Two weekends ago we did not have any planned excursions through our program, so six of us decided to go away for the weekend. Originally we were unsure of where we wanted to go, but eventually we settled on Malaga and Ronda. Since we only decided to go away that Friday before the weekend started this trip was very spur of the moment and there was no set plan. Normally I am a planner, but I really enjoyed just going away without an itinerary and figuring it out as we went. Saturday morning the six of us woke up early to go to the bus station to get tickets to Malaga and then we went back to get our stuff and to book a hostel, which we ended up doing without knowing anything about it. When we got to Malaga we had a quick meal and then went to find our hostel. Upon getting to the hostel we were all pleasantly surprised because it was a really cool place (aside from the showers not working) and all six of us were able to sleep in bunk beds in the same room. For the rest of the day we went to the beach and then walked a path that allowed us to see the Sea and the whole city of Malaga. The following morning we purchased tickets to Ronda. Ronda is a place that many people have never heard of or think about visiting when they come to Spain, but it is truly spectacular. I can't even begin to describe how amazing it is because it was just so beautiful (so many cliffs and waterfalls). We spent the entire day walking around Ronda and then returned to Seville at night exhausted, but very happy with the weekend. 

Ronda

The hostel (also my first time staying in a hostel)

Ronda

Ronda

Malaga 

Ronda

Malaga

Last week we took a day trip to Cordoba to see the Cathedral (originally a mosque). The arches and overall architectural features of the Cathedral were beautiful. Cordoba itself a cute city with small windy streets that are lined with shops and restaurants. After our tour of the Cathedral we all went out to lunch as a group and ordered flamenquín and salmorejo, both dishes typical of Cordoba. I  really enjoyed the flamenquin, which is ham wrapped in breadcrumbs (everything here has ham in it), but I did not really like the Salmorejo, which is basically a thick soup. Also, speaking of ham, the other night in the dining hall I got really excited because I thought they were serving hamburgers, but it turns out they were actually burgers of ham. We are all now on a mission to find a restaurant that serves steaks or any form of beef. I will report back on how that goes! 

On one of the streets in Cordoba

Sorry I am still catching up on last week's activities, but wifi here can be difficult. Last Saturday we went to Osborne's Wineries. While at the wineries we took a tour of the facilities and learned how they stored and processed the wine, or sherry. We were then given the chance to taste four different types. Unfortunately, I can't say I really enjoyed any of them, as they each had a distinctive taste such as that of a thick syrup. Regardless of the taste, I really enjoyed the tour and thought it was a cool experience. I also got to talk with a couple from Australia who have been traveling around Spain and suggested a few places to visit like Ronda (which I did visit and will have in another post). Saturday night most of us on the program went to the Seville vs. Valencia soccer game. The stadium was incredible and everyone was very invested in the game, so it was a lot of fun to watch! Outside the stadium there were people with face paint, so most of our group had our face painted with a red line down the middle. However, when we got inside the stadium we realized we were about the only people with face paint and therefore easily identifiable as Americans. On Sunday a bunch of us went to the beach in Portugal. The beach, Sao Rafael, was beautiful and it was so nice to just relax all day (even though I came back with a very nice sunburn, which I still have). Overall, it was a very busy weekend, but a lot of fun! It is still amazing to me how much I have seen in only 2 short weeks, ranging from a bullfight to going to Portugal for the day. Here are some pictures from the weekend!

On Thursday of last week a few of us woke up early to see the procession for Corpus Christi (religious holidays are a big deal here). It was really interesting to be able to take a part in a tradition that the people who live here enjoy every year.  After the procession we visited what is by far my favorite place thus far, the Plaza de Espana and Maria Luisa Park. The Plaza de Espana was built for the World Expo and is truly breathtaking. The park is amazing also and could take you days to explore. It is really difficult to describe how incredible they were, so I am just going to post a lot of pictures instead. 

Corpus Christi 

Plaza de Espana

Plaza de Espana

Plaza de Espana

Maria Luisa Park

During the week last week we also went to a bull fight! It was definitely a different experience and I am not sure I would want to go again, but I am glad I went because it is such an old tradition and will probably be completely gone not too long from now. Seville has one of the most famous bull fighting rings in Spain, so that is pretty cool. The bull fight consists of 3 matadors who each kill 2 bulls. The process is considered to be an art form and is performed in a very specific and organized manner, with the matador receiving a prize based on the quality of his performance. 

This past week has been really crazy, but lots of fun! I have not posted anything yet because my computer had not been able to get wifi until right now, so sorry it has taken so long! This is going to be a long post because I have so many pictures and so much to say. When I arrived on Sunday I was a bit overwhelmed. My roommate, Marisa, and I had to carry our suitcases (over 50 pound suitcases) down a series of cobblestone streets and up two very steep flights of marble staircases. Upon arriving at our apartment two of our suite mates immediately started speaking very quickly in Spanish and all we could manage to respond with was, "We are American." Thankfully, in the past week things have gotten much better and although it is still different, I am figuring things out. On Monday we had a welcome lunch at the school, which was multiple courses of delicious food like the typical Spanish dish, paella. After lunch, which is actually at about 2 to 3 in the afternoon (a big change for me), we went on a guided tour of Seville. Seville is a beautiful city and the architecture is truly amazing. Here are a few pictures I took on the tour!

On Tuesday and Wednesday we visited the Cathedral and the Royal Palace, both of which were extremely beautiful. The Cathedral is truly breathtaking and the pictures can't even do it justice. We walked around the Cathedral and even climbed 33 flights to stand at the top, where we had an amazing view of the entire city. The 33 flights were not stairs, but instead they were ramps so that people could travel up and down on them on horses quickly. Another interesting fact about the Cathedral is that it is home to the body of Christopher Columbus. The Royal Palace is not only amazing inside, but is also home to incredible gardens and landscaping. I did not know this before the tour, but I was told that the Royal Family of Spain still stays at the Palace when they are in Seville.

The Royal Palace Courtyard 

The ceiling in the Royal Palace 

One of the outdoor spaces at the Royal Palace

The inside of the Cathedral

The cathedral from the outside

The view from the top of the Cathedral (you can actually see the bullfighting ring in the picture)

After experiencing all of these cultural places in Seville, Marisa and I decided we wanted McDonalds (which we got laughed at for by a great deal of our group), but we went anyway.

Marisa enjoying a fine meal of chicken nuggets and french fries at McDonalds

I will try to catch up on the remainder of last week as soon as possible!

First stop: Chicago

My friend Marisa is also going on the trip to Spain and lives right outside Chicago. Therefore, as I have never seen the city before I thought this would be a great opportunity to do so before leaving for Spain together. We went to a White Sox vs. Red Sox game (they were conveniently playing while I was here even though I know nothing about baseball) and spent the day in Chicago walking around and then catching a play, despite the 45 degree weather. Here are some pictures from the city. I didn't take too many and the quality might not be so great because I was more focused on staying warm than taking good pictures. 

 

The bean 

Also there was this awesome water fountain (I'm not sure if that is what it should be called) with a man's face that looked like it was spitting out water