There’s an old saying that goes, “March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb.” I am not entirely sure where it came from, but I’m dedicating this article to whoever said it first because they managed to sum up my spring break in 11 words.
Fordham’s spring break started in the “lion” days of March. This was rather unfortunate for our lovely friends back at Rose Hill, some of whom made the journey across the pond to join us abroad students in our European adventures. As Americans, we are always told about London’s dreary weather. However, I don’t think there was anything that could’ve prepared my friends — or me, for that matter — for the rapid hail storms that took place the day of their arrival.
Nevertheless, a little rain (or pea-sized falling ice rocks) never hurt anybody, so after a pitstop to purchase some umbrellas, I guided my visitors on a three-day tour of London. I’m not sure an American student who’s only been in the U.K. for about three months is the most qualified tour guide, but I gave it my best shot. We started the tour at Fordham London Centre and took a ten-minute walk to the British Museum. In those 10 minutes, we were exposed to just about every form of weather Earth’s atmosphere is capable of producing.
After that introduction, the following days we explored Westminster and Kensington. It was at these moments that I developed a newfound appreciation for tourism. I’ve walked through Westminster many times on my own, but walking around with my friends let me see it through their eyes. Their excitement at seeing things like Big Ben, the London Eye and Westminster Abbey made me feel like I was seeing them for the first time as well.
I ended up retiring from my tour guide position as we continued our spring break in Europe. Our first destination was Madrid, Spain. Now, if you thought that traveling a bit more south would help us venture into the “lamb” days of March, you are not alone. Our carry-ons (all of which lost an epic battle with the Ryanair baggage sizer box) were filled with flowy skirts and short-sleeved tops. I was planning on swapping my umbrella for sunglasses and discarding my jacket. Luckily, I didn’t wind up leaving behind the winter attire entirely because March’s lion was prowling along the Iberian peninsula, preying on college students dressed for warmer weather.
Like our time in London, we didn’t let the lion-like weather scare us away. Despite my shoes squishing when I stepped and my jeans turning about five shades darker, we walked about eight miles every day exploring the piazzas, shops and markets. We toured the Royal Palace of Madrid, where we also made it our personal mission to take a selfie in every extravagant mirror we came across. If the royal families of the 18th century had cell phones, they most certainly would have done the same. We visited art galleries and cathedrals and spent all our nights in Spain getting tapas, a brilliant concept that involves ordering multiple appetizer-like dishes and sharing them family style. I 100% recommend.
Our journey continued to Lisbon, Portugal, and as you can probably guess by now, March’s lion hopped right on our flight with us. At this point, some of my friends traded their umbrellas (which had been repeatedly blown inside out by the wind) for bright pink ponchos. I’m sure the Portuguese locals were in absolute awe of this new fashion statement. A clothing item I wish I purchased was some hiking boots. Pro tip: If you have ever wondered what it would be like to compete on the show “Wipeout,” just wear Adidas Sambas on the steep and narrow cobblestone streets of Lisbon in the pouring rain.
However, every cautious, slippery step was worth the beauty of the city. Each cobblestone street was lined with colorful buildings decorated with flowerboxes and painted tiles. The many hills and mountains displayed the city in an impressive array of buildings and colors tucked next to the shoreline, where the water crashed against a rocky beach. We spent our time exploring statues, excavations of ancient Roman ruins and different castles and monasteries. My personal favorite was our visit to Castelo de São Jorge, where I saw peacocks roaming freely despite the threat of the stormy weather. We also stopped at an open space overlooking the entire city. It was here we got some aesthetic photos with our rain attire, and I purchased a hand-painted bird whistle from a street vendor as a souvenir. Not only is it a cool decoration, but it is also an excellent way to annoy my family with the beautiful sound of high-pitched bird calls on repeat in our house upon my return.
We did manage to get one “lamb” day on our trip. On our very last day in Lisbon, we took advantage of the sun shining by walking along the shoreline.
Our spring break came to a close with one final night in London, where we opted to dine at an American-themed restaurant. My friends from Rose Hill expressed their longing for a good American burger after being outside of the States for so long. I don’t think they fully understood how much I agreed. The restaurant let us know it was authentic American food through the football banners and beer posters on the wall. I also saw a University of Alabama flag, which assured me that I was in the right place.
Nearing the start of April, the sun has been shining pretty consistently in London. Though my Rose Hill friends had to return to the States, I am looking forward to my final weeks in London and all of the sunny lamb-like days ahead.
