Seville is a beautiful city full of culture, bright colors, friendly people, history, and charm. I would not mind moving here to live or retire one day. While in Seville we went to Mass in the Cathedral of Seville - the third largest cathedral in Europe and possibly the world. It was a great experience to see how others worship and hear the gospel read in another language. Also it was amazing to hear the incredible sound of the organ in that majestic and awe-inspiring church. I really enjoyed the beautiful decorative orange trees lining almost every street and the use of vibrant warm colors on the buildings. I am looking forward to visiting the even smaller town of Granada and seeing one of the most amazing palaces ever built - the Alhambra.

Labels: Travel, World Tour

Madrid was worth spending a day in, but I could not see spending more time there as it is a city and does not allow one to see the warm bright and laid back culture we later saw in Seville. While in Madrid we went to the Prado museum, the Royal Palace and Plaza Del Sol among other highlights. We also went to see the Statue of the fallen angel.

One of only three statues in the world of Satan. It is in the Park of Madrid and is worth the time for the curios visitor. After a day we decided to cut our Madrid time short and head to Seville.

Labels: Travel, World Tour

Paris is a beautiful city full of art, fashion and public displays of affection around every corner. While in Paris I was pleasantly surprised to find the people friendly and helpful which was contrary to the stereotype in America of the Parisians. I would start every conversation by saying bonjour and then ask if they spoke English. I think most Americans may just assume everyone speaks English and start the conversation in it in turn possibly offending the people with the assumption that is not always correct. We had our first couchsurfing experience here, and enjoyed learning about the culture, people, history, city and government from Melissa our host who was actually from California and has been studying in Paris for a couple years. I enjoyed seeing the museums, sights, people, and eating the delicious food, but do am not a city person and was glad to leave after five days in this busy and beautiful city.

Labels: Travel, World Tour

The Aran Islands are a group of three islands of the west coast of Ireland. The biggest of the three with a population of around 800 is Inis more home to the viking fort Dun Angus built in 2000B.C. We took a ferry from Galway to Inis Mor and were lucky enough to witness an Irish Coast Guard practice rescue performed from a helicopter onto our ferry! Once we checked into our hostel, we went on a walk around the island with our new friends Mary from Colorado, and Gordon from Boston. The island is mostly made up of green pasture land sectioned into 200 square foot areas by miles upon miles of rock walls. We saw an old Light house and then continued on to the fort. It was so amazing to see a fort that had been around 2000 years before Christ came to earth! The fort is a semicircle situated with the open end of the half circle on a 420 foot cliff dropping into the ceaseless ocean waves bellow. After seeing the Fort, we headed back to the hostel. made some pasta for dinner, and then went to the local pub for a bit before heading to bed so as to wake up in time for our 8:30AM ferry back to Galway Bay followed by a bus ride, a plane to Paris, and a Metro to our hostel the next night. Ireland is a beautiful country with beautiful culture and friendly people.

Labels: Travel, World Tour

After spending a day in Dublin, we headed out to Galway on the west coast of Ireland. Galway is a decent sized town with a college, many shops and tourism options and commercial fishing. It is a great hub for exploring the Cliffs of Moor, Connemara, and Taking a ferry to the Aran Islands. We took a day bus tour of Connemara and saw some beautiful Irish scenery including plains, mountains, and coastline. We also saw Kylemore Abbey and Gothic Cathedral set in a picturesque lake side valley between the green mountain of Ireland. Ireland is a beautiful country with a laid back charm all its own. The people are friendly and the accents are great to listen to.

Labels: Travel, World Tour

Dublin is a fun city to spend a day in. The people are very friendly, the atmosphere is lively, and there are some must see sights. After about a day me and Daniel felt content that we had seen about all there was to see for a short visit to Dublin and were ready to get out into the countryside. While in town we saw Trinity College Campus, The Book of Kells, The Custom House, Dublin Castle, The Dublin Spire, a park, a shopping district and the highlight of the trip - The Guinness Storehouse. I would highly recommend the Dublin Castle tour, The Guinness Storehouse and, as a must see, the Book of Kells. Everyone was so friendly, helpful, and in good spirits. I look forward to spending a few more days getting a glimpse of the people and culture!

Labels: Travel, World Tour

Oxford is a town full of history, prestige and reputations. It was a great experience to see the famous and world renowned campus. While there we had lunch at The Eagle and Child, a pub that is famous as a favorite hang out for C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien! The food was good, and the atmosphere was even better. It was so cool to be in a place that had been a thinking tank for two amazing Christian authors. We met a really nice Father and Daughter From Florida as we were leaving the Pub, and talked to them about football, college, and traveling. I really enjoyed the amazing gardens, buildings, and lively atmosphere while touring the massive campus.

Labels: Travel, World Tour

Rugby is a town of about 80,000 halfway between London and Birmingham. My friend Isaac from Auburn is an Episcopalian youth pastor there, and after touring London with him on Friday , we headed up to visit with him and see Oxford on the following day. Rugby is actually the birthplace of the game with the same name, and has a very prestigious boarding school with a statue of William Webb Ellis - the school boy who first had the idea for the game of Rugby. The town is very cozy, and I really enjoyed meeting the locals, hearing about the history of the town, and getting a much better idea of the cultural and religious differences.

Labels: Travel, World Tour

If you have not been to London, I highly recommend it. It was amazing and awe inspiring to the see the buildings and landscapes where my ancestors and the much of the history of Christianity resides. The age, detail and craftsmanship of the buildings and homes is very humbling and truly makes one realize how young America is. Many of the buildings are from the middle ages or before and going in them gives one the feeling of going back in time and makes history come alive. During our three day stay in London, we saw The National Gallery, The Imperial War Museum, The Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, The London Eye, St. Paul's, Westminster Abbey, Albert and Victoria Museum, The Science Museum, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, Hyde Park, and many other small highlights. It was fast paced and lots of fun. I look forward to the possibility of visiting again in the future.

Labels: Travel, World Tour