Viene la Primavera

Last Sunday was the Vernal Equinox, which marks the first official day of Spring. And what better way to bring in the season of Spring with a giant party in (practically) the middle of nowhere, with about 500 - 600 Spaniards? I'm not exactly sure how we found out about this party, mostly by word of mouth, but it is definitely one scene I will never forget throughout my time in Seville. Here in Spain, all of the partying takes place outside. People don't have house parties, so they agree on a location somewhere in the city to get together to hang out and drink. This is called Botellon in Spanish. Technically botellon-ing is illegal, but the police here don't really enforce that rule. And when I say people get together to drink in the streets, I don't mean a few groups of 10 to 12 people. Botelloning almost always consists of over 100 people. What's even more interesting, is that people leave their trash (bottles, cups, bags, etc) in the street or plaza when they are done. Upon arriving in Seville and seeing this, I was kind of disappointed to see how poorly the Spaniards treated their city by littering everywhere, but as time as passed, I realized that Botellon is actually a type of luxury... an opportunity for them to hang out with their friends and enjoy their life. There is actually a street crew who cleans these messes up every night and I assume their salaries come from city taxes. But to Spaniards, paying an higher tax to be able to Botellon is entirely worth it to them because they value their friendships and having fun over money and keeping their city 100% clean and beautiful all the time. A Botellon is very casual and relaxed venture. Yes, there are hundreds of people, but the drinking is nothing like drinking in America. Generally, the Spaniards will have mixed drinks, wine, or beer. I have never seen one Spaniard take a shot, because they don't see the logic in it. Drinking here is suppose to be something casual; a process that ought to be prolonged as much as possible and above all, fun. The primary objective is being with friends and enjoying life, not being drunk. This philosophy is actually.... logical. But this particular botellon for the beginning of Spring (Fiesta de la Primavera) was by far the biggest and most extensive I have ever seen. There were several cars with huge speakers blasting Spanish pop music for everyone to hear, and guys and girls alike dancing, talking and welcoming the Springtime weather. Although most the people there seemed relatively young (16-19) this fiesta was a true representation of Spanish social life, and something I will never forget seeing and experiencing.

Every day for the past week or so has been above 70 degrees and sunny. The weather here is unbelievable, and to think that another snow storm is coming to Michigan right now makes me so grateful I am away from the miserable Michigan weather for a semester. Last weekend I decided to walk through barrio Santa Cruz, which was the old town jewish quarter in Sevilla. The neighborhood is characterized by a series of small plazas, extremely narrow streets, and a whole heck of a lot of history embedded in the walls of the buildings. Of course, I took my tour guide book with me through the neighborhood so I could know exactly what I was seeing, and it's significance. The concept of a coexistence of 3 religions in one city is very interesting to think about, especially back in the early 16th and 17th centuries. And the fact the Jews were confined to a particular region of the city makes it even that much more intriguing. The views along my walk were beautiful, mostly because it felt so preserved and authentic. On my way home from Barrio Santa Cruz, I noticed a procession of cars into a nearby church so I stopped to observe. I now feel that much more knowledgeable about Sevilla, and I have to find the next cool thing to discover about this city.

As I started to walk home to los Remedios (my neighborhood) there was actually an extravagant wedding about to take place right in Plaza Salvador, one of the plazas in the center of the city. I didn't get to see everything, but I did see the start of the wedding and the father walking the bride down the aisle. It turned out to be a successful Saturday in Sevilla, followed by an equally fun evening. That night we decided to check out one of the most talked about discos in Sevilla called Boss. Of all the discos I have been to, I think I liked this one best because they play the best music and the Spanish girls there are the most attractive I have seen in my life. I got the feeling it was a little preppy and the people liked to stick to themselves instead of interact among strangers, but my friends and I had a great time regardless. Sunday morning I took a recommendation from my discussion leader, Puri, from the January Pro-cultural Seminar in the Center and went to Plaza del Museo to look at local artists works because I want to bring my parents back a painting of the city. There is an amazing amount of talent in this city, and I was very overwhelmed by the amount of artists showcasing their work for both locals and tourists to see and buy. I didn't buy anything yet, because I want to make sure I really like it before I do, so I will definitely be returning in the coming Sundays.

Last Thursday I met up with another Intercambio, at one of the most popular places in Sevilla called Tea & Coffee. Eva recommended him to me because last semester he was set up with a kid who attended UPenn. His name is Armando and we talked in both English and Spanish. He was actually very good at English, and he studies engineering at the University of Seville. He speaks Spanish much faster than Elia, but I don't mind because that is the only way I can continue to improve. He had some very interesting questions for me, about American life and culture. All the Spaniards base their perceptions of America off of the movies. And I told him to an extent they can be accurate, but of course there is much more to America than what you see in the movies. He surprisingly knew a lot about American lifestyle and culture though, and told me one day he would like to travel there and work if possible. He seems like a very nice and smart guy, and someone I could get along well with. Hopefully we can continue to hang out these next few months. 

Tomorrow our program is headed to Ronda Spain for the day. I think we will see more scenic views of rural Spain while in Ronda, a true representation of Andalucia. This lifestyle is unreal. I'm starting to think I won't need that return ticket back to Michigan........

Barcelona: A breath of fresh air

It probably seems like I start every blog post like this, but I honestly can't believe it has already been a full week since I was in Barcelona. Time here is going so fast. And it isn't just time in general, the days themselves feel like they fly by too. I wake up every weekday around 8:40 AM and before you know it, I am sitting down for dinner, watching our favorite game show, Pasabalabra at 8:40 PM. I am at kind of a weird place in the trip right now, because I have been getting assigned a lot of homework in my classes, and I feel the need to review all my notes after every class to ensure I understand everything, but at the same time, I do not want to waste any of my time "doing homework" while I am in one of Europe's most beautiful countries. For example, yesterday I agreed I would do homework after my 1 PM class until dinner, but the weather was 75 and sunny, and I couldn't resist but go to a park by the river with my friends and lay in the grass and relax. I just keep telling myself I can't worry about homework, because there is so many more important things to do while I am here. Hopefully I feel the same way coming June when my final exams roll around!!

Anyway, last weekend I took my first full weekend trip alone away from Sevilla to Barcelona. I went with three friends from the program, and was able to meet up with my friend Natalie Bisaro from freshman year who is studying in Switzerland. We had a very fun weekend together, and I can surely say Barcelona is in my top three for favorite cities so far. Although the trip as a whole was a perfect 10, that doesn't mean we didn't come across a few bumps in the road along the way... Actually, we encountered a problem right from the get-go... even before we got to the airport. The story is worth remembering, so I guess I will dive right into it: Marni and I agreed to meet at 6:30 AM at the bus stop for the airport, and our flight was scheduled for 9:05 aka plentyyy of time. Everything was going smoothly, until I realized at about 6:50 that I forgot my boarding pass in my room. Aww $h**!! I had to ride my Sevici bike home, rush up the elevator and try and get back to the bus stop before the bus came to pick us up. The distance from the bus stop to my house is about a 20 minute walk, and 10 minute bike ride. I couldn't believe I forgot the most crucial thing you need when traveling, because I remember asking myself that morning 2 or 3 times if I had everything. And of course, just as I was running back to the bus stop, I watched the bus slowly pull away, like something in a movie. So Marni and I decided we would wait for the next one, and if it didn't come in 20 minutes we would take a cab there. Fortunately, we were able to take the 2.40 euro bus ride instead of split a 30 euro cab ride to the airport and we still had about 20 minutes to spare before boarding. Guess it pays off to plan early.

The flight was extremely easy, and fortunately we did not encounter any problems in the airport or getting to our hostel. We stayed at Kabul youth hostel which was located right in the heart of the city in Plaça Real. We were about a 5 minute walk from the Barcelona beach and right outside the most famous street in Barcelona, "Las Ramblas". Las Ramblas is a long street leading from Plaça Catalunya (the center of Barcelona) to the Mediterranean Sea. It is separated by an island / divider, where street performers, artists, vendors, and tourists fill the walkway. Simply walking down the pathway was captivating because you always had something new to look at with each step you took. And a little off the beaten path, we found a Spanish market, called "La Boquerí", which was filled with hundreds of vendors selling meat, fruit, ice cream, candy, nuts, smoothies, vegetables, and anything else that fits into any of the 6 food groups.

I can safely say I "did Barcelona" because there is not a single thing my friends and I missed while we were there. Some of our destination sights included Parc Güell, the Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila, Casa Batllo, the Picasso Museum, the Colombus monument, Plaça Espanya, and a free walking tour through the Barrio Gotica. Needless to say, we spent very little time in our hostel. Fortunately, we knew which sights to go to because of my parent's brilliant christmas gift, "Rick Steves' Spain". Like always, I was sure to read up on the history of each of the places we went to, which made me feel even more knowledgeable about the city and appreciate it that much more.

The most important thing to know about Barcelona is that the architect, Antoni Gaudí, reigns as king of this modern city that lies in the northeastern coast of Spain. Gaudí's work is literally everywhere throughout the city, and believe me, it is a kind of work you must see in person to fully appreciate. Gaudí was an architect of all kinds, but he actually was way more famous for constructing houses and apartments than churches and chapels. This kind of architecture was very refreshing, because the rest of Spain's cities are characterized by classical, antique architecture that dates back to the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Not that I don't appreciate and like this style, but Gaudí's work was very interesting to see because it was something new and different than the same old story of the Moors rule and domination in Spain. You can clearly tell Gaudí was an artist because his work is unlike anything I have ever seen before. Most of his work actually reminded me of something out of a Dr. Suess book. And what is even more interesting is that he intended for people to actually live in these apartments and houses. Although his work was centrally based in house and apartment floor plans, he is famous for the construction of the "Sagrada Familia" a church which is still under construction today. Upon arriving to the Sagrada Familia by metro, our entire group was awestruck when we finally saw it for ourselves. We went on Saturday, which was a day full of pouring rain and relatively cold weather, but I actually feel like the rain made the sight that much more epic. For me, it was very obvious that Gaudí died before he had the chance to design the interior because when we walked in, I felt like the interior of the church didn't truly match the genius of the exterior. Regardless, I was amazed by the grandiose architecture and will never forget the views I was fortunate enough to see while in Barcelona.

Aside from the history, and corresponding cultural aspects of the city, our group still managed to enjoy the crazy nightlife of the city as well. We explored Barcelona both nights during our stay, and found some very cool bars and restaurants. Our hostel planned optional nighttime events for everyone, and we decided to take advantage of this offer during our second night, and go to a club called Razzbatazz. The club was full of people from all over the world, which confirmed what everyone had been telling me before my trip: Barcelona is truly a popular world center; a place where you can find someone from every country of the world. It was also interesting to observe the separation between Barcelona / Cataluña and the rest of Spain. According to Lourdes, all of Cataluña wants independence from Spain, and there is a certain attitude there that they are better than Spain, thus should not be associated with them. And to an extent, this "separation" between Cataluña and the rest of Spain actually was fairly obvious. For example, it's interesting to think that people of this region speak a different language (Catalan), shrine a different flag (flag of Cataluña) and say first and foremost they are Catalan... Spaniards second.

Despite the conflict and tension, I still loved the city and wish I had more time to learn and see EVERYTHING the city has to offer. But for now it is back to home sweet Sevilla, and I am here to stay for a while. Maybe now I have a little break from traveling, I'll actually crack open one of those textbooks...

Toledo, Gibraltar and Carnavales

Today was extremely relaxing and low-key. I woke up at 1:30 PM, ate "breakfast", talked with Lourdes a little bit, worked on some homework, Skyped with my parents, ate lunch and dinner, and watched part of an old movie with Lourdes. The week leading up to this lazy Sunday was actually the exact opposite. I stay very busy, at least during the week, while here in Sevilla. I do have time everyday to hang out a little bit, but most of the time I am working on something or making plans for the day, or the week to follow. Last weekend, Marni, Justin and I made our way to Toledo (España, not Ohio thank God). Our travel plans were pretty insane, but the city was beautiful and I am really glad we decided to take the trip. We left Friday night around 11 PM and arrived in Madrid at 5 AM. I slept pretty good on the bus, but was still exhausted because I only really got about 4 hours of sleep total. We took a cab to the train station in Madrid (from the bus station) and arrived in Toledo around 10:30 AM. Since we weren't too familiar with the area, we stopped in the tourist office to pick up a map and guide first. We began at the Museo de Santa Cruz, where we were able to look through several galleries of paintings and sculptures. We saw a lot of works by El Greco, who's name is most famous in Toledo for all the paintings stationed there. Toledo is also known as the city where Don Quijote, written by Miguel Cervantes, began his journey in his quest to be a chivalrous knight and defender of the country of Spain. Walking into the city gates was an amazing experience, because Toledo also served as Spain's former capital before it became Madrid in 1561. We went to several different sites in Toledo, including the Sinagoga del Tránsito, El Santo Tomé cathedral (where the most famous El Greco piece is located), and Plaza de Zocodover, but the most impressive of all in Toledo was the cathedral. Toledo's cathedral is much more modern than the gothic style Sevilla cathedral, but it is also much more elaborate and grandiose. The high altar was breathtaking, and each chapel was stunning as well. We spent a good hour or so touring the cathedral with the ever so faithful Rick Steves book, which was given as a present to me from my parents before the trip. Another cool thing about Toledo was the Mazapan dessert. It was very sweet and had an interesting texture to it, but was very good after a long day of walking and touring through monuments. It felt like everything in Toledo was uphill, because it actually does sit on a hill. I definitely felt like I got exercise that day hiking my way through the city. What really made me love Toledo though was it's authenticity. From what I saw, there was only one brand name restaurant, McDonalds, and even they only had 1 small golden arch that was barely visible from afar.

That Monday, a group from the program went with an organization called DiscoverSevilla to Gibraltar, which is a British territory located at the very southern tip of Spain. It was a pretty long bus ride, but the weather was beautiful and the sights were amazing. We got to see the coast of Africa which was only 24 km away from us, and St. Michael's Cave which is a natural cave still growing on the coast of the Atlantic ocean. Monkeys run freely all around the rock and coast of Gibraltar, so we got to spend about 20 minutes watching them and taking pictures. Some people even let the monkeys go on their head and eat peanuts, but I opted not to do that. We had about 2 hours of free time, so we got some lunch at a restaurant and looked around the shops because Gibraltar sells everything duty free. I really enjoyed the day trip because the sights in Gibraltar were unbelievable. We were really lucky for how good the weather was that day too.

We spent all day yesterday back in Cádiz for Carnavale weekend. Carnavale celebrates the weekend before Lent, kind of like Madri Gras in the United States. There wasn't too much activity going on during the day, so we sat by the beach and walked around the city a little bit. We got tapas for dinner, and then we went to the plaza by the cathedral for the performances and to join the botellon. A botellon is when a big group of people get together to talk, drink and enjoy the afternoon or night. There were several food tents set up, and we all ordered chocolate waffles and baked potatoes (an unusual combination, but it was the main attraction). I dressed up as a pirate, and my friends dressed as sailors, a devil, a mime, and a cowgirl. Some of my friends wore really cool and elaborate masks and wigs as well. A lot of people really get into the theme of dressing up and I definitely saw some interesting costumes. It was really common to see group costumes, which was a funny way to make sure you stayed with your group among the big crowd. I'm not very good with estimations, but I would have to say at least 2000 people were in the plaza at a time. By the end of the night we were so exhausted that we couldn't wait to get on the bus home. Unfortunately, DiscoverSevilla did not plan very well (in my, and most's opinion) on getting the buses back because they picked us up in a circle drive. Everyone was so ready to go home that it felt like a giant mob trying to push through to get on the bus. If that was the worst part of the night though, I can hardly complain. Carnavale was one of the most fun nights I have had in Spain.

Up next is Barcelona. Bound to be an eventful weekend, just like the rest of them.