Semana Santa with Mom and Dad!

WOW! Spring Break = the best week of the semester by far.  March 28th my parents flew into Granada and I picked them up at the airport.  I couldn't believe that I was ACTUALLY going to be seeing them!  I anxiously waited for them to get their luggage and when I saw them, naturally my mom and I started bawling.  (so "longman") It did not feel like real life that I was actually with them in Spain! After arriving at our hotel, which was absolutely beautiful (I guess you could say it was a TAD nicer than the hostels I've been staying at :] ) we went out for lunch and I started to show them around the city.  I got to show them my school (where we awkwardly ran into my professor of the class I was ditching at that time haha) and around the main streets.  We ended the night kind of early because they were obviously super jet-lagged!  The next day, all of Spain was on a general strike so almost everything was closed and there were protests all throughout the streets.  The little Arab shops were open so we did a lot of shopping there, got a delicious crepe for an afternoon snack and explored some more!  That morning, my Dad and I went to my house to fill up a suitcase of stuff they were going to bring back and he got to meet my host mom and sister.  On the way back to the hotel (while lugging a suitcase) we got caught in a huge demonstration in the street and we did NOT fit in at all! haha It was so hilarious!  Thursday afternoon, I finally got to run with my Dad in Parque Garcia Lorca, where I spend every morning running.  The whole semester I had been imagining him running with me in the park and it finally happened!  Now, when I run there I always think to myself, "My dad ran on these paths!!" haha Friday, we spent many hours at the Alhambra.  They were extremely fascinated by it and I'm glad we had the opportunity to go!  We bought an audio tour to explain everything to us as we went through.  It was my second time there, but was still just as beautiful.  Friday night was my favorite part of our time in Granada.  My real parents finally got to meet my host family!  Let's just say that by the end of the night my cheeks hurt SO much from laughing the entire time.  My host mom bought traditional Semana Santa (Holy Week) desserts for us and we talked the whole night.  I couldn't believe how much English my host parents knew!  My parents kept saying how much little Marga acts like me when I was little.  After my parents promised to return my host mom's daughter in a week, she promised them that she would return me May 25th :)

Saturday morning, we got up bright and early to go to Barcelona!!  I had heard from so many people, before coming to Spain, that Barcelona is not like any other city and everyone loves it.  Well, they definitely were right!  The day we got there, we went out to lunch and explored a bit.  My dad and I went to a park near the hotel and hung out there a little bit!  Sunday we did an "on/off" tour which was sooo fun!  It was a double decker bus that goes to all of the important sites in the city.  It was awesome because we got to see so much in such little time.  My favorite part of the tour was the Sagrada Familia Cathedral.  Unfortunately, since it was Palm Sunday, we could not enter because there was mass, but it was still very cool seeing it from the outside!  We also got to see a lot of Gaudi's work, the 1992 olympic stadium and the Barcelona soccer stadium as well.  That evening, I got to go for another run with my dad (it was so nice having a travel running buddy for once!) and then we went out for delicious tapas at night!  Monday was the day that I had been looking forward to the most...the beach!!  We took the metro to the beach and spent the whole day relaxing and enjoying the sun.  It was such a perfect day!

Tuesday morning, after waiting many hours in the Barcelona airport due to a delay in our flight from a strike of the air traffic controlers in Paris, we finally arrived in FRANCE! After checking into the hotel, one of my best friends from home, Becca, who is studying abroad in Paris this semester met us at our hotel.  It was SOOO good to see her :) We went out for delicious crepes for dinner and then went to the top of the Montparnasse tower where we got to see a view of the entire city including the Eiffel Tower!  It was pretty gloomy outside but still so beautiful.  Then Becca and I spent the night catching up at the hotel!  I couldn't believe I was actually with her.  It's so cool to see how much we're both growing from spending the semester in Europe.  The next day, my parents and I explored through the neighborhood that our hotel was in, which was actually a Jewish neighborhood coincidentally!  Then Becca and I went to an Italian restaurant together and then went on a mission for a rugby jersey for Pat!  The rugby shop was really close to Moulin Rouge so I got to see that as well!  We also went to the famous lock bridge on the Seine River outside of Notre Dame, where couples attach a lock to the bridge and throw the keys in the river with their names on the outside.  As I was putting a lock on it for Pat and I, a group of French kids next to us were shouting "Lesbians!" at us because they thought that the lock was for Becca and I.  hahaha It was sooo funny!  They wanted us to kiss so bad and we walked away nearly crying from laughing so hard!  Definitely the funniest part of the day.  That night, my parents and I went on a double-decker illuminations tour throughout Paris!  It was soo pretty to see all of the momentous events at night all lit up, especially the twinkling Eiffel Tower!  Our last day in Paris, we met Becca at the Eiffel Tower and then went on a boat river down the Seine!  Becca surprised us with bringing DELICIOUS French pastries for breakfast :) After enjoying lunch at a cafe near the Eiffel Tower, I did a little shopping and then Becca, My dad and I climbed up a giant hill to get to Montmarte, where we did some touristy shopping and had dinner!

Unfortunately, Friday morning my parents and I flew to the Madrid airport together.  From there, they flew back to home sweet Chicago and I flew back to home sweet Granada.  It was really hard saying bye to them, but comforting knowing that I would see them in just seven weeks!  I am so thankful that my parents were able to make the trip out here!  I felt so rejuvenated after the week with them and couldn't stop smiling when people would ask me about my spring break.  I feel so lucky to have such loving and fun parents! We definitely missed the rest of the Longman clan though!

This coming weekend I am going to the beach in Nerja, Spain, the following weekend I will be in Switzerland for five days, and three days later, Lagos, Portugal!  There is a lot coming up and before I know it, I will be on my way home!  I miss everyone way too much! :]