No es Adios, es hasta luego Sevilla

Here it is. My last week in Sevilla. I could not believe how fast the time went. At one hand I felt like I had just arrived in Seville a few weeks ago, but on the other hand I felt as though I had been there for years. My life was so different and wonderful in Spain. I did NOT want it to end!! But all good things must end. 

After not putting too much time into studying all semester, I pulled an all-nighter for my finals...oops! But it was worth it, because I got straight A's this past semester :) After finals we had a long weekend, the last weekend in my beloved Sevilla. Many people took this time for any last minute travels, but my close friends and I decided to make the most of our last few days in Sevilla by staying home. This long weekend was probably one of my favorite weekends in Sevilla. My friends and I spent afternoons drinking tinto de verano by the river, went shopping at the markets and European stores while we still could, and visited our favorite restaurants and bars one last time. 

Sarah, Me, and Casey going to a market by the river

We also made some pretty cool memories that weekend going to a Sevilla FC futbol game, swimming on a rooftop pool of the hotel Casey's host mom works at, going to the end of the semester party at CIEE, and (not pictured) randomly deciding to go to a karaoke bar one night and singing in Spanglish to a wide variety of music with some friendly Spaniards! Oh I miss this :(

GO SEVILLA! 

It was SO HOT! Pool time was needed.

Saying goodbye at the end of the semester party 

After a great weekend more fun was to be had..FERIA!!!

Feria is the HUGE flamenco festival full of lots of dancing, singing, drinking, eating, horse rides, and carnival rides. It is the epitome of la cultura Sevillana. Flamenco includes the combination of singing, guitar playing, dancing, and clapping. Flamenco is a huge part of Spanish culture, which originated in Andalusia with the Gitanos (gypsies). The typical flamenco dress is also based on the Gitanos. Flamenco is in the blood of every Sevillano. Everyone grew up knowing the four different types of dance of flamenco, ready to dance at any occasion and of course every year at Feria. 

So the fair grounds were just down the road from my apartment, which was very convenient! Every year they rebuild the arch and all of the tents and then take them all down again a week later. It takes a lot of effort! Feria first begins at midnight on Monday night. That is when the lights to the main entrance arch light up and people start the festivities! 

In the morning I went and met up with my good friend, Amy Lang, at the bus station. She had been studying abroad in Florence, Italy the same time I was in Sevilla and flew over to meet me in Sevilla to experience feria before we took off on our 3 week Eurotrip! She is an old high school friend and a fellow Badger, so I knew that we were going to have a great, memorable time together. It was awesome showing her around Sevilla! 

At the top of the Giralda 

Later that night, the whole gang and more met at our favorite bar outside our apartment before feria to have one last drink together.

During the opening night of feria no one dresses up in flamenco dresses, but instead dresses up in nice clothing for the event.

Sarah, Jen, me and Beth waiting for the lighting of the arch!

It's midnight!!

All of the decorations and lights were so pretty!

There are two parts to feria. One part consists of all of the casetas, which are the food and drink tents owned by different groups in Sevilla like businesses, clubs, neighborhoods, families, etc. There are a few public tents, but for the most part you need to know somebody to be able to go into a tent. The tents are wear the drinking, eating, and dancing happen. Each one is decorated beautifully in the feria style. The second part is the carnival! It is pretty much the same as a carnival in the United States.

The Ferris wheel ride was quite the adventure. It started out as a nice, classic ride and then we started to pick up some speed...

The next thing we know we are flying through the air at high speeds like a roller coaster...is this even safe!?

After a late night riding rides, we got up the next day to start preparing for the first day of feria. My host sister let us borrow her old dresses that my host mom had made. My host dad then presented me with a hand painted fan that he made for me for feria. How cool! He even made five others for all of my sisters and my mom. I seriously had the best host family ever!! My host sister and mom then spent the whole morning doing our hair, make-up, and accessories to make us look as Sevillana as possible.

Getting ready in the bathroom!

Finished product!

Pretty ladies!

 

Me and my beautiful host sister, Laura!

Pepe, Ana Maria, and me! 

After getting ready, my friends and I met up and we headed over to the fair together. Upon arriving we were bombarded with tons of people asking for our photo..even a photographer for the newspaper! I felt like a celebrity! All of the Spanish were staring and calling us "muy guapa." I don't know if it was because we were a large group of pretty, young women dressed in a variety of flamenco dresses or because we were American...either way I had never felt so loved in Sevilla!

Using our fans like pros!

It was one HOT day out! To keep cool we spent the day hopping from one caseta to another ordering soda, water, and of course the typical feria drink, Rebujito! 

Me striking a fierce pose

A giant part of feria is the hundreds of horses and horse drawn carriages riding around. The streets were full of them! We were going to have a ride, but it was waaaay to pricey to be worth it!

The casetas were almost as hot as the air outside...my fan saved my life!

Me, Sarah, and Hannah

Even though we didn't know how to dance flamenco, we participated as well as we could!

Feria was an amazing, cultural experience that I am so thankful to have had. How many Americans get to dress up in an authentic flamenco dress and be able to dance and drink with a bunch of really cool Spaniards all day? It was a great way to end my time in Sevilla.

That night I had to tearfully say good bye to all of my amazing friends that I had gotten so close to that semester. Considering they live all over the U.S., it was a pretty hard goodbye :( After those hard good byes I had to get up the next morning and make more good byes, this time to my host family. They kept reminding me that this wasn't a goodbye, it's a see you later. But still I left never knowing if I will see them again. After all I shared with them and my friends it was over. Getting on that train leaving Seville was one of the hardest things I have done.

Me saying goodbye to my abuela

 I miss my time in Sevilla so much every day. It was an amazing place with amazing people. It was the best semester of my life and I can not thank my parents enough for allowing me to have this invaluable opportunity.