Basque gastronomy

The Basque country has a traditional, simple, and an internationally prized gastronomy.  The Basque diet has basically remained unaltered with the passing of time, always basing itself in products of the ocean and land.  Instead of consisting of many spices or complicated recipes, the gastronomy emphasizes the quality and freshness of the food.

The Basque country is called "el país Vasco" in spanish and "Euskadi" in it's language called "euskera".  An autonomous community in the north of Spain, the Basque country also extends to southern France, but the Basque culture is much stronger on the Spanish side.

Throughout the history of Euskadi, Basque people have thrived in their independence and isolation.  The Romans never romanized the territory much, and the Muslims failed to conquer this northern area.  The land is protected from invasions by it's unique location, stuck between the mountains and the sea.

The fantastic location also has provided the country with an ideal climate for growing a variety of products.  The Cantábrico sea offers a variety of fish and other seafoods.  The interior of the country is full of rivers, forests, trees, and green fields.  Therefore, the gastronomy consists of extremely fresh fruits, vegetables, wines, and wheats.  The open fields make for good animal farms where the Basque people obtain delicious cheeses and meats.

The beans and mushrooms are especially well known for their high quality in this region.  The fish normally includes cod fish and hake.  The Basques are famous for their different types of salsas that go with the fish.  The cheeses are commonly from goats or sheep.

The cider is a whole another story.  The cider is similar to a hard cider.  Outside of San Sebastian, there are many siderías, where you eat and taste ciders.  The cider is held in wooden barrels.  Traditionally, one opens a valve on the barrel and the cider sprays out into your cup so that the cider is foamy.

Some of the best chefs in the world are in país vasco.  Basically, every bar or restaurant you enter will have excellent food.  Most bars lay out their food on the counter and you select what you want to eat.  These small plates of food are called pinchos.

The Basque diet is fresh, healthy, delicious, and has been preserved throughout history.

País Vasco

Kizoa slideshow: País Vasco - Slideshow

Lagos, Portugal

Kizoa slideshow: Lagos, Portugal - Slideshow

La Feria

La feria in Sevilla is a large festival that takes place at the end of april for about a week.  Sevillanos dress in traditional flamenco outfits; dresses for women and suites for men.  Sevilla suddenly looks like it's back in the late 1800s.  Horse carriages, decorate in bells and bows, transport sevillanos dressed in traditional clothing to the festival.

The festival is situated in Los Remodios of Sevilla (where I live), in about a 5 by 7 block radius.  La feria is enormous!  Tents are lined up, side by side, offering food and drinks.  The tens are usually owned by businesses and therefore only invited people are allowed into each tent.  La feria is a bit classicist, with body guards blocking out uninvited guests.  However, there are a few public tents which is where I spent my time.

The tents are crazy.  Each tent is different.  Some are really fancy, some are small and meant for families.  Others basically have concerts inside.  No matter what, each tent has people dressed in flamenco clothing dancing the sevillano, a flamenco dance.

There also is an amusement park area with a ferris wheel, a haunted house, a type of mechanical bull ride, and more.

Along with the food and drinks in the tents, there are many waffle and churros stands.

I loved the feria.  I luckily had one of my best friends to enjoy the festival with, and the two of us partied till 4 in the morning.  We attempted to dance the sevillano, drank manzanilla (wine special for la feria), ate waffles at 3 am, and went crazy on the rides at the amusement park.  La feria is a fascinating cultural experience as an outsider, and a lot of fun.

Kizoa slideshow: La Feria - Slideshow

Group Video- Ha llegado el momento

CIEE study abroad program offers groups of interest to students that include group trips, activities, and cultural learning.  My interest group consisted of art, theatre, and cultural expression.  As a group we created a music video with a local Sevilla band.  Below is the link to the video.  Slightly embarrassing, but mostly fun and definitely out of my comfort zone, the video takes place first in our CIEE building where we take classes, and different spots throughout the heart of Sevilla.  The video is about a boy (the guitarist of the local band who sings the song in the video) who is tied down by his girlfriend, leaving him unhappy and upset.  As the video goes on, girls dance in the background and try to give him a make over and start over in his life.  At the end, he realizes his identity and leaves the girl.

The song is called "Ha llegado el momento", or the moment has arrived.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gTxjLnikOs&feature=youtu.be

Semana Santa en Sevilla

Kizoa slideshow: Semana Santa - Slideshow

Semana Santa takes place the week before Easter to celebrate the last week of Jesus' life.  While the week is very religious, it also has a strong cultural and fun aspect.  People travel from all parts of the world to see the processions that take place in Sevilla during Semana Santa.  The processions are of Baroque style, an artistic time period that overly exaggerates religious art.  All of the processions are made of wood painted with gold and adorned with numerous gems.  The Church's aim with Baroque style was to create an illusion of power and wealth during a time period of fear, rise of Protestantism, and economic decline in Spain.

The streets are flooded with people, food, and drinks.  I loved the environment during Semana Santa, even though I am not a big fan of large crowds.  Families and friends gather in the streets to watch the processions pass by, and then flock to restaurants for beer, coffee, torrijas or pestiños (special deserts during Semana Santa).  I loved the social aspect of Semana Santa and the excitement in the streets.

Torrijas: similar to French Toast but with honey instead of syrup

Pestiños

As a foreigner, all of the processions looked pretty similar to me.  Many of them were of the Virgen, or Jesus with Romans.  Some of the processions told stories, while others just looked pretty.  My host mom says that for Sevillanos, each procession has it's own meaning and importance.

Carried by men and women, the processions belong to various churches throughout Sevilla and surrounding towns.  In fact, one town was supposed to walk various miles with the procession to Sevilla, but the walk was canceled due to the rain.

It actually rained all week.  People were shown on TV crying because events were being cancelled.  My host mom says that every year it rains during Semana Santa.  Ironically, Sevilla has experienced barely any rain in the past few months, but it poured all week of Semana Santa.

My host mom in the newspaper!

http://www.abcdesevilla.es/20120403/semana-santa/sevi-maria-jose-alonso-ruiz-201204030143.html

ABC Newspaper of Sevilla wrote an article about my host mom and her family's contribution to the church.  When my host mom's mother was ill, my host mom's grandfather and grandmother promised to contribute to the church if their daughter (my host mom's mom) was saved.  Their daughter survived and the grandparents donated a statue of the Virgen to their church.  This monument remains a highlight of the church today.  

Chile vs. España: My experiences

My experience in Spain is the exact opposite of that in Chile. 

School

Through IFSA-Butler, I had two amazing professors in Chile.  I learned so much in my Chilean literature class and my Written and Oral Spanish class.  However, my other classes were not very good.  Professors were late all the time, failed to create class structure, and generally were not good at teaching.  But, on the plus side, I had very little work. 

All of my classes in Spain are good.  I learned an enormous amount in my two-week intensive class on the Cultural History of Spain.  As I am finishing up my classes in the next month, I can definitely say that I understand a great deal more about Spanish cinematography and gastronomy, and medical terms in Spanish. 

Due to the student manifestations in Chile, I was not able to study with Chileans in university.  Fortunately, I had a second opportunity in Spain.  I currently take a cognitive psychology class at the University of Seville.  The professor speaks incredibly fast, so I struggle to understand everything, but the other professors for my labs are much easier to comprehend.  In general, I am happy with my decision to take a direct University class, especially because I get to stay in Spain for another month for free since my program pays for my housing.

Spanish

I am very thankful for many reasons that I went to Chile first, before Spain.  One main reason is that after Chile, all other types of Spanish seem a lot easier.  I was amazed when I arrived in Spain that I could actually understand everyone.  To be honest, I was nervous about the Sevilla accent since I have heard so many times that Sevilla Spanish is one of the most difficult to understand in Spain.  Many say that Sevillianos speak rapidly and cut off the end of words.  People obviously have not been to Chile.  For me, the Spanish here is one of the more difficult ones, but nothing in comparison to Chile or Argentina.  

Host Family

I finally have the host family I have always wanted (as seen in an earlier blog).  I live in Spain with a Señor and a Señora, in a decently sized apartment in Los Remedios of Sevilla.  We watch TV and eat together.  We even take siestas together.  My host parents take me to the doctor.  They help me plan out trips.  Spending a great deal of time with my host family, I learn an enormous amount of Spanish with them. 

In contrast to Spain, my host family in Chile was very different.  My host parents were younger, and had two teenage sons.  Working all the time, my host dad wasn’t home very much.  But when he was home, we would spend hours talking.  He was a world-traveler, and had so much to share with me.  I loved talking with him. 

At first, my Chilean host mom was extremely nice and helpful.  Some where along the journey we began to not like each-other.  While she was very strict and perfectionistic, I was very free-spirited and loose.  Just two different types of people.

Besides eating and talking, I didn’t do much with my host family.  They would watch movies every weekend together, and not once did they invite me to join.  My host brothers were pretty indifferent about my life.  We had our jokes and cooked together twice, but overall, we just lived in two different worlds and could not create strong ties. 

I left Chile disappointed that I did not switch host families.  I just hoped that my situation in Spain would be better, and it is.

Physical Exercise

In Chile, I spent a decent amount of time at the gym and playing soccer.  I joined the gym for physical exercise, but also for the great showers.  My host mom told me on the first day to take 4 minute showers, hence the luxury of unlimited shower time at the gym.  I loved my soccer team.  We practiced once a week, and played one game every Sunday. 

However, in Spain, I don’t have a gym or a soccer team.  I walk or bike at least 1 hour everyday, usually around 2 hours.  But, I miss the structure of going to the gym and I miss having a group of girls to laugh and have fun with twice a week. 

Time

I was generally much more busy in Chile.  I had structure.  I was active at the gym, soccer, school, traveling, and with friends.  Since I had terrible Internet in my apartment, I rarely was able to watch movies or TV shows online.  Therefore, I spent a lot of time outside, doing things.

I have way too much free time in Spain.  Similar to Chile, I sleep massive amounts.  But, since my Chilean family ate an early 7’ocklock dinner (weird for Chileans), I tended to go to bed early and wake up early with ease.  Here, I eat dinner around 10 pm and go to sleep around 1 or 2 am and wake up semi-early for class.  Therefore, siestas are necessary.  My host parents always laugh at how I take 2-3 hour siestas. 

Friends

Before going abroad in Spain, I planned on focusing on making Spaniard friends, and not American friends.  Instead of going out with groups of Americans, I decided that I would pick one or two friends and go out with them in order to increase the likelihood of meeting Spaniards.  A good idea, in theory.  

When I was in Chile, I had a small group of friends who I really liked and spent all of my time with.  I was rarely just with one American.  But, I was also with many more Chileans.  I was very fortunate to be introduced to a group of Chileans in my first week of living in Viña del Mar.  A girl in my IFSA-Butler program had studied in the city the past semester and was also staying for the fall semester.  This girl, fluent in Chilean Spanish, had a very welcoming and eager group of Chilean friends.  Therefore, it was easy to talk to Chileans. 

Leaving Chile, I was determined to make a close friend in Spain, someone who I can visit if I come back to Sevilla in the future.  However, I have had a much harder time making Spaniard friends.  I have one friend in my psychology class and one friend who is my intercambio (a partner to speak in spanish and english with).  Sometimes, I wonder if Spaniards are just so used to American students that they have no interest in befriending us.  Similar to Chilean girls, Spanish girls seem very cliquish and unwelcoming to American girls. 

A perfect example of Spanish girl behavior occurred last week in my psychology class, which is probably 90% female.  My professor told everyone to get into groups of 3-5 people and asked everyone to be welcoming to the “American student” (aka me).  He even said that it would be advantageous to have me in their group because I can find articles in English.  Yet, no one reached out to me.  There was even a group of 6 girls, more than the maximum of 5 people per group, who refused to send someone from their group to join me.  Eventually my professor just assigned me to another group, but I was shocked that these college aged students couldn’t leave their comfort zone and reach out to a foreigner. 

In my pursuit of Spanish friends, I haven’t created a main friendship group for myself.  Throughout all of my life, I have continuously had small groups of very close friends.  It’s my style.  Here I am, a floater, for the first time in my life.  I have friends who belong to different groups.  Hence, I float between groups.

So, in general, I think I miss my social life in Chile.

Health

My stomach problems began in Chile.  One night I ended up in the hospital from stomach pains, not ever knowing with certainty the cause.  All I knew was that I wanted to be cared for and babied, but I was mostly on my own.  Fortunately, the pains weren't daily.  Over time however, my stomach has just gotten worse.  

In Spain, my stomach pain is daily struggle.  But my host family is very kind and helpful about my sickness.  I know that if I was in Chile with the intensities of these pains that I would have gone home.

Besides physical health, my mental health has been great throughout both of my study abroad experiences.  Naturally, my first study abroad experience was more difficult mentally, one of the hardest things I’ve had to do.  I missed my family and friends deeply.  I even missed the United States.  Even though I still do miss my family and friends, I am now accustomed to the solitude.  Chile also posed greater culture shock since I was farther from my own country and culture, and was not used to living in another culture in general.  Arriving in Spain, I really already understood Latin/Hispanic culture a great deal and therefore have not been suffering as much.


Over all, I am lucky to have opposite experiences in two different countries.  How boring would it be if Spain was a repetition of Chile!  I learn so much more from having diverse experiences! 

Ronda, Spain

Kizoa slideshow: Ronda - Slideshow

Morocco & Gibraltar

Over the past weekend I went to Morocco through "We Love Spain", a traveling program directed toward foreigners in Spain. Many of my friends went on the trip to morocco through this program a few weekends ago and gave great reviews about the trip. Originally, I had decided that I was to only travel within Spain so that I could truly see and understand Spain. However, with my friends' reviews and knowing that I would probably never go to Morocco in the future, I signed up for the trip. 

Even though I was with a big group of people, around 150 people, I felt kind of lonely. I didn't have my own group of friends, weird for me.  I generally tend to have a small circle of close friends. For a first, I was a floater between friend groups. However, I did meet a lot of great people, especially three girls with sarcastic comedy and similar attitudes towards American behavior abroad.  Sometimes, though, it's good to be alone.  I learned about myself.  

I have definitely confirmed that I am different from most American girls, in a good way, in my opinion.  I am definitely a liberal arts students.  I have an open mind.  I enjoy learning.  I like meeting new people, especially people from different cultures.  I can wear a basic tee-shirt and comfortable jeans without makeup or hair products and feel pretty.  I can conduct a research study on pubic hair removal in male and female college students.  I'm not saying that I'm better or worse, rather that I am different from many Americans.  Inside my Bates bubble, I don't feel different.  Now I realize that Batesies are not the typical Americans.  Liberal arts students are not the norm.  

Studying abroad has opened my eyes to how different I am from the majority of people in the United States.  Though, I am proud of my differences.  I am who I have always wanted to be, greatly due to my experiences at Bates and studying abroad. 

So, I traveled through Morocco with this program, trying to embrace and enjoy my independence. I loved Morocco! My first thoughts were of confusion. At this point in my life, I understand a great deal of Latin/Hispanic culture. However, I understand nothing of Moroccan culture. A whole new world was unveiled to me. 

Some Americans commented that the city of Tetuan looks exactly like Spain.  While there are definitely similarities, of course, due to the very strong presence of Muslim architecture in Andulasia, and the close proximity of Morocco to Spain and to Europe in general, Morocco is very different esthetically. Morocco uses much more white (for heat control), more ridged U shaped arches, domes, bright colored ceramic tiles, geometric patterns, and not to mention that cities are based between mountains.

My favorite city was Chefchaouen.  I felt like I was in an ice fairy land. I say ice because everything was painted blue or white. I say fairy because the doors were probably around three and half feet high. The design is meant to help with the heat. 

The best part of morocco, for me, as a tourist, was the amazing shopping. The products are of good quality and diverse. The leather bags, colorful plates, fun jewelry, tea cups, scarves, blankets ... are amazing! I wanted to buy everything. 

During my weekend, we were led on tours by a Moroccon man. I was glad that Americans didn't make any rude comments in reaction to some of his statements. It was very important, and hard at times, to keep an open mind and remove all of my ethnocentrism. I was mostly struggling with his speeches on the role of women to serve the husband. 

Even with the conservative nature of Moroccan culture, I was confused by the mix of liberal and conservative behaviors. While some women covered all of their body, other women wore normal clothes and just covered their hair. In a holistic medicinal shop, where we had a tour, the sales people targeted couples for an aphrodisiac tea, very directly addressing their sexual relations in an open nature. I felt a strong desire to stay in Morocco to better understand this controversy, though not for too long, considering my status as a female and my consistent need for good medical services. 

On our way down to Morocco, we went to Gibraltar for half a day. Gibraltar is a city in southern Spain that is actually owned by England. In this fascinating city, I was intrigued by my tour guide's statement that he is neither British nor Spanish. He is Gibraltan? Gibraltian? He says people from Gibraltar greatly fear that Spain will one day own the city, claiming that he would rather be British than Spanish... Still am not exactly sure why, though maybe for current economical reasons. People there speak neither Spanish nor English, they speak Spanglish. It's also interesting that many Spaniards claim the right to this land since it is in Spain, but at the same time defend the Spanish land at the top of Morocco. 

Anyway, The main attraction at Gibraltar is the Big Rock where you can interact with monkeys! Basically, the best day of my life because a monkey hopped on my shoulder. Dreams do come true! 

Overall, I loved the trip. Both Gibraltar and Morocco are great visits and worth the time and money. 

Kizoa slideshow: Gibraltar + Morocco - Slideshow

Cádiz

Cádiz, the oldest city in Spain, is a special part of Spain, very distinct from Sevilla.  Unlike Sevilla, all of the buildings are light colors (white, yellow...) to reflect light.  The city is built away from the ocean and in a zigzag to escape the wind.  With a much more intense sun light in Cádiz, the shadows from the buildings, in narrow streets, become extremely important.

Many people travel to Cádiz for the beach, and for the famous Carnival.  Even though I didn't go to the Carnival, I have heard much about the long party.  During the day, there are theater plays and street performances.  During the night, the city basically becomes New Orleans during Mardi Gras.  People dress up in crazy costumes, and the streets are covered with people drinking and partying.  My host dad said that Cádiz has some of the best humor in Spain, though many people do not understand the humor since it is very specific to Cádiz culture.

The water at the beach in Cádiz is a beautiful clear bluish green.  The sand is soft and nude colored.  I spent the afternoon just lying on the beach with friends.  I'm hoping that I get to vacation with my host family at their beach home in Cádiz.

Kizoa slideshow: Cádiz - Slideshow

The Newmans are in Spain!

So my family was in Spain for about a week, minus my sister who will visit me in mid-late may.  We saw almost all the sights in Sevilla- La Giralda, El Alcázar, Plaza de Toros, Parque de María Luisa, Plaza España, CIEE El Palacio (where I take classes), La Facultad Antigua de Derechos, Avenida Constitución, the Cathedral, and most importantly, where I live!

We dined, we walked miles, we saw, and finally we had dinner with my host parents.  After translating back in forth in english to spanish and spanish to english, I was absolutely exhausted!  But the dinner went really well.  One of my favorite moments was when my host parents were telling my actual dad to eat more, but my dad shook his hands and said no since he was full, but my host mom just slapped some more food onto his plate.  Now they know what I go through every meal, and I love it.

We also went to Córdoba, which my parents and brother loved.  Then we traveled to Madrid, saw the Prado Museum, and the next day went to Toledo.  With stone walling, tiny streets, a setting on a mountain, torture museum exhibits, two synagogues, a large cathedral, and major Visigoth history (used to be the capital of the Visigoth Spain), Toledo has to be one of my favorite cities.

Overall, I loved having my family with me in Spain and know that my parents and brother truly enjoyed the trip and can see how a life in Spain wouldn't be all that bad.



Kizoa slideshow: Family Visit - Slideshow

Hotel de La Casa Judería

When my family came to visit me in Sevilla, they stayed in the Hotel de La Casa Judería.  The hotel is comprised of different old palaces put together.  It's a maze to get to your room!  Each room also differs on size, shape, and looks.  The cellar of the hotel is amazing, with rocks and mosaics and other types of art.  Definitely the most interesting hotel my family and I have ever been to.



Kizoa slideshow: Hotel de la Casa Judería - Slideshow

La Comida de España

The food in Spain is amazing!!!!

Just like in Chile, lunch is the biggest meal.  However, the lunch in Spain is in my opinion much bigger.  In general, I feel that Spaniards eat much healthier than Chileans and eat more.  Eating in Spain is a huge part of the culture.  The social life is commonly centered around delicious food.  When I was in Chile, I honestly felt like many women had fears of eating in public.  When I was eating dinner with my soccer team, the boyfriend of our captain commented that he had never seen girls eat so much!  I was shocked.  He said that he rarely sees women eat a lot in general and that many eat additional food in their rooms in private.  Since the food in Chile is not the healthiest over all, and many women do not exercise regularly, I believe that Chilean women control their weight by limiting the amount of food consumed.

Unlike Chile, Spanish women eat just as much as Spanish men and everyone enjoys good quality food.  Spain highly values extra virgen olive oil, fish, vegetables, and fruits.  One of the most recommendable diets in the world, the Spanish diet is healthy and well balanced.  I also love that people here just love food.  Spaniards love chocolate and are not afraid to indulge.  With a healthy attitude towards food, and active life styles of walking or biking everywhere (at least in Sevilla), Spaniards tend to be thin and fit.

Even though the Spaniard diet is fantastic, I do criticize the amount of bread I eat here and the small breakfast.  Sometimes I feel like I eat a loaf of bread every day.  I also wish I could eat yogurt or fruit for breakfast instead of two big slices of bread every morning.

The type of food varies from region to region of Spain.  In general for lunch, Spaniards eat a soup, salad, or small appetizer first, then a big dish, and then a fruit or yogurt for desert.

In Andalusia, gazpacho is famously delicious.  Other appetizers I commonly have in Spain are fried fish, sardines, chorizo (spicy sausage) and bread, and empanadillas (similar to empanadas).  Typical big dishes are fried fish and potatoes or french fries, paella, sea-food cazuela, and eggs and chorizo with potatoes.  There is a such a variety of dishes, I generally have a new dish every lunch.  After the main dish, we have kiwi, orange, apple, pear, or yogurt.

For dinner, we eat something smaller, such as salad (with tuna, pomegranates, lettuce, and olive oil), or croquetas (fried or oven baked potato with meat or seafood or cheese), or cheese and chorizo and bread.  After dinner we have another fruit or yogurt.

When I go out to eat, I love sharing tapas (small appetizers) with friends.  We order a variety of great small dishes and can spend hours eating and drinking together.

People generally do not eat by themselves in Spain.  When people go to work with out a packed lunch, they go to a restaurant to eat lunch with friends.  People do not run around eating food in the street like Americans.  Spaniards take time out of their day to enjoy food in the social company of others.

It's A Girl!

Finally having found the host family I always wanted, I am super comfortable and content.  When I am on a weekend trip away from home, I am always excited to return to my host family.  Returning to my apartment after class, I am usually greeted by my host nephew running over to me and host parents asking me about my day.

My host mom goes with me to all of my doctor appointments (no surprise that I am at th
e doctor's office once again in another country).

I spend so much time with my señor and señora.  We watch movies, tv shows, and news programs together.  We eat all of our meals together, unless I need a packed lunch of course.  We are always talking, laughing, and enjoying each other's company.

I am truly so happy in my new home.

And the best of news yet- "It's A Girl!"

For those of you who got nervous at the title of this post, don't worry!  We recently found out that my host sister is going to have a baby girl!!!!! This will be her second child and will have the same name as her mother- Rosio.  My host sister is now approaching 4 months in her pregnancy and I could not be any more excited for her.

Córdoba

Kizoa slideshow: Cordoba - Slideshow

Granada

Kizoa slideshow: Granada - Slideshow

Granada (pomegranate in English) is a wonderful city.  When exploring different study abroad locations, I ultimately was deciding between Granada and Sevilla.  After seeing Granada, I know that both choices would have made me equally happy. 

In my opinion, the buildings and streets of Seville are more aesthetically pleasing, but Granada has a beautiful setting in the mountains.  Sometimes I felt as though I were in a forest instead of a city. 

Granada also has more culturally interesting environment since it was the last Muslim city to be conquered by the Christians in 1492 (yes, I am learning in my history culture class J).  There are tons of Arab art, music, and food.  The Alhambra is also one of the most beautiful buildings I’ve ever seen. Granada also has less Americans in the city than Sevilla (a major plus).

Basically a college city, Granada has a very fun night life.  The bars are very lively, offering a drink with tapas for only 2 euros!  There’s a really fun street in Granada packed with bars, where everyone goes at night to enjoy the 2 euro deal. 

View of Sevilla

Kizoa slideshow: View of Sevilla - Slideshow

These photos are taken from the highest point in Sevilla- La Giralda.  La Giralda is a tall tower with religious symbolism of the domination of christianity over other religions during the reconquista in Spain.  In the pictures you can see parts of the amazing gothic style cathedral of Sevilla.  Currently, there is a big debate in Sevilla whether the construction of a skyscraper on the outskirts of the city can overpass the height of the Giralda.  

Videos of Sevilla

Two youtube clips of Seville that my host dad wants me to share with you all. Enjoy!

http://youtu.be/LnV7IkZU-OY

http://youtu.be/6_02hxtrXmo

First Week!

First impressions of Sevilla: 

• amazing 
• beautiful 
• historic
• regal
• european
• green
• fun
• lively
• breathtaking 

Sevilla, a city in southern Spain, the capital of Andalusia, and a cultural center of Spain, inhabits about 700,000 people.  Sevilla is commonly known for it's Andalusian traditions of flamenco and bull fighting, the magnificent Catedral, Plaza de España, and El Alcázar.  

I am so far loving Sevilla (or Seville if you want to write the city's name the English way).  I am living with a señor y señora who have two daughters that also live in Seville with their husbands.  One daughter has a two year old child who I get to see frequently.  My host family is extremely sweet and cooks amazing dishes.

I already have so many stories that I wish to share.  For now, I am just going to leave you with pictures of Sevilla, and a few comments below the pictures.

This is the Guadalquivir River with La Torre de Oro (Gold Tower).

A side of the Catedral de Sevilla (it's really hard to get a good full picture, but the cathedral is amazing!)

Awesome building :) 

Metropol Parasol: a new modern structure that creates shade for Sevillanos. The structure is very controversial in Sevilla since the modern architecture contrasts deeply with the old Roman, Arab, and Christian styles surrounding the structure.  In many ways, the structure displays a great social divide in Seville between the past and the future, or traditional versus modern.

 Orange trees are everywhere! Though the fruit is bitter from the trees on the street and covered with pesticides. 

 El Alcázar: magnificent gardens and housing for the King and Queen when they come to visit Sevilla. The architecture and art is one of the few that combines Muslim and Christian styles.  Decorated inside and out, with thousands of tile hand carved, the architecture here is absolutely breath-taking. 

As I just started my two week intensive course on the Cultural History of Sevilla, I am sure to post soon with some of my newly gained learnings.