Madrileño Life

Hola todos!!

While most of my classes finished 3 weeks ago, my linguistics class through the University of Sevilla continued for another two weeks, and last Thursday was our final exam. 3 hours of essay writing was pretty darn gross, but I survived, and can now officially say that I have finished my junior year and my Spanish major!!!!! HOLY COW.

To celebrate the end of exams, I went to Madrid for the weekend. It was my first solo trip during my time abroad, and I was definitely a bit nervous to hit up such a big city by myself, but it was a blast! I made it to all the touristy sights I wanted to see, and met a lot of fun people along the way. Here are some of the highlights:


El Escorial:

The Escorial is a 16th century palace, built during the reign of King Felipe II of Spain. El Escorial is about an hour train ride outside of Madrid, but it is definitely worth the trek, especially in the spring when the gardens are in full bloom.

Palacio Real:

The Royal Palace of Madrid was built during the 18th century, and is still used by the royal family today for state ceremonies. El Palacio Real is Madrid's equivalent of Versailles. Every single room in that palace is ridiculously luxurious, decorated with things like porcelain paneled walls, jewel encrusted furniture, and pillows made with hummingbird feathers. The gardens behind the palace are also quite pretty.

Parque de Retiro:
The weather was absolutely gorgeous when I was in Madrid, so I spent a lot of my time just walking around and enjoying the sights. Parque de Retiro was probably my favorite place I visited in Madrid. The gardens were in bloom, and everyone was out sunbathing and walking around.

Museo del Prado and the Reina Sofia:

These two museums are filled with the works of AMAZING artists such as Velázquez, Goya, Murillo, Dalí, and Picasso. Both are definitely worth the trip, even if you have to wait in line. For students both are free any day of the week, so there is no excuse to miss them!

And there you have my Madrid highlights. I'm now back in Sevilla, and I am currently freaking out because I only have ONE WEEK left with my host family. Seriously guys, where has the time gone? I plan to spend this week taking lots of walks around my favorite haunts, eating lots of my host mom's amazing cooking, and taking an obscene amount of photos. If I have time before the end of the week, hopefully I will make a post of the things and places I will miss the most.

Next week, I will be off to Belgium to spend a week with my aunt and uncle. Then a week later, I will go to Barcelona where I will reunite with my parents and sisters! It will be so great to see them and get a chance to travel around Spain with them. It's kind of odd because while I look forward to their arrival, it also means that it is the end of my time abroad, which is something my mind can still not quite grasp.

Paris, je t'aime

So two weeks ago my friends Rachel, Jenny, and I went to Paris, and like every cliché study abroad student, we fell completely in love with the city. Paris has a little something for everyone: interesting history, beautiful art, wonderful food. You name it, Paris has it. Here are the highlights of the trip:


1) The Eiffel Tower by night

Rachel, Jenny and I have not been all together since May of 2012, so it was so amazing to be able to reunite in one of the most beautiful cities in the world! Our first night back together we grabbed some sandwiches and wine from a local grocery store and went and sat in front of the Eiffel Tower. After dark, the Eiffel Tower sparkles every hour on the hour, and the spectacle is simply stunning. While we were watching it, a man next to us PROPOSED to his girlfriend, and they asked us to take their very first picture as an engaged couple. It was so wonderful and romantic and adorable. The perfect Paris moment.

2) Crepes and Cidre

This is probably one of the best culinary combinations ever. The best meal I had in Paris was a ham, cheese and egg crepe with a glass of cidre, followed by a nutella crepe for dessert. Simply heavenly. 

3) Art

Walking around Paris for even just 5 minutes will give you a clear idea as to why it became such a huge art center. There are so many beautiful corners and areas of the city; it's not that hard to become inspired. During our time in Paris, our trio made it to the Rodin Museum and the Musée D'Orsay, both of which are definitely worth the trip. We failed to make it to the Louvre, which is a shame, but at least I have an excuse to get back to Paris! 

Tip for traveling students: DONT go to the Louvre on a Sunday. On Sundays the Louvre is free to everyone, and the line to get in is hours long, hence why we did not end up going. As a student, the Louvre is free to you any day of the week, and  you will be guaranteed to have less of a wait if you don't go on Sunday. 

Rodin Museum

Rodin Museum

Musée d'Orsay

4) Churches

Visiting churches is a staple tourist activity when visiting any city, but both the Notre Dame and the Sacre Coeur are wildly impressive. I especially enjoyed the Sacre Coeur because they filmed a scene from the movie Amelie in front of it, and I had a mini freak out moment. If you haven't seen that movie you should watch it. Right now. 

Notre Dame

lovely trio!

Sacre Coeur

view from the Sacre Coeur

5) Pont des Arts

So this is probably the most cliché thing I love about Paris. Haters can hate. The Pont des Arts is a bridge covered in love locks. Thousands of locks with thousands of names of couples declaring their love. Talk about a feel good moment. I mean, I got POOPED ON by a bird while on this bridge, and I still thought it was the best thing ever. (Shout out to the lady who gave me a tissue, and shout out to Jenny for wiping poop off my back) 

Pont des Arts

And there you have my Paris top 5. I spent more time in Paris than in most other cities I have been in, and it still was not nearly enough time. I will be back!

Back to Britain

What better way to procrastinate on studying for finals than by blogging?

Two weeks ago, I left continental Europe and went to the UK to spend a weekend in London. I had the fortune of going to London over New Year's 2012 with my family, and I knew immediately it would be a place to which I would want to return when I went abroad. While in London I met up with an old high school friend of mine, Lenny, who has been studying there this semester. It's always nice to have a friend show you around, and we had a grand old time roaming the city. If you are ever in London, here are four things I would recommend doing.

1) Buy lots of tea.

Everyone knows that no one does tea like the Brits. And among the Brits, no one does tea better than Twinings. Twinings has been around since the early 1700's in the same exact shop in a bustling corner of London. You can go in, browse their selection, and even sample some tea at their tea bar! If you are a tea drinker, it is definitely worth the visit.

So much tea!

2) Go see Phantom of the Opera or really any theater production

Theater is kind of obligatory when you are in London. I was recommended to go see Phantom of the Opera and I am SO GLAD I did. It was AMAZING. This was my first time ever seeing a live production of the musical, so I can't really compare it to anything, but the singing was incredible, the costumes were fantastic, and it was just a seriously stupendous show.

3) Ride the London Eye

This was one of the few touristy things that I didn't do with my family while in London, so I decided to go for it. Anyone can tell you, I am not the biggest fan of heights, but the Eye moves so slow, it hardly feels like you're moving, which makes it better. You can see a lot of classic London landmarks from the Eye (Big Ben, Parliament, Trafalgar's Square, Buckingham Palace, etc) which is pretty cool. 

4) Go to Windsor Castle

Windsor is about a 20 minute train ride outside of London, and it is most definitely worth the trip, especially if you are an English history lover. Windsor is the resting place of many famous British royals including Henry VIII and Charles I, and it is still being used by the Royal Family today. The Royal Apartments are exquisitely beautiful and you can see on display a variety of royal collections and treasures which include a crazy huge dollhouse that is more expensive than my real house and a ridiculous china set that looks like pineapples. 

The town of Windsor is also quite charming and fun to walk around. The town is right along the river Thames, and there are lots of different nature paths you can stroll down. Sevilla is completely lacking when it comes to wooded areas, so Windsor was definitely refreshing. 

So in summary, when in London, buy lots of tea, see a musical, ride the Eye, and go to Windsor. If it's your first time you will probably want to add to this list and see The Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben/Parliament, The British Museum, The National Portrait Gallery, Covent Garden  and Picadilly Circus. As you can see London is a city worth visiting again and again. I know one day I will be back for another visit!

Some Things I Learned in Copenhagen

Hola todos!
May seems to have snuck up on me. Seriously guys, where did the time go? I have about 6 weeks left in Europe, and really only 4 weeks left in this wonderful city that is Sevilla. Between travels and final exams I have gotten a little behind on the blogging, but I finally have some time to catch up!

Three weeks ago, I went to go visit my UW friend Rachel, who is studying abroad in Copenhagen, a really fun, albeit cold city. Here are a few of the things I learned during my time there:

1) I have become a winter wimp.

It really wasn't that cold in Denmark. It was in the mid 40's or low 50's every day I was there but to me it honestly felt like the arctic. Sevilla has completely spoiled me in terms of nice weather, and it makes me wonder how I will fair next winter in Madison.

Rachel and I in the city center.
Me in my winter peacoat,
Rachel in her light jacket.

2) The view is always worth the climb. 

While I am not the biggest fan of heights, one of my favorite tourist activities is going to see a city view. Every city has its own unique character and and there is no better way to get a feel for it than from up high. One afternoon, Rachel and I climbed the Round Tower, which used to be an old astronomy tower in the 17th century. Today it offers tourists a really sweet view of this Scandinavian city.

3) Hans Christian Anderson was Danish.

This is an easily findable fact on Wikipedia, but one I was not aware of until I went to Copenhagen and saw lots of different references to Anderson and his fairy tales all over. Danish people are really fond of their statue of the Little Mermaid, which sits on the Langelinie Pier in Copenhagen. 

Anderson's version of the Little Mermaid is not quite as... sweet... as the Disney version. Like in the movie, Anderson's little mermaid gives up her voice in exchange for human legs. But she is also given the talent of dancing, as well as a curse of having the feeling of 1,000 knives stab her feet every time she takes a step. Once on earth, she falls in love with a prince, who is enchanted by her dance, not knowing that it causes her excruciating pain. The mermaid almost succeeds in making the prince fall in love with her but in the end, the prince decides to marry some other girl. The little mermaid is given the option to return to her fish form by killing the prince and his fiancée, but instead she hurls herself into the sea in an attempt to commit suicide. Instead of dying, she becomes a half spirit who can earn her soul and go to heaven by doing good deeds for 300 years. I guess it's kind of a happy ending? 

4) Elsinore is a real place.

Elsinore is the name Shakespeare gave to the castle in his play Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. The castle's true name is actually Kronborg Castle. It lies just outside of Copenhagen in the town of Helsingør. Kronborg is one of the oldest Renaissance castles in Northern Europe, and if you are ever in Copenhagen I would definitely recommend seeing it. A lot of the outside was being renovated when I was there, but it looks like they are going to do some pretty cool things with the area and make it into a much more touristy friendly space.

In front of the castle

View from the ramparts

5) Danish people love gospel choirs. 

My last day in Copenhagen, Rachel and I went to Tivoli, a well known amusement park in Copenhagen. We went during gospel weekend, and all day various gospel groups sang on different stages throughout the park. People were really getting into the music, yelling, dancing clapping, and having a good time. The park was really fun to walk round as well, especially by night when everything lit up. 

Entrance to Tivoli

Tivoli by Night

So there you have it: the top 5 things I learned in Copenhagen. Since Denmark, I have also bon trips to London and Paris, two super amazing cities which I will have to blog about soon!

Feria

In terms of time off this semester, I am completely spoiled. This week is my second spring break of sorts due to La Feria de Abril, Seville's annual fair which is always two weeks after Semana Santa.

In many ways La Feria is much like a state fair or a summer carnival. There are rides, games, and lots of unhealthy but delicious fair food. On the other hand, Sevilla's fair is completely distinct in that much of it revolves around flamenco dancing. At the fairground there are rows upon rows of booths, or "casetas" where people go to dance flamenco. There are a few public casetas, but most belong either to individual families, or businesses. People go dressed up in flamenco to eat, drink and dance the night away. It is such a cool sight to see, and while there I definitely had one of those "wow I'm in Spain" moments.

La Feria started on Monday night at midnight with the lighting of "La Portada" or the main archway over the entrance to the fair. Every year a new archway is made in the design of some famous landmark in Sevilla. This year, the arch was designed to look like La Plaza de España (see earlier posts about this landmark). Here it is before and after the lighting:

Before

Lit!

When I went to the La Feria on Tuesday, my host mom, Macarena,was kind enough to let my friend Chelsea and I borrow some of her flamenco dresses and jewelry. There is no such thing as a simple flamenco dress. The colors are vibrant, the patterns are loud, and your ensemble is not complete until you put a giant flower on your head. Not gonna lie, I definitely felt like a posing foreigner as I walked around the fair dressed like this, but I wouldn't have passed up on the opportunity for the world. 

 I can't think of much else to say about Feria. It's a week of celebration and fun, enjoying the company of family and friends, a time for Sevillanos to take pride in their culture and their city. A picture is worth a thousand words, so here are some scenes from the week:

I'm taking the second half of this week long break to go visit my UW friend Rachel who is studying in Copenhagen. Going from 90 degree weather to 40 degree weather will be quite the change, but I am excited to visit a new country!

Lovin' Lisboa

Hello everyone!

It has officially jumped from spring to summer here in Sevilla, with highs reaching the mid 80's. For Sevillanos these temperatures are still pretty moderate, but I for one am definitely feeling the heat.

Throughout this semester I have been part of a club in my program called Sevilla y Las Americas. It's goal is to get students familiar with the history of Spain's relationship with Central and South America. We have done many activities together, visiting various museums and exhibitions that have to do with Iberian-American relations. This weekend, we went to the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, where there is a big exhibition about the Iberian Peninsula and the Americas.

I had very little clue of what to expect from Lisbon. I thought it would be fairly similar to Spain, but with a slightly different language. I could not have been more wrong. Lisbon is an incredibly unique city with a completely different vibe from Seville, not to mention that Portuguese is pretty hard to understand even though it is similar to Spanish.

Our group left early on Friday morning. After a 6 hour bus ride, we arrived in Lisbon and immediately started sightseeing. Our first stop was the Cristo-Rei statue which was built in the 1940's and inspired by the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio. The pedestal Christ is on is about 270 feet high, and the statue itself is about 90 feet tall!

Cristo Rei

The views from the top of the Christ statue were breathtaking. Also, if you guys were thinking that that bridge looks similar to the Golden Gate in San Francisco, you are not mistaken! Like San Francisco, Lisbon is a city that is very subject toearthquakes, so the city hired American architects who had worked on the Oakland Bay Bridge (not the Golden Gate) to build the 25 de Abril bridge in Lisbon. 

   





On Friday we also toured the Belem Tower, part of Lisbon's 16th century maritime defense system, from back in the day when it had a fairly sizable empire. The tower, which lies along the Tagus River, is now one of Lisbon's most famous landmarks.

Also along the Tagus River is a monument dedicated to the discovery of the Americas, which was built for a world fair in the 1940's. It's a really cool monument and offers a beautiful view of the city. The monument was the end of our sightseeing tour, and we spent the rest of the day chilling and meandering the hilly streets of Lisbon. 

discovery monument

view from the discovery monument

Saturday we woke up bright and early to go to the Expo of 1998, which was about Iberian-American relations. While nowadays there is not much left of the original expo, you can still tour all the buildings that were built for it. The cable car built for the exhibit is still running, and offers a pretty view of the ocean. 

Cable Car at Expo 98

Saturday afternoon we toured Castillo Sao Jorge, a castle dating back to medieval times that was used by both Christian and Moorish kings. Today it's one of Lisbon's big tourist destinations. You can walk the ramparts of the castle walls and enjoy the beautiful views of the city. 

View from Castillo Sao Jorge

 Probably the most comical event of our trip was attempting to take a cable car ride. And by cable car, I mean not the modern kind of Expo 98, but the old fashioned cable cars that were a legit form of transportation back in the day. We crammed all 22 of us students into one cable car, which was already decently packed with many Portuguese locals. We careened down a few of the roads, being flung this way and that until we finally got off at our stop.

wild ride, my hair flying

Cable Car

On Sunday we woke up early to enjoy one final morning in Lisbon before heading back home. It was a glorious day filled with sunshine so most of the morning was spent near the ocean. Like most places in Europe, there isn't a whole lot open on Sundays to begin with, so a chill ocean morning was absolutely perfect. 

I got back to Sevilla around 9pm and discovered that crowds are already pouring in for Sevilla's annual Feria, or fair. It has the elements of your average carnival - fair food, bright lights, and rides- but it also has its own Spanish flair. Flamenco is danced all week, and the bull fighting season starts. I will be trying on a Flamenco dress for the first time this week, and am hoping to not stick out too much! I'll keep you all posted. Until then, hasta luego!