Visited December 1st to December 4th, 2023

This was one of my final trips and it was Dublin! Dublin is a city that has elements that date back to the Viking ages. In the early 16th century it was a particularly turbulent time in Dublin’s history. After King Henry VIII’s split with the church, monasteries closed and religious institutions with papal ties were destroyed. This also brought about a revolution in landholding in the city. Ireland’s first university remains in place in Dublin and is a very prestigious school to attend. It was also home to part of the filming of Normal People by Sally Rooney. The city has tons of food, shopping, and pubs and is known for its Claddagh rings. Walking through the more suburban parts you will observe Georgian townhouses, Edwardian facades, and Victorian parks. While there we saw all the landmarks including Trinity, Temple Bar, and some of the older houses.  A day trip to Galway was also taken as it is only about a 2-and-a-half-hour drive. While there we attended a Christmas market and saw the cathedral. We also walked around the town and made it to the coast and ocean which was beautiful. Galway was more quiet and less bustling but still full of beautiful wildlife and culture. Being from an Irish family this trip was special to me and I am glad I was able to see where some of the land my ancestors grew up on. All the photos were taken by me or Laura Josler from December 1st to December 4th, 2023. 

Visited: November 24th to November 26th, 2023

Lisbon, Portugal is the next place I explored! I had not heard much about Portugal but this place is filled with tons of history. Portugal was the world’s first maritime power and the birthplace of some of the world’s first explorers! It was at the forefront of European exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries. Portugal’s colonial empire spanned 600 years and this was the longest-lived of the modern European empires. It is also known to be older than Rome and among the oldest city in Europe. Its location also makes it Europe’s most westerly point. Portugal consists of Portugal, the Azores, and the Madeira Archipelago. Portugal is known for the cork, port wine, and tasty pastries called Pastel de Nata.  Portugal is a very hilly city and when walking around the city it was almost as if we would walk up and down layers of the city. The city was lively and streets were lined with restaurants and people were trying to get you to eat at their place. Seafood was a prominent meal as they are right on the coast and are also known for having good seafood. While we visited we had a panoramic bus tour of the city and we also visited Jerónimos Monastery. Again the architecture and design of the building were beautiful. The city was welcoming and the people were more than willing to help! We also visited a small town called Évora on our ride home. While there we visited a church that had a room made out of all human skulls and bones. That was quite frightening but interesting to note the person’s artistic vision. The city was nice but very small and quaint. Overall Portugal is a not-to-miss place. I will be back to visit as this was a  top visit for me! All the pictures were taken by me, Michael Lee, or Courtney Stephenson from November 24th to November 26th, 2023. 

Visited November 17th to November 20th, 2023

Madrid is the capital of Spain and visiting the capital could not be missed! The first historical record of Madrid dates back to the year 865. This area is on the central plain of the Iberian Peninsula. It was about a two-and-a-half-hour train ride from Seville. It was originally named Mayrit. The present location of Madrid was established in 1803 by King Alfonso I. Madrid is known as one of the most dynamic and progressive of Europe’s cities. One of the first Flamenco tablos also resides in Madrid. While there we visited Parque de El Retiro, the glass palace, the Prado and the famous city center. The city was very lively and reminded me of New York In some sense. The architecture was amazing to look at and reminded me of elegant old-time construction. Madrid’s world-famous La Chocloteria was visited and the churros and chocolate lived up to their name. On every street, there is some form of art or performance. The city entertains and also has a range of food and wines to eat and enjoy. The Prado showcases many different artists and art and is huge. I also saw the sunset over the city from a viewing point and many people were doing picnics or snapping pictures. The city felt very welcoming and the park was showcasing fall in Madrid with beautiful changing leaves and green grass. The food also was good and many options for any cuisine. The area we stayed in was more off the beaten path and we were in a little suburb with lots of activity going on. Our host was a local and she was able to provide us with history and places to eat and see. Overall the trip was wonderful and exciting to finally see the capital. The photos were taken by either me or Laura Josler and from November 17th to November 20th, 2023. 

Visited: November 10th- November 12th, 2023 

Another trip I took was to London! This was a long-awaited trip as I had fellow friends who were studying abroad at the Eckerd College study center there. London is among the oldest of the world’s great cities. It is the country’s economic, transportation, and cultural center. London is the capital of the United Kingdom and is in southeastern England. London grew from three distinct centers of the walled settlement, the suburb of Southwark and the City of Westminster. While there we saw, Big Ben, The Royal Palace and Abbey Westminster. The city was cold and rainy which is typical for that time of year went. There was also a trip taken to Nottingham Hill to the markets where local vendors sold, clothes, trinkets, books, food, cameras, and much more. Most of it was handmade and it was nice to support local businesses. While at the Royal Palace, there was a blessing of a wreath about a little ways away and we caught some cars driving with lots of security. In one of the cars was the King! The food in London was diverse and we were able to eat everything from fish and chips to Asian cuisine. The city was stringed with lights and Christmas decorations. Many red phone booths were around and British accents were heard all up and down the streets. I loved London and felt there was much more to see and learn about the history! I will be back to continue to discover the beautiful mysteries of this city. All the photos taken were by me or Courtney Stephenson from November 10th to November 12th, 2023. 

Visited: October 20th, 2023- October 23rd, 2023

Next up is one of my favorite places, Barcelona! Barca is a nickname given to the city. The city was founded by the Romans and they set up a colony called Barcino at the end of the 1st century BC. The city has a gothic quarter that displays the enjoyment of the city from the 13th to 15th centuries. Although during the 15th-18th centuries, Barca entered a period of decline and this ended in 1714 thankfully. The 20th century brought widespread urban renewal and this Brough more modern buildings. This city felt big yet still felt like a community. There is a lot of diversity in areas and in people. While there we visited La Sagrda Família, Casa Batlló and the parc Guell.  La Sagrda Família was by far my favorite place I visited. The architecture had so much detail and many scenes representing Jesus in such a beautiful light. The windows with the light streaming in made the place feel unreal and hard to explain in words. We also got to tour a tower and could see all of Barcelona from above. The art of Antoni Gaudí was also cool to see and in specific the house was based on marine life. I enjoyed that as I am in a major relating to that. He also has quite the type of style that is unique in representation. The park also had representation of his work and the tile on the benches was beautiful. This city made me consider living there sometime in my lifetime. The people were friendly and the life of the city was unmatchable. The food was delicious and all the events from shows, markets, landmarks, and parks provided a lot of activities to do. I am excited to return back for Christmas with my mom and see all the lights. All the pictures taken were taken by me or Laura Josler and they were taken from October 20th, 2023 to October 23rd, 2023. 

Visited: September 29th-30th 2023 

Granada was also visited at the end of September. After Córdoba, we drove to Granda and got there on the night of the 29th. One cool thing about Granda is that virtually they are known for giving free tapas with any drink and the more drinks you order the better the tapas become. That night we went out and indeed were greeted with tapas of ham, cheese, olives, and potato chips. Granda itself was founded in the early 13th century. Its history is one of internal crises because of the existence of a powerful landowning nobility. We visited the Alhambra will there. The Alhambra is located in an interesting geographical location as it is on a rocky hill and surrounded by the banks of the river Darro and has mountains and forest surrounding it. It was originally designed as a military zone and then became the royal residence and court of Granada in the mid-13th century. The construction of this building has a lot of places for natural sunlight and when in the light the place looks golden. The Alhambra became a Christian court in 1492. We also got to tour the gardens and I have never seen such elegant landscaping and natural yet forest-type gardening. It had breathtaking views and the weather was perfect for the tour. Many pictures were taken. I loved Granda much more than I thought and the history behind it was cool to learn. All the photos taken were by me and taken from September 29th-30th 2023

Visited: September 29th, 2023

Córdoba was another trip we took and this took place in late September. Córdoba is located in the north-central section of Andalusia. It is about 80 miles northeast of Sevilla. The city was under the rule of Romans at one point but then went under the rule of the Visigoths from the 6th to early 8th century. In 711 the city was captured and destroyed by the Muslims. Then Abd al-Rahman in 756 claimed and made the city his. He founded the Great Mosque of Córdoba which was a visit of ours. It was an Islamic mosque but was converted into a Christian cathedral in the 13th century. The inside is magnificent and something interesting to note is that some of the bricks on the arches have been painted on because they ran out of time and or materials to expand it. The streets of Córdoba are very thin and cobblestone. We also got a tour of the Jewish quarter and got to see a live Mosque which was small. The colors all over the town were beautiful and I wish I had more time to explore. They also had a bunch of leather, beautiful plates which they are known for. Overall a quick but memorable place. All the photos taken were done by me and taken on September 29th, 2023. 

Visited: October 10th- October 15th 2023

Later in the Month, I went to Morrocco for almost a week! This trip was most definitely an adventure trip. Morocco is home to the largest hot desert in the world which is the Sahara Desert. It is a country that is part of western North Africa. It was the center of Berber Islamic kingdoms that included much of Spain and North Africa. France established control over Morrocco in 1912 and then granted it independence in 1956. Morocco borders Algeria to the east and southeast. It is the only country in Africa with coastlines on both the Atlantic and Mediterranean. While in Morroco the main cities we visited were Fés and the Sahara desert. The first day we spent going to the Medina which is a place in the city with a bunch of markets and we specifically visited, the leathery, the pharmacy, the carpet shop, and a fabric store. Bargaining is part of the culture and it is rude to not try and bargain from the original price. That was an experience and I was able to bargain for a leather belt and some pants while I was there for a good deal. The pharmacy was cool and I was able to get some authentic Moroccan tea, ph lipstick, cactus cream, soap, and their famous Moroccan lip tint. We also had a typical Moroccan lunch of couscous, bread, and vegetables. Then we traveled to the Sahara Desert and were there for two nights! We traveled by jeep into the desert and were able to see the beautiful sunset. The camp we stayed at was just tents in the middle of the desert and very off the grid. The stars were insane as there was no light pollution but the night was frigid. There was also a night show of classic barber music and that was fun to dance around and hear the drums. The next day was our big excursion into the desert day. I woke up at the crack of dawn for sunrise which blew me away and after breakfast, we got onto camels and went to a dune where many went sand surfing and we all just enjoyed one another. Then we ventured into the old town and had a pool party as a break and cool down. After our long day, we headed back to camp for more Moroccan lunch. Later that day I went on a jeep tour and was able to see a mining site with fossils and then where Algeria was from a high top point. Then we found a dune and watched our last sunset. The following day we just were traveling and heading home. This trip is definitely at the top of my list and was something I can not even describe and I hope to someday be able to go back to the desert. The people and place exceeded my expectations and even had me take a new way of life realizing how beautiful life can be. The pictures of the landscape and places were taken by me and all other photos of me were taken by Laura Josler, Michael Lee, or Courtney Stephenson from October 10 to October 15 2023. 

Visited October 6th,2023

Then I traveled to Gibraltar at the beginning of October! Gibraltar is in front of the Mediterranean and for many years caused a debate on who it belongs to as Spain, France and Britain have all claimed it. Ultimately Gibaltar was taken possession of by the British fleet in 1704 during the war of the Spanish succession. The treaty of Utrecht in 1713 also ceded Gibaltar to Britain. Although the Spanish continued to fight for the terriority it still currently remains British territory. From a certain spot in Gibaltar you can view Africa which is only 9 miles away by view. Another unique site at Gibraltar is the monkeys that inhabit the island. While we were there we took a van tour where we went to St.Michael’s cave, the lighthouse and a place to see monkeys. We also were given some free time to explore and get lunch in the central area. While there are tried some fish and chips and was highly impressed. They did live up to their British reputation. It was odd to realize we were in a part of Britain when it only took us a bus trip to get there from Seville. The cave was cool but to me was not as big as I had hoped. The monkeys were the stars of the show. Intreacting with them was a tad scary but was fun to be able to take a picture with them. These monkeys ranged from adults to babies and small families. They were all over the trees and trying to steal from unsuspecting tourists. The weather was gray and wind which reminded me of London. This was not one of my top places and although the ocean view and rock structure was nice to look at it was a one and done for me. All the pictures taken of the landscape were taken by me and the photos taken of me were by Laura Josler on October 6th, 2023.

Visited: September 17th, 2023

On our first full day in Seville we visited Alcázar of Seville and Royal gardens. The Alcázar of Seville was founded in the early Middle Ages. It a historic royal palace and it was formerly the ground of Islamic era citadel of the city which begun in the 10th century and then developed more by the Abbadid dynasty and the Almohads. Another fact is it is the oldest royal palace in Europe. It also served as a fortress for the Castilian monarchs. We started by walking through the Alcázar with a guided tour guide and viewed the inside. The architecture was beautiful and we saw many arches and detail and my favorite part was the gardens. The gardens were grand with beautiful plants and a bunch of palm trees. We also had the chance to see some wildlife that consisted of birds and peacocks! I did not know much about the Alcázar before coming and I was glad I was able to visit one of Seville’s landmarks which had a deep rooted history. The photos are of the inside, outside and gardens at the Alcázar and all were photographed by me on September 17th 2023.