After a relaxing night at home on Thursday, Val and I had the distinct pleasure of getting on a bus at 8am to go to Sevilla. When we got there, we split up into our Islamic Art and Architecture classes to go through the city. When the Americas were first discovered, Sevilla was the only European port that had ships going in and out from the Americas and therefore there was extreme wealth and power in Sevilla which is seen throughout the city in the old architecture. We first went through Alcazar, a palace built for a Christian king (Pedro I) by the Arabs of the city after Pedro had admired the Alhambra in Granada (yeah, that's right) so much. This combination, and the obvious Arab influence on the architecture, reflects the city's cultured and difficult past.
We then went to the biggest catedral in all of Spain which I am so sad that I lost the pictures of. We climbed 37 flights of ramps to the top of the bell tower for an amazing view of the city on the gorgeous, clear day that it was. Back on the ground floor, there were a lot of ornate pieces for mass and there were also huge statues symbolizing the death and body of Christopher Columbus. It was really incredible, mere words don't give it any justice. I felt a little uncomfortable while staring at a huge crucifix, which I have never felt before. I think that being Jewish here is something very different than I have ever experienced and I have been thinking a lot about it. I don't have anything concrete to share right now--everything is still formulating in my head--but I am sure it will be a topic later on.
Val, Katie, and I then went on an amazing walk down the river to the Plaza de Espana which is this HUGE building that is completely empty. It was incredible. Of course, the one time I don't have pictures to show you is the one time I cannot put into words the sheer brilliance of what I saw in Sevilla. We also walked through a park filled with green and water and DUCKS which was fun. Walking around with them really got me thinking about how lucky I am to be here and experiencing these great moments.
We ended the night with a flamenco show. There is so much power and strength behind this dance, we all sat there with our mouths open simply staring at the dancers. As someone who is taking a flamenco class this semester (I have a final show and everything) it only got me more pumped for my class to start. The entire show is improvisational and beautiful. We walked into a open room with vines and flowers and candles and the guitar brought us back centuries to the Spanish homes where flamenco originates. I am sure there will be more discussion about flamenco as the semester progresses and I become the pro that I expect to become (HA).
The next morning, we got up bright and early and went to the Museo de Bellas Artes which was less than thrilling. All religious, repetitious, BORING paintings, I was able to utilize my one semester of modern art history knowledge to explain why I disliked the paintings so much. However, one thing that cannot be denied is the talent that was around in the 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th centuries; whether or not I liked what they painted, I can appreciate their talent. And with that, we started the trek to the mountains.
Ronda is gorgeous. I could end it there no problem, but that just wouldn't be like my superfluous self. First, we are going to start with the most important thing--food. Val, Katie, and I (noticing a pattern?) literally went left when everyone went right to find lunch and oh did we find it. A little hole in the wall (always the best) with minimal English and plenty of Spanish families, we walked in cautiously optimistic. Well, hands down best meal of the trip (sorry Juanie). I started with a caprese salad except the cheese was queso fresco which is best described as a mixture of feta and mozzarella. Most of the world's olive oil comes from the olives of Andalucia and therefore we have THE BEST OLIVE OIL EVER, seriously. It was the definition of a simple dish being prepared in an amazing way. Then, I had veal on a kebab with grilled zucchini and peppers with a salsa that I couldn't deconstruct. On the side came the best baked potato I've ever had with this sour cream THING on top--it was delicious. And just in case I could barely move before, homemade tiramisu closed the meal. All 3 courses, along with a glass of wine, was a whopping 12.50 Euros. Amazing AND a bargain? Momma would be proud.
We then went to the Arab Baths and a bullring, but those were not the highlights. That was the view. Below are a few pictures. The view was simply breathtaking and one of those moments that you feel incredibly small in a world that is as big and gorgeous as the view that is ahead of you.
And that was my weekend. Not too shabby. If you haven't guessed it from the post, I have started classes this week and am utterly exhausted. Everything is in Spanish and even in my one English-taught class, I'm thinking in Spanish. I come back home wiped and it is definitely seen in my composition here tonight. Later this week I'll summarize the class schedule because I want to leave the weekend post free for CARNIVALE IN CADIZ!! It's very very exciting and I can't wait to share with the stories because I am sure there will be!SEE ABOVE!
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!! xxoo
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