My family's visit

Tarifa, two cool kids slumming it and hanging out with me on the coast (Africa in the background)

Hola!!  Just finished an incredibly great week.  My family and I had so much fun.  Irati, our former exchange student from Bilbao, flew down and we had a fabulous time with her.  She is still as hilarious.  She wore 4 inch heels most of the trip but they were really comfortable—since they were “her short heels,” she told me!  She is studying medicine to be a plastic surgeon (reconstructive surgery).  We hung around Seville and spent a day in Lagos, Portugal.  It was gorgeous!! 

After Irati left, we had dinner in my apartment here, 5 courses made by my senora.  She really went all out.  We later took her and Marga out to an Argentian steak house for lunch.  The rest of the time we ate out at very Sevillian restaurants and once at an Italian place.  Great food, lots of seafood of course!  Best meal: Paella at La Isla.  Probably the best meal I have ever eaten in Europe.  Matthew enjoyed a donut in Dunkin Donuts and I posted a picture on Facebook.  Today, Marga bought me 6 donuts because she saw the picture and thought I would enjoy them!

We went to Madrid by AVE (high-speed train), and I really enjoyed the city.  Sadly, the Reina Sofia museum was closed.  Luckily, I will be back soon and I think then I can enter! 

We were planning on going to Morocco, but I found out that my program takes us there at no additional charge.  For this reason, we decided ahead of time, to go to Tarifa instead.  It is a beach town in Southern Spain.  I loved the topography, watching kite surfing, and taking in the Roman ruins in Bolonia. 

Also, probably the funniest night of my life occurred.  I cannot even begin to explain the gravity of the situation…my mom had to navigate us through the winding and narrowing (literally) roads of Arcos de la Frontera.  7 gears, 9 passenger minibus, and openings about 6 feet wide.  No idea how she did it, but there was not even a scratch on the car, well there were several, but they were attributable to my dad.  Oh wait, he is incapable of driving stick so he didn’t even drive!! ßHe gets very mad when we say this, sorry Dad, at least you can be sure you taught us honesty!  Mary took videos and our commentaries are quite funny.  I seriously was thinking in my head, “Who do we call when we cannot proceed?  The police?”

Just a great time!!!  Cannot wait to be reunited with the core in December.  Anyways, schoolwork is really starting to pile up (thus the lack of blogs), so I must go.  Heading off to Morocco this Thursday.  Will report back soon!

Much love, Jane 

*Also a SO to the Badgers--jeeeeez did I miss an epic game!

**And a VERY VERY VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Wu Richard Yue--miss ya!

...Before I left for Spain...Matthew, Wu Richard Yue, Me, "Jane" (Olympic gold medalist in shooting), "Betty" (Olympic gold medalist in curling), and Mary