Adventuras como una Sevillana y mi Viaje a Granada

Wow. I’ve already been in Sevilla for 5 weeks now…that’s over a month!! In many ways it feels like I have been here much longer than that though. All of the new experiences I have had and all of the new friends I have made makes my first day here seem like ages ago. With it being the beginning of the 4th week of classes, I am really starting to get into the routine of things here!

My classes are going well, even though they could be a little more organized....we get more done in my 50 minutes back at home than we do in 2 hours here! Most normal people would like that, but then there is nerdy me thinking, "This stuff is interesting, I wish we would spend more time being productive and learning more!" But I'm not complaining too much ,because in comparison to Madison there is virtually no homework. I have never been so stress free in my life! Since I am so used to being constantly busy and stressed at home, it has been very strange to actually have this strange thing called, "free time." The times that I have nothing to do are the times I miss home the most, so I try to avoid it at all costs! ( Which isn't very difficult when you are in a city with a million and one things to do and a million and one small streets to explore!)

I also have started volunteering once a week at a school, playing games with 3-5 year olds after school. I love being by kids again! My time there pretty much includes them all screaming at me in Spanish all at once while climbing on top of me....it's so much fun! It's also interesting to note the difference in the way that the teachers interact with the children. Here they kiss and hug all of the kids, and call them pet names and such. They will fling the kids over their shoulders or spin them in a circle by their arms, while also knocking other children over at the same time with the legs of the swinging kid (which I cringe at every time I see, but they don't seem to care!) In the U.S. such affection and informality would never be allowed! My mom would fit in well here ;)

 It sure was an adventure trying to figure out how to use the buses to get to the school I volunteer at...I embarrassingly put my bus pass inside the slot that the receipts come out of...apparently they are more modern here and you just have to hold your pass over a big red bump! Good thing the bus driver was in a good mood as he pulled over and took the whole machine apart to get my card out! 

Granada

Also last weekend I visited Granada with my program! Granada is a popular Andalusian city to visit as it has a great view of the mountains all around, and a very old and huge Muslim palace called the Alhambra.

The fresh mountain air was much appreciated after breathing only city air for a month! 

Grace, Sarah, and I at the top of one of the castle towers in the Alhambra

First Day

I was a little disappointed with the limited amount of time my program planned for Granada, there was so much to see that we didn't get to! At least we got to see the Alhambra! This fortified palace originally started as a small fortress in 889 and then later added on by various Kings over the centuries. It has Islamic design with some small Christian influences from its later years.

Maze-like gardens at the Alhambra

Grace and I at the Alhambra

There were many fountains throughout the palaces. Fountains were a very sacred thing for the Muslim people at that time

The details on all of the walls were incredible! The walls were full of designs and Arabic writing.

The ceilings were unreal! 

Evan and I at the Alhambra

There was also a palace built by the Christian King Charles V in 1527. It was really pretty, but not nearly as as cool as the Islamic palaces! 

After the Alhambra tour we had free time to get some food and explore the city for the night. In Granada you get free tapas with the purchase of a drink. It sounds like a good deal, buuuut the drinks cost twice as much there and the tapas seemed smaller than in Sevilla! Another reason why Sevilla is better ;) It was fun though, because my friend knew a Spanish student studying at the university there, so we got shown around the city by a local!

 Second Day 

The second day was pretty cold and rainy, but we still made the most of it by taking a tour of the oldest neighborhood in Granada. It consisted of the typical Spanish white houses which are so pretty!

We also got an awesome view of the Alhambra from the other side of the city! 

There was also the pleasant surprise of a couple of Flamenco street performers. When they started playing, a group of old Spanish ladies visiting Granada started dancing flamenco and teaching girls from my group how to dance! Pretty soon everyone was dancing flamenco randomly in the street and the street performers were having a ball. It was a crazy experience!

We later stopped for some delicious dulces (sweets) at a monastery. The nuns in this monastery don't have any contact with the outside world, besides this small door. She speaks through the door and uses the spinning rack in the picture to sell her treats without  being able to see us. We got some lemon muffins that was so moist and good!

At the end we visited the cathedral where the bodies of several Christian Kings and Queens rest. No pictures were allowed inside, but it was beautiful! 

I also kept busy during the week visiting two different palaces in Sevilla! I forgot my camera for the Palace of Lebrija, which contained a large collection of ancient artifacts that some rich woman horded in her home! The other palace was Casa Pilatos. The gardens there were my favorite part :) 

The weather has finally started feeling like Spanish weather here! It has been in the upper 50's/ lower 60's, but with the sun it feels like 70! I am happy to be rid of that nasty rain! But I can't complain, because it is at least above 10 degrees here! I love and miss everyone and hope March will start bringing warmer weather for everyone back home! 

¡Bienvenido a Barcelona!

So this last weekend three other girls and I decided to take the 1 hour 45 min plane ride to a whole other world: Barcelona! I seriously felt like I wasn't in Spain anymore...I barely even heard Spanish being spoken! The official language there is Catalan, a mixture of French, Spanish, and Italian....like what??? Even then it was mostly English that we heard (the official language of tourism). Barcelona had a very large city and modern feel, which is so unlike the small, friendly, and historic feel of Seville. (I might be a little biased, but I am so glad that I chose to study abroad in Seville instead of Barcelona!)

The flight there was super early, so we had to get up at 4 am that day...the rest of the weekend wasn't much better. I probably totaled less than 15 hours of sleep the whole weekend! Anyway...be prepared for some major picture viewing!!

Art!

To start off the day, we walked around the city a little bit. All of Barcelona is very very artsy, and has many parks with random pieces of art. It is all very modern and abstract. I don't understand art at all, so don't ask me what messages these pieces were supposed to be portraying! They were fun to look at though:)

My travel buddy, Sarah :)

Arc de Triomf built for the World Fair in 1888

Park Guell

After what felt like a 5 hour hike uphill, we finally made it to the famous Park Guell. This was my first, but definitely not my last, contact with Gaudi's work. He is a super famous arcitect who lived from 1852-1926 who pretty much dominated Barcelona. So much in fact, that I think Barcelona should be named "Gaudi World!" 

                                 

His architecture reminded me of a winter wonderland! 

                                 

                                               

  

                           

                             

    

Our group of four split off in two's often due to different interests, which worked out pretty well! Sarah and I had a lot of fun getting sun burned and taking selfies in the park! 

                        

There was also more park surrounding the actual park, so we explored around there as well!

I know I am wearing tennis shoes...but when we are walking miles everyday it is a necessity!! Also, the thing I've noticed from watching the young woman in Sevilla is that you can wear them here as long as you are wearing athletic pants. Then it just means you are going for the fashionable athletic look! Anyway, who cares if I look like a tourist while visiting other cities...I am one!

The gardens were beautiful! 

Una vista bellisima con mis tres amigas :)

That night we went out for some good food and fun. Because of the large international population in Barcelona, we tried all sorts of food! We had an awesome Mexican meal and to die for Turkish hummus and falafels!

Our group with Maya's friend, who is studying abroad in Barcelona, and our new German friend on the left that we met at the hostel! 

Sagrada Familia                                          

The next morning at 9 am sharp...so tired...Sarah and I decided to beat the massive crowds and go to the Sagrada familia. This unreal basilica was started by Gaudi in 1882, but is still unfinished! Most of the inside is done, but the outside is still being worked on. It still has many many years of work on it to go..no one is in too big of a hurry to finish!

                       

 

                                               

The outside looks like a creepy, evil castle, but the inside again looked like a winter wonderland! It was hard to believe my eyes (as cheesy as it sounds). 

                             

The stained glass windows created a rainbow light that shone throughout the inside! 

The basilica had a museum that explained Gaudi's life and the building of the basilica. There I learned that Gaudi's inspiration was nature and that all of his work was based off of themes and objects in nature. This completely changed my perspective of the basilica, and I started to see that the columns were really trees and that the windows were flowers. I began to fall in love with Gaudi then, for making such a sacred place resemble the tranquility and beauty of nature.  

Catedral de Barcelona

                     

We also went to Disney World and took pictures in Magic Kingdom! Haha that's what it kind of looks like to me :p I am a sucker for an old cathedral, so I enjoyed it a lot! Our hostel was just a block from here!

Other Adventures

The Cascada made by Gaudi and Fontsere. It is located in a park with lots of other cool pieces of art made for the world expo of 1888.

Some more of Gaudi's architecture

Photos from a random parade that we stumbled across! It was a parade with a bunch of students dressed in creepy costumes.

We went to a HUGE market with every food you could ever think of...including lamb brain and heart!

Too bad it was too cold to go swimming!

I had so much fun in Barcelona, and I wish I could have stayed longer to see everything. That being said, it was so nice to return "home" to Sevilla and be immersed in actual Spanish life again haha. 

I am slowly starting to become a little porky due to the extreme amounts of delicious food at lunch and dinner that my family makes for me, mixed with all of the cheese, bread, and pastries that I've been eating. Don't worry, when I go back to the US I will get fit again, but for now just be nice and don't mention my growing waistline! Gracias :)

 ¡Feliz Dia de San Valentin a todos!