Eso es la vida

Another week has passed here in Sevilla! Time is flying by.  I'm almost finished with my first class, Contemporary Spanish Society, and I've begun to plan for my classes at "la Universidad de Sevilla".  Starting February 7th I will be enrolled in two classes at the Universidad de Sevilla with local Spanish students and professors. I also have an "Intercambio" partner, a student at the Universidad that I'll meet with once a week to get to know and help answer any questions I may have about the university.  We're going to get together for coffee when she's finished with exams in about two weeks. I'm so excited to meet Gloria, my partner! Everything at home is still going well.  We have another new roommate, a 19-year-old German student, who does not speak any Spanish but he does speak English.  He's here doing an intensive language course until April.  There are now 5 students living here. It's really fun to come home and hang out with everyone, we've become a little family!

Family dinner!

All of us! From left: me, Franziska, Maik, Ángeles, Paulina, Alex

I'm still having so much fun exploring the city! Sevilla is considered the cultural, artistic and financial capital of southern Spain and is the fourth largest city in the country. There is always something to do! This week I went to see a Flamenco show at "La Carboneria". It's a tiny, hole-in-the-wall place near the center of the city.  It was nearly impossible to find, but luckily we bumped into a Spanish couple on their way to the show as well and followed them.  I was a bit underwhelmed by the costumes (or lack of), but the singers and dancers were very passionate and authentic. Overall, it was a great cultural experience. I found this video of Flamenco on YouTube that is similar to the dancing we watched. Click here for a glimpse of the Flamenco show!

I had a mandatory weekend excursion to Itálica this past Saturday.  Itálica, only about 10 km from Sevilla, is the site of a Roman town founded in 206 B.C.  It boasts the third largest amphitheater (it once seated 25,000 people), exquisite and well preserved mosaics, and cobbled Roman streets. It was a fascinating excursion and left us enough time to get home for lunch and a long walk along the river.  I'm looking forward to my last week of class at EUSA and then beginning classes at the university!

In front of the remains.

Mosaics preserved from the 2nd century BC.

Caitlin and me in the amphitheater.

And the classes begin...

I just finished the first week of the intensive Contemporary Spanish Society course at EUSA. The native professors, Rafael and Ángeles, are fantastic and I'm really enjoying the course so far. The class is broken up into two parts, language and culture, and lasts from 5:30 pm until 8:15 pm every day. I love having the mornings free to explore the city, jog along the river, shop or get some work done.  I've already had to turn in two compositions and do a presentation! I'll admit that classes have been a bit of a rude awakening. The only downside to my homestay is that it is about a 35-40 minute walk from school, but at least I'm getting plenty of exercise! Everything else about our apartment is great though. I've learned tons of Spanish from speaking with "Mama Ángeles" around the house, she's so sweet and hilarious! A new roommate moved in a couple of days ago.  She's from South Carolina and studying at a different school for foreign students.  Francisca, our German roommate is in the middle of exams right now so we haven't been able to go out with her yet, but we're all going to celebrate when she's finished! We're all going to miss her when she leaves in February. For the most part, the food is still great here.  I've had Spanish Tortilla, pork with caramelized onions, and a sort of deviled egg-salad combination with tuna. I did have one strange meal that consisted of rice smothered with a tomato sauce and a side of hot dogs...interesting to say the least. 

 The kitchen in our apartment--I feel like everything's smaller in Europe!

One side of my room

Our group had a mandatory tour of the Real Alcázar this week. The Real Alcázar is the royal palace where the king stays when he visits Sevilla and is the oldest royal residence still in use!  Even though I had seen it before it was really interesting to hear all of the details about the Moorish influence and mudéjar architecture. While on the tour, our guide told us a story about how the King of Spain had his brother killed in the foyer of the palace after he impregnated the king's future wife on her trip to Spain. I saw the spot in the palace where the brother allegedly died! The gardens of the palace were beautiful and scattered with fountains and orange trees.

 Alex, Nicole, Caitlin and me in front of a fountain in the Real Alcázar

 Wall of the Alcázar

Orange trees in the gardens of the royal residence

On Saturday I took a day trip to Córdoba with the entire UNC program.  We met at 8:15 am, before sunrise! Unfortunately, I did not check the weather forecast in Córdoba before leaving and was severely under-dressed.  It was FREEZING, about 45 degrees Fahrenheit, and I ended up buying an embarrassingly touristy sweatshirt to keep warm. In Córdoba, I first toured the Mezquita, a mosque-turned-cathedral famous for the decorative arches and rich history (it was built in the 8th century!). The mosque was converted into a cathedral after the Spanish Reconquista and consists of over 1 million columns! Next we moved on to the synagogue, a tiny building, and one of the three remaining synagogues in all of Spain. After the site visits we had a few hours of free time and first warmed up in a café and then walked around the city until it was time to head back to Sevilla.

 The "Puente romano" or Roman Bridge in Córdoba

 The alminar or tower of the Mezquita

 Caitlin and me (freezing!) in front of the lucky fountain in the courtyard of the Mezquita

 Exquisite arches in the Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba

The first week was such a whirlwind and I feel like I've been in Spain for about two months.  Now that my schedule is more regular I'm going to start traveling a bit! I really want to visit Barcelona so that might be our first independent excursion. We've befriended some guys from a student travel company and they're going to help us book flights and hotels!

La vida de un sevillano

It is safe to say that I am adapting well to life in Sevilla. I went out on the town Friday night with some girls from the program and had an amazing time.  Spain truly comes alive at night, and Sevilla is no exception. Alex and I left the apartment around 11 on Friday and the streets were still bustling with people. We saw many families with children in adorable matching outfits, elderly people walking their dogs and teenagers just heading out for the night. Before arriving in Sevilla I heard that "Calle Betis", a charming street that runs along the river, has great nightlife so we headed there on our first night, somewhat unsure of what to expect.  We discovered tons of fun bars and "discotecas" (our favorite is called BOSS haha) all in less than a mile on Calle Betis and it's only a 5 minute walk from my apartment!

My roommate Alex and I making friends on Calle Betis.  They had been at a costume party!

Saturday started a bit early with a 10 o'clock orientation at EUSA, the school for foreign students where I'll take two classes this semester.  It was slightly boring but very informative and I became more acquainted with the type of classes I'll be taking and the leaders of the program. After orientation I headed back to the apartment and ate an early lunch at home.  My señora, Angéles, is a wonderful cook! In the past I have not enjoyed Spanish cuisine much but everything Angéles makes is fresh and light.  We've had paella (a traditional Spanish dish of saffron rice and seafood), chicken with apricots, a variety of soups, and delicious fruits.

 The paella Angéles cooked looked exactly like this.

After lunch we took a much-needed siesta, one of my favorite aspects of the Spanish lifestyle.  It's amazing how most shops, banks, etc. just shut down for about three hours in the middle of the day. Alex and I awoke around 3 in the afternoon and headed out to shop the "rebajas" or sales and explore more of the city. When the stores closed around 9 we made our way home to get ready for the evening festivities and went to Calle Betis!

We made it!

Hello everyone! We finally arrived in Sevilla late Thursday night after 12 exhausting hours in the Madrid airport.  The original flight from Madrid to Sevilla scheduled for 12 pm was canceled because of "fog" and I couldn't get on another plane to Sevilla until 8 pm! I was ecstatic to finally arrive in Sevilla with all of my luggage! After catching a taxi to Hotel Alcázar I met up with the rest of the group and went to dinner with the other students that arrived late. The trip to Spain was long and stressful and I was so happy to finally sleep in a real bed after 24 hours of planes and airports.

In the hotel with our luggage. It looks like a lot but everything I packed was (more or less) essential!

On Friday morning we had breakfast in the hotel and then packed up our stuff to move into our new homes.  My roommate, Alex, and I arrived at our flat on Calle Asucnción around 11 am.  Our street is adorable! It's pedestrian-only and lined with cute shops and cafes. My "señora" for the semester, Angeles, is so sweet and works as a professor at the University.  She has a GIANT boxer named "Boguie"--pronounced Bo-wee.  Angeles told us that he is the "jefe" or boss of the house...and she wasn't kidding. We've already had some interesting encounters with him.  Alex and I will have to guard our shoes closely this semester!  Overall our flat is great though.  The room is fairly big and has a huge closet and a balcony! A German student, Francisca lives down the hall.  She has been really helpful and after we unpacked our things she showed us the way to the city center and school.

The ornately decorated foyer of the aparment

Boguie aka "the tiger"

Alex and I spent Friday afternoon walking around the city and taking in all of the sights.  We live across the river from the city center, only a 15 minute walk to the cathedral.  I already love living here! All of the people are so friendly and the city is absolutely amazing.

My street-"Calle Asunción"

Torre del Oro, I walk by here every day!

My roommate, Alex, and I in the Plaza de España