Crunch time, but some time in the sun as well. Week 10

This past week and this week have been a little bit of crunch time with exams and papers for my Spain classes and applications for St. Kate’s as it’s that time of year.  Thankfully the beautiful weather helps to keep me in good spirits and helps to break up the studying and working when I can sit outside and work.  I’ve actually had to start studying in the shade on our terrace as the sun is so strong that after 20 minutes I’m sweating from the heat.  It’s been in the 80s for a while now – just amazing.

I visited the Plaza de Torros (the bull ring) in Sevilla.  It is the second oldest in the Spain (and the world) and is special because it isn’t a perfect circle, but an oval.  We had a guided tour so it was interesting to learn about the bull fighting (though they don’t like that terminology "fighting"…I’m not sure how else to say it in English though).  It is quite an art in the fact of there are very specific things that need to be done and the bull fighters are professionals – this is their job.  I don’t think I am going to go see a bull fight – I’m not very into the idea of watching the bull be killed.  I think it would be too hard to watch.  When I asked my language partner, Juanlu, about it he said that he didn’t like it at all and wanted it to be illegal.  He said many young people do but the older generations want to keep it around because it’s such an old tradition.  Many of the younger generations believe it’s terrible because they are killing the bull very slowly and it’s for sport.

This past weekend I went to Alicante with Lindsey to see our friend from St. Kate’s, Tamar, who is studying there for the semester.  It was a very relaxed trip.  We did a lot of talking and hanging out.  We didn’t get there until late afternoon on Friday and had to leave Sunday morning so it was kind of quick.  We enjoyed the night life a little bit on Friday night and spent the whole day on the beach Saturday.  It was a beautiful beach with some very fine, soft sand.  We were able to eat lunch on the beach, talk, sleep, relax, study (just a little :) )…very nice.

This coming Thursday after classes I will leave for my week long trip which will begin with London and then continue to Slovakia where I will be visiting a family (The Kacians for those who know them) that I got to know my first summer that I worked at Mount Carmel family camp.  I’m very excited, but still need to figure out some details! :)  I’ll get back to Sevilla in the early evening of Wednesday the 20^th so that I can enjoy the rest of Holy Week in Sevilla as there is a big celebration here and a lot going on.  I can’t believe Holy Week and Easter are right around the corner!

Photos!

Katies en España!

We could see the castle from the beach.

Plaza del Toros

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Back to the beach in Alicante
sorry this pics are out of order - it´s hard to figure out how to move them on this blog

Barcelona!! Week 9

The highlight of this week was definitely my trip to Barcelona for the weekend (March 31-April 3) with three friends: Grace (my roommate), Alicia, and Chelsia.  I was “enchanted by Barcelona” as my facebook status said upon my return.  We had perfect weather the whole trip (the worst day was Sunday – cloudy, but we were just traveling home that day) which definitely made the experience wonderful.

Thursday. Our flight left at 8am so we were at our hostel by 10:30am, but weren’t able to check-in until noon so we found a coffee shop next door and sat, relaxed, and made plans for the days with our travel book and map.  After checking into our hostel we went to the Picasso museum which was interesting and had Picasso’s versions of the Meninas of Velázquez which was interesting to see.  After Picasso we stopped by a beautiful park to relax and eat some lunch – our sandwiches from home that we brought with us.  We then ventured to the beach to take a look – how beautiful!  We sat on some rocks by the water for awhile to enjoy the view and moment and allow some to finish eating.  Sitting on the beach is a moment for all your senses: the beautiful site of the water, waves, sun, and sand; the sound of the waves hitting the rocks and the seagulls making their noises; the smell and taste of the salty water in the air; and the warmth from the sun with the coolness of the breeze from the water – exhilarating.  After the beach we headed to the Cathedral which sadly was under some construction so we saw a lot of scaffolding which took away from some of the beauty (the postcards of it looked better :) ), but it was still fun to see.  We headed back to our hostel because there was free supper at our hostel, but we found out that it was very small and very unappetizing.  There was pasta that had no taste at first and as you continued it was just gross and then the pizza that Chelsia got was so greasy and not editable…sad day.  Thankfully we found out in the mornings that the free breakfast was much better!  That night we got ready to go out for the night – we were going to have a salsa night as we had found two places on a map we acquired that were suppose to have salsa nights.  We stopped for tapas first to satisfy our disappointment with supper, but when we arrived at the first salsa place there was no people there and it was not at all what the map described.  There was no place to dance, no DJ, and no people (and the map said it had all of those…).  The music playing in the place wasn’t even salsa music.  The next place we went to seemed a little more promising as there was salsa music playing, but again there wasn’t really any dancing.  We found out that they had lessons on Tuesday and Wednesday nights and then sometimes people would dance on the weekends…it was more a bar scene instead of a dance place.  Oh well, we listened to the music and talked for awhile before heading back to the hostel.  Not quite the salsa night we had planned, but it worked out.

Friday we went on a free walking tour to all the buildings and works of Gaudí – that was VERY interesting and very fun!  I learned SOO much about this man that is so interesting, but I don’t have time to write it all down here (I have it in my personal journal).  Gaudí thought that the architecture should be an expansion of nature therefore his buildings have a very unique look to them, but a style that I really like.  With this free walking tour we didn’t enter any of the buildings because that would cost money, but we were able to see the outsides of them all and learn about Gaudí and the history of them.  The tour ended at the Sagrada Familia (Sacred Family) which is a Cathedral (actually it was just named a Basilica by the Pope in the summer) that was a project of Guadí, but is still not complete.  The Sagrada Familia was probably my favorite part of Barcelona – the history, detail, and plans for it are amazing!  It probably will not be completed for 30 or more years still (or longer?) and I would love to see it when it is completed.  Guadí left many models and designs so that the project could continue after his death, but during the civil war his workshop was set on fire and it took ten years to try to gather all the information from friends and acquaintances of his and try to resemble the models.  The Sagrada Family will have three sides on it: one depicting the birth of Jesus (completed), another will be the passion of Jesus (not quite completed), and the other the ascension of Jesus to Heaven (not completed).  It will also have 12 towers to represent the 12 disciples, a Mary tower, and a Jesus Christ tower (the tallest and grandest).  There is more too – I just can’t remember it all right now.  The inside is INCREDIBLE!  It has a more modern style and is a mix of white/light stone with many stain glass windows with bright colors that reflect off the white stone beautifully!  It is definitely a place to see when it’s sunny outside.  Also, the pillars branch out like trees in order to support the place instead of having arches (a new idea of Gaudí’s).  We were able to climb and walk in one of the towers as well – what a view!  Definitely a place to put on your list of places to visit!!  We went to Park Guell which is also a work of Guadí and his friend Guell that was originally going to be a place where the rich could buy a piece of land to build their home, but this failed so now it is a park.  You go up to the top of the park (it is on a pretty high hill) by using outdoor escalators and then work your way down.  Gaudí designed the buildings and other amenities in the park such as benches and fountains and such.

Saturday we went the food market – this was another really fun experience.  The COLORS!!  That is the first thing you notice.  It is packed with people and there is food of every type there – all fresh and delicious.  We decided to buy food there for our lunch and we bought fresh strawberries, raspberries, watermelon, bread, avocado, and a cold pasta salad – it ended up being the cheapest lunch we bought.  We walked toward the beach again because we wanted to see the different places where the Olympics took place in 1992 and ended up eating our lunch down there by the beach.  Nothing is better than a beach side picnic with such fresh food!  The area of where the Olympic water events and summer events by the beach took place was not impressive at all – we wouldn’t have even known it was there if it hadn’t said what it was on the map.  :)  Oh well, we saw a new game called footvolley which is volleyball, but where you can’t use your hands so you have to hit the ball with anything but your hands – very cool to watch.  We also encountered a fun musical band that was playing along the beach – one of my favorite parts of Spain is all the street performers (musicians and more) – they really make the experience fun.  We went to the Olympic circle and the other area that had all the Olympic things, but sadly we couldn’t figure out how to see any of them (we couldn’t get into the stadium or see the pool.)  That was a little disappointing, but we did get to see the circle and climbed up to see a castle.  We had the wonderful treat of seeing a magnificent fountain light show with music in the Plaza de España with the huge fountain there.  It’s amazing all the shapes that you can make with water and the colors and music were great.  When it was a song that people knew, everyone would start singing!!  We ended the night be going to the Poble Espanyol which is a little “city” made to show all the different Spanish architecture from all the different areas of Spain.  We decided to go at night because the tickets were cheaper, but what we didn’t know was that during the day there is a student discount and we regretted not going during the day because that’s when all the shops were open.  It was cool to see some of the places we’ve been in Spain and how they were reflected in this village and we also had our supper there.  It felt a little deserted at night though – Alicia made a good point how it felt like we were on a movie set. :)

We were pretty exhausted by the end of this trip - but very satisfied with it.  We headed back on Sunday and got to Sevilla around 4:30 in order to jump right back into homework and the week.  I am definitely putting Barcelona on my list of places I would like to return to!  :)

This is becoming a long post and there really isn’t much to say about the past week.  These next two weeks before Holy Week are crunch time for me as I have many things due for my classes here and applications for other things for St. Kate’s.  I can’t believe Holy Week is right around the corner – it’s already April!

Alicia, Grace, me, and Chelsia - we conquered Barcelona!

La Playa (The Beach)

Inside the Cathedral

Casa Batlló

The Sagrada Familia (you can't capture it in a picture)

The Passion of Christ side

Inside the Sagrada Familia

I just LOVED the colors in the Sagrada Familia!

On top of Park Guell

In the market :)

Picnic by the beach

Olympic Circle

Plaza de Espana

Fountain light show

Granada and a birthday - Week 8

Time is flying by WAY to fast!!  I’m trying hard to live in the moment and not think about the future, but it’s sad to think that I already have less than two months of my program left.  I’ll continue to soak it all up, enjoying every minute as I am! :)

This week was filled again with lots of sun which meant a lot of studying on our terrace and being quite happily warm, yet we continue to have soup as one of the plates for lunch :)  Oh the food here, I think I’ve increased my capacity to eat by at least three times.  I’m amazed at how much I am able to consume in one meal and still be plenty ready for the next!  Thankfully I walk and ride bike all the time here to help even it out :)

This weekend I went on an overnight trip to Granada with the school.  We stayed in a nice hotel and all the meals were included which was really nice.  We visited the Generalife and Alhambra which is a garden and an 800 year old Islamic fortress.  It was beautiful!  The second day we went and saw the Caspilla Real where the Reyes Católicos (Isabella and Fernando) are buried.  Isabella is the queen who gave Christopher Columbus permission to sail to find a new route to Asia (and he encountered the Americas).  The tour was ended with seeing the Cathedral in Granada which is the 4^th largest in Europe (the 3^rd largest is in Sevilla).  Both days we had free time and my group of friends wandered around Granada and saw different parts of the city and the markets.  We also went to the look-out called Mirador de San Nicolas which as a great view of Alhambra looking over the river.  We also stopped and had tea in one of the tea shops which had a fun atmosphere – though I split a delicious crepe with a friend. :)

Friday was Rosario’s birthday so Grace and I bought flowers and made a card that we left on the table for her to find in the morning (as we left for our trip to Granada that morning).  Today (Sunday) Rosario made a special meal which consisted of chicken, french fries, bread, cold pasta salad, meat and cheese.  Then she also had bought a cake so Grace and I attempted to sing “Happy Birthday” in Spanish to her (we didn’t know all the words) and she made a wish and blew out her candles.  It was quite fun and sweet. :)

Another week begins tomorrow and will fly by.  This coming weekend I’ll be going on a trip with friends to Barcelona.  The traveling just keeps going and the time keeps passing – Spain is definitely capturing my heart!

Enjoying the city, river, and ice cream in Granada :)

La Alhambra - Islamic fortress

Generalife - garden next to the Alhambra

Roomie picture!

Cathedral

Reyes Catolicos - Isabella (left) y Fernando (right).   The artist made Isabella's head sink farther into the pillow to signify that her head was heavier and to hint that she was more intelligent!  ha ha ha

The Cathedral

Tea time

Flowers and card left to surprise Rosario for her b-day!

Happy Spanish family celebrating Rosario's b-day!
She pointed out to us the candle that she put on her cake "0" years! :)

¡La primavera está aquí! (Spring is here!)

Yesterday (Monday) was the first day of spring here and the weather has definitely been acting accordingly!  I’ve been able to do a lot of studying on our terrace in the sun and am already starting to have tan lines!  The sun is definitely stronger here; I only need to be out for twenty minutes to see some noticeable color difference.  It is so beautiful and really brightens your day when you are able to walk, bike, and study in the beautiful weather.  I think every day I love being here a little more and appreciate it all a little more – it’s a lot of fun!

Here is an excerpt of something I wrote to one my professors at St. Kate’s earlier this week:

“The sun is shining here -- it is absolutely beautiful!  There are days like today when I ride my bike home from morning class past buildings of the 16th century (or older or newer) with the sun shining and blue skies; walk down the street to my house that has become as familiar as my walk on St. Kate´s campus; enter the home and say ¨hola¨ to my host mother as we chat about the day; go upstairs to our terrace and study as I listen to the quiet neighborhood around me with the sun on my face; head downstairs as I hear the grandchildren are playing and play a version of basketball with them; go inside for a light lunch that ends with fresh strawberries and whipped cream, then leave again with sunglasses on to bike back to school for my dance class....all intertwined in this is Spanish - me speaking and listening......and then I stop and think -- yep! This is where I´m supposed to be :)  I am SOOOOO glad I decided to do this!  Of course there are those days that aren´t as wonderful as days like today, but it is these days that make it all worth it!”

Last Tuesday I went on a guided visit by our school to one of the churches in Sevilla called Iglesia Colegial del Divino Salvador which I believe is from the seventeenth century.  This is another church that was built on top of an old mosque just like the Cathedral of Sevilla.  The visit ended with a stop for churros and chocolate which is a fun treat to have and is commonly a breakfast treat like doughnuts or pastries would be for us.

The weekend was filled with catching up on some homework and other little things while also exploring and walking around the city a little bit.  Sunday I went on a trip with the school to Doñana national park and also saw the Ricón.  Sadly, we were only in the Ricón for about 3 minutes because there was a mass about to start, so I didn’t get to see much or learn much about it.  I believe it’s a place where an appearance of the Virgin Mary occurred – but don’t quote me on that.  Also, the town with the Ricón is quite fun and interesting.  It’s kind of the “wild west” town of Andulucia, Spain.  There is a festival here where everyone travels from their home towns on horses or walks – no cars allowed (for example, it is a three day journey from Sevilla and a large group of people will travel together).  Then there are big buildings/houses (kind of set up like hotels) that are for each neighborhood or city that the people can stay in.  It sounds quite fun.

After seeing the Ricón we had some free time on the beach – how wonderful!  We were in the very south of Spain.  Next, we went to ride horses through Doñana national park and along the beach.  We had to go in two groups so I had to wait for the first hour and a half until it was my turn.  My horse was named Angelic (or something close to that) and she had quite an independent spirit.  She was good, except when I asked her to turn…she would just turn her head in the direction, but not her body!  Oh well, it worked out okay :) We were walking in a line most of the time (except when she wanted to make her own line) so it worked out.  The decent to the beach was a little treacherous and there was definitely one time I wasn’t sure I was going to stay on – but it is amazing how horses can maneuver on rough terrain.  The trip was WELL worth it once we made it to the beach!  Wow, that was a new and wonderful experience – I definitely want to do that again!  My pictures can’t even come close to capturing the experience, but I tried :)

It’s already less than two months left for me here – time is flying by!!  I would love to write more, but time is limited.  I should say that I have started to watch a show with my host mother, Rosario, called La Republica that is a drama based in the time of Franco which is one reason why my host mother likes it -- it reminds her of her childhood.  We watch it Monday nights at 10:30 (a little late, but well worth it).  It’s great for me to practice my listening to Spanish and it’s a great show.  But also it’s a lot of fun to watch it with Rosario because she has such great reactions to everything and it is fun to get excited with her!

Más fotos!

Iglesia Colegial del Divino Salvador

Ricón

The town had a wild west feel :)

On the beach!!  So beautiful and fun!

For all my MN loved ones!  HOLA! (and all of you not in MN - HOLA as well! )

Made it to the beach!  Breath-taking!

Walking through the park...the beauty

Rainy Days, but still things to be done...

Well, it has been raining most of the week which is kind of a downer when you want to be doing things (especially since most everything involves walking outside).  Thankfully I made the very wise purchase of a 3 euro umbrella which I believe has been my best purchase so far here! :)  The second week of classes seemed pretty successful, I can tell I’m settling into the schedule which is nice and figuring out the balance.

On Friday Lindsey and I went to Córdoba for the day by train.  We saw the famous Mosque that was once the center of western Islam and now has a Cathedral within it.  It was very beautiful and interesting to see.  We also walked on the Roman Bridge.  It is amazing how old these structures are and how well maintained they still are!  The Romans really were so smart and advanced in their ways.  We saw (and Lindsey touched! Ha ha ha) a ruin from the 1^st century!!!  Crazy!  We also went to the Alcazar of the Reyes Católicos.  We weren’t as impressed with this Alcazar as the one in Sevilla.  We actually kept wondering if were in the right place because it seemed mostly like a building with white walls.  The Arab Baths in the gardens of the Alcazar were beautiful though and with the rain the colors of the flowers and plants really popped.  It was a very tranquil day.  By the end we were ready to head back though as it has been raining all day which meant we hadn’t sat down much since everything was wet.  It’s kind of fun and interesting to feel so content to return to Sevilla – “oh we’re home now.  We are in a place where we are comfortable and know the area.”  Who knew that Sevilla, Spain could feel like that. :)

I have continued to meet with my language partner Isaac and now have a second one as well because Isaac and my schedules are different so it is harder to get together.  The school has many language partners for us and they encouraged us to have more than one.  Yesterday I met my second one, Juanlu, a 26 year old that lives just outside of Sevilla.  He is very nice, a gentleman that’s for sure, and I think we are going to have a lot of fun.  His English is at about the same level as my Spanish which is nice so that we both feel comfortable trying to talk, but do not feel intimidated by the other person.  He has a lot of connections in Sevilla so I think we’ll get to do some fun things together.  Yesterday we went to my favorite ice cream place, Rayas, and then walked around the city a little bit.

I was going to go on a trip with the school today (Sunday) but that has been postponed until next week Sunday because the rain.  The trip was going to consist on riding horses in a national park and some free time on the beach along with other things which is why it wouldn’t have been so successful in the rain.  Next weekend is my last free weekend here and the rest are filled with trips or festivals except for the final weekend of the semester when I’m sure I’ll be studying for finals – wow time is going to fly by fast!!

List of trips (completed and upcoming):

Zahara de Sierra

Madrid and Ávila

Córdoba

Ricón y Doñana National Park

Granada

Barcelona

Alicante

London and then Slovakia (to see Kacians!) – back to Sevilla for the end of Holy Week

Portugal

Rome (and maybe Assisi if I can get that worked out)

Málaga and Norway with the family!!!

Here’s a couple pictures from this week.  Enjoy!

Isaac (one of my language partners) and me in front of the Cathedral

Lindsey touching a Roman Ruin from the 1st Century!

The Mosque/Cathedral

Inside - the beauty!

The Roman Bridge

Having lunch in Cordoba

On top of the Alcazar de los Reyes Catolicos

In the gardens with the Arab Baths

Singing in the Rain? :)

Arab Baths

I just love this picture :)

Plaza de España in Sevilla - definitely am going to return here!!

El Parque de Maria Luisa - I cannot explain how beautiful the parks are here!!!