Spring Break Part 2

Spring break was really fun and I am so glad I got to see so much of Europe in one(ish) week. I think Hamburg was my favorite part of Spring break and my favorite place in general, closely followed by Prague. I toured St. Pauli, Hamburg's Red Light District, with the same guide and many of the same people from the morning tour and it was such a different part of the city. At the very first stop of our tour, we saw two people having 'some fun' in the park, to which the tour guide replied, "If we stopped every time we saw something like this in St. Pauli we would never make it through the tour," and continued to give us information.  Unlike Amsterdam where the workers are behind glass, the girls rent out a portion of the sidewalk and talk to the men and follow them. Overall, it was just a really cool and very different part of the city. We saw where the Beatles first started playing, WW2 bomb shelters that are now parking garages and Discotecas, and all kinds of strip clubs, bars, brothels, and sex shops. After the tour, I ate dinner with one of the couples (Hamburgers in Hamburg woop!). I really enjoyed learning about how they met in New York but live in Israel. After Hamburg, I met up with basically everyone in the program in Dublin. Dublin was a great end to the trip because we didn't rush to do anything and simply enjoyed relaxing. We toured the Dublin Castle, went to Temple Bar, and toured Guinness. Even though I am allergic to beer I really liked the Guinness tour and even learned how to pour their beer. We also took a tour of Dublin's Darkside, ironically with the brother of my tour guide in Hamburg, and learned about the ghosts, serial killers, and famous terror writers, like Bramm Stoker, that lived and are famous in Dublin. Overall, Spring break was an amazing time.

I also cannot believe how fast time has gone by. This weekend I am going to Tenerife in the Canary Islands and the next Monday (6th) I am headed back to the states. I don't know if I should feel excited to see all my family and friends, or sad because I am leaving a place I now consider my second home, my Spanish family, and all the friends I have made here.

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