And Then the Skies Opened Up

¡Buenas!


As promised, here is a promptly delivered continuation of the last post! I believe I left off with the anxious anticipation of Sevilla's Semana Santa (Holy Week). This week is particularly special to all Spaniards and is an intense celebration of the week leading up to Easter. I was prepped and ready for the streets to be packed with people ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the large, ornate floats that would be carried through the city. One can imagine my excitement for such a culturally significant moment which only occurs once a year and evokes incomparable emotion out of the Sevillano society. That was before the clouds rolled in an showered the city in a rain that just wouldn't quit. It was actually the most tragic, failure of a Semana Santa in 80+ years, as the majority of the processions weren't carried out since the floats are centuries old and are at risk of being destroyed by water. All of the news programs were filled with men and women crying out of disappointment, and I was left feeling sufficiently slighted. The silver lining to all of these clouds was that a couple of visitors washed up as well...

One of the pasos (floats) that would have been carried through the streets

Another paso that was sadly confined to it's church

Two of my good friends from school decided to take a little vacation to visit me in my new home overseas. I know they were initially frustrated with the precipitation they were greeted with, but I'm confident that they had a unique and memorable experience. Despite the three consecutive days of dashing from cafe to cafe and avoiding the massive puddles, we managed to squeeze out some sun, some laughs, and some great cuisine! My friends got to have a relaxing visit as they know approximately 4 words in Spanish and were fortunate to have me around to interpret/translate. I was really glad to have more familiar faces from home, especially because I had the opportunity to experience four Sevilla activities with them that I hadn't gotten around to doing before.

Me and friends after attending Easter Mass in the Catedral

1) Tour of the Plaza de Toros. This is the historic bullring in which all of Sevilla's bullfights have, and still do, take place. We got to see the inside of the ring, as well as learn a little more about the history of a somewhat brutal, controversial Spanish art form. I still feel torn about such a sport that results in the drawn-out slaying of an animal for means of entertainment, but admire its sense of tradition and pride.

Entrance to the bullring

Inside!

2) Plaza de España. Basically a massive, gorgeous, romantic plaza. This location is particularly conducive to casual strolls, first dates, people watching, or any kind of basking.

3) Futbol game! I am fortunate enough to live just a couple blocks from the impressive stadium home to the Sevilla Futbol Club. I often walk by the exuberant mass of red and white scarf-wearing fans congregating outside before a match. From my apartment I can also hear the roar of the crowd after a goal is scored. FINALLY I got to see the action from the inside of the stadium as my friends and I witnessed and eventful match between Sevilla and Villareal. It was definitely a great atmosphere to be a part of, as it was fun to see such passionate sports fans!

Beautiful night for a futbol game!

3) Flamenco Show. I had recently been lamenting that I had yet to see a flamenco show in Sevilla, considering all of the souvenir shops are filled with related paraphernalia. I was beginning to feel like a fraud until we viewed an authentic show in an intimate venue. SO COOL! The singing, guitar, and dancing were all captivating and we watched with awe at the talent shown by all of the performers. All of us left feeling slightly more Spanish and adequately entertained.

Flamenco dancers in motion. Feel the flavor!

Sadly, my chicas had to return to their real lives back home and I saw them off after a delicious lunch and a scoop of ice cream. The weather could have been more cooperative, but with good company and good food, things really aren't so bad.

Sometimes You Just Need a Beach

Málaga!

It appears that I will always be chronically tardy with these blog installations, but I guess better late than never! The semester is quickly winding down and it is hard to believe that it is almost time for me to return to the motherland. But that is just too depressing to talk about. So instead, I write of my latest experiences!

I feel a little silly referring to the ten days off from classes as a “vacation” because it seems as though I have been on vacation the minute I stepped off the plane onto Spanish turf. So no worries, I will not spend any time whining about the return to my normal schedule because I completely acknowledge the necessity of sympathy, haha!

But with the beginning of my free time, I spent four marvelous days on the Costa del Sol  in Málaga, Spain. I have a friend studying abroad there (not sure how much studying one can do when your house is a block away from the Mediterranean, but I’ll just go with it) so it was nice to have someone who knew their way around! I made this trip solo, and of course the universe felt it necessary to make things a little interesting for me. I had a slight disconcerting moment as I was attempting to extract a little cash from the ATM, when it suddenly decided that it was NOT going to give me back my bank card. I asked it nicely, caressed the screen, whispered sweet nothings into the card slot, and waited patiently....but nothing. Apparently there was nothing that the bank could do(???) and I found other means of acquiring money before the journey.

After the pleasant train ride (this has become my favorite mode of transportation) I was quite excited to get a view of the sun setting over the beach. I thought I was lucky to have a hostel directly across the street from the shore, but that was before I knew what the living conditions might be like....

I THOUGHT that I had booked a four person suite of females, and you can imagine my surprise when I awoke the first morning to discover an Italian male in my room. He soon moved out and I was welcomed by Olga, a nice woman who, although seemed a little old to be staying in youth hostel was friendly. Our new roommates moved in the next day: two middle aged Irish-men, what a party! I brought the median age down by about 15 years, but it was quite the experience. As much as I loved having slumber parties with strange (also friendly) men, I was also thankful that it would be my last hostel experience of this trip. On top of that, the room was in the basement of the hostel, which  brought clammy humidity and four-legged, antennae-wielding crawlers that resembled cockroaches. Luckily I spent most of my time on the beach and less time in my cozy little dungeon.

Enough about the sleeping arrangements and more of the fun! After all of the trips that I have taken that have been stuffed to the brim with cultural enlightenment, I was adamant about having this vacation be purely for relaxation and less work for my brain. Therefore, I have nothing historical or educational to offer to this post, but rather obnoxious images of me lounging in the sand with an ocean breeze keeping me cool. I thoroughly enjoyed people watching and the melodious calls of the men selling cold beverages (“cocaaaCOLA-cerVEza-Fanta-agua!”).

Málaga was definitely one of favorite cities I have visited thus far in Spain, as it has a relaxed, beachy, fun vibe. We also took a day trip to a little town called Nerja, which also makes my list of most beautiful, heavenly, picturesque locations. This quaint little town is also situated on the coast, and boasts unique beaches situated in between huge rocks. The wind, waves and sun made for a fun-filled, memorable afternoon. I didn’t actually swim during this trip, and was glad I chose not too because the waves were so big, and the current was too powerful. Our cute afternoon was almost tainted when one of our friends almost lost a battle with an ocean swell and a rock face; no worries, she evaded any injuries! Overall, however, great food, great weather, great company, GREAT DAY!

I finished the remainder of my long beach weekend by soaking up as much sun as I could get a hold of, and exploring the fun, casual nightlife Málaga had to offer. Eventually it was time to shake the sand out of my belongings and return to Sevilla with high anticipation of Semana Santa (More to come on that topic tomorrow!). 

 

The "giraffes" in the port

View of Nerja!

Just thought it was cute!

Life's a beach

Me and a former king of Spain, hangin' on the Balcony of Europe

City Street of Málaga

Used to be a fortress

Town Hall? All fancy and lit up

Welcome to My Humble Abode

Wow, Father Time needs to pump the breaks a little bit! The days and weeks are just FLYING by here and it's tough to keep up. This installment pertains to the week of March 27th, so bear with me here! No worries, this past week was filled with nothing but sunshine, light exploration and classes, so it feels as though I'll be back on track with this week! 

That last week of March was really great because I got to spend it with my parents, my brother and my aunt! It was nice to get a little taste of home and to be able to show where I've been living for two months. They shook off the jet-lag like pros and spent the first night strolling through the lit-up Centro of Sevilla. They called it an early night and we reunited the next day after my class and toured around some more. I unfortunately couldn't join them on the bull ring tour, but from what I've heard it was a nice educational and cultural experience. One of the fantastic features of having my aunt here, besides the fact that it's always nice to see her, is that she speaks FLAWLESS Spanish. My family was lucky to have this crucial resource when I wasn't around to interpret.

Our first main family activity was to take a tour of the Lustau sherry bodega in a little pueblo called Jerez. Our friendly (bilingual thank goodness) guide, Isabel gave us a private tour as well as explained the process of sherry making. Jerez pumps out this stuff all day, every day, and we got to do some tasting! Don't worry, although most of this fine wine has a much higher alcohol content, we kept it classy with no slurring or stumbling. The rest of the afternoon was very leisurely as we went cafe hopping and just kicked back, Spanish style.

Thursday evening was VERY amusing, as all five of us squeezed into my little apartment to have a nice little dinner. Even Manolo showed too, and made sure to pump us all full of wine throughout the meal. The entire evening was essentially a whirlwind of translation (mostly on my aunt's end) as my family just sat back and smiled. The hilarious part was that Lola would look directly at my parents and speak to them as if they had lived in Spain their entire lives, as Manolo kept chiming in, "Speak slower, Lola, they can't understand you!" It was a fabulous time and such an interesting experience for everybody. Lola was thoroughly enchanted by everyone, particularly Cathy with whom she primarily communicated with (it was tough for my mom, dad and brother to get to know her by just smiling and saying "Gracias").

Friday brought MORE beautiful weather, as well as day trip to another little pueblo, Ronda, which is situated on a vast gorge in the rolling Spanish countryside. Although the combination of hot bus, winding roads and a night out on the town with my older bro wasn't my favorite, the fantastical views brought me back to a blissful state. Our exploration of this cute tourist magnet included the ancient Arabic bath houses and a delightful lunch overlooking the gorge. Complete with more wine (see a theme here?) and fine dining, the day was simply refreshing.

Saturday was just spent relaxing, as my fam prepared for the journey back to the homeland. We spent the night reminiscing and drinking more sherry as we recapped our favorite moments. I'd say the award for "Best Effort" would have to go to my Dad, as despite the fact that at times it seemed as though he was speaking jibberish, he always tried to use some Spanish (love you Dad!). I will say that he DID master the phrase "Una cerveza por favor" and can successfully add "ito" to the end of any word to make it smaller/cuter. Over all, it was a wonderful week, with lots of smiles, laughs and general family fun. I'm sure they're still dreaming of tortilla españolas, Spanish ham, and Cruzcampos (Sevillano beer). I'll be sure to add some more pics of me WITH the family as soon as I get my hands on some!

Old barrels full o' sherry!

Glug glug

Lustau Bodega, representin'

Luke, mocking the Tio Pepe man

Posing with weird, naked, headless, statue

Inside the Catedral of Sevilla

View from the top!

Me in Ronda, psyched to be off that bus!

Puente Nuevo- Ronda

Do people really live here?

Inside the Arab bath house

Hanging outside the bath house

About to eat some Salmorejo (like a gazpacho)- delicious

Deja Vu? Barcelona Round Two

¡AY! Apologies for my insane tardiness! No doubt you all have been waiting anxiously, staring at your computer screens waiting for an update! Here you go, part 1 of 2 because it appears as though I have two weeks worth to tell.

First, the weather has become obnoxiously beautiful and the streets have become full of  fanny packs and cameras (I’m talking about tourists). I’ve never felt more Spanish than when I quietly growl as I weave through the maze of unfolded maps in the middle of the sidewalks. Everybody is wantin’ a piece of sunny Sevilla! However I don’t blend in too well as I’d like to, as I strut down the streets in shorts and a t-shirt in, what I find to be, delightful 75 degree weather. Apparently eggs must be frying on the sidewalks before Sevillanos change from leggings/tights/jackets/scarves into skimpier clothing. Oh well, for now I will tolerate the puzzled looks as passersby with a tolerable internal temperature.

I found at least one other person who shares my wardrobe philosophy during my second trip to Barcelona. While enjoying some nice Mediterranean sun on a considerably chillier beach, my friends and I were baffled by the appearance of a completely NUDE man strolling down the shore. I wasn’t sure whether to be more surprised that he was naked or to be impressed that he didn’t seem phased by the brisk breeze and left all other beach goers with their jackets fully zipped. Ultimately, I decided to admire the confidence this middle-aged man had with his body and accepted the experience as an example of my new motto, “No Shame Spain.” Not to say that anyone will see me lounging by the Guadalquivir river in my birthday suit anytime soon, but that I have adopted a less inhibited attitude while being here.

The rest of the Barcelona trip didn’t contain any other blush-worthy moments, but I did make sure to catch some other sights that I didn’t see the first time. We accompanied our fellow Muhlenbergers (who were visiting from Italy) on their first churro experience; I didn’t mind having to indulge again in these soul-soothing treats. We also explore the Chocolate Museum and saw some impressive chocolatey displays. Later that evening we hiked all the way out to Montjuic to view the special fountain light show. The 15 minute show was super cool and was complemented with the most random selection of music.

We intended to take another visit to Parc Güell on Sunday morning, but awoke to a dreary, drizzly day. We instead got a quick jolt from café con leche in a local cafe and took to wandering some streets. We stumbled upon a little shop that sells all types of olive oil, and were treated to a quick tasting. I hadn’t known how many different varieties of this precious little oil there were, but I definitely left with a better appreciation of the Spanish staple. The skies eventually cleared up to reveal a GORGEOUS day, but alas, we didn’t have time to make the trek to the park. We finished off the morning sitting by the charming harbor, people watching and enjoying the tunes blasting out of a little waffle stand.

Overall, this trip sucked a large quantity of money out of my bank account, but it was still fun to explore some of the aspects of the city that I missed the first time. I also just love passing the time sipping on a beverage, and munching on a tapa, just soaking in everything around me!



Coming up soon is the recap of this past week that I spent with my family here in Sevilla! Stick around!