Spring Break

Barcelona

Torre de Belem in Lisbon

Lisbon Bus Tour in the rain (Stephanie from PA and Crista from AR/Germany)

Crista, me, Stephanie and Kaitlin in Lisbon

Inside barrack at sachsenhausen

sachsenhausen concentration camp

Berlin Church

Berlin Wall with Crista

Dam Square Amsterdam

Madame Taussauds Wax Museum Amsterdam with Madalena. That'd be Heidi Klum on the left and Tyra on the right.

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I would first like to thank all who worried, prayed or called family members, friends and the Spanish Embassy after I left my phone in a gas station bathroom like a goober. I am Jimbo Webb's child and that is the only excuse I can come up with.

I am so pooped from two weeks of traveling but I had a blast. The first stop was Amsterdam. We got to see Anne Frank's house, the Gentleman's Canal, Dam Square and approximately three billion bikes. Dutch is the silliest language ever and the metro was always free(by that I mean the gates were always open and we were never asked for a ticket).

Stop number two was Berlin. We took a free tour of the city on the second day. We got to see the Holocaust memorial, Checkpoint Charlie and the American Sector, the Brandenburg Gate, Hitler's bunker, Humboldt University and a beautiful Protestant church that I don't remember the name of(picture above). On Easter we went to the concentration camp. It was a weird day to go but I am so glad we went. Walking through the camp I just felt a weight that you can't explain until you go there. I didn't know until the tour how many homosexuals and gypsies were also victims of the Holocaust. I learned a lot in Berlin and I was so excited to discover that Germans know what real food is! I bought a ridiculous amount of chocolate. I am trying to pace myself but am failing miserably.

Stop number three was Lisbon. We had an amazing tour guide in my Portuguese friend from last semester, Madalena. She had class during the day but was able to tell us cool neighborhoods to check out. We took a bus tour one day and hung out at the river. The Torre of Belem was beauuuutiful. Portugal is my favorite place so far and I don't really know why.

The last stop was Barcelona. I got to see Emily and apologize for being such a loser. On Friday we met her to eat Pinchos(Spanish appetizers) and later when out. The night life in Barcelona is really fun. On the other days we took a few bus tours, got rained on and saw lots of Gaudi's work.
I got home Sunday after taking a cab, a subway, two trains, a bus and another cab to get home. I am so tired but had the most epic spring break ever attempted. I have no plans for May but I am saving money so I can be in Greece for my 21st birthday in June.

Happy birthday this week to Zach and Mariana, two of my favorite people in the world!

How are YOU?

Paris 2009
I got home last night from a weekend in Paris with Rebecca. I got there on Thursday night and met Bec and the group at her hotel which is right on the River Seine, about 2 blocks from the Eiffel Tower. Friday morning we went to the Sacre Coeur Basicilia, my favorite place in the world. That afternoon we did some shopping in the Saint Lazare arrondisement and went back to the hotel to get ready. We ate in the Red Light District and Bec and I went to the eleven o'clock show of the Moulin Rouge. I loved alot of the costumes. Each scene had a different theme. My favorites were the snake pool and the tiny pony scenes. The Moulin Rouge is a little over the top, music, a little magic, champagne and glamour.
The next day was Saturday and we left early to go to the Palace of Versailles. I learned lots of information that I either don't remember or wasn't paying attention to last time. King Louis built the enormous gardens for his wife Marie Antoinette, who was three flavors of crazy. We ate lunch on the grounds and then took the train back to Paris. Later Saturday Rebecca and I shopped at the Galleries Lafayette and met the group that night under the Eiffel Tower. The UTM kids took a boat ride on the River Seine, which they really enjoyed.
It is so strange to me how different a city looks after the first time you see it. Cliche or not Paris does have a je ne sais quoi that I haven't felt in any other city I have visited. I hate that I let myself get French.
I was so glad to spend time with Rebecca. This Webb cousin European vacation was a success.
As for Pamplona, the weather has been so wonderful lately. My classes this semester are: Women, Education and Workplace(my favorite, I like learning the differences in the Spanish view of women compared to the one at home), Spanish through texts, Surrealism in theatre and literature and Spanish contemporary novels. This year is flying by. I can't believe I have been here 6 months.
I love my roommate from Argentina, Itziar. She is so sweet, fun and helpful. She has just bought a laptop so we might be getting internet in the apartment. To be honest not having it is not as bad as I thought. I kind of like to be disconnected until I decide not to be. I am definitely more productive at home without it! This week I have 2 days off of class and then in 3 weeks we have Spring Break. The plan is Amsterdam, Berlin, Lisboa and Barcelona.

hahahaha

Sun Grins!! Piazalle Michelangelo in Florence

I had to take this picture.

Brussels Palace

Gran Place in Brussels

Hey there race fans...

Mrs. Judy and Ennie are here visiting me and we have had a great trip so far. I met them in Madrid and we flew to Brussels. We checked into our hotel and crashed. The girls caught up on some sleep and we spent the day walking around the Gran Place and visiting museums. We got to see the Mannekin Pis, which is the strangest tourist attraction on the planet. Yes, I did eat a Belgian waffle. With bananas and strawberries and chocolate. YUM

We flew to Pisa the next day and saw the leaning tower. We climbed the 400 steps to the top!

The next day we went to Florence and saw the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral. We also climbed to the top of this. Probably more than 400 steps in two flavors, windy or tiny and straight up.

We wanted to take a bike tour in Tuscany but it doesn't run in the winter. We spent the following day seeing more of Florence. We saw Michelangelo's David statue, it was really amazing in person.

Sunday we flew back to Barcelona and got to eat lunch with Emily White, from Milan who is studying abroad there for the semester. We walked down to the beach so the girls could see it.

Since then we have been in Pamplona. Today we went to the Biarritz, France beach and were literally almost blown away. I have got to start checking the weather before I leave the house. 90+ winds in France today. Oops.

I start classes next Monday. Also, I'm going to see Rebecca in Paris next month. Webb cousins in France!

I hope everyone is having a great February.