A Little Bit of Everything

Yet another amazing weekend has passed and I am pretty sure I did it all.  Friday was a day trip to Cordoba, which is a state just north of Seville.  It took about an hour to get there but once we arrived you could tell the Muslim influence on the city.  The great Mosque is located here and is the second largest in the world.  From the outside, it looks like a typical mosque structure with nothing fancy on the outside.  But once you enter inside the Mosque, the picture above, everything hits you at once.  The stone columns were taken from various Roman temples when the Muslims took over and destroyed many temples.  There are thousands of them throughout the whole Mosque.  The Roman aqueduct style is the basis to this whole building.  The architects were no fools either.  The mixture between brick and limestone on the arches are a perfect balance of flexibility and durability.  This allows some give to the structure which was very important when the earthquake hit the whole Iberian Peninsula, Portugal and Spain, back in the 18th century.  Also another interesting fact about this mosque is that back when it was in full use, about 20,000 Muslims would pray here about five times a day and this open area was just filled with people all facing Mecca (bottom picture)

Christians took over this mosque during the 15th century and ended up rebuilding the center of the mosque.  As sad as this is, the restruction actually saved the whole mosque from collapsing during the earthquake.  Although, the church in the center is absolutely amazing, it definitely takes away from the Islamic feel and no longer are you able to see from one end to the mosque to the other, which would have been quite a sight.  

This mosque was truly amazing and every glance seemed better than the next.  The surrounding area around the mosque were these small neighborhoods with cobblestoned streets.  A lot of very cool shops filled each store and I was also able to try the famous eggplant dish that is fried with some kind of honey glaze over stop of it.  There was so much history in Cordoba and the influence was very evident throughout the city.

Saturday was spent sunbathing on the beach of Matalascanas, which is in the state called Huelva.  This beach is only about an hour east of Seville and a bus to the beach and back is only 15 euro, which is about 17 dollars, so it was just begging for us to go.  We got our first glimpse of the bus experience and wow was it no joke.  A bunch of people lined up outside of the bus but once the doors opened, the line seemed to become a huge blob of people trying to squeeze into one door.  It was ridiculous how the people literally pushed and shoved to get on this bus.  I was very lucky and was the last person to get onto the bus and the rest of the people had to take another bus that stopped at several other stations making the trip to the beach take about two hours.  The beach was amazing when we got there and the weather was perfect.  No clouds and warm, very warm weather.  Yes, mom I kind of put on sunscreen but maybe a little more would have prevented the sunburn.  The water was freezing but that didn't stop most of the group to go swimming and body surfing.  It was very relaxing and just what I needed after a hard week of classes and visiting monuments.  It was a great weekend and so glad I was able to travel around a little bit.  There are only a few weekends left, so I have to make each one count.  Tuesday, I have my first game!! I am very excited and a little nervous.  I was able to watch the team that I practice with play today.  They have some really good players all over the field but are missing some solid players in some positions.  I hope to jump right in on Tuesday and start playing like I know how.  I will make sure to let you guys know how it goes at the end of the week but trust me it will be the first thing I talk about, depending on how I do.  I hope all is well back home in the States and I heard that it is finally warming up so that's good news except for my dad!  I look forward to sharing my upcoming week with you guys this comind Sunday.  ¡Adios!

 

Already March

It is already March and the days are counting down quickly.  86 days until my flight home and much like this past month and a half, I am not going to waste a day.  There is a network in Spain called "intercambios", where you join a group on facebook and send a message saying that you are looking for some spaniards to meet and speak spanish with.  It is a great opportunity to practice spanish as well as get some inside information on where to go and the great places that only locals know about.  Usuallly, you meet for about an hour either over dinner or something like that.  For half an hour you speak constant Spanish where they will help out as best they can and then for the last half an hour you speak all English helping out their vocab and grammar.  I had my first intercambio last night where we went out to eat and spoke a lot of Spanish, to a point where my head was starting to hurt due to the amount of new vocabulary I learned.  I am definitely going to take more advantage of this, trying to meet with one or two people a week.  I think it is the best way to improve my speaking.  This week, in general, was pretty typical.  Classes and lots of soccer filled my week and nights.  Soccer is going very well, after all I am playing soccer is Spain.  I can see the improvements in my game already especially the speed of play.  I have my first friendly match March 11 and I am already getting prepared.  It is going to be a great opportunity to show myself even more and you never know who is watching, possibly the Real Madrid coach.  I might have dreamed about it.  

Many students in the program have fallen in love with Seville.  It is hard not to honestly, this city has it all from great restaurants to running trails.  Besides the unemployment rate, the city offers a lot especially to the younger crowds.  Several students want to move here permanently after they finish college.  I ask the question about missing their friends and family and surprisingly it falls to the wayside especially due to fact that family situations aren't the best.  I think about whether I could move here after college and I don't think I could be this far away from my family.  I am so fortunate to still have all four grandparents, that I know so well and have a great relationship with.  Even my aunts, uncles, and cousins are so close to my heart that not seeing them for a year is hard.  I am slowly finding out that I am a traditionalist in regard to being close to my family.  I will never live in the Northern Neck, let's get that straight but being close is so important to me.  Especially, with a new member of the family about to join in April, I can't express the excitement and desire to be the best uncle/godfather there is.  I am very upset I won't be able to be there for the birth of my first nephew/niece but I will make up for that over the summer.  I know this is definitely more of a journal post but I felt the need to express the importance of family in my life especially because most of my family keeps up with what I am doing here!  I never realized the full extent of how lucky I am to have a family that seriously epitomizes how a family and love for each other should work.  My brother and sister have influenced me in such a positive way throughout my whole life but I'm particularly happy that I have grown so much closer to both of them as I have gotten older.  I look up to them in so many ways, most importantly because their lives now seem to incorporate the best that life has to offer, happiness.  Thank you for reading through my journal for the week, I promise that I will continue my normal blogging here next week!  Until next time ¡Adios! 

    

Lisboa, Portugal

Sorry about the past week, I thought I posted my Artistic Monuments blog but I guess it didn't go through.  My week before Portugal was filled with exams but before my trip to Lisboa (Lisbon), Portugal my artistic monuments class got to tour the Sevilla Cathedral and climb to the top to see the aerial view of Sevilla.  The beautiful gothic cathedral was built over top of a mosque, which gives it a unique design.  There are aspects of Romanticism and Islam all in one cathedral, which creates a truely remarkable scene.  Not to mention this aerial view of Sevilla, amazing how all the houses look very similar with only a few modern buildings in the background.  This visit was only the start to an amazing weekend.

Our drive to Portugal took about 5 hours, which was spent in total silence.  We finally arrived in Lisbon and you could automatically see the differences between the two countries.  Portugal is much more diverse than Spain.  Many more ethnicities walking around the city compared to that of Seville.  Also, everyone knows English.  Portuguese people prefer to speak English than Spanish and are actually better at it because in Portugal, they grow up watching movies in English.  The main avenue, where our hotel was located, was filled with banks and offices rather than the abundance of bars and restaurants like Seville.  All that being said, it was a beautiful city, with a lot of history and monuments to remember it.  Our first visit was to the Castle of San Jorge, it overlooks the city and is filled with history and archilogical remains that never ceases to amaze me.  The weather made the sight of Lisbon that much better and luckily for us, it usually rains a lot during this time of year and it just so happens that it only rained at night while we were in town.  That night we spent walking around the city experiencing the night life of Lisbon.  The area, where we spent most of our time, was definitely for the younger crowd and honestly was a bit more sketchy than the areas in Seville.  We had a great time and met some new people.  I came down with a cold that night/next morning and it hit me hard.  I was clogged up and it was even difficult to hear anything.  Although this put a bit of a damper on my time in Portugal, it definitely helped that all of our visits were outside and pretty active.

Saturday morning we went to the Palace of Pena, which again overlooks the city of Sintra.  This palace was very interesting because there was no one style.  It is built upon a rock and actuallly the original palace is painted in red.  The yellow areas are all additions made to the palace by various kings.  The main style was Romanticism, which is meant to inspire something from within.  Although, Islam and Celtic style also plays a big part in designing this palace.  We were able to get a guided tour of the palace and the various rooms inside.  It was amazing to see how the upper class lived during those times.  A room for changing, sitting, or even just thinking.  The area surrounding the palace is a huge park that is filled with winding trails and some lakes that are meant to surprise you at every turn.  After the visit to the palace, we went back to hotel and relaxed until dinner.  A group of us went out to this Portuguese restaurant to see what kind of food they had to offer.  Seafood is big in Portugal and they did not disappoint.  Saturday night was the worst night for my sickness but I went to bed early and woke up feeling 50% better.  

Sunday was an early morning in order to fit in the rest of our Portugal adventure.  We had a tour on our bus that drove around the city pointing our various buildings and history associated with the city.  Our first stop of the day was at the Museum of Carriages.  We were able to see the innovations as well as artwork associated with the oldest to the newest carriages used by the Portuguese elites.  Then we drove to the Torre De Belen, which is the picture of me above.  It is right on the river, where I felt right at home.  Sailboats and people enjoying the view made me really miss and appreciate what I have at home.  Everyone was amazed at the sight of sailboats and how they wish they can sail, meanwhile I was thinking the minute I get home I am going for a sail with my family.  The sun was shining and the wind was blowing, which made the day that much better.  Overall, the trip was amazing and I am so fortunate to be able to cross off Portugal from my list of countries traveled to.  Having the opportunity to travel is one of the most important things in life.  If able to do it, the experience opens up new avenues and different ways of thinking that makes you more of a global citizen in the world.  Life isn't the same all over the world and appreciating those differences makes the return back home and the altered lifestyle much more significant.  

 

Artistic Monuments Class

 

This week has been filled with soccer, classes, and random walks around the city.  First exams will be next week so many classes were spent wrapping up the lesson and reviewing.  Outside of the classroom, it was ok weather throughout the week.  It rained a lot but rumor is that this will be the last glimpse of rain for the rest of our time here in Spain.  I hope that turns out to be true.  Soccer trainings with the semi-pro team is getting better, starting to jell with the team a little bit more as well as get involved more with the drills in practice.  The nights we don't have practice my roommate and I end up going to the nearby concrete field to just kick the ball around.  There is rarely a day that I do not play soccer.  Much like all the kids here in Spain.  

    My monuments class this week was very interesting and it seems that each class impresses me more and more.  The picture above is one of the many sanctuaries within Barrio Santa Cruz, which is the old Jewish neighborhood.  The narrow cobblestoned streets are shaded by the high buildings that was important for staying cool in the hot Spanish summers.  Every where you look there is some sort of color whether the benches, buildings, sidewalks, or even just the abundant amount of orange trees.  This area is now very popular with small cafes, bars, and restaurants on every corner.  This tourist location resides very close to the mosque of Giralda, which is by no coincidence.  

 

We also stopped into this church, which is regarded as one of the first churches built in the city of Seville.  Your eyes start at the apse, which is straight ahead in the first picture.  This art is made of all gold and once you think you've seen the best part of the church, your eyes make their way up to the ceiling.  The feeling that you are looking up into the heavens is purposeful.  The amount of time and effort that it took to make this church says a lot of about the importance of religion within Spain.  There are churches like these that are every where around the city and you are allowed to just walk in at any time and just gaze at each unique church.  

Our next visit was to the Alcazar, which was originally a military base.  On the outside, it is very clear that the function was purely for protection due to the size and strength of the outer wall.  When you enter, elements of Christianity and Islam decorate each wall and ceiling.  Islamic calligraphy and abstract carvings fill the walls from ceiling to floor.  Perhaps the best part about this visit, was the amount of gardens and the unique beauty of each one.  Islamic gardens are designed in order to stimulate each sense.  Water is also key within a garden because it symbolizes the purity of life, as well as stimulate all of the senses at the same time.  Every bush, tree, and fountain has a purpose within the garden and perhaps which is also a nice touch, palm trees are used everywhere.  The palm trees give you an element of space at the bottom but force you to look up towards the top, which symbolizes looking up towards heaven.  I can go on and on about the architecture and pure beauty of this place but even my professor said that he has been here at least 100 times and still sees something new each time.  It is great to have a class like this because even a "normal" week will always be a spent learning and observing places in Seville that are still impressing people.  We walked back to the school after our visit and outside a bar, read a sign that seemed to remind all of us about our experiences while in Spain.

"Life is made of the little moments 0€"

Next stop, Lisbon, Portugal!! ¡Adios!

  

  

     

 

The Bullfighting City of Ronda, Spain

It is hard to believe that a month has already passed, but looking back at my experiences so far, it's hard to say that I've wasted a day.  Classes are getting a little bit tougher and we are approaching the week of first exams.  Unfortunately, my monuments class was cancelled this week, so no interesting pictures or facts about Seville, but definitely next week.  On Friday, we took a day trip to Ronda, Spain, which is about a two hour bus ride.  The drive was spent gazing outside the window at the endless fields and rolling hills.  Much different scenary than that of Seville, Ronda is a quaint city that has an old town and a new town, that is divided by a river that lies 100 ft. below.  Ronda is known for its bull fighting, and this ring is the oldest and second largest in the world.  They measure by the diameter of the circle rather than the capacity.  Our tour guide told us that tickets for some fights can range up to 1,500 euro.  They still hold bull fights here but in the meantime one of the oldest equestrian classes is stationed here and the marks you see in the picture above are from a recent class.  The official population of Ronda is about 30,000 people, but this number is a bit skewed due to the area surrounding Ronda, which is mostly farm land but nonetheless holds about 20,000 people.  

The picture of me above is to justify that I am really going to these places and not just pulling these from the internet.  The view from the city was stunning, a couple other students from the program and I spent majority of our time overlooking the valley.  Our tour guide told us that in the old days, in order to bring water up to the city, they would have to hike down to the river and then carry buckets of water up.  Symbolically, there were 365 steps towards to river indicating a step per day in the year.  There was a feeling of remoteness while in city, much like good ole White Stone, VA.  Only a day was spent in Ronda, but definitely a spot that might be revisted in the future.  Rain came this weekend, which made for a relaxful time, eating, drinking, and of course watching soccer.  Sunday will be spent video chatting my big belly sister, pregnant not fat, and watching Manchester United play at a local bar.  This is a great weekend to relax before I head to Lisbon, Portugal in two weeks!  Yes, I am already looking forward to that trip.  Hasta el próximo domingo (until next Sunday), ¡Adios!

Shredding Cherry Pow Pow

 

The next chapter of my semester abroad has been written and what a week it has been.  Typical classes throughout the week.  Something new, on Wednesday night Chris and I walked down to this local futsal court and were able to play with a mixture between locales and other study abroad students.  It was a great time and believe it or not the soccer level was surprisingly fast paced, it will be a nice relaxing change from the strenous practices with the semi-pro team.  On Thursday, my monumets class, which is basically just a field trip every day around Seville, found us in this Muslim Palace.  The design and attention to detail was just an appetizer of what was coming this weekend in Granada.  Nonetheless, this two story  mosaic filled palace held pieces of history that are in incredible condition.  The focus of this palace is on the inside rather than the outside, I almost walked right past the palace because the outside blends in with the surrounding buildings.  Thursday night, Chris and I were able to actually have a full practice with the team and it was so much fun, very fast paced and for a second time this season I had a great practice.  After a satisfying practice, it was time to pack for the first of many trips around Spain, this time to Granada.

 

The drive from Seville to Granada took us about three hours.  In order to reach this ski city, you pass by the typical valley towns and farm lands.  Shipping companies, run down barns and farm houses, and rows upon rows of olive trees were the extent of what was around us while driving.  I realize now why olive oil is the biggest Spanish export because the trees are everywhere.  When we arrived at our Hotel Montecarlo, we could already notice the difference in cities.  Obviously, the climate but even the people were a little more relaxed, less smoking, and a younger crowd.  Friday afternoon, we were able to get a tour of La Alhombra, which is the pictures you see above.  It is the largest Muslim palace and I would bet the most beautiful.  Words and pictures could not explain the sheer beauty that went into creating this palace.  Every wall, floor, door, window, and even bushes were created with such a purpose of excellence, that it impresses anyone who steps inside the palace wall.  The positioning of this palace was on top of a hill overlooking the city of Granada. It was suppose to rain that day but as you can tell someone wanted me to take some more amazing pictures in order to make my frirends and family jealous.  Being in the presence of that view, art, history, and aura was surreal.  I kept pinching myself thinking I was going to wake up from a dream.  Friday night was spent discovering the night life of Granada.  Kababs, desserts, and bars filled every corner and this ski city is also very unique because everytime you order a drink, a free tapa (appetizer) comes with it.  The tapa is chosen by the chef but you can't go wrong.  Thinking that this trip could not get any better, Saturday morning six of us drove up to the Sierra Nevada to shred the gnar (go snowboarding).

No one brought gear to snowboard or ski in but luckily for only 40 euros, we were able to rent a board, boots, pants, jacket, gloves, helmet, and goggles.  I thought it was amazing we could rent all this stuff for so cheap and when we got out to the mountain I realized why.  My pants and jacket from the 90's soaked up water rather than repelling it.  My goggles were either covered on the outside by ice or fogged up on the inside making it impossible to see out of, it was already hard enough to see five feet infront of you. Luckily, the bindings of my board made it pretty much all day without falling apart but the last run was spent with only one strap keeping my foot attached to the board.  Hail and then snow whipped around the air creating the visibility shown above.  Although the gear and the weather was rough, this could not stop my excitment to snowboard in Spain.  We rode for about six hours straight not knowing where exactly we were on the mountain, at some points it was confusing which way was actually down.  It snowed the day before so there were pockets of untouched snow and this just added to the already great base.  The mountain didn't have a ton of runs compared to  some resorts out west in the States, but the runs they did have were steep and long.  This made lift lines short and rides long.  When 4:00pm rolled around I finished my shred session with an amazing flawless run all the way to the bottom, which took about 25 minutes without breaks.  I topped off the day by refueling my American side with a huge bacon cheeseburger.  As we were leaving the resort, the sun decided to break out from the clouds and reveal the mountatin that we were actually snowboarding on.

I was upset at first, but then realized, "seeing" is only one part of your senses in which you experience things.  This picture just added to the perfect day, sometimes it is easy to just go along with your day to day and not stop realize the beauty that is around you.  Snowboarding in the clouds today, not being able to see anything could have been looked at as a waste of a snowboard day, but making the most of it and then realizing the mountain I was able to snowboard on was yet another experience that I am going to remember for the rest of my life.  The drive back was spent taking some pictures of the mountains and in a trance of what we were able to just accomplish.  I occasionally would smile randomly just recalling where I am, what I'm doing, and what the rest of the trip is going to bring.  

Only the Beginning

First week of classes have flown by and the weather is finally getting warm.  Unlike in the US, during mid-day it is mid 60's with the sun heating you up.  On Wednesday, we went on a bus tour of Seville and the weather was perfect for sitting on the second level of the double-decker bus.  The picture above is one of the many pictures that I was able to get that day.  It was a very informative bus ride in which we learned a lot about the culture and history of the buildings.  While on the bus, all of us definitely felt like true tourists, all we needed were fanny packs and maps out at hand.  

    Yesteryday, consisted of class and then practice later on in the day.  Practice was again on the dirt, which I am definitely getting more used to.  All the guys on the team are very nice and helpful to Chris and I, which makes everything a lot easier.  Classes have been pretty typical nothing special, very informative with teachers that love what they are doing.  Most of the teachers at the school also have other jobs, which is really impressive the amount of time they are able to put into both of their jobs.  I am still getting used to the time change, at nights it is very hard to go to sleep so reading books has been my go to thing at night.  It also doesn't help that I take a couple of siestas throughout the day especially on my Mondays and Wednesdays.  

The Plaza de España is the picture above.  This beautiful semi-circle building is one of the most popular areas to visit in Seville and no wonder why.  It was absolutely stunning the attention to detail, mosaics lay along the ground, bridges, and building.  Every state in Spain is displayed as a Mosaic along the boarder of the plaza.  Pictures can never do anything justice and the same goes for this building.

This park is directly behind where I am standing in the picture of the Plaza.  Orange trees grow all around the city and in this park there were tons scattered along with other varieties of trees and vegetation. It was a great time to explore the city and the history that is scattered throughout.  The group met up with each other that night and we went to this Italian restaurant, which was very hidden and low key, as usual those places are always the best.  This was yet another restaurant that didn't disappoint, it is hard to beat fresh Italian food. One thing I have noticed throughout the city is the amount of people that stay out late.  The other night my roommate and I were at this outside bar and as we looked around us there was only older people sipping on some whisky, smoking cigars, and having coffee.  We looked at our clocks and noticed that it was 2am and these people were not even close to finishing their night.  The priority of socializing and spending time with friends is definitely on the top of the list here and I love it.  I think that is the purpose of bars and going out, it is to socialize and enjoy sipping on some beer or wine rather than trying to drink so much alcohol that you don't even remember your night.  I never thought the city was for me, especially growing up in a small town I always thought a large amount of people were so overwhelming.  Each day that I spend living here in Seville, the more I am enjoying the atmosphere that goes along with it.  One week down, many more to go but excitement starts this weekend when we get to go to Granada, a state to the east of Seville, to go snowboarding.  I will be sure to go into detail about the trip.  Until next time, ¡Adios!