Birthday Celebrations in Munich

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12200957/?claim=nexpapmg795">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a> 
This past weekend my friends and I journeyed to Munich, Germany for Springfest! After an eight-hour overnight bus ride, we arrived at our hostel around 4:00 a.m.. We went to bed, and slept in a little the next morning before getting breakfast at a local coffee shop and searching for our dirndls. Many of the attendees of Springfest wear either lederhosen or dirndls to get in the German mood. We were all determined to find the perfect outfit for the weekend, but the first few stores sold only overprices, mediocre dirndls. After walking for a while, we came across a store that had many reasonably priced dirndls and lederhosen. We all picked out which dresses, shirts, and aprons we wanted. In the end, many of our outfits matched, which made them even funnier.

With our newly purchased wardrobes in hand, we headed back to the hostel to get ready for the first day of Springfest. Springfest is basically Oktoberfest in the spring, and is held on the same festival grounds. It is a mix between a county fair and an amusement park, with many rides, food stands, and game booths. There were about three or four beer tents as well, which sold stines of beer and some food. There were live bands playing traditional German music, and the atmosphere was great! We spent all day Friday and Saturday there, which was a fun way to see people from my program and also some friends from Vanderbilt as well. Saturday we celebrated my birthday!

Entrance to Springfest

Sunday morning, we woke up early to take a train to Dachau, an old concentration camp about twenty minutes away. It was a rainy, cold day, which made the visit even more chilling. We walked through the old grounds, reading about the torture and drills the inhabitants were put through. It was a rather sad way to celebrate my birthday, but I’m so glad we went. It was mind blowing to imagine what had happened in that camp, and it was a harsh reminder of how awful the German concentration camps really were.

Entrance gate to the camp which reads,"Work Brings Freedom"

"May the example of those who were exterminated here between 1933-1945 because they resisted Nazism help to unite the living for the defense of peace and freedom and in respect for their fellow men"

Bathrooms

Barracks constructed by prisoners

Cremation room

Gas chambers

After visiting the concentration camp, we headed back to the hostel to begin our eight-hour journey home. On the way home, we drove through the prettiest German scenery. We passed small villages surrounded by green grass, nestled in between large mountains. 

It was a fun trip and overall, I absolutely LOVED Germany! Everyone was nice, the food was good, and the city was clean and modern. Someday I definitely want to go back and visit!

Soaking up the Spanish Sun

After having one of my best friends, Camille, visit Florence for two days, I was excited to travel with her to Spain! Our first stop was Barcelona, where we stayed at St. Christopher's hostel. It was a great location and had a decent restaurant attached as well. We arrived pretty late the first night, but the next day we woke up and walked around the city exploring. We took a bus to Park Gruel which was very cool to see. The architecture and decorations are very different from the Italian style, so it was nice to have a change of scenery. After we finished walking around, we came back to the city center for lunch and met up with my friend from my program, and my friend from Vanderbilt who is studying abroad in Barcelona. We got a pretty decent walking tour from my Vandy friend, and my favorite place I visited was Parc de la Ciutadella. It was nice to see a lot of grass, trees, and people enjoying the day. After grabbing frozen yogurt at the end of the tour, we headed back to the hostel to have dinner and get ready to go out.

Parc de la Ciutadella

Fountain in Parc de la Ciutadella

Street performers

Park Gruel

The next day was a beach day! After sleeping in, we had brunch and then walked about half an hour to the beach. It was very crowded and full of people trying to sell massages and mojitos, but it was nice to be in the sun and near the water. On our way back to the hostel, Camille and I stopped at a waterside restaurant to share a small portion of paella, which Barcelona is famous for. It was great and definitely lived up to expectations! That evening, we went out for a sushi dinner nearby our hostel before calling it a night. Our plane left very early the next morning for Seville.

Arriving in Seville was like a breath of fresh air after the bustling and large city of Barcelona. Seville also has a more traditional Spanish culture, unlike Barcelona where they speak Catalan and want to separate from Spain. Camille studies in Seville, so I was able to stay at her apartment for the duration of my time in Seville. The first day we napped since we were so tired from our early flight, but then we had lunch made by her host mom before exploring the city. She took me to most of the major sites, including the Plaza de España and the cathedral. We passed a Semana Santa parade float, which is the weekend long celebration Spain has for Easter. After that, we walked around and had frozen yogurt and tried tapas at different restaurants. When we arrived back at her apartment, we got ready to go out with some of her friends from her program.

Plaza de Espana

The river in Seville

Plaze de Espana

Mosaics in the Plaza

Add caption

After church in front of the Cathedral

The next day (Easter Sunday) we slept in since it was a rainy day. Later, we woke up and got ready for church in the chapel of Seville's gorgeous cathedral. Even thought the service was all in Spanish, it was nice to go to church on Easter, and it was a nice way to see the inside of the chapel, which was very beautiful. After church, we celebrated with tapas at two of the best places in Seville. At the first restaurant, we got salmon with coconut rice, and also black risotto to share. At the next restaurant, we ordered eggplant with honey and chicken with a whiskey garlic sauce, both of which are Spanish specialties. It was a fun Easter with a great friend!

Easter donuts!

Salmon with coconut rice

Whisky chicken dish

My last day in Seville was spent shopping around and getting coffee with my other friend who studies in Seville. For dinner that night, Camille and I celebrated my birthday early at a great restaurant. The cuisine was a fusion of Peruvian, Japanese, and Chinese food. It was incredible, and one of the best meals I've had in a long time! The presentation was excellent, and the seasonings and flavors were incredible. After dinner, she took me to one of her favorite places to try fresh sangria, and after that we headed home to get sleep before my early flight the next morning. It was another great trip, and I was so happy to spend it with one of my best friends! This was one of the most relaxing and memorable trips of my time abroad, and I'm so glad I made time to visit both Barcelona and Seville.