhere or worry about other people’s schedules.

We grabbed lunch right along the water at some Italian restaurant. I was so happy to order Sumol, which is a Portuguese soda I sometimes get at home from my friend’s Portuguese grandma. We got on the trolley again and decided we wanted to go to opposite side of the Golden Gate Bridge. We took a ferry across the river and then took a bus up to another famous monument. I forget the exact name of it but it basically was a replica of the Jesus statue in Rio de Janeiro. The monument looked over the river with great views of Lisbon. While we were there we took pictures and walked around the top of the hill. As I was waking pictures of the bridge I was a approached by an old Portuguese man. He was speaking Portuguese to me but of course I had no idea what he was saying. After using some hand signals and trying to use the basic Spanish that I knew I’m pretty sure I understood the whole man’s life story and he knew mine. It was one of the most awkward, funny, and amazing experiences. He was happy to understand that I was Portuguese. Emily and Victoria thought I was crazy for talking to this random old man but he seemed harmless. He even wanted a picture with me; He was such a kind soul. After that we headed back to the other side of the river and did some souvenir shopping down one of the famous avenues in Lisbon.

For dinner that night we decided to go to an authentic Portuguese place our hostel highly recommended. When we got there it was pretty packed so we went to the place next door to it. We had a great Portuguese meal that consisted of steak, mushrooms, gravy and fries. It looked like one big mess on a plate but it tasted so good! While we were eating we got a delivery of flowers courtesy of the table of guys sitting behind us. It was a cute gesture that turned into great conversation, a few drinks, and a night at the bar down the street with them. The next day we decided to take the tram in the opposite direction. We went to the aquarium (not as good as Monterey Bay), saw the finish of a triathlon and enjoyed lunch at an outdoor café. We also of course had to do a little more souvenir shopping. I picked up some great things I cant wait to share with everyone! We headed out that night at 10pm and got on our bus back to Seville. Overall I loved Lisbon, Portugal. It was a cute city, both historical and modern. I hope to go back to Portugal again one day and see a different part of the country.

in the hostel

Riding Camels!

Out of all the places I have been while being abroad, Morocco Africa was definitely the most different. It still amazes me that I went to a different continent! Surprisingly enough Morocco was a popular trip this year for many St John’s Study Abroad students. I knew quite a few people that went weeks prior to our group. Being that a lot of people had gone before us, they gave us great advice so we could get the most out of our Moroccan adventure. One thing many people said was to go with guys because it was a lot safer that way. We ended up going in a group of 14- 5 girls and 9 guys. At first I was hesitant about going with so many people but it ended up being the best decision. We took a bus from Seville to Tarifa, a southern city in Spain and then took a ferry over to Tangier, Morocco. It was a lot of travel time but we all got there ok.

Upon arrival we were asked for our passports, which I figured. Apparently arriving in a group of 14 and being American is very suspicious to Moroccans so we had a little trouble getting through customs. As we left the ferry we were immediately bombarded with “tour guides” who wanted to show us around Tangier. Luckily we had made arrangements for one already. Aziz, our tour guide, met us at the ferry port and took us to our hostel. We stayed in the Ancient Medina part of Tangier, which is the oldest part. There are no roads for cars in the Medina so we parked down below and walked up into the city. Our hostel was pretty nice. The people were very friendly and helped us get acquainted. We once again had to fill out government forms at the hostel asking for our passport info, place of residence, time of stay etc. It was really weird but the guy at the hostel said it’s for our safety. We explored the hostel and cooled down from our travels by relaxing on the rooftop terrace. We thought our hostel was special but apparently every building in tangier has one.

We were eager to get out in town and eat so we hit the streets. We weren’t really sure where to eat so we roamed the streets looking for anything appetizing. Roaming the streets like newcomers into the city wasn’t the best idea. People could smell our insecurities from a mile away. As we walked through the markets people were trying to sell us things right on the spot. They put bags and bracelets on us telling us to buy them. We stood our own ground and walked away. It was unlike anything I had ever imagined. We managed to finally find a place to eat….well I guess I should say that the owner of the restaurant found us to eat there. He literally pulled the chair out and sat us down before we could make a group decision as to eat there or not. The people there prey upon our business. We ordered traditional Moroccan food- Cous Cous, Shish Kebab, and Rice. We got a lot more than we ordered. We were all starving so we didn’t mind.

After eating we met up with Aziz for our Day 1 tour around the Medina. He took us into little shops, big shops, bakeries, cafes, and other places. He knows a lot of storeowners so it was nice to be treated like a local. One of my favorite places he took us to was a little music hall up on the top of the medina. It was basically a little room where old men played traditional Moroccan instruments. They played us two songs as we clapped and danced along. It was such an authentic experience! That night Aziz took us to a Moroccan dinner, which was very similar to what we had for lunch.

The next day was our Day 2 tour. This time we were going on the outskirts of Tangier. We went to an area that they refer to as the San Francisco Area. Basically there were tall trees, a view of the ocean, and houses in very close proximity. Next we drove through the rich part of Tangier where the king, important people and rich people live. Their houses were spectacular. Next we went to a great look out point. We saw where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. After that we headed over to ride camels! That was probably the highlight of Morocco for many of us. We rode camels on the side of the road on the coast. It was only a 10 minute ride but still pretty awesome! Emily and I had the best camel obviously J We then headed to the Hercules Cave which basically is a cave that has a cutout of Africa made naturally by the waves. We enjoyed our adventure but couldn’t wait to get back for a power nap!

We parted ways from Aziz for a nap break and some time to do some more shopping in the Medina. Our group found some pretty cool things. They bought small Moroccan rugs, tea glasses, camel figurines, purses and more. I didn’t get a good enough deal haggling so I left morocco empty handed. I wasn’t too disappointed though. That night we met up with Aziz who took us to one of his favorite restaurants. After dinner the girls all got henna tattoos (not permanent!) They look really cool and last about 2 weeks. Mine is about gone now though. The next morning we headed out back on the ferry to Tarifa, Spain. We just missed the bus so we had to wait 2 hours. We walked around town but since it was Sunday most shops were closed. We soon got on the bus and enjoyed the rainy drive back to Seville. Our Moroccan experience was amazing. Luckily no problems arose and all 14 of us got back in one piece. Africa was definitely a memorable experience!