The Rain in Spain

falls mainly on the plain... of the Guadalquivir River to be exact. The past few days in Sevilla, (located right on the Guadalquivir) have been pretty wet, and now I completely understand why this famous line from My Fair Lady was translated into Spanish as "La lluvia de Sevilla es una pura maravilla," or "the rain in Seville is a pure marvel."  While I wouldn't describe the downpour I experienced on Friday as "marvelous," it was certainly needed, as it hasn't rained in Sevilla for about 4 months.

It rained in the entire Iberian Peninsula this past Friday

In other news, this marks the end of my fourth week here in Sevilla, which is quite hard to believe! Semester classes began this past Monday, and it's looking like I am going to have quite an interesting, although challenging semester. Here's a little preview of my classes:

1) The Phonetics and Phonology of Spanish

As a linguistics major, I am supremely excited for this class. Phonetics and Phonology are the study of sounds, how they are organized in your mind (phonology), and how they are physically pronounced (phonetics). We are going to learn about the rules that govern Spanish pronunciation and why non-native speakers have certain problems when trying to speak Spanish. Nerdy, right?

2) El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote de La Mancha

Yes, that's right. In a little over 3 months, I will read the entirety of this world famous 1300 page novel. This is the class that I'm most worried about, because it involves about 200 pages worth of reading each week, and will be pretty time consuming. I know I'm going to learn a lot from this class, but at the moment it just seems more daunting than anything.

Me and D.Q. Quite the pair.

3) The Anthropology of Spanish Culture and Cuisine

I am also super excited to be in this class, because it revolves around food and how it has shaped Spanish culture. We are going to learn about chocolate, wine, olive oil, ham, and several other typical Spanish foods, and I was assured that we will get to eat a lot. Yum!

4) Art in Andalucía 

Ever since my junior year in high school, I've always been somewhat interested in Spanish art. (Shout out to Señora Hererra from GBN, who taught me most of what I know about on this subject!) This classes is about artists solely from Andalucía, or Southern Spain. We will get to learn about Velazquez, Murillo, Picasso, and several other famous Spaniards. My professor for this class is really great, and I'm very excited to learn from him. 

All of my classes have about an average of 8 or 9 people, which for me is very tiny, coming from UW Madison. All in all, this is a great thing, because I will be able to talk and interact with my professors and classmates much more easily. I'll keep you all updated occasionally about how classes are going, and will try to limit any complaints I have about El Quijote. Hasta luego, chicos!

Roman Ruins, Bullfights, Fly Suits, and More

Hello everyone!

It's the end of my third week here in Sevilla. Holy Cannoli! So much has happened in these past 7 days, so get prepared for a rather long post!!

First off, this week marked the end of my intensive language course on the history  of Spain, and while it was a very interesting class, I'm mostly just glad that it is over. Friday was pretty rough; I had a 5 page paper due as well as an exam, and my body also decided it would be a good day to come down with a gnarly cold. However, I made it through and I can now say that I  have 3 credits worth of Spanish culture classes under my belt! This weekend my friends and I celebrated being done with classes and went on many an adventure :)

Adventure #1: Saturday at Itálica

Itálica is an old Roman town located about 15 minutes outside of Sevilla. According to my guide, Itálica was the first Roman city built in Spain and was pretty important back in the day, as it was a major trading city. Two emperors, Trajano and Adriano, were born in Itálica, which is another reason why it grew to be so important. While you can see many ruins at Itálica, the majority of the city is currently buried under the modern day town of Santiponce. Our guide was telling us how people in Santiponce commonly find ruins while doing yard work or other things. Could you imagine what that experience must feel like?

Left: Amphitheater of Itálica - the third largest amphitheater of the Roman Empire.

Right: Doorway to enter the amphitheater. I'm pretty sure the gladiators would enter through here.




We spent about three hours in Itálica, looking at ruins of various Roman houses and baths. It was quite the experience to walk around a town founded thousands of years ago! Also, when I was at the doorway (pictured on the right), I definitely took a moment to pretend I was Maximus from Gladiator. It felt pretty cool, not gonna lie.

Adventure #2: Saturday Evening Bullfight

Saturday night, my four friends and I went to our first Corrida de Toros, or bull fight. Bullfighting, while still very much a part of Spanish culture, is growing to be more and more controversial. I have met Spaniards who are very proud of the tradition, as well as some who hate it entirely; it simply depends on who you talk to. La Corrida de Toros was definitely a wild experience, so I'm going to take a little time to explain it all.

Plaza de Toros, before the corrida

In the Spanish style of bullfighting, 6 bulls are killed in one bullfight. There are 3 matadors, who each kill 2 bulls. I thought it was just a one and done type thing, so it was a bit of a surprise when I found out how many bulls are killed in one match.  I also  had thought it was just the matador and the bull fighting each other, but in fact the matador has a lot of help. After the bull is let out into the ring, two men on horseback, called picadores, come in, and proceed to stab the bull a few times with a lance.

Un picador, stabbing the bull

After the picadores leave, the matador, along with 3 or 4 other toreros, aka "assistant bullfighters" proceed to taunt the bull with their capotes, or capes. During this time, they also thrust these barbed sticks into the bull, making the bull weaker.

A torero about to charge the bull with his barbed sticks

After the bull has about 4 or 6 of these sticks in him, the toreros exit the ring, and the matador is left alone with the bull. I found this part of the spectacle to be truly artistic in a way. The matadors comport themselves in a very theatrical manner, and the audience is in pretty much complete silence as they watch the matador wave his cape. The very first matador was knocked over by the bull and broke his hand. The whole audience let out a gasp, and it was definitely the scariest moment of the show.

Matador

After about 10 minutes of this spectacle, the bull is stabbed to death with a sword and then taken out of the ring. This part of the show was very sad to watch, because at the very end, the bull would realize its fate and just lay down to die. As a foreigner who hasn't grown up with bullfighting, I couldn't really bring myself to clap and cheer as the dead bull was dragged around the stadium in victory. Nevertheless, I'm very glad that I went to the bullfight and experienced an important part of Spanish culture. I don't think I will ever go again, but I would definitely recommend  it as something to see if you ever study abroad in Spain.

Defeated bull being dragged out of the ring

Adventure #3: Fly Guy

After the bullfight on Saturday, my friends and I decided to head over to, Festival de las Naciones, an international festival where booths are set up from different countries around the globe, and you can try new food and see cultural performances. As we were walking over to this shindig, a man in a fly costume walks up to us and starts buzzing. "BZZZZ BZZZ BZZZ." He asks us where we are headed, and I respond that we are going to the festival. He continues to chat us up, occasionally buzzing, when another man comes up and requests a photo of all of us with the fly. The fly man responds "BZZZ yeah, of course!" so I proceed to take the most awkward photo of my life. I will forever be on some man's iphone with a fly... alright. And if all of that wasn't bewildering enough, when we are trying get this fly guy to leave, another Spaniard comes up to us and flat out moons us. It was definitely the most bizarre experience I've had thus far, and a good reminder that as a guiri, or foreigner, sometimes you attract unwanted attention.

So just picture a more Spanish looking man in this costume and you get the idea.

Adventure #4: Arcos de la Frontera y La Playa

Typical Street in Arcos de La Frontera

On Sunday, I took a day trip to Arcos de la Frontera, a small town in the region of Cádiz (not to be confused with the town of Cádiz, where I went last weekend). Arcos is part of a series of towns known as Pueblo Blanco, or "The White Town," named as such because all the buildings and houses are white. Arcos is a beautiful town built right into the side of this small mountain. We climbed to one of the highest points in Arcos, and got to enjoy the amazing view.

We spent about two hours walking around the town, and then we proceeded to head to the beach at Puerta de Santa María, about 20ish minutes away from Arcos. Since I was in Cádiz last weekend, I was expecting cold ocean water, but the sea continues to surprise me, and the water was pretty warm! Everyone had a fantastic time swimming and relaxing on the beach, enjoying the last day before our semester classes start. It was the perfect way to end the weekend!

Hooray!

Saturday in Cádiz!

 This weekend I took a day trip with CIEE to Cádiz, a port city about an hour and a half south of Sevilla. Cádiz is over 3,000 years old, which makes it the oldest city in Europe! It has been occupied by Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Visigoths, Moors, and of course, the Spanish. Cádiz is such a unique city due to this eclectic mixture of culture, and our group spent almost three hours walking around the city trying to soak it all in. We stayed primarily in the historical neighborhoods of Cádiz, where the streets are very narrow, and the buildings are beautiful and ornate.

My favorite part of the day was climbing the bell tower of the Cádiz Cathedral (pictured above. photo credit to Brett Haschig!) The view from the top was simply stunning, as you could the whole town and many of the ports. One of the ports, (I'm not sure which...) was where Columbus set sail on his 2nd and 4th voyage to the New World.

                                                      

Two views from the top of the Cathedral

After touring the city in the morning, we kicked back and relaxed on the beach for the afternoon. I had assumed that because it has been so hot here that the Mediterranean would be rather warm, but in fact the ocean was quite cold! The water temperature was in no way a disappointment, however, and it felt quite refreshing after roasting under the hot sun. (I'm proud to say that I avoided major sunburn, which is no small feat with my ridiculously pale skin :) 

La Playa de La Caleta

I loved every single minute of Cádiz this Saturday, and I wish I could have had more time to explore the city. One day was definitely not enough. Cádiz is known for its celebration of Carnaval, which is essentially the Spanish equivalent of Mardi Gras. The celebration occurs in February and people parade through the streets in a masquerade style, playing music and living the good life before the solemn period of Lent. I hope to return during this time to see this festival first hand! 

Sevillano Sights

Week 2 is coming to a close here in Sevilla, and I think the two best words to sum it up are "blazingly hot." It is still very much summer here, with the temperature reaching an average high of 97 degrees. I am managing to beat the heat however, and have completely embraced the southern spanish tradition of the "siesta," or mid-afternoon nap when the sun is at its highest point. My Señora says that by mid-october temperatures will be in the mid 70's, lower 80's, and I cannot wait for that "cool" weather!

This week I started my intensive language class on the culture and history of Spain. It was a lot of information jammed in to 4 days, and I am slightly concerned about my midterm on culture and architecture tomorrow, but I think it should go well. The class is 3 hours each day, split into two halves. The first part of class, we are in a classroom, and our professor gives a lecture, just like any typical class. For the second half, however, we get to walk through the streets of Sevilla and visit various monuments and buildings while my professor lectures on site. It is a completely different experience learning about history when you are right in the middle of where it took place! I thought I would share some of the sights I've seen this week so you can get a feel for the beautiful city that is Sevilla!

El Metropol Parasol (Las Setas)

Right in the center of Sevilla, El Metropol Parasol (commonly referred to as "Las Setas, or "Mushrooms") is a relatively new addition to the city. The view from the top is absolutely amazing. Even cooler, however are the ancient roman ruins that you can tour underneath Las Setas. While it is fairly common in Sevilla to find roman ruins when doing construction, it was a apparently a surprise to find so much intact under this particular strip of land. Our class spent the afternoon looking at the various mosaics, walls, and artifacts that are on display, which was definitely a cool way to learn about Ancient Rome. 

El Alcázar

El Alcázar de Sevilla is a royal palace that was used by the christian monarchy in Spain. While it was built by Christians, the architecture is very Moorish in design, reflecting the large influence of the Muslim Empire that reigned over southern spain before the Reconquista. This type of architecture which combines christian and moorish elements is known in Spain as mudéjar, and can be seen all over Seville. It could be quite easy to spend half a day in El Alcázar; the place is massive and ridiculously ornate. The extensive amount of gardens that surround the palace are equally beautiful. The best part of El Alcázar, however are the peacocks that wander around the gardens. Recently, a mommy peacock had babies, and I desperately want to find them (I have a slight obsession with cute fluffy things). 

La Giralda

La Giralda is the bell tower of La Catedral de Sevilla. The Cathedral was built on the site of the former mosque of the Moorish Empire, which was mostly destroyed during the Reconquista. The only part of the mosque that remains is La Giralda, which was the minaret that called the people of Seville to prayer. After the Christians conquered Sevilla, they added bells at the very top, but kept the Islamic  architecture intact. The view from the top of La Giralda is equally stunning as the view from Las Setas. The climb, is really steep though. I was definitely out of breath when I reached the top! 

Well, there you have it. Those were probably top 3 sights I have visited this week. I should probably stop blogging and get back to studying for my exam, although I don't know how much good it will do me at this point... Hasta luego

Sevilla: Week One

Hello from España!

My first week in Sevilla is coming to a close, and what a whirlwind of a week it has been! I arrived in Seville on Monday, and it took me about 20 minutes to fall completely in love with this city. The sights are beautiful, the food is delicious, but most importantly, its people are extraordinarily friendly. Without the immense kindness of the few Sevillanos I have met this week, I think my transition into Spanish culture would have been much more difficult.

One of these kind Spaniards is my host mother Señora Aparcero. My Señora treated me as part of her family from the very first day, and has made me feel completely at home. She is also an amazing cook, delighting me with a different delicious meal for lunch each day (pictures to come soon!). Her son, Fernando is also very nice person, and while I have some trouble trying to converse with him (he has a very thick Sevillano accent), we manage to make it work. We live in a second floor apartment on a street with lots of shops and restaurants. I love having my window open and hearing the night life from below.

                   

Left: My Apartment
Above: Calle Asunción, the street where I live

This first week has been jam packed with orientation activities, sightseeing, and meeting other Americans on my program. All of us are slowly but surely learning to navigate the city, and are growing accustomed to speaking primarily Spanish. On Monday our two week intensive language session begins, and I think it will be nice to get into a routine of classes. I am very excited to improve my Spanish!

I hope to post again soon about some of the more important sites in Sevilla. Stay tuned!

Seville Bound

I still can't quite believe it, but tomorrow is the day! In just a few short hours I will be boarding a plane that will take me to Sevilla. I have packed my bags (a crowning achievement, let me tell you), said my goodbyes and am ready to begin what will surely be a fantastic year abroad. 

Tomorrow is going to be a marathon of a day. Between airport time, flying, and layovers, I have about 15 hours of travel before I will get to my homestay in Seville. And once I arrive, I have my first orientation meeting that very evening!

I'm pretty much looking forward to getting this part of the experience over with and getting settled in. I do, however, have the great fortune of having several fellow UW students on my flight, which will undoubtedly make the time go by faster :)

Right now, I am most looking forward to getting to meet my host family. I will be living with a Señora and her older son. I am not sure yet what type of building I will be living in, though my understanding is that most Spaniards typically live in apartments. Their home will be about a 20 minute walk from my classes, which will be at the CIEE Center in the middle of Seville. 

I think I failed to mention this in my first post (whoops...) but my study abroad program is through the Council of International Educational Exchange, or CIEE. I will be taking all of my classes through CIEE, although 2nd semester I will have the option to take classes through the University of Seville. 

Well, there you have it! The next post will be coming to you from Sevilla. Hasta luego!