It feels incorrect, walking away from my house and knowing I'm not coming back.

Mom and dad, Elena and Jose Antonio give you greetings and well wishes. Even Romeo looked a little cute today. But just a little. Elena gave us little presents at lunch today, fans that she'd signed and dated. And that's when I broke down. I am welcome back any time and for the sake of happiness I will pretend that it will happen. :) well, loved ones, this is it for awhile. I turn my phone in now. See you all so soon.
Lots of love
Hope

Aaaaaaand waiting for the night bus for the last time.

Looking west as I cross the street on my (hurried) way home for dinner at eight thirty every day.

I always stop and love on the sunset.

Café that is always hoppin.

And that makes the best bocadillos de atún, tomate, y mayonesa.

When I pass the seventies rainbow, I know I'm almost to school.

They're nice doors. Bye bye, UMA.

Last day at school

My blue bridge on the way to the market down by the beach.

I need to stop buying cheap things.

Rose garden that smells so beautiful.

Located under the zig zag steps that lead to the Castillo de Gibralfar or some other nonsense.

Hey, there, beautiful

Hiding among the buildings, málaga's one and only cathedral.

Well, my time here is wrapping up.

We had a farewell dinner last night, everyone was scrubbed up and looking good. It comes in waves, the sadness. Sometimes it hits me when I'm sitting in the school courtyard with my Australians, me complaining about the heat and them huddled in their jumpers (sweaters) yelling at me to put more clothes on. Then they walk back to their class and I realize I don't get this anymore. Yesterday was the last time I'll sit on the bench with Larissa, Georgia, and Ryan pretending that we're not going back to class or that we didn't see our teacher already walk by. It hit when my teacher Antonio asked us what was most surprising about what we expected from Spain. I won't get to have this  incredibly understanding, profound man teach me about Spanish literature. It hit me when I looked out the back of the bus window on my way home and saw, like I always see, the sun setting and the dark outlines of the cathedral and the Alcazaba. And I realize this isn't mine anymore. I don't get to see that sight after Wednesday. And then at the dinner I didn't get sad at all.
I found the gem. I found the perfect city for me to study abroad. Málaga has been my home for three months and I will carry it in my heart now instead of in my line of sight.

Fernando ordered snails so we could all eat them

Which we did, even though they had little faces that looked like they were screaming. You suck it out of its shell-about as hard as it sounds. Fernando took some better photos. Maybe they'll get up on the fbs some time.

And THIS...This is today.

We went to Cádiz for the day. Google map it- it's an island. Whaaa? A city. An island. One whole side of it beach with fine, white sand and absolutely BEAUTIFUL water that I swam in for an hour jumping waves, floating, and generally just being a very excited and happy person. The other half of this island had GREAT leather shops (oops...), a covered street market where we bought some spectacular sheep cheese and a baguette (and some dried mangos), and markets in the streets. there was so much fresh fish-giant tunas, eels, crabs, all fish, and one lady was even skinning a shark. Yes, that's what I meant to say. Skinning a shark. There were so many eyes and tentacles watching me! Long story short, Cádiz is on my short list for a two week vacation. It is awesome. We spent four or six hours at the beach just loving on life.

And now we are driving back to málaga in our rental car

(CARS WITH BACK SEATS AND A TRUNK!! IT IS SO EXCITING!)

The port last night after picking our friend Fernando up from the airport.

It looks like twinkle lights and magic.

They have the capital of every province lining the building. Yeah, málaga!

Everyone's getting ready for la feria which is next weekend

Colourful flamenco dresses, sassy spaniards, and decorated streets.

Let's just row up and down this eighty metre stretch. Good stuff.

Plaza de españa

Note- there is a scene from one of the new Star Wars filmed here. And for good reason, as it looks so giant and foreign as to be a sci fi building.

Park of the infanta María Luisa

Which is sprawling and majestic as all getout.

Sunrise from the roof. Cathedral on the right.

JUST LIKE IN TITANIC!

You know, nbd, dried shark skin on the wall

And a whale rib underneath it that you can't see

Professional explorers

Cathedral and Spanish flag. I call it ¡ESPAÑA!

The Guadalquivir river by day

(ten times more magical at night)

Didn't see any info on what ship she was on

But how neat.

Antigua bandera de los reinos de castilla y león

Badass map that looks like an old treasure map

Inside the tower is a naval museum!

And this is a scale model of the Santa Maria.

Old moorish lookout, torre de oro

It really is impressive. You just can't tell when it's surrounded by an ancient mosque

Outside the cathedral looking up

That window a little closer but blurry

It really is a tall cathedral

Original doors of the cathedral

A Sevilla!

Overnight excursion with ISA. First we visited the Alcazar (Old moorish palace), then on to the cathedral and la giralda! (big tall thing on right) where muslims used to run up five times a day and call the citizens to prayer. Reconstructed in a very Christian style after it fell to the catholics, now there are a whole bunch of bells up at the top. Note- third biggest gothic cathedral in the world. (the outside is absolutely beautiful. The inside is medium. Though it DOES contain forty grams of DNA certified body-of-Colombus carried in a neat throne by four bronze men. That is a lie, not sure they were bronze).

Basically Quasimodo lives here

El patio de los naranjos

Orange tree patio. very lovely place to sit, but watch out for the little canals that run throughout it- those'll getcha.

Some Sevillan buildings from the top of the tower

Supposedly used in gothic architecture not only for water runoff spouts but to keep out the evil and protect the holy

An old gargoyle!!!

Looking out at the cathedral from the walk up the tower

Glass window in the cathedral

Of the two patron saints of Sevilla

REALLY ANCIENT FLAG THAT IS SO BASSAS

made around the seventeenth century. And it is so cool.

The ceiling in the center if the cruz latina form of the church

purdy

The columns were so thick...

My tall friend has a very hard time in Spain, but here he finally found that he had enough clearance to straighten up. :)

Beautiful rosetón letting all that beautiful light in.

Om Nom Nom

I walk past this little branch eating an iron fence every day on my way to the bus.

Post run outfit- aka the most comfy things I own.

There were free massages, but the line was pretty long. Also, free fruit, gatorade, and beer for after. Really, Spain? Beer?