Sevilla, Finalmente!

Today was the day I've been waiting for for nearly three months- I finally arrived in Sevilla! But backing up a bit, it's important to not overlook the journey to Sevilla. From Toledo to Sevilla it was a seven hour bus ride through the breathtaking countryside of Spain. The color of the grass was unlike anything I have ever seen before. I want to describe it as lime green, but that's not quite precisely correct. It seemed to shine, but not from the sun. It just looked healthy, and not healthy because it was enhanced by chemicals as often the grass is in the United States, it just looked natural and happy. Happy is probably a strange adjective to use to describe grass, but that's just how it looked to me. Or maybe that's how it made me feel inside. The landscape in Spain, as I described in the post about Toledo, is comprised of beautiful and gently rolling hills covered in even rows of squat trees. And even better (in my opinion, because I love anything environmentally-friendly) lots of solar panels! This kind of surprised me, but I guess it makes sense because electricity is more expensive here than it is in the United States.

Upon arriving in Sevilla, I was immediately impressed by the obviously warmer climate. The streets are lined with palm trees and orange trees. However as I later asked my host mom, Maria, the oranges growing on the trees are not good to eat. They are sour oranges and used to make marmalade. When our bus stopped along the curb of a street in Sevilla, we were met immediately by our host families!! Standing waiting to leave the bus, I could barely contain my excitement. I was about to meet the family that I would become a part of for the next three months!! So many thoughts filled my mind in that short moment- what did they look like? what were they expecting me to be like? was I expecting them to be anything in particular? To my pleasure, all of my questions were answered the moment Emily and I were met by a woman with glasses, dark hair and a smile that had to have been bigger than her short frame. She met us with the standard hug and kisses on each cheek (which I love about Europe already by the way) and then helped us carry our overpacked suitcases to her small car where her son, Javier, was waiting to greet us as well. Getting into the car with them, I realized when I heard the comforting sounds of my favorite song Timber (yes, this really happened) on the radio, that the answer to the last question was the most important and the most simple- I wasn't expecting anything of them, and I don't think they were expecting anything of me either. I was just happy to be there, and they were just happy to have me.

Maria lives in a small but beautiful apartment in the Triana neighborhood of Sevilla with her 24 year old daughter, Lola, and her 33 year old son, Javier. While these may seem like absurd ages to live at home at in the US, in Europe this is quite common. In the US we go from living at home to college where we live on our own, and then usually we never move completely back home again. Here in Spain it is quite common to live at home until you are ready to be married. Maria explained to us that Javier has a girlfriend and his own personal apartment, but he stays here with his mother more often. The apartment is located on the second floor of the building, and is comprised of several small rooms. I say small, but really the apartment is average sized for Spain where everything is just smaller than in the United States. The apartment has a private courtyard as well as several balconies that overlook the central courtyard of the building. It is everything I could ask for in a home here- romantic and tranquil and inspiring in the middle of a beautiful city.

Maria, Javier, and Lola only speak Spanish which concerned me a little at first, but really Maria speaks slow enough that I can understand nearly everything that she says to me. I guess those five years of Spanish that I took in high school paid off after all! She is such a sweet little lady, full of compliments for both Emily and I! She has two sons older than Javier too who no longer live with her, Jesus and Lorenzo. Lorenzo is married and has two children, and is working on learning English. She said that we will meet them soon enough, and Lorenzo will probably want to speak with us quite a bit. While giving us a tour of her home, Maria told us the story of how five years ago her husband passed away from throat cancer. This was when she began to accept students studying abroad into her home. The only two months that Maria doesn't have students in her home are July and August, when she escapes to her beach house about an hour and a half away from Sevilla. In Sevilla during these months she told us that temperatures reach well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Talking to her today, I feel more wanted than I could have imagined I would at this lovely little place in Sevilla, because for Maria, Emily and I are not just bodies taking up space in her home, but rather we are adopted children for her to take care of and teach, as well as learn from.

After giving us time to settle in, Maria taught us how to cook our very first Spanish dish! She made a soup that ended up being delicious and tasted maybe faintly of onions? I'm not entirely sure what it was, but it was made from a creamed vegetable, I know that much! I'm still surprised that I liked it as much as I did, because I can't think of any soup that I really enjoy eating. She let us help make the Tortilla de Espana, which is basically scrambled eggs and potatoes. True to the Mediterranean diet, Maria used plenty of olive oil to cook the potatoes! She explained to us that she reuses the olive oil for cooking which I thought was pretty neat too. There isn't an eating place in the kitchen of the house, but we sat around the table in the living room in the picture above to eat and it was still so cozy. After dinner (which we began eating around 9 pm) Maria served us fruit and yogurt for dessert.

It feels good to finally be settled in and unpacked and no longer living out of a suitcase. The weather is nice, but not quite as warm as I thought it would be. I think the frigid weather of Pittsburgh made me think that 55 degrees was sundress weather! However soon enough it will be warm enough for the clothes that I brought. Everything about this place makes me feel contented inside. There is no place I would rather be spending the next three months of my life. 

Toledo, la Cuidad de la Historia

For those of you who follow me on twitter you may have already seen my tweets about this, but I literally cannot find words perfect enough to describe the city of Toledo. If I had to choose some, they would be quaint, elegant, stone, natural, perfect, historic, picturesque, and grand. Toledo is so different from American cities in that Toledo is built around nature, so that the nature enhances the beauty of the buildings and vice versa, while in the US we tend to clear and build overtop of nature. I definitely prefer the way that Toledo is built. There’s something fulfilling and good for the soul about being here. The picture below more fully represents what I mean when I say that Toledo is built into nature (sorry it’s not very clear, it was taken from the bus). Also, I feel as though I should take time to apologize in advance- the history of Toledo fascinated me, and I've recorded a lot of the historical facts that I learned during our tour in this post. I tried to make it interesting, but if you don't love history as much as I do then this might not be terribly intriguing, but I tried to include lots of pictures!

Prepare yourself: The next picture is truly the most beautiful I have ever taken. It was taken from an overlook across the river from the city, and it really shows the character of Toledo. Instead of the colors and busyness of Madrid, Toledo is built with neutral, earthy colors and makes you content to just sit and look at it and try to absorb as much of the beauty as you can. If you look carefully, you can see a rainbow to the left of the cathedral (the tall tower almost in the middle of the photo)! We were so lucky to arrive right after the rain and witness this truly once in a lifetime sight!

                               

Toledo is, as I said above, a very historic city. It has heavy influences from both the Romans and the Moors. There are still remains of a Roman aqueduct that follows the river. You can also tell that the city is older through the people. As soon as we walked through the main arch and up the first cobbled street, two old men sitting outside of a building across the street stood to take off their hats and blow us kisses as we passed. It was so adorable, as though those men belonged on a post card. The people are much more relaxed than in Madrid, and there was barely any traffic except by foot. The physical city as well as the people within it definitely fulfilled the romantic vision that I had in my head of old Spain.

                  

 

Our first stop was El Monestario de San Juan de los Reyes, or a monastery. There are even still ten monks who live there today! The monastery has many Moorish influences, as our tour guide informed us. For example, the arches that you can see in the windows in the picture of the monastery are pointed at the top instead of rounded, as they came to be in Renaissance architecture. Originally King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella (who were the reigning monarchs when Columbus founded America) wanted to be buried in this monastery. The walls of the monastery were so intricately carved! Something that I found particularly interesting was the fact that the wall carvings contained images from both Christianity and from mythology. The walls are made of limestone, which is soft enough to allow the carvings to be so intricate.






We then visited a temple next, which was curiously built by Muslims and has a Christian name. This further shows all of the different influences that have passed through Toledo throughout the years, which I think is so fascinating. Through all the change, the city has been able retain pieces of all of the cultures that it has experienced and merge them together into something beautiful.

Finally, we visited the cathedral of Toledo. This building is too grand for words. Being there brought literal tears to my eyes; I was simply overpowered by the history of the building. I could just imagine all the people who have been there before me, including the king and queen, the nobility, and just the normal citizens, and how much change the building has seen, and what all those people were thinking about when they were there. What were their lives like? What were their concerns? Were they there for religious reasons, or because they felt obligated to be?

Contained in the cathedral of Toledo were many important objects owned by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. For example, both of their crowns were there on display, as was a large figure made entirely of pure gold accented with diamonds, aquamarines, emeralds, rubies, and other jewels that belonged to Isabella. As you could imagine, this figure could not even be estimated at a price. Isabella actually ended up selling some of her jewels in order to fund Columbus' trip to what ended up being America. 

For lunch, I went with some friends to a restaurant that was recommended to us by our tour guide. It was a traditional Spanish restaurant, and it gave us our first taste of the rumored large Spanish lunch. The restaurant was located at the end of a narrow, dead-end side street and was called El Gollo. For just 12 Euro I was served a three course meal consisting of wine (of course), a large dish of pasta, potatoes and elk steak, and a warm brownie for dessert. The entire meal took us about two and a half hours to complete, which would definitely not happen in the United States. Also, waiters here do not bring you your check in restaurants unless you ask for it. This meal in particular was delicious because it was foods that I am more familiar with. Unfortunately, though not surprisingly at all, I am struggling a little with finding things to eat here in Spain. Most things are okay for one or two bites, but I haven't found anything that I like enough to really eat an entire meal of. 

"You Only Madrid Twice!"

The title from today's post comes from our adventure into the city and a tapas bar last night, and it's true- we're only in Madrid for two days and two nights, so we set out this morning to make the most of it! It's definitely turning out to be true what they say- you can sleep when you're dead. This morning we went first to the Prado museum which contained some truly breathtaking art. I really prefer older art such as that that is contained at the Prado. I definitely liked that we had a tour guide who took us through the museum and gave us some of the history behind a lot of the paintings. For example he pointed out to us the "mistakes" that are still apparent in Velazquez's paintings. You can see a faint shadow in Las Meninas where one boy's leg used to be, but Velazquez changed the position of it. There were professional painters in the Prado who were making copies of the famous paintings to sell, which was also really neat to see. There sure are some fantastic painters in Madrid!

After seeing the Prado, we were taken on a walking tour of Madrid. We saw many entrancing buildings! The first stop was city hall, which used to be the post office in Madrid.

Next, we saw the oldest cathedral in Madrid where all the royal weddings used to take place.

We also saw a monument for the civil war that took place in Spain and all the lives that were lost on the third of May in 1808. Although the United States is old, Spain is so much older and it seems that the history is so much richer. 

Our walking tour ended in the Plaza Mayor and we were then given the rest of the day for free time. Some girls and I went to a small tapas bar. I forget the Spanish name, but it translates in English to "100 Sandwiches" and they do indeed have 100 different sandwiches on their menu! They are mini sandwiches (but after all tapas are small portions) and only cost one Euro a piece! I ordered two ham and cheese (jamon y queso) sandwiches and they were quite tasty! Then we walked to the main cathedral in Madrid which was so incredible to see. If w

e thought the exterior was breathtaking, it was nothing compared to the interior. Everything was just so elegant. The stained glass windows were the brightest colors even without sun shining through them. Statues of the Virgin Mary and other religious figures crafted from gold beamed so bright that they surely could only have been sent from above. The impressive arches filled my heart with amazement- sometimes I think we forget what wondrous things the human race is capable of.

The cathedral's main purpose is to be a place of worship, and definitely everything about being there could be more than enough to make any person drop to their knees. The interior, as you can see from the pictures, is mostly neutral grey, however the vibrance that so many people associate with the Spanish culture shone through in the colorful ceilings and statues. All along the walls of the cathedral were insets with statues and figures depicting Biblical scenes. There were rows upon rows of stately dark wooden pews, but also televisions for seats that did not have a clear view of the main podium. It's easy to see why Spain is famous for its cathedrals, and also easy to see why more people want to attend religious services here than in the US. Even on the street, it's impossible not to get swept away in the Spanish way of life. The kindness, the visible happiness, it's exactly the type of life that so many people desire to lead. And here it's all right at your feet.

While lunch was delicious, everyone who knows me knows that I can only suppress my incorrigible sweet tooth for so long. I convinced the other girls to stop at a bakery, and it was a good thing we did! The bakery was run by a middle-aged woman who made all the delectable flaky pastries by herself, and her mother, who hand-made chocolates. I selected a pastry that was kind of like a sandwich, except the bread was light, sweet, flaky pastry and the "meat" was a chocolate mousse. It was so

mouth-wateringly good. The other girls selected a variety of small delicacies including a fruit tart, a baked lemon ball, a mango cheesecake bite, and a flaky pastry covered in a sugary egg mixture that one of the girls had seen on a TV show that is specific to Madrid. The woman informed us that she also has a stand at the San Miguel market which was just a few blocks from the bakery, so we decided to go there as well just for the experience. Oh my, the colors! I have never seen such vibrant fruit. It was unlike anything I had ever seen in the United States. The strawberries and cherries were redder. The apples were more yellow. The grapes were a perfect light green. It was as though they were somehow taking the almost tangible happiness and life in the atmosphere around them and using it to enhance their best qualities.

Our last stop of the afternoon was the royal palace in Madrid. We decided not to go inside, because our feet really hurt at this point and the wind and cold were a little too ferocious for a group of Americans who packed for the 55 degree and warmer weather that we will experience in Sevilla. The palace has over 1,000 rooms, and is honestly the largest building I have ever seen.

Now that our "siesta" is over, I am going shopping and then out to dinner and more with some friends! I also need to stop writing before I slide out of this bed... For some reason when I lean against the headboard the bed slides out from beneath me and across the room. Who knew I was so powerful?


......Oh! How could I forget? Even though I'm so far from home, it will always make my heart warm to be reminded of the place I left. Hail to Pitt! #H2P

Madrid!

Traveling is so wonderful. The entire experience that I’ve had on this journey so far- from Baltimore to New York to Madrid- has been so positive! Even on my flight from Baltimore to New York, I talked with a flight attendant who was actually born in Madrid. Then, after overhearing our conversation, the man seated in front of me informed me that he lived in Spain for seven years and even gave me his business card so that I could contact him with questions during my stay in Spain. The lady seated behind me also spoke up and told me that her cousin will be studying abroad in Sevilla starting on Friday. In the airport in New York, I ran into some other girls who were taking my flight to Sevilla as well, which eased my anxiety about catching the correct flight and then finding the right area of the airport in Madrid upon arrival. On the plane to Madrid, I was introduced to Danny, a Madrid native (he later told me that he lives between Madrid and Toledo, 20 km to Madrid and 52 km to Toldeo) who entertained me for the hour that we spent on the plane while it was being de-iced by teaching me some Spanish phrases out of the novel he was reading. Danny was returning home after traveling the east coast of the United States, from Miami to New York. He also entertained me further the next morning when we could begin to see Madrid by pointing out different landmarks and highways and telling me where they led. When we could see the three towers that mark Madrid, I became so excited (once Danny explained to me what they were, of course) that I instinctively grabbed Danny's wrist, which is what I have a tendency to do when I'm with my friends. As I apologized, slightly embarrassed, Danny laughed and told me that excitement is the best emotion, and it's one that should always be displayed. It was more sad than I thought it would be to say goodbye to my first Spanish friend after claiming our luggage in Madrid. 

We traveled by bus to our hotel in Madrid, which is very nice! My roommate, Emily, and I were able to finally meet each other and spend the afternoon exploring the city. We ate lunch at a restaurant that we found down a winding side street. The streets in Madrid are cobbled, not paved, and lined with beautiful white or cream colored buildings with endless windows and a balcony at each window. Most of the balconies are also adorned with flowers. At the restaurant both Emily and I ordered "tortilla Espana" which was egg and potato on bread, along with a glass of white wine each. It's true what they say- wine really is cheaper than water! The sandwich was better than I was expecting, although it was huge and I couldn't quite finish the entire thing.

We then strolled through the streets of Madrid until we came upon el Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia. The museum is four endless floors of mostly modern art with much background in the post-WWII/Holocaust era. To be honest, most of the art was disturbing and frightening but we got in for free with our university IDs and it was a nice way to spend the day.

Later in the evening, we took a tour of the city by bus which served as a preview for the walking tour that we will take tomorrow. We were able to hear about a lot of the history that happened in Madrid. Here are some pictures that I was able to take from the bus!

After the bus tour and our first group meeting, my roommate and some other people that we met and I took the Metro into the heart of Madrid to the Plaza del Sol to explore a bit. We wound up at a tapas bar that was really neat- it was half indoor restaurant half outdoor restaurant- where we ordered tapas and drinks! We each ordered a different drink and then shared, so we could each taste a little pina colada, mojito, and delicious sangria. We ended up staying at the tapas bar until nearly 1:30 am, when the waiter kindly informed us that the Metro closes at 1:30 and if we were taking that home we should probably hurry, and as a group the seven of us split a couple bottles of wine. It was wonderful to relax and spend my first night in Europe laughing with such lovely new friends!!