Back in Los Estados Unidos (the United States)

I’m back!

After a long bus ride to Madrid, sleeping on a cold airport floor, and a 7 hour flight (to Philly and then a hour flight to Cleveland) I am back in Monroeville. Hogar dulce hogar. (Home sweet home). It really is nice to be back, although my departure was very agredulce (bittersweet). I’ve realized it just takes me a long time to fall in love with a place (and people too for that matter.) It takes people who care about me and a sense of belonging before I really begin to give in to my surroundings. Thankfully I found both in Sevilla. I had a loving family, a few good friends, and a handful of experiences that will keep Sevilla in my heart forever.

I was talking to my host brother, Manolo, about the magic of Sevilla just hours before I left. “It’s like the city has hands,” I explained. “And they are reaching out for you. I could feel it when I first got here, but I was too nervous to give in. The city was saying, ‘Tranquillo. No pasa nada.’ and I was like, ‘Ahhh no! I’m in another country. What should I do with myself?’ “

Manolo laughed and agreed. There’s something about this place, besides his family, that will always make him come back. Sevilla just has this influence on people- this romantic, tranquil influence- that makes people act well, more tranquil and romantic. It even got to a crazy American girl like me. : )

Here is a brief list of what Spain and Sevilla has taught me these past 3 months:

• -Walk slow and take time to stop and smell the orange blossoms.
• -Good food comes in bit sizes and is meant to be shared. (i.e. tapas)
• -Celebrations should be week long, community affairs with lots of food and music.
• -The importance of sitting down to a meal as a family.
• -You will be judged by which soccer team you support.
• -No pasa nada! (“Don’t worry, be happy.”)
• -Being on time means being a least 10 minutes late.
• -Cutting off the ends of your words is acceptable and even proper speech.
• -Partying starts at midnight and goes until dawn.
• -Polka dots rule.
• -When you can’t say it in Spanish use charades.
• -Greet with besitos. (A kiss on each cheek.)
• -Take a siesta.

“Adios Guadaliquiver,” I said to the river as I passed over the puente de Triana (Triana bridge) for the last time.

“No,” Manolo corrected, “It’s not ‘adios’ it’s ‘hasta luego’, because you will be coming back.”

I sure hope so.

Exploring the Costa del Sol

So here's a quick update before I loose track of time in my final week here.

This weekend I took off for Torremollinos, a tourist beach town on the Costa del Sol (Sun Coast), with Abby and her brother, Nat, who has been visiting for two weeks. I don’t really know how to describe our trip except for pretty bizarre. Not all good, not all bad, just lots of strange moments.

First of all, we arrive at our hotel and with in minutes realize we are the youngest people staying there by about 40 years. It turns out this is prime season for the senior citizens to be visiting the coast because all the kids and college students are still in school. So needless to say the town was pretty quite and the bars were kind of sketchy. We were often greeted as we passed each one by someone speaking in perfect English, “Hey, you wanna come in and have a drink?” Uuumm, not really thanks if I have to pay 4 euros for a Coke.

On the bright side, our room had a great water front view and the next morning we woke up to sun even though the weather man had predicted a 100% chance of rain. Well, we lucked out and spent the whole day Friday laying on the beach. Down side, I got burnt. Upside, I got to sing karaoke that night in a self-proclaimed international bar called “El Open Arms.” I did my own rendition of “Let It Be” in honor of the time Rosie, Abner, and I sang it together in Italy. (Sorry Rosie. I know I said I would never talk about that again, but it makes the story complete.) Weird side, just as I was about to sing to the empty bar (ie Abby and Nat) a rowdy British bachelor party came romping into the bar and suddenly I was surrounded by a handful a drunk English men who happily helped me sing out the tune. Priceless.

The next day it did rain, but no worries. We headed into Malaga who’s claim to fame is being the birthplace of Picasso. We went to the Picasso museum and pondered his work for an hour or two. Then we checked out his birthplace which is also a museum. (I’m actually doing a report on Picasso right now. He actually only lived in Malaga until he was ten and then moved to Barcelona and then Paris. Once Franco took power, he refused to return to Spain.)

After lunch it was still raining and we were running out of ideas. “I know! Let’s go to Ronda,” we thought. This turned out to be trickier than expected. The bus and train schedules gave us very limited times, so we decided to rent a car for the afternoon. (The car of course was in the “Picasso” design.) With the help of GPS Nat drove that baby all the up the mountains and into the middle of nowhere. Just when I thought we were going to be lost in the gloomy clouds forever, there was light! And there was Ronda, the pueblo blanco (white town) sitting on top of the hill with a rainbow over it. (No lie. There was really a rainbow!)

Unfortunately our visit was cut short by rain, but we did manage to get lots of great pictures of Ronda’s famous (and infamous) gorge. During the Spanish Civil War a prison was built at the top of a cliff and prisoners were hurled to there death. Ronda is also the birthplace of bullfighting and home to one of the oldest bull rings. Hemmingway writes about both of these things in For Whom the Bell Tolls (Civil War) and Death in the Afternoon (bullfighting).

Speaking of bullfighting, did I tell you all I went to one? Now don’t judge me just yet. When I first arrived here I was sure I wasn’t going to see one, but the more I thought about it and talked to people, the more I felt like I owed the Spanish the open mind to at least go and experience it for myself before making a judgment. It was almost eerily ceremonial. Everyone was very hushed as the bull went through the three stages before its death. It’s actually quite fascinating, because when the matador finally takes the ring it becomes like a dance between him and the bull. Although I couldn’t help but think the whole time, “Watch out bull! It’s a trick!” The final kill is the worst. I tearred up seeing that great strong beast stumble to the ground. If you want to more details go to this web site that explains each stage: http://www.andalucia.com/bullfight/guide.htm

As for my judgment now? I feel that it’s unnecessary, but at the same time I know the Spaniards feel like it is an important part of their culture and I feel like I can’t be one to decide that it’s wrong for them.

On that happy note, I have to go and begin preparing for finals. I hope all is well and everyone have a good week!

All my love,

Emily

Where In the World Have I Been?

Sorry once again for the lack of updates! Hopefully the pictures have given you a clue to all the things I’ve been up to these past few weeks. In order to save time and organize I’m going to write this entry more as a list so I can make sure I cover all my latest escapades. Enjoy!

1) Gibraltar
I took a day trip Gibraltar, Spain’s little slice of Great Britain. Actually, the rock has been a highly disputed piece of land over the years and the Spanish would love to have it back, but all the British are handing over is their trash (really, they send all their waste to the mainland). It’s a unique place to visit because one minute your in Spain and the next minute your surrounded by advertisements in English, fish and chips, and red phone booths. During my tour I got to see Europe Point (the Southern most tip of Europe from where you can see Africa), St. Michael’s Cave, and play with the monkey’s on the rock. The primates are highly entertaining and are a semi-wild bunch that will climb on your head in exchange for some food. Everyone was trying to get a new facebook photo with the monkeys. Check out the pictures!

2) Horseback Riding
That same weekend I went horseback riding through Doñana National Park and along the beach. Sadly my camera batteries died before I got to the beach, but just picture me galloping along the shore with my hair wiping around in the breeze. Very romantic. : )

3) Paris
I got to meet Rosie in Paris one weekend and we had a blast! We stayed in Montmartre, the “artsy neighborhood” of the city and the old hang out of people like Picasso and Van Gogh. We toured the city, saw the Mona Lisa in the Louve, had a picnic underneath the Eiffel Tower, chilled with the Gargoyles on top of Notre Dame, and just got to enjoy each others company while we wondered around Paris eating crepes. (We were basically addicted to crepes.) Oh, and for all of you who know me well, I got to see the Moulan Rouge! Sorry to say it was kind of a disappointment, but I got lots of pictures in front of it. Some things are just better in the movies I guess. Mostly though, it was just good to see Rosie. It’s been almost two years! She’s doing well and is back in Frankfurt (after her three month service trip to Togo) working at a daycare for her social year. And Rosie, if you are reading this I will send you the pictures as soon as I get a chance when I get home! They are priceless. ; )

4) Feria de Abril (April Festival)
So if you can remember way back to my last entry I mentioned I was going to take flamenco lessons. Well, I did and I’m very glad I did because I spent the whole week of feria dancing the night away! Many towns and cities celebrate a feria, but Sevilla’s is one of the most famous. It’s incredible really. They transform an empty square into a city with hundreds of tents called “casetas.” The next thing you know there’s these women (from grandmothers to babies) walking around in gorgeous flamenco dresses and horse drawn carriages that carry these dressed up people to the feria.
In the casetas I was always warmly welcomed with besitos (a kiss on each cheek) and promptly offered tapas and rebojito (the feria drink of choice, a white wine called Manzanilla with 7Up). The eating and drinking continues all night along with lots of dancing. The type of flamenco is called “Sevillanos” and is a traditional dance in Sevilla. It is broken into 4 sections with 3 parts to each section. I can’t even describe how beautiful it is to watch, especially when the girl is all decked out. It’s also a lot of fun to dance. I became sort of a feria “novelty” since I was the American who was trying to dance Sevillanos with only four ours of professional instruction. haha...They were very supportive though and I loved it. I even bought a polka-dotted dress, which is traditional during feria, and was mistaken as a Sevillano one night. At that point I got to teach the Spanish guy (who had thought I was Spanish) how to dance Seviallanos since he is from Cadiz. Good times.
Now I’m back to school. (Yes, I go to school sometimes.) Just two more weeks to go. Tomorrow I go to the beach in Malaga with Abby and her brother for the weekend.

I will be home before you know it! Can’t wait to see you all. : )

Emily

Semana Santa

Holy Week in Sevilla is unlike any other Easter celebration in the world. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to experience the whole week because I was riding camels in the Sahara. Nevertheless, Semana Santa is a very important event in Sevilla and I want to share what I’ve learned about it.

Preparations for Semana Santa go on all year long. The city has many different “hermandades” (brotherhoods) that are dedicated to a certain Virgin and/or Christ figure. For example, my host mother is part of the Hermandad of La Virgin de La “O” (the “O” stands for the hope Mary had when she was pregnant with Jesus). My history teacher joked that there are two things a Sevillanos will fight about; which Virgin is the most beautiful and which soccer team is better (Sevilla or Betis).

So during the year the hermandades prepare their paseos (beautifully decorated floats that the figures sit on) to be paraded through the streets. Then every day during Holy Week these paseos make their way from their churches to the Cathedral and back again. They are accompanied by nazarenos, which are members of the hermandad that are dressed like they are part of the KKK. No worries though, they aren’t dangerous. They usually carry long candles and sometimes even candy to pass out kids. Penitentes are also in the procession. These people have hats that aren’t pointed and often carry a cross and sometimes walk barefoot as an act of penance or to fulfill a promise they have made to God. Now, you must also know, these people walk up to 8 hours around the city!

The tradition of these processions started in a time when not that many people were educated enough to read the Bible. So to teach the people about the life and passion of Christ, these figures were paraded through the streets. I don’t know if you noticed in my pictures, but the Christ figures are in a lot of pain and the Virgins are very sorrowful. I was a little disturbed by all of this at first, but then I learned that the sculptors wanted to make Christ's death and sacrifice very real to whoever witnessed their work.

Underneath each paseo are were the “costaleros” (float bearers) work. It took about 40 men to carry La Virgin de La O and I know the paseos with many figures are even heavier. It’s an art to carry these things, as the sway side to side with the music the band plays. The most important part of the their journey is the “salida” (exit) and “entrada” (entrance) in and out of the church. The doors of the the churches are often very narrow, so the costaleros have to use extra caution getting these magnificent figures in and out of the building. They even turn the figure around to face the crowd and then back it into the church. Meanwhile, if you are lucky, when the procession pauses and the band is silent you might hear a saeta (a religious flamenco ballad).

The whole city is full of people trying to catch these processions. It can be overwhelming. You can be trying to walk somewhere and suddenly you run into a thousand people crammed into the narrow Sevillan streets trying to watch a procession pass. That’s when you turn around and hope there’s another street you can go down. (Yes, it’s worse than the trains in Bellevue)

In the end, I’ve probably done a poor job of explaining all this. You can go look at my pictures though. Sadly, I really couldn’t capture the essence of Semana Santa in a photo (but then it wouldn’t be special right?). I guess the last thing to note is that the week itself is more important than Easter Sunday. Although I really enjoyed seeing the resurrection procession on Easter, for many of the Sevillanos, Sunday is a day of rest and recovery from the past week. It was all quit the experience.

Next adventures: Gibraltar, Flamenco lessons, and horseback riding in Doñana National Park.

Tenga una buen día! (Have a good day!)

Emily

P.S. Today a group of American tourists asked me to take there picture, but the funny thing is they asked me using the little Spanish they know and making the camera picture taking motion. I laughed and said, “Sure. I’m an American. I speak English.”

“Oh, well you look like a Spaniard!” the guy said and handed me the camera.

When your “own kind” don’t even recognize you does that mean you’re starting to blend in? haha...it’s not the first time I’ve been approached for directions or to take a picture. It’s just as soon as I open my mouth they know I’m not from these parts. If only looks could make me fluent in Spanish! :)

Morocco: Sunrises, Sand, Snow, and Monkeys

Just when I was getting used to Sevilla, I get dropped off in the middle of the Sahara to sleep in a tent, ride camels, and eat couscous. Talk about shaking things up a little bit! My time spent in Morocco was eye-opening to say the least, but let me try and start from the beginning.

The bus left Sunday morning at 4 am. Just as the sun was rising we caught a ferry to a city in Africa owned by the Spain called Cueta. From there we crossed the border into Morocco and began our long trek to Fez. The first thing that struck me was how green the country side was. I guess when I thought Africa I pictured a desert, not realizing how varied the landscape would be. The second thing I became aware of was that I was in a Muslim country. At one of our first rest stops there was a man chanting the call for prayer and people began to gather in a little prayer room next to the bathrooms. Definitely not something I see every day.

We spent a day and two nights in Fez, which is the third largest city in Morocco. It also seemed to be very modern. Our tour guide told us that the current king has given a lot of freedom to women. They can vote and they don’t have to wear the traditional head scarf anymore. So we saw women in both traditional dress and contemporary styles out on the streets here. In the smaller villages they seem to tend to stay more covered.

Monday we spent all day in the Medina, the huge market in Fez. This place is an incredible maze of sites, sounds, and smells. We passed food markets of fresh meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables. Then we visited a pharmacy that sold all natural products. You could by everything from spices to green lipstick that turns pink when you put it on. Next we stopped at rug shop, where all the rugs are made by women who are said to have “golden fingers”. Then we visited a fabric store that made all sorts of brightly colored scarfs and clothes. We went to a leather store and got to see how the leather is made (it’s a smelly process, so they gave us mint leaves to protect out noses). Finally we saw a ceramics shop and factory. I thought this one was the most interesting, because it is a very tedious process to make the beautiful ceramic products they produce. In all of the stores there was a constant pressure to spend our money. “It’s a good price,” was the slogan. You could tell tourists like us are the lively hood of many of these store owners.

Meanwhile, the whole time we were walking down these narrow streets and once and a while someone would yell to “Balak!” (“look out!”) and we would have to move over to let a donkey with a wide load pass.

We didn’t arrive in the desert until late Tuesday night. It was amazing to see the landscape slowly change on our journey. First green rolling hills, then a cedar forest, then a rocky desert with tall cliffs and rock formations, than finally the flat arid desert. We took 4x4s out to the “haimas” (tents) which were housed in a walled in complex. The 4x4s were a wild ride, because we were constantly flying over bumps and it was getting dark so I have no idea how the drivers found their way. It’s hard enough in the day light to know which way to go in the desert. It all looks the same to me!

My bed that night was quite sandy, but comfortable. Thankfully there didn’t seem to be many insects crawling around. And it was actually a lot of fun to sleep in a tent made of blankets and lined with rugs. It’s something I’ve dreamed of ever since I was ten and would make tents in the living room.

The next day the sun came up and it’s as if the dunes appeared out of nowhere around us. (Because we couldn’t see them in the dark the night before.) We rode camels (I named mine “Mr. Ed”) to a small nearby town. (I can now say I have traveled by plan, ferry, taxi, train, foot, bus, and camel on this trip.) The buildings there were plain and brown just like the desert and at first glance you would think it was deserted, but slowly children appeared around us asking for dirham (their currency), sometimes in exchange for little trinkets they’ve made. I had actually brought with me a bag of school supplies to give to the children, but when I began to hand things out I was practically mobbed. The poor things. All these little hands were suddenly grabbing at the pens and pencils I was attempting to pass out in an orderly fashion. After this episode I decided to hold off on bringing out the rest of my gifts until there were only a few children around.

We got to see an oasis which is split among all the families in the village. I also visited a house where some local women designed henna tattoos for a few of us girls. The whole experience was so surreal. For example, at henna house there were all these kids running around and we sat in this room on cushions and were served green mint tea (aka Berber whisky). Meanwhile, there was a flat screen TV at one end of the room that seemed totally out of place. Suddenly all these young women and girls show up, completely covered, and only one of them spoke Spanish. Nevertheless they bring out the henna, which looks and feels like mud, and begin drawling on our hands. It was so wonderfully bizarre.

At our camp site most of the workers speak at least five languages; Spanish, English, French, Arabic, Berber, and sometimes even a little Japanese. I even met one man at a fossil store who has a brother who lives in Wooster, Ohio! He actually just visited him a few weeks ago and was able to tell me about all the snow. Small world.

Thursday morning, before we packed up to leave, I got up to see the sunrise. I wrapped up in my turban and sat on the top of a sand dune waiting in great anticipation for the sun. It was well worth it. : )

On the way to Meknes we had two interesting stops. Our first stop was for a picnic lunch in the mountains. This sounded like a lovely idea, but when we got out of the bus we find ourselves on a cold mountain top, in the rain, and in the middle of a swarm of nomads. Our organization's leaders had brought clothes to give these people, as well as some food. I handed my banana to women with bloody fingernails. It was so upsetting that I couldn’t eat my sandwich. I handed it over to a little boy and frantically searched for what else I could leave behind. I have never been so intensely face to face with poverty.

The next stop was a little more uplifting. We were now in the cedar forest in the mountains and it began to snow. That’s night, snow in Africa! Then, the next thing we know monkeys show up to stare at us staring at them. What an unusual site; monkeys hanging out in the snow. That basically topped off my trip.

That night we spent in a hotel in Meknes, and the next day we returned to Sevilla just in time to see the last two days of Semana Santa, but that’s another story.

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter!

Love,

Emily

Por fin...finally!

I know this update is a long time coming, but I guess that just means I’ve been staying busy. To all my readers in Ohio, I´m sorry to hear about the snow, but it´s beautiful here. Spring is starting and the orange trees are in bloom, filling the air with a sweet aroma. I start the day bundled up in my fleece but by midday it´s hot and I´m peeling off layers. Here´s a quick update of all I´ve been up to in the past 2 weeks.

Two weeks ago we had a an extra day off because is was Andalucia Day, the region’s holiday. I took advantage of the time and went to Valencia with two of my friends from the program, Alyson and Liz. Valencia is the capital city of well, Valencia, and is north east of Sevilla. We explored the city for two full days and ate some paella, a famous rice dish from the region. We visited the City of Arts and Sciences and got to see the Oceanarium (there was a dolphin show!) and a movie about coral
reefs in the Imax theater. At our hostel we met lots of interesting
travelers. One day we went to the beach with a girl from Paraguay and that night we had dinner with some Italians and a German who had all studied in Valencia 4 years prior. That night Spanish, English, and Italian were all spoken at the dinner table. Man, I love traveling. : )

The following weekend I went with ISA (the group I´m here with) to Córdoba, a city about an hour and a half from Sevilla. The highlight of this visit was seeing the Masquita/Cathedral, which is once again a mosque turned church. It was beautiful though, and very unique. I actually liked it better than the Alhambra and it’s also more complete. I think it´s fascinating to see Christian and Muslim influence in the same building.

On Saturday Abby and I set out on a route our Señora had given us to explore Sevilla (finally, I know!). We started in La Macarena (yes, like the song. The people who wrote that little ditty are actually from this barrio) which is the home of famous church of the Virgin of Hope, nicknamed La Macarena so as not to be confused with the Virgin of Hope in Triana. We saw the Andalucian parliament building and then weaved our way down the narrow streets. We saw many old convents and churches and stopped into one convent that is famous for their cakes. yum! After enjoying our cookies we visited a mansion nick named “Pilots House” because it is said to be modeled after Pontious Pilot´s home. It had many beautiful gardens and patios that we wondered through before heading home for lunch.

That afternoon we decided to go kayaking on the river Guadalquiver, which was a very interesting experience. So, we paid for the boat and were put in this tiny plastic kayak, handed oars, and pushed from the dock to fend for ourselves. Let´s just say we didn´t tip over, but we must of been quite a site to see by the way people were laughing from the shore. An hour later we came back soaked by the water our oars had
splashed into our boats. Our host family had a good laugh over this one. It was fun though and I´m proud of Abby and I for managing as well as we did.

Sunday I took a tour of the bull ring here in Sevilla and in the afternoon visited Italica with some friends. Italica is a small city about 30 minutes outside of Sevilla that was founded by Roman generals in ancient times (it is actually located just outside the modern day town of Santiponce). We wondered through the Roman ruins there and saw one of the best preserved amphitheaters in the world.

Monday night I went to a tertullia with my familia. A tertullia is a Spanish social club where you can go to enjoy cultural and social things such as flamenco and food. This gathering involved talking about Semana Santa (Holy Week) which is a huge tradition in Sevilla. Two women sang saetas, which is a special acapella style of flamenco. Then we enjoyed tapas and I chatted awhile with Manola and Isabella (my family´s son and his girlfriend). They have all been so nice to me and are very eager to show me authentic Spanish culture. I´m so lucky to have them.

Tuesday I went to a special mass after which they placed a statue of Christ on the paseo (the decorated float) for Holy Week. It was a very beautiful ceremony. They turned off all the lights so that only glow was coming from a spot light on Jesus and the candles surrounding the paseo. Soft music was played as the gentle pushed the figure onto the paseo, making it appear that Christ was moving on his own.

Wednesday I met with my intercambio for the first time. (An intercambio is simply a meeting between an American and Spaniard in order to talk and help eacth other with language.) Her name is Selena and she’s adorable. She’s a petite eighteen year old Sevillana, studying at a business school right around the corner from my university her. We just walked around the city for an hour and got some coffee. I’m happy to report that she said my Spanish is very good. Maybe I am improving. : )

That night I also went to see Don Juan Tenorio with Allyson at the beautiful little church St. Luis in La Macarena. It was a very intimate performance, done in the round style. I was sitting front row and could literally feel the actor’s caps and dresses brush by me. I loved it. Although I will admit, I wasn’t exactly sure what was going on most of the time. I had to look up the synopsis later. Nevertheless, the actors totally had me captivated and the language was so poetic that I was thoroughly content.

Thursday I visited the Royal Palaces, which I’m not going to even attempt to describe. Let me just say that I spent most of my visit turning around in circles with my head swiveling everywhere. There was just so much detail- on the ceiling, walls, floors...everywhere! My favorite part was the gardens though. They were so lovely and peaceful, I could of stayed there all day.

Friday I visited a small town in Huelva (the next provence over) called Arecena. It’s a classic little pueblo blanco (white town) that is home to La Gruta de las Maravillas (The Grotto of Wonders). I’ll let you imagine what the cave looked like inside by the names of some of the rooms: “The Cathedral”, “The Glassware of God”, and “The Room of the Naked”. After going underground, Alyson and I then went to the highest point in the city, some castle ruins and an ancient church. From there we had a beautiful view of the Sierra Morena and I lit a candle in the church.

There’s more...but I think I’ve written enough. Things are starting to warm up for the big Holy Week, so I’ve already seen two processions in the street. Tomorrow morning though I leave for Morocco and won’t be back until Friday night. I will update you again when I return. Congrats to all who actually read this whole post. Sorry, it was so long!

Please keep me in your prayers while I travel.

Blessings,

Emily

Granada and a Day in the Park

This weekend we spent two days and one night in Granada, a city about 3 hours South East of Sevilla and tucked among the highest points of the Sierra Nevada. Granada (which means “palmagranite”) was the last Moorish stronghold during the Spanish Reconquista. It was the last city to fall under the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, in 1492 and still retains a lot of Muslim influence.

We arrived Friday afternoon and a group of us went to see La Capilla Real, the royal chapel and burial place of Ferdinand and Isabella. Next to them lies their daughter, Joan la Loca (Joan the Mad), and her husband, Felipe I la Hermoso (Felipe I the Handsome). I actually just learned about Joan in my history class and we watched a movie about her. There are two theories to way she was considered “mad”. 1) She was truly in love with her Felipe and when she discovered his infildelity she went mad with jealously. Legend has it, that when Felipe died they had to take his body to Granada. During the long journey, Joan would open the coffin from time to time and hug her dead husband. Seeing this, the people began to say she was crazy. 2) Who knows if any of this is true, but some say the reason she was pronounced crazy was to keep her from ruling Spain. When her mother Isabella died, Joan should of taken the throne since she was the only living heir, but both her father and husband said she was in no mental condition to rule. Later, her own son would say the same thing and then take the crown for himself. This poor woman was betrayed by all the important men her life. I think I would of gone mad too.

That night the whole group climbed through the oldest barrio in the city, Albayzín, to a lookout point to see the Alhambra and the whole city below. Then we saw a flamenco show in a gypsy cave. I was literally inches from the performers, and could feel the whoosh of the dresses and the rhythm of their heels pounding into the floor. I've seen a few flamenco shows this past week and they have all been very different. This one was definitely more about the dancing and rhythm the dancers were making with their feet. It was incredible. It's such a sensual art form, because you use so many senses to experience it. You hear the music and singer, feel the beat, see the dancers in their colorful dresses (or dark suits, because men dance also), and you feel the passion of the whole performance stirring something in your soul. It's really that moving.

While I'm talking about flamenco, I want to clear up a stereotype I originally had: flamenco is not just a dance, it is a style of music. There is even a form of flamenco sung acapella. It can be happy or sad and usually involves a guitar player, lots of clapping, a singer, and possibly a dancer. There are many different styles and sometimes it's totally improvised. It's a very interesting art form and I'm looking forward to being here during Feria de April (April's Fair) when there's lots of flamenco going on. : )

That night I just chilled with a group of friends in a tapas bar. Tapas are like little appetizers that you buy to have with your drinks and are very popular here in Spain. They can be anything from fried vegetables to slices of ham. The cool thing about Granada is the tapas are free. Yay!

The next morning we went to the Alhambra (which means "red" in Arabic), which was a Moorish palace that was later taken over and added on to by the Catholic kings and queens. The saying goes, “Si mueres sin ver la Alhambra, no ha vivido” (If you die without seeing the Alhambra, you have not lived.) and now I know why. The Muslims are forbidden to decorate with the figures of humans or animals, but they love to decorate, and every inch of this place is covered with detailed cravings of shapes, flowers, and inscriptions that read, “There is no victory except with Alah.” Elaborate arches and ceilings are around every corner. Fountains were also very important to the Moors, because they symbolizes life and purity (as well as high status) and provide the music of the Alhambra. (Our hotel was actually built to mimic the Moorish style and a fountain outside on the patio lulled me to sleep.) We also visited the Generalife, which was the getaway gardens of the royalty. I will put up the pictures but they don't do the place justice. You will just all have to go and see it for yourselves. ; )

Then today, Abby and I spent a relaxing afternoon exploring Sevilla a little bit more. We went to Plaza de America and saw the Customs Museum. Then we walked through a beautiful park, Parque Maria Luisa, and found a sunny bench on which to sit and write in our journals for a bit. We checked out the Plaza de España, another famous site in Sevilla. I apologize for my lack of discriptions, but sometimes (and usually), a photo just says it best. Check them out and enjoy.

Hasta Luego!

Emily

It's Jolly (and Chilly) Holiday in London

Sorry for the late update. My access to internet here is limited and I have a lot to say about London and not enough time.

The experience of traveling and planning a trip with two new friends was an adventure with in itself. Our plan arrived in London around midnight and then we had to take a bus into the city. We were dropped off on an almost vacant Liverpool Street and left to haul down a taxi on the dreary (and rainy) London streets. When we finally were able to hail a cab we piled in and gave the driver the address of our hostel. It took me a minute to get over the surprise of seeing the driver in what I believed to be the “passenger” seat. Then I realized, “Oh yeah! We're in London!”

We drove over the London Bridge (no, it did not fall down) to our hostel. In the morning I woke up wondering if Harry Potter lived on a street like this as I looked out my window. The hostel served breakfast, so we sat down to eat and met a fellow traveler from Munich, Germany. Nice boy. Anyway…our next mission was to figure out the London Underground, aka the Tube, and take it to Westminster. Now let me tell you, the tube is quite the maze, but once you figure it out it is your best tool for getting around the city. It is probably the most efficient and cleanest subway systems I've used (not that I ride the subway often, but I have used New York's and Lisbon's).

As we ascended from the underground at our stop, Big Ben rose above us in all his glory. Attached to Big Ben is the Houses of Parliament and across the street Westminster Abby. We purchased tour bus tickets and road on top of the double decker bus to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guard. To witness this ceremony we stood for about an hour and a half in the cold and honestly I have no idea when the guard actually changed, but I did get to hear the royal band play a John Williams medley. Apparently Indian Jones and Star Wars suites the British Royalty.

Afterwards we had lunch in Hyde Park and then took the rest of the tour on the bus to get a better feel for the city. Our tour guide, Alan, was lots of fun and had a very sarcastic “British” sense of humor. He gave us nicknames (my was Little Red Ridinghood because of my red hat) and enjoyed bantering with us during our ride. (“See that down there? In America you call that the sidewalk right? Well, we call that the pavement.”) We caught glimpses of St. Paul's Cathedral and got to see a “Waterloo Sunset” as we crossed the Waterloo Bridge (the song playing too to add to the effect). We got off at the Tower of London and then hopped on a boat where we got to see the city from the Thames. That night we got a bird's eye view of the city from the London Eye.

The next morning we started out early and visited the Tower of London. We took a tour conducted by a Yeoman Warder (aka “Beefeater”) and heard the bloody history of the tower. We saw the site where Queen Anne Boleyn was beheaded (as well as many others) and saw “Liz's Bling” (aka the Crown Jewels). After our tour we ate at a Wagamama's which is a Japanese noodle bar where you can get real Ramon (a college kid's dream and it's cheap too!). Then we browsed around the National Gallery where we got to see Van Gogh's famous painting, “Sunflowers”.
That night we took a guided ghost tour of London on which we walked down Fleet Street and saw the Old Curiosity Shop. The tour also included some pub crawling (which I guess is important in Britain) and we ended at a pub where we sat down and ate some fish and chips. Yum!

The next morning we went to church at Westminster Abby (beautiful!) and peeked into St. Paul's Cathedral as well. Afterwards we had real British tea and scones (my favorite food of the trip) and took the tube to Portabello Market. Needless to say when we got on the bus that afternoon we were exhausted, but also very proud of how much we had crammed into two and a half days. I really love London because it's a city that's a little rough around the edges but has plenty sophistication and history to balance it out.

This weekend, Granada.

Thanks for reading! Cherrio mates! I fancy you all mucho.

P.S. Pictures should of been sent out. Contact me if you need the link.

Lisbon (aka Staying In Bruce Springsteen’s Bedroom)

My first week of school went smoothly and this weekend our group went on an excursion to Lisbon, Portugal. I kind of feel bad for Portugal, because at least in my mind the country seems a bit overlooked, sitting in the shadow of Spain and all. But let me tell you, the Portuguese can hold their own.

First of all, Portuguese is spoken in Portugal not Spanish (in case there was any confusion) and although people say the languages are similar, they are not close enough for me to understand Portuguese. When reading advertisements in Portuguese I could pick out some similar words but when I first heard it spoken I thought it was German. (sorry Rosie, I know they are not a like at all.) Furthermore, trying to speak Spanish to someone in Portugal can be somewhat offensive since well, it’s not their language! My first interaction with a native was when I went to buy a postcard and out of habit said, “gracious”.

“Not ‘gracious,’” the salesman corrected kindly, “Now, obrigado(a).” I smiled and explained I had just come from Sevilla.

Lisbon is like the San Francisco of Portugal. It sits on a bay surrounded by seven hills. Trolley cars go up and down the steep streets and there is even a bridge stretching across the water that resembles the Golden Gate Bridge. Our hotel was almost right under this bridge, across from the docks where there were lots of restaurants and discotecas (dance clubs). (More on that later.)

Our first afternoon in the city we climbed through the winding streets to Castile San Jorge, one of the few ancient buildings that survived the massive earthquake of 1755 that destroyed most of the city. We explored the castle for a good 40 minutes of so, taking pictures and enjoying the view of the city. You will have to check out the pictures, a description here won’t do it justice.

That night we went out to eat to celebrate a girl’s birthday. She picked an Irish Pub out of all places to eat (the kids are starting to miss hamburgers), but I did my best to stay true to Portugal and ordered my burger Portuguese style. It came bun less and topped with ham and a fried egg. (They really like their eggs here- both Spain and Portugal.) Then we went dancing at a near by discoteca that was actually playing a lot of American music. We ended up doing the “YMCA” and I sang along to “Summer Nights” (from Grease) with a British guy. haha...Next time maybe we’ll find a place a little more authentic, but I was just glad to finally be out dancing.

The next day we spent the morning touring the city. We saw the Monastery of Los Jeranamos (where Vasco de Gamma, the famous Portuguese navigator is buried. He was the first to find a sea route to India.), the Tower of Belem (it used to defend the harbor and was later used as a prison), and finally we stood on top of a map of the world and learned about the many explorations of the Portuguese.

We had the afternoon free so a group of us girls found a sunny spot along the street to have lunch. I tried some of Lisbon’s well known codfish. When our waiter found out we were Americans he immediately referred to the upcoming elections. Personally he wants Hillary to win. I think it’s interesting this is the first time I’ve got a political opinion from someone. I wonder what other Europeans think.

After lunch we figured out the Lisbon subway and went to the other side of the city to see the aquarium. It was in a very modern area of the city where the world’s fair was hosted in the past. We spent a few hours laughing at the penguins and otters and gazing at the many strange fish. Then we spent another hour in a huge mall which boasted four floors and every sort of store you could want (including a grocery store). By the time we headed back to the hotel it was already after 7 or so and we were exhausted. While the other girls mustered the energy to get ready to go out dancing again, I opted to stay in and get some sleep in order to rest and fight off a cold. No one wants to be sick in Spain (or America, or Portugal).

The next morning we visited a vantage point that reminded me of Disney World’s Tower of Terror, down to the creepy elevator. When we reached the top the ISA staff treated us to cafe con leche and pastries as we enjoyed the view. Then we hoped back on the bus and attempted to get comfortable for our six hour drive back.

Whew! And now I’m back in lovely Sevilla. If you want to view my pictures of the trip so far (including Portugal) you can visit the links below.

Oh, and I almost forgot to explain the Bruce Springstein reference! So the hotel we stayed in had music theme wings and the one we stayed in was rock/pop section and our room was in honor of Bruce. So later when they asked for my room number at the front desk, I shrugged and said sheepishly, “Bruce Springstein?” All hotels should have such clever naming systems.

Ok...that is all for now. London this weekend. : )

I will update then.

Love,

Emily

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Vaya Con Dios

It’s amazing how much humans can communicate despite language barriers. Abby and I make a great team when talking to our family and other natives. I tend to be better at listening and understanding and Abby is a better speaker. Estamos un buen equipo!

Yesterday we took our placement test (I tested into Intermediate II. yay!) and today I begin my classes. I’m taking grammar, communications, and culture in Spanish and Contemporary Spanish History in English. I have classes Monday-Thursday. No hay clases a viernes (There are no clases on Fridays.) Que lastima! haha (What a shame!)

Anyway, last night my host brother, Monolo, and his girlfriend, Isabella, came over for dinner. They were lots of fun to talk with. Isabella is from Italy and knows French, Italian, English, and Spanish. whew! We speak in Spanish though at the dinner table, and everywhere for that matter! Every meal is another Spanish lesson and our host parents are wonderful teachers.

After dinner Monolo and Isabella excused themselves (we kissed good-bye. one kiss on each cheek) and Abby and I presented our family with the gifts we brought. I gave them “typical” American food- gold fish, malano cookies, Girideli chocolates, and peanut butter. This led to a whole conversation about how the Spanish diet and eating schedule differs from that in America. In brief, they have a light breakfast in the morning (ie toast and cafe con leche- coffe with milk). Around 2 or 3 they have a big lunch (this is the biggest meal of the day) and then they take a “siesta”, which doesn’t necessarily mean a nap, but they rest because during the summer it’s very hot in the afternoon. All the shops close from around 2-4 or so and then open again in the evening. So people work later here. Sometimes they have a snack in the evening, well from what I understand the kids do, and then they eat dinner after 9pm (usually around 10pm).

Then Abby gave them here gift which included a card from here family. Her mother is a Spanish teacher and she wrote the phrase, “Vaya con Dios” which literally means, “Go with God”. Amparo (mi madre) said that people don’t usually say that phrase, they say “Hasta luego”, but saying “Vaya con Dios” is a beautiful way to say it (to say good-bye). We continued to have a intense conversation about this and how you say good-bye. I’m soaking this all in and suddenly a light goes on! Adios is a+Dios= adios! Now, if this is something that has already occurred to you please amuse me. So basically adios is a short way of saying “Go with God”. Pretty cool, si? Vale? (They say “vale” all the time here. It means “ok”.)

We continued to talk about Spanish and American customs, which is very interesting because I feel like Americans have lost a lot of “typical” costumes. We all agreed that the U.S. is a mix of many different kind of people but it was hard for me to try to explain one particular costume we all share. Any ideas? What are common things Americans do? What do we value?

Needless to say, I went to bed very tired both mentally and physically but also very satisfied that I had been able to have such an in-depth discussion with my host family and Abby in Spanish. Esta bien.

Mucho amor,

Emily

I´m In Sevilla!

¡Hola todos! I´ve finally arrived in my host city, Sevilla, Spain. Sevilla is the capital of Andulcia, the most southern region of Spain. I live in the barrio (neighborhood) called Triana with my host mother and father and my roommate, Abby (another American student from PA). We arrived late last night, dragged our lugguage off the bus, and were greeted with kisses (one on each cheek) from our host parents. They are such a sweet couple. Our señora, Amparo, is very talkative and animated, while her husband, Fermin, is more reserved and quiet, making them a perfect match. They have a son, Manolo, who lives near by with his Italian girlfriend.

Our room is muy pequeño but cozy. Abby and I share a closet and drawers which only proves we brought too much stuff, but we´re making do.



My first couple days here in Madrid and Toledo were fun and exciting. In Madrid we visited the royal palace which was incredible (over 2,000 rooms, all ornatly decorated). We also saw two museums, El Prado (classic art ie El Greco, Murillo, Goya) and El Reina Sofia (contempry ie Picasso, Dali). We took a day trip to El Escorial, a palace/monestary that was built by the Hapsburgs and got to see the tombs of the kings and queens of Spain.



Using my Spanish has been an adventure. I can understand most of the time, but when I open my mouth to speak it take me awhile to translate my thoughts. I know it will just take time. The most interesting thing Abby and I had to get across so far was calling the front desk to tell them we blew a fuse. The Spanish word for fuse is fusible, just in case you wanted to know. : )



Today I get to tour the Cathedral in Sevilla (the largest in the world after St. Peters in Rome) and then I start classes. It will be nice to get my schedule and get into a routine. I´m just so thankful things have been going so smoothly. Spain is a beautiful country and the students I´m traveling with have been a lot of fun. I can´t wait to really dig into life here in Sevilla.

Love you and miss you all!

Emily

Ready or Not...Here I Go!

At this time next week I'll be in Spain. With only four days to go, you would think that might of hit me already, but with much preparation still looming ahead I really haven't entertained the thought all that much. I'm excited, don't get me wrong, it's just a lot to juggle before I'm actually sitting safe and sound (and probably rather awkwardly) with my host family in Sevilla. I'll have to pinch myself when I get there. Right now it just seems so far away and unreal.

Don't worry, I won't bore you with the list of stuff I have yet to do, but I just wanted to see how this blogging thing will work and if everyone is able to read it. So let me know if you are all able to read and interact with this site. That would be most helpful.

In the meantime, here is what I will be doing for the first few days of my trips so you can all A) Be green with envy B) Pray/hold me in the light as I travel or C) Not even read the rest of this post and get back to your busy lives. Trust me, I understand. : )

Jan. 26- I arrive in Madrid, meet the other students, and take a bus tour of the city.
Jan. 27- Take a day trip to El Escorial which an Augustinian monastery just outside the city.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Escorial
Jan. 28- Visit the El Reina Sofia Museum and Palacio Real (in Madrid) and depart for Toledo
Jan. 29- Tour of Toledo
Jan. 30- Leave for Sevilla and meet host family.

So there you have it, my first five days in Spain.

One last thing. Here's my address in Sevilla if anyone wishes to write, although email is just fine. More importantly though, please send me your address because I would love to send postcards back to the U.S. when I get a chance. ; )

Pelay Correa 16 1a, 2a Puerta
41010 Sevilla
Spain

Well, I better get back to packing. I hope this ends up being a good way to keep everyone updated and in touch. I will write again once I've arrived in Sevilla. In the meantime, keep me in your thoughts and prayers for safe travels.

Ciao!