Que pasa, España?: Yeah, I'm still alive in case you were getting concerned :)

Fun fact: I feel that I have officially reached the status of "coffee addict"...I'm debating whether that should concern me or not, and whether I should address it this summer or not...

So for the past week we were in Andalucia (Southern Spain) for our Spring break, and then I have been chilling in Salamanca since Thursday. Okay okay, I know there are a lot of places that I've said I could see myself living or vacationing...if I ever flee, and you're wondering where to find me, I've probably taken up residence in Andalucia. I am sooooo glad that we had a whole week there, rather than just a weekend! What makes Southern Spain so cool? Well- because of its proximity to Northern Africa there has historically been (and still is) a huge amount of Arab influence on the region, manifested in the forms of art, architecture, food, and probably other things...I just can't think of anything at this moment. Fun fact- Southern Spain (I think) is one of the only regions where the Bible was printed in Arabic (in vast quantities) because the majority of people didn't speak or read spanish.

We also saw a ton of Roman ruins, which was just so mind-blowing. Like Andalucia is just this amazing mix of paradise meets history meets art wonder meets artisan fair...aka: Rachel's dreamland. Before Andalucia my souvenier purchases consisted of one picture frame and 2 shot glasses. Oh boy am I glad that I didn't buy anything else earlier on- because Im not sure my suitcase could handle it...I know am the proud owner of an entire tea set- including pot, tray, and 6 glasses...a hand painted terra cotta plate, and a handmade wooden jewelry box. They have these handmade wooden end tables...I intend to own one of those in my life. They are UHHHH-MAZEEEE-INGGGG!!!

Oh I forgot to mention the fact that we were in Andalucia for Semana Santa (Holy Week). It is hard for me to try and explain the importance this week holds here. A whole week before Easter there are processions and main roads of cities literally shut down so that these processions can occur. They have giant floats of different saints, figures and Biblical scenes. These processions would last for hours!! One day, I forget the name of the city we were in, the processions began at 8:30 PM, and when we went to bed at about 2:00 AM they were still going strong.

Anyhow, we're gonna wrap this up with a little photgraphic display of the week: