Another week gone by so quickly! I feel like I just posted my last update, and now it’s time for another.
According to Ignacia, Sevilla hasn’t seen this much rain in 50 years! Que mala suerte (what bad luck!). The beginning of this week was pretty much a washout – and I wasn’t able to do much other than go to class. Two other girls and I did finalize our trip to Paris in late March/early April by booking a hostel! Booking flights and hostels always gets me excited. Thursday night a bunch of other students got together to go out for tapas for a friend’s birthday, and our guide from orientation came as well! It was great to see Carolina again. Despite the never-ending rain, she did take us out to other bars and even a discoteca in Sevilla that I had never been to.
Friday we woke up to SUN! It was a beautiful day in Sevilla – sunny, windy, and in the 60s. After lunch I met with a few other girls to spend some time by the river. After meeting with a few more girls, we finally ventured inside the Cathedral of Sevilla. I walk by the Cathedral every day to class but hadn’t gone in until this past week. Because we didn’t get there until a bit later in the afternoon we had to tour the inside quickly before climbing up the Giralda – which is the bell tower of the Cathedral. 30something flights later, we were able to see a gorgeous view of the city. We picked a great day to visit the Cathedral and climb the Giralda, and I can’t wait to bring my friends and family back!
Saturday we left bright and early for Granada! About 90 out of the 250ish kids on my program went on the trip that CIEE organized for us, and there’s another trip in March when more will go. After arriving around noon and eating lunch at the hotel, half of us were taken to the Alhambra – a palace and fortress that the Muslims built in the 14th century. Sometime soon after it was built, it was converted to a Christian site after King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile conquered the previously ruling Muslims. It’s more like a miniature town than a palace with so much beautiful architecture. Because it’s situated on a hill on the edge of the city, there is a beautiful view of the city nearly everywhere you look. Luckily we had another beautiful day and after an extensive tour of the palace and gardens, we all had taken a LOT of pictures. Here are some of the best ones.
Unfortunately my camera died at this point, but I had gotten the most important pictures. After visiting the Alhambra, CIEE took us out for tea and pastries at an Arab ‘tetería’ – a tea shop. It was a nice way to relax after walking for nearly 4 hours at the Alhambra. After tea, we were free to walk around the city for a bit before dinner at the hotel. Our hotel was located right next to the Alhambra on the edge of the city which was convenient that morning when we walked to the Alhambra, but not convenient when they left us on our own to return to the hotel. We basically could not walk (especially at night, too dangerous) so we were forced to spend our own money on a bus or taxi. It wouldn’t have been a big deal but our program specifically told us not to bring a lot of money. Oh well… we were a bit tired from the long tour that day so after a little shopping in the main center of town we headed back to the hotel to shower before dinner. Like lunch, dinner was buffet style and surprisingly delicious – and we all ate too much. It was a mix of Spanish food (paella and lots of seafood) and American food (pasta and French fries) along with many other dishes and I think everyone was so excited with all the choices that we went a bit overboard. Good thing we walked so much that day.
After dinner we were free to go out in the city (again – we had to take taxis) and CIEE recommended a few popular bars and hangouts for us. Still, once we got to the main plaza we were a little unsure of where to go. One thing we had been looking forward to about Granada was their tradition of free tapas when you order a cerveza (beer) at a bar. This is not a tradition in Sevilla and so after seeing the first bar with a sign advertising Cerveza + Tapa 2 Euro we practically ran inside. We should have gotten the hint when the bar was nearly empty but we quickly ordered beers and attempted to choose which tapa we wanted. Apparently because it was after midnight the cook was only offering one type of tapa – a small roll with tuna and some sort of sauce on it. It was definitely not the best tapa I’ve ever had, and at that point I wasn’t even hungry. We quickly gave up on our search for tapas and instead ventured out for a livelier bar. After finding one bar that seemed good enough, we realized there were other American students who were studying abroad in Madrid and also visiting Granada for the weekend. They were able to show us to a popular discoteca in Granada which my girlfriends and I were able to get in for free. Our American guy friends weren’t as lucky – but that always seems to be the case here. The discoteca was a lot of fun – not too crowded with a lot of American music. But because we were so tired from our tour that day we weren’t able to stay out too late – we left at about 2am. While at home that could be considered late – here, people asked why we were leaving so early! I’m still adjusting to the staying up all night and sleeping all morning – but so far I like it. It seems everyone in Spain likes the college life-style of staying in bed until nearly noon. Even Ignacia sleeps until 11am on the weekends! Anyway, it was a great night overall. This morning we woke up and were taken to the neighborhood of Granada which we had been overlooking the previous day at the Alhambra. Again, it was beautiful but this time we had the reverse view and found ourselves looking up at the Alhambra from below. Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures from today since my camera died! After touring the neighborhood we were left with free time in the city, during which we got some delicious ice cream, and then had to find our way back to the hotel for lunch. After eating until we couldn’t eat anymore we headed back on the bus for the 3 hour trip back to Sevilla. Granada was a great city but very different from Sevilla. Since it’s located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, it’s a very hilly city. It’s also a bit smaller than Sevilla and as one of my professors insists, it’s quite hippy. It was a perfect overnight trip, and staying in the hotel was fun too – almost like being back in a dorm, which I think we’ve all missed a lot here.
Now I’m about to start another week of classes here followed by a long-weekend trip to Madrid! Sunday is Día de Andalucía, and our Monday classes following this day are canceled! I’m not sure why we have a day to celebrate Andalucía, but I’m not complaining. You can expect another update early next week after I get back from Madrid. The forecast for the next few days is rain (surprise, surprise) but after that it looks promising! Sunny and 70s – I can’t wait.
Lastly – my cousin Georgie has requested that I post a food review of my favorite dish in Spain thus far, which I think is a great idea. Expect that in the near future as well!
your pictures are so good mg!
ReplyDeleteToo bad your brother and I aren't there to close the discotecas with you. Keep up the good work. -Cousin Geo
ReplyDelete