Suspicious cups and a little bit of champagne

Waking up early, we were sad to leave Paris but excited about traveling to London and about how we were getting there -- the chunnel! The chunnel is a train that travels from Paris to London (and visa versa), crossing the English channel -- so therefore you actually travel underwater for about 20 minutes! One of Mom's coworkers suggested taking the chunnel, and we figured the chunnel in and of itself would be a fun experience.

Security for this means of transportation was, for some reason, far stricter than in the airport.
"So how long will you be in London?" asked the customs official.
"For only two days."
"Ohh..and then where are you going?"
"Well, then we're going to Spain."
"Spain? Why are you going to Spain? You're from the United States."
"Well, I actually live there," I explained with a smile.
"Really? Can I see your residency card?"
"Ahh...sure." This was actually one of the few times I've been asked to show my Spanish ID.

But the security got even better. My sweet, sweet Mama is somehow targeted during all secuirty measures. Something about her friendly smile and southern drawl just makes her seem like a sucipicious target. So after making it past the first strignet woman, we moved on to put our suitcases through the x-ray scanner and walk through the metal detectors. I walked through easily, and Mom caustiously followed behind. Watching the French inspectors, I saw them point to Mom's suitcase as it was coming out of the scanner.
"Please open this" they commanded.
I wonder what it is this time. I thought.
"Have you purchased any alcohol or tobacco while here in France?" he questioned.
"No, no." Mom defended.
"And are you carrying more than 10,000 Euros on you in cash?" His accent was extremely thick.
"What?" she asked.
"No," I answered for her. "He asked if you have 10,000 Euros in cash on you."
"GUUUHHHH!!!" she gasped. "Nooo, noo!"
"I wish we had that much money!" I tried to joke. I always try to joke with people in awkward situations like this, but it seems like the joking has about a 50/50 success rate with making the secuirty person either laugh or just ignore me.
He ignored.
Rummuging through Mom's suitcase, he found the cups. Cups? You might be wondereing. Yes, cups. So my dear, sweet, thoughtful Mama wanted to bring a present for EACH CHILD at my school (there are approximately 90 children at my school in Antilla). So Mom very thoughtfully purchased 90 NC State University plastic cups and brought them here to Spain with her. Now, 90 plastic cups is a lot. And I guess that many plastic cups stacked all together may look sucipious to a security official.
Pointing to the cups, "What are these?!" he demanded.
I couldn't help but laugh. Here is my super sweet Mom being interrogated about the gifts she brought for children.
"Ohh..they're presents for children at a school."
He searched more.
Finding a second large stack of cups..."And these?"
"For the children."
I just kept laughing. "For the children....it's all for the children, dear secuirty officer...I promise."
"There are a lot of children at her school!" Mom explained.

"Ok..." he comprimised. My guess is that maybe he thought the cups were something she purchased in Paris and was hoping to sell in London? Or maybe the cups looked like a weapon all stacked together like that? I'm not really sure, but regardless, it was an amusing situation. :) But we, and the cups, made it through security and onto the chunnel. :)





The chunnel was a nice change of pace for travel - it was so comforting to not have to worry about losing our luggage (we put it on the train) or remember to put all of our 3 ounces or less bottles of liquids in a ziplock bag, etc. etc. :) Mom booked our chunnel trip, and she upgraded us to two personal seats with food and drinks! I was so thankful!





Passing the countryside of green and gray skys, we enjoyed the view and chatted. Breakfast was good -- I remember an amazing yogurt that tasted like vanilla frosting and some delicious orange juice. Our car was quiet and not completely full which made for a relaxing and enjoyable ride.

The service was incredible - the people were constantly asking us if we could use anything. Nearing the last 45 minutes of our trip (the trip is about 2 hours and 30 minutes total), the woman asked if she could get us anything.
"Coffee, tea, wine, champagne..."
"Oh! Champagne!" I exclaimed. I love champagne! It just feels so glamorous, and I love the fizz. :)
"But maybe it's too early for champagne?" I questioned.
"It's almost noon!" the woman encouraged.
"Ok...two glasses of champagne to celebrate leaving Paris and going to London!"

Enjoying our glasses of champagne, we took a few fun pictures and prepared to be in an....drumroll please.....ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, I was a little excited. :D







So arriving in London, we grabbed our bags from the train and made our way to the first metro....which started off as an easy task with elevators...but then progressed into a more and more challenging one once we changed lines....

Bonjour!

Paris is different from any place I have traveled to before. The other day, Kiran and I were discussing Paris and the entire atmosphere of the city -- everything just seems more sophisticated and elegant there. Whether it be the architecture or the clothing or the even the dogs (right, Kiran?), everything about Paris shouts of couture and fashion. White and gray colored buildings line the narrow, busy roads. On the corners of these buildings are ever-so-slight-eye-catching details of gold statues and curving sculptures atop what seem like thousands of uncountable windows.

As expected, everything in Paris was in French. This proved to be a slight challenge for me and Mom since our French knowledge combined sums to the grand total of "Bonjour," "Merci" (or as Mama so sweetly puts it, "Mercy"), and the newly acquired phrase of "Parlez-vous anglais?" (Translation: Do you speak English?) Oh, and we learned the French word for exit too (sortie) after being lost in an incredibly confusing and large subway -- we just wanted to get out, and we tried to follow the crowd, but the crowd was transferring to different lines...not leaving. Finally a kind person who spoke English stopped and helped us. :)



Our Parisian vacation included three full days in Paris which allowed us to take things a little more slowly as well as see many of the much-anticipated sights. Weather on the first day in Paris was quite chilly but with a beautiful blue sky. This day we took a bus tour around the city to see everything and kind of get our bearings for where things are and what we really want to spend time seeing.




The Pullman Hotel in Paris was where we stayed - and God truly blessed us with an incredible place! Our room was on the 16th floor which gave a breath-taking view of the city. Paris is gorgeous during the day - bustling and booming - but I think I like the view even more at night. It's like a starry night sky brought down to earth -- twinkles and shimmers glittering as far as you can see.




And not only was our view amazing, but we literally slept in THE MOST comfortable beds. Think lush down comforters, fluffy white pillows, a mattress that is not too hard or too soft...it is all just right. It's like wrapping yourself in one big marshmallow sleeping heaven. Mom and I were slightly tempted to spend an entire day in the beds because they were just that comfortable. But we were in Paris, so despite the unbelievable beds, we forced ourselves out into the cold to do some exploring. :)

Day two of our trip had weather that was....well, not the best. Cold and rainy. And I (yet again) forgot my umbrella at home in Antilla (you would think I would have learned by now!?). Thankfully my jacket had a hood and Mom had a rainjacket with a hood. During the day, Mom mentioned that her upper back felt wet -- later we found out that her rain coat had been leaking all day which explained why her back was wet! The cold and rain was do-able, but it did get to be a bit much when we hopped on our half open/half closed-in bus tour and the only remaining seats were upstairs on the "open" part of the bus. So there we were, sitting on the open level of the bus, rain pouring down, hoods up, Mom's coat leaking, laughing at the absurdity of the situation. We knew we were making good memories, and what really mattered was the fact that we were together. :)



On that cold and rainy day, we saw more of Paris (think: Notre Dame, Arc de Triumph, Eiffel Tower, Seine River), and we spent a little extra time at the Louvre Museum and the park located outside of the Louvre (Jardin des Tuileries). Both were elaborately large and grand sights to see. Later that day, we had lunch and did a little Paris shopping (you have to go shopping in Paris!). Mom treated herself to a cool silver necklace and she graciously bought me a brightly-colored purse!





Our third and final day in Paris was probably the best one. We had booked a tour for us in which we would have (another) bus tour of Paris (we hoped to learn some more new things on this one!), a trip to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower, and a Seine River cruise. The Eiffel Tower and the river cruise were two things we were looking extremely forward to, and booking those things through a tour group was an excellent choice. We were able to bypass huge lines which not only saved time but also a lot of stress. Our tours didn't begin until about 3 in the afternoon, so we slept in a little (in the amazing heavenly hotel beds) before heading into the city. We ate our traditional cinnamon pastries and coffee with cream, and then took the newly mastered subway in. Once in the city, we walked along a popular street filled with those kind-of-tacky but kind-of-irresistible souvenir shops that you find in every country -- so of couse we stopped in. :) A Parisian hat for me, a bright and beautiful scarf for Mom, and some souvenirs for home were all purchased.

After shopping, we headed to the restaurant Angelina's. Our concierge at our hotel had recommended this place to us "You must go there. They have the best hot chocolate!" We figured we could get the hot chocolate and some lunch before beginning our many tours for the afternoon. Angelina's is beautiful - again, it is totally Parisian and absurdly fancy and posh. Mom and I enjoyed good conversation in huge comfy chairs as we munched on club sandwiches, french fries (I was excited to eat French fries in France -- even though I know they probably aren't from there, Mama!), and then the much-anticiapted hot chocolate. Having a deep love for hot chocolate, I was excited for this experience. And oh my goodness. My American friends here in Spain pick of me (in good fun, mind you) for making noises when I eat certain foods. I tend to let out an "oooh" or an "mmm" or an "OOhh..my goodness! MMM...that's good!" What can I say? I love food, and I'm an expressive individual. So if I think something tastes good, you're gonna know it. And let me tell you, my dear reader....was I making noises with this hot chocolate! It was incredible! Literally -- it tasted like someone took one of my Mama's delicious three-layer chocolate cakes with chocolate frosting -- melted it down, heated it up, poured it into a delightful little mug, and said "Bon appetit!" It was just that good. :)




Finishing up at Angelina's, we headed over to meet our bus tour. First we did the bus tour -- it was comfortable, dry, warm, and informative! Following the bus tour, we headed for the Eiffel Tower. This was probably me and Mom's favorite part of Paris -- again, it kind of left me with the same feeling that the Colosseum did -- amazement, awe, and gratitude. Am I really here? Is this really my life? I kept asking myself.

We hopped on the elevator up to the second floor (which is really much higher than a normal second floor in a building), and took in the enermoity of Paris. It is just such a huge city! You look down and see buildings and buildings and buildings, and then you look up and see specks of blue sky, white clouds, and this immense iron giant beside you. Incredible.





After being floored by the Eiffel Tower, we headed for our Seine River cruise. The cruise was a nice way to see Paris from a different perspective. As with the bus tour, the cruise was warm (we sat in the glass-closed in part of the boat) and informative. :)

The next morning we woke up early for our trip to London. But this time we weren't going by plane, but instead in the much-anticipated chunnel! :)

TOMA! We're in ROMA!

"Oooohh...I'm sorry. Your bags are overweight," the RyanAir attendant explained with a turned up lip that closely resembled a snarl as though she had just seen the most replusive sight of her entire life. "And it's going to cost 20 Euros per kilogram that your bags are overweight." Replusive look again. "Sorry."

So we knew that RyanAir had stringent baggage restrictions, but Mom and I had NO idea that they would charge 20 Euros PER kilogram that your bags are overweight (this fact is not clearly expressed on their web-site travel information). And since Mom and I were traveling for more than just one little night, we ended up paying a ridlicious amount of money to get our bags to Rome. The whole weighing the bags, figuring out what we were going to do, having the bags re-weighed, paying for the bags, going through security (where, of course, Mom was frisked again and attempted to explain that her pedometer was a simple health tool, not some sort of explosive device), and then finding our gate ending up taking well over an hour. Thank goodness we had left ourselves plenty of time in the airport. :)

Our flight group was quite the interesting mix too -- our travel partners mostly consisted of a large, boisterous group of (you guessed it) American college students who seemed like they could have been easily cast in MTV's Jersey Shore or VH1's Daisy of Love/Rock of Love. And we waited outside of the gate. And waited. And then we made it through the gate. And then waited on a bus to take us to our plane. And waited. And waited. And then we made it to the airplane. And we waited to get on the plane. And then we made it on the airplane. And then we waited. And well, our flight took off about an hour later than expected. The good news: we did safely arrive in Rome that night, Mom and I were together, a super cute guy with the most amazing smile did sit in front of me on our flight, and all our bags made it too. :)



After settling into our hotel, we crashed and prepared for a full day of sightseeing the next morning. Day one we rode the subway into the center to visit the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, and explore around the city. Seeing the Colosseum for the first time was truly one of the most incredible things I think a person can experience -- climbing the steps up from the subway, you suddenly cast your eyes forward onto this indescribily enermous and anciently beautiful structure. And it's right there! Right before your very own eyes! This thing that you hear about your whole life and that you see in books and on postcards and in pictures -- you are actually there! It was an immense and incredible feeling of gratitude and awe. :)



Mom and I did not go inside the Colosseum -- I'm sad to say that all of the traveling (and the sick children at my school) resulted in me having an incredibly nasty cold/flu during our travels. Day one in Rome is when the flu really began to hit, and we ended up visiting an Italian pharmacy to buy some medicine (which was successfully accomplished via English/Spanish/charades communitation). Being sick on vacation was no fun at all, but I was just SO thankful to have my sweet Mom there to help take care of me! :) She was such a sweet blessing!





After seeing the Colosseum, we wandered through the streets of Rome, admiring the half-standing, half-tumbling ruins, the green and white washed statues, and the cobblestone streets bursting with motorcycles, taxis, and people. We ate an amazing authentic Italian lunch -- pizza with warm tomato sauce, basil, cheese, and onion, and the most mouth-watering delicious toasted garlic bread in the entire world ever. The sun was shining - it was one of those gorgeous days where you just want to be outside. Blue sky, warm sun with some breeze -- our gratitude for warm weather was great then, but it increased even more the further north we traveled into Europe. :)

Strolling through some twisty, narrow side-streets, we finally made it to the Trevi Fountain. The fountain was beautiful, but it was a bit overwhelming with the number of people that were there. The guidebook I read before our travels warned that Rome is an extremely hectic and loud city, and our travels certainly confirmed that statement. At this point, my body was about to quit for the day, so we turned in to the hotel for the night.



Day two we planned to visit the Vatacian, but the flu had other plans for us and kept us resting in the hotel for the day. But, on a humorous and ironic note, we did visit the largest mall in Europe that day instead! This mall - Euroma - is located right behind the hotel we were staying in, and Mom and I wandered out for some lunch. We window-shopped at some of the stores, and later we found out that Euroma is Europe's largest mall! So we may not have seen the Vatacian, but we did visit Europe's largest mall. ;)



Day three I was beginning to feel better thanks to all of the prayers, medicine, and lots of rest, and we packed our bags and hopped on another plane to start our adventure in the beautiful city of love...Paris! :)

Hablo un poco espanol...now let's speak English.

Mom's arrival in Spain started in a surprisingly anti-climatic way. Anxiously waiting at the Sevilla airport, I prayed that Mom had made all of her flights on time and safely. Glancing up at the information montior, it read that her flight from Madrid to Sevilla had supposedly just arrived. I feel like a six year old at Christmas! I thought to myself. I can't wait to see her!

Standing as close as possible to the black automatic doors that guard the arrival/baggage station, I stole glances and scanned the baggage area for my petite auburn-haired Mama. Doors open. The doors close. Doors open - I see her! But she doesn't see me. And she looks confused. Oh no. Doors close. Doors open - she sees me and waves! Doors close. Doors open - she tells me she doesn't know where her luggage is, and I quickly attempt to tell her to ask the people at the information desk. Doors close. And so our much-anticipated reuniting went - doors open, doors close until she finally found her luggage and made her way out to the openness. :)




I think it goes without saying that we were both extremely excited to be with one another! Catching a taxi from the airport, we headed to our hotel which was located about 15-20 minutes from the centro (center) of Sevilla. My mother was an AMAZING trooper -- despite all of her travel, she wanted to explore and walk around Sevilla the very day she arrived! Day one was filled with hugs, strolls in the centro streets of Sevilla, sights of the cathedral, and Mama beautifully ordering her first cafe con leche (translation: coffee with milk. And yes, this is a very important first here in Spain!). :) We even took a long-ish detour in the centro (aka - we got a little lost) which turned out to be one of those surprisingly beautiful happy mistakes. :) The cobblestone streets we wandered through were precious - filled with unique silver Spanish jewlery shops and artistry stores displaying cermaics painted with green twirling ivy and bright flowers. The few street-side cafes added to the quaint-ness of it all. I truly think that sometimes getting lost is far better than any pre-planned path on a map.





As mentioned, my mother ordered her first cafe con leche in Sevilla. Now this is something to write about: my mother's language skills. I have to say that her Spanish skills are yet another quality about her that I am amazed by. Now if you know my mom at all, you know that despite how much she denies it she has this sweet, totally recongizable-to-most-every-human-ear Southern drawl. So picture this wonderful, soft, and somewhat thick Southern drawl combined with jetlag and then mixed with lots of thick, hard-to-understand Andalucian Spanish. The result? I think you can imagine. :) But, the incredible part is that my mom solidly knows the phrase: Hablo un poco espanol. Translation: I speak a little Spanish. So when she needed to get something done - whether it be ordering a pizza, talking to a shop clerk, or going to the post office, she would start with the disclaimer: Hablo un poco espnaol.....and then she would rattle off in English just like the person could understand everything she was saying. But the amazing part is this: the Spanish people somehow, someway understood her! So I'm concluding that maybe I should quit trying to learn Spanish and instead just say "Hablo un poco espanol" with a sweet Southern drawl and then speak entirely in English. Sounds like a fine plan to me. ;)

Day two of our time in Sevilla was filled with more sight-seeing and LOTS of walking (Mom's pedometer read between 5 and 6 miles I think). Having spent some time in Sevilla, I was extremely excited to show Mom my favorite parts of the city. A visit to the Parque de Maria Lusia, Plaza de Espana, eating delicious helado (ice cream), shopping at Zara (which Mom now has an immense love for), and walking by the river filled our day. It was so wonderful to be able to share one of my favorite parts of Spain with one of my favorite people. :)







Day three we headed to the airport for our flight to Rome....and little did we know that our European fun had just begun....

Optimistic?

Mom left yesterday. We had an amazing 2.5 weeks together here in Europe, and I am so incredibly thankful for every minute and experience we were able to share together! God blessed us with lots of safe travel, fun laughs, and amazing experiences and sights. :) I can't wait to post pictures and blog about all of it! Here is a quick overview of the trip:

*Sevilla
*Rome
*Paris
*London
*La Antilla
*Back to Sevilla (today for Mama to fly out)

It was really hard to say goodbye to Mom -- that is absolutely, positively my least favorite part of living abroad -- saying "see you later" to friends and family. And the way it works in the Sevilla airport is incredibly painful when you see someone off -- you kiss them goodbye, but then you watch them go through the long, twisty security line. You can't stand with them because you don't have a boarding pass, but you can stand close enough to see them and maybe even talk to them -- but not close enough to touch them. And this saying goodbye process goes on for about 15 never-ever-ever ending minutes. It's like you're a little kid with a really bad scrapped knee with a band-aid on it and an evil nurse decides to peel away the band-aid millisecond by millisecond. Ok...maybe it's not that bad (I am exaggerating for the purpose of writing), but you get the point. :) After being teary-eyed and saying the long goodbye to Mama, I hopped in a taxi and then a couple buses to head back to Antilla. And here in Antilla, God gave me a great quote of comfort:

"There are as many nights as days, and the one is just as long as the other in the year's course. Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word 'happy' would lose it's meaning if it were not balanced by sadness." -Carl Jung

What a true and optimistic statement. :) The sadness helps us understand and appreciate the happiness more -- and this holds true for my time abroad as well. There are moments, glimpses, of sadness or homesickness. But that's ok. That's part of life abroad. And we can always be certain that the sun will shine again. :)

Thankful for all of God's blessings and for all of your prayers and for you! Look out for more blogs about our trips soon...



Love and optimism to you,
Brittany :)