Back in the Swing of Things

Well, I have been back in Spain for a little over two weeks and have gotten back into the Spanish routine. This adjustment was definitely a lot easier than the first. I'm staying with my same host family, I already know my way around, and I know more or less what classes I want to take.

These past two weeks I have been taking an intensive literature course on short stories from Latin America and Spain. A semester's worth of lit in two weeks was a little gross, but after reading Don Quixote, I was able to whip through all the short stories like nothing. While I did not enjoy the high quantity of papers I had to write, I did really enjoy the class. We had several projects, which lead me to various corners of Sevilla that I probably would never have discovered if I hadn't taken the course. I figured I'd share some of them with you!

El Real Monasterio de Santa Ines

This church was featured in one of the short stories we read, called Maese Pérez, el organista. This short story was written by Gustavo Adolfo Becquer, a famous romantic Sevillano author. The story takes place in this church and is about the ghost of Maese Pérez, the organist, who haunts his beloved organ after he passes away. Today, the church is the home to Franciscan nuns who have chosen to be cloistered. This means that they do not step out of the convent, and have no contact with the world outside. One of our class projects was to visit the church, and listen to the nuns sing/ see the organ.

courtyard

entrance

My classmates had to wait outside in the courtyard for a bit before services began. It was super quiet, and so completely different from the noisy city sounds of Sevilla. The service was quite beautiful. The sound of the organs and the nuns singing filled up the church. Apart from the Cathedral, I haven't visited that many churches in Sevilla, which is a shame. They are all beautiful and filled with history. Goal Number 1 this semester: visit more churches.

Altar of Santa Inés Church

Becquer's Tomb
Another one of our projects was to go visit Becquer's tomb, which is located beneath the School of Fine Arts. Legend has it that if you write a wish or desire to Becquer, and put it in the statue of his grave, it will come true. Becquer is quite a beloved figure in Sevilla, and after reading one of his works, I understand why. His writing is elegant and beautifully descriptive. Maese Pérez was in my top 3 of short stories that we read during this course. Goal Number 2 this semester: Read more Becquer.

Becquer and my wish before I hid it
in the statue

El Hombre de Piedra

This was the most perhaps interesting/frustrating project of the class. At the beginning of the course we were put into pairs, and each given clues about a certain legend in Sevilla. Most people had clues leading them to a specific building or neighborhood. My clue was this picture, with the following caption:

"Algún Calle en Sevilla"
"Some Street in Seville"

Great. We have to go find the most nondescript statue that could be on any street in a giant city, with no other information. I asked Macarena, my host mom. She had no idea. I asked random people on the street in my neighborhood. No clue. Luckily Macarena's sister studied art history, and was able to tell me about the statue and the legend behind it. It's the legend of "El Hombre de Piedra," or "The Man of Stone."

This legend takes place way way back in the day, during the reign of King Juan II of Spain in the 1400's. The King made it law that whenever a religious procession of the holy sacrament passed by, all citizens must kneel before it. This was all fine and dandy, until one day the procession passed by a particular tavern where Mateo el Rubio was drinking with his friends. He decided to go against the king and the heavens, and declared that he would never kneel before the sacrament. Suddenly, a lightening bolt struck Mateo, converting him into a kneeling statue, and he has remained in the same spot since. 

Although we knew generally where the statue was, it still took my partner and I about 40 minutes to find it. It is such a tiny thing, and easily missed if you are not looking for it. Although it was frustrating, it was quite rewarding to find the statue and know the story behind it. Lots of Sevillanos don't even know the story about this statue, which makes me feel pretty darn cool. 

Success!

And that about wraps it up! Tomorrow, my regular semester classes begin. I am taking two through my program, and direct enrolling in two courses at the University of Sevilla. I'm a little nervous about the whole direct enrolling thing, but it will be a great way to meet Spaniards and will definitely improve my Spanish. Goal Number 3 this semester: Learn more Spanish! I'm also looking forward to going to the Canary Islands this coming  weekend for their celebration of Carnival. Stay tuned!