Sevilla, Andalucia

     When it comes to studying abroad, it's a well-known fact that staying with a host family is one of the best ways to learn the language and customs of a country. It forces you to branch out of your comfort zone—to try new food, adopt new practices and communicate in languages (or in some cases, gestures) other than English. Although my program through the University of Georgia broke this "cardinal rule" of studying abroad and didn't offer us the chance to live with a host family, it afforded us an even better opportunity, the chance to live in dorms with both undergrad and graduate students attending various private colleges in Valencia. Rather than interacting with an elder Spanish couple, we're able to hang out with Spanish students ranging from ages 18-25 years old, allowing us to soak up aspects of Spanish culture that pertain to our generation and make new friends in the process. In doing so, we've met students from all over Latin America and Spain, but I have to say the most notable students are those from the Comunidad Autonomia de Andalucia. First off, they stick out because their accent is nearly impossible to understand unless they intentionally slow down to speak to you, as they often drop consonants or omit the final "s" in their words and sentences. More importantly though, their pride for Andalusia (more specifically the cities of Sevilla and Cordoba) reminds me of our own Texan pride (slightly ridiculous yet totally enviable), and that is a rarity.

   With all the great things our Spanish friends (thanks Pepe & Alejandro!) had told us about their home "state," a group of  friends and I decided we had to check it out and see for ourselves. The eight of us bought last-minute train tickets bound for Sevilla and the following Friday we jumped on an 8:15 a.m. AVE. I think we'd all agree that this train absolutely lived up to it's expectation, combining high-speed travel with luxury at a reasonable price—I could get used to that. The ride was a little over three hours long but the beautiful countryside provided an excellent distraction and made it seem much faster. We arrived around noon, picked up maps of the city and headed to "Barrio Santa Cruz," arguably the best area for travelers to stay in as it is surrounded by historic sights, great restaurants and an exciting nightlife. On the walk to our hostel we passed  so many street vendors, selling everything from books to purses and necklaces...had we not been in a rush to check in to our hostel I think I would have spent entirely too much money buying jewelry for my sisters and myself (sorry, girls)! After settling into our hostel we headed to the Plaza de España. This giant, semicircular building was built for the 1929 Worlds Fair and is surrounded by gardens, fountains and beautiful tile walls. Although it has since been used to host government offices, it's been featured in plenty of films too, including Lawrence of Arabia and Star Wars Episode II.

The beautiful Plaza de España

Boat rentals for tourists who prefer a more..."scenic" route.

Tiled alcoves surround the plaza, each representing a different province. 

Cat, Shayna, Heather, Mae, Meghan and I in front of the plaza.

    

    That night, we also went to a flamenco show hosted by our hostel. Although the show was clearly not a fancy production, it was so cool to experience the musicians and dancers interact with each other to create the final product. Prior to this show I had heard plenty of flamenco music, but I didn't realize that it was completely improvised—part of the art is that the musicians and dancers feed off of each others energy and rhythm, creating a different performance each night.

     The following day we headed to the Catedral de Santa María de la Sede which is both the fourth-largest cathedral in the world and the largest Gothic cathedral. The inside was stunning, as most Spanish cathedrals are, and had endless "capillas," or chapels. The sheer size of it is just awe-striking. Originally a mosque, the building was reconstructed and converted into a cathedral after the "Reconquista," though it still maintains some aspects of Islamic architecture such as the "Patio de Naranjas," and Giralda (bell) Tower. Because it's customary in the Islamic religion to pray five times per day, the architects nixed stairs in favor of ramps so that they could ride their horses to ring the bell each time, and man did they have the right idea— it was so much easier to climb! Another cool thing about the cathedral is that is houses the tomb of Christopher Columbus. Legend has it that although Columbus died in Spain, he wanted to be buried in the Americas. He was eventually buried in the Dominican Republic, but when Spain lost possession of the DR they moved him to Havana, Cuba. Then, when Cuba became independent, the remains of Columbus were sent to the cathedral in Sevilla where his tomb is located today. Interestingly enough, despite DNA testing concluding the remains in the Catedral de Santa María de la Sede match those of Columbus, the Dominican Republic also still claims to have his remains, though they refuse to exhume the box for testing. 

Shayna, Mae, Meghan, Cat and I 

In front of Christopher Columbus' tomb

View of the Patio de Naranjas from the Giralda Tower

     Our last, and perhaps my favorite, stop was the Alcázar of Seville. Originally a Moorish fort, now the oldest Spanish Palace still in use, it's comprised of both Arabic and Christian influences. The architecture is amazing and the gardens are even more impressive—definitely fit for a queen. The pictures below will speak for themselves!

Some of the beautiful gardens.

An example of the Arab architecture. 

 Los Baños de Doña María de Padilla.

Patio de las Doncellas, "Courtyard of the Maidens."

     On the way back to the train station we stopped by the Rio Guadalquivir for a late lunch and just to enjoy the weather. It was hard to leave such a beautiful city and I hope to go back soon!