Hello all,
My name is Tucker McLain and I am laying in my bed writing this after just getting back home from almost 10 days of travel. For our GLS class, we just ended our Spring Break. While people from our class travelled all over Europe, my group journeyed to Portugal, Spain, and Morocco. This is the most I have ever travelled in my life, and I absolutely loved every second of it. Living out of a backpack and moving from place to place was so exhilarating. The best part was that, unlike London, the sun actually exists in these places.
Our first stop was Lisbon, Portugal. Going into Lisbon, I wasn't exactly sure what I was expecting, but it completely blew me away. From the great hostel to the delicious food, I can't really pick out many bad things in Lisbon. It is also quite beautiful, especially in the afternoon sun.
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| City of Lisbon from our walking tour |
While in Lisbon, we took a day trip to Sintra where we toured the Castle of the Moors, the Pena National Palace, and the Quinta da Regaliera (a historic estate). The sights were beautiful, the weather was warm, and looking into the history of Portugal was quite interesting.
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| Palácio Nacional da Pena | |
After returning to Lisbon, we went on a walking tour of the city with the most hilarious tour guide ever. He showed us the historic, romantic, and humorous side of the city. If you're ever in Lisbon, be sure to go on a tour with Hugo from Wild Walkers. He only operates on tips, the actual tour is free, and you won't regret it in the least. Finally, we took the train to the Belem neighborhood of Lisbon to watch the sunset for our last night.
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| Sunset in Lisbon |
Moving on from Lisbon, we travelled to Seville, Spain. A little cloudy, but overall a very nice city in Spain. Unlike Lisbon, where nearly everyone spoke English in addition to Portuguese, barely anyone in Seville understood it. Fortunately, my rusty AP Spanish skills allowed us to at least get by for a few days. In Seville, we visited a bull ring, the Alcazar Palace, and went on another walking tour with another funny tour guide. One of the highlights here was a Flamenco Dance that we all went to see. They move their feet so fast that their legs are a blur. Seville was a great stop and the Plaza de España was a beautiful place.
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| Plaza de España, Sevilla |
Next stop on our trip was Barcelona, Spain. Unfortunately, we only had 1 full day in Barcelona, so it was a little hectic to get in everything that we wanted to do. Fortunately, we did get to visit Park Güell and La Sagrada Familia, two of the most beautiful places in all of Barcelona. First we went to Park Güell, which was atop a hill that overlooked all of the city. Despite falling up the escalator going there, it was a beautiful and tranquil place. We even found a hippie swing that overlooked most of the city.
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| Hippie Swing |
Then we went to La Sagrada Familia, a Roman Catholic church that has been under construction since the 1880s with still a lot of progress to go. It's intricate marble work and beautiful stained glass made it a highlight of the trip.
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| La Sagrada Familia |
After leaving Barcelona, we went to Marrakech, Morocco. This was my first time visiting anywhere in Africa, and I was stunned by how amazing it was. The people of Marrakech are the most friendly people I have ever met, by leaps and bounds. Like Lisbon, I didn't know what to expect here, but Marrakech was the crowning moment of this trip for me. Between the Souks and the gardens and, above all, the camel ride, there was not a dull moment. Even the hostel we stayed at was the most amazing hostel I have ever seen. The staff even gave us a free, traditional dinner on Valentine's Day with a musician to serenade everyone. My valentine this year was my camel, Toto. She was so kind, even though all the other camels liked to run into her. I couldn't ask for anything more in Marrakech.
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| Me and Toto |
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| Camel Convoy |
Overall, this was easily the best spring break ever, and probably the best week of my entire life. If I wasn't before, I definitely am now hooked on travel. I am grateful for this awesome trip and the amazing people I got to travel with. Without their craziness, it wouldn't have been nearly as memorable.
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| The Camel Crew |
Until next time,
Tucker McLain
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