Let me tell you about my Señora

One of the biggest parts of my life here in Seville, and one of the things I will miss the most is my señora. She is a wonderful little lady full of joy for life, opinions about my life, and she is also incredibly talented in the kitchen. Marisa will forever be in my heart after this semester.

But let me tell you a bit about her favorite thing: her grandkids. There are five of them. Two live in Germany, but they got here to Seville yesterday. Every day this semester she has gotten up a little after me and one of the first things I hear in the morning is "Hola! Mis niñetos, que precious!" or something along those lines. I promise that it is one of the most beautiful things. Her love for them is so sweet, there's really nothing they could ever do that would break that! Today I was eating lunch with her in the kitchen holding her youngest grandbaby, Nicolas (8 months), in a sling sort of thing while she was talking to me. Nicolas was falling asleep for his nap and just made my heart happy to see them.

As much as she loves to give her opinion about the places I travel or where I should go out at night, she always loves to hear about my latest adventures or how much fun I had doing something, and she always greets me with besitos when we haven't seen each other in a while.

This week has been a little different for us. A few big things have happened, one of which was the death of a wonderful friend. In a country all alone, my señora was a huge comfort to me. For me to sit and try to explain through my tears in Spanish the person that Marcy was, I needed her loving care. There aren't really words to explain how much she means to me, and how much I value her!

A few things about my señora:

1) her favorite city in the world is Tokyo
2) whenever either of us go shopping we HAVE to show each other what we got. it's one of her favorite things!
3) she saw a commercial by Enrique Iglesias' mother about vitamins and now has a shelf full of vitamins that she takes every day so that she can be like his mom
4) she had her nose pierced AND her tongue pierced when she was young. in her words "yo soy muy moderna"
5) she has a chihuahua named Paquito who eats more than he weighs
6) one time she told us about how she was practically born in her dad's airplane.. at least I think that's what she said
7) besides her grandkids, her second favorite thing in the world I would say, is laughter!

So there you have it, a few things about my señora Marisa.

Semana Santa Adventures! Paris & Ulm, Germany

Wow I have lots of updating to do! It's crazy that I'll be back in the USA in five weeks or so and my time here is nearing its end. I've learned a lot about myself, about the world, and about Spanish this semester, and if anyone is considering studying abroad I definitely recommend it.  It's not the easiest thing you'll ever do, but it overall makes for a wonderful experience.

This past week was Semana Santa here in Sevilla, and as such I didn't have class all week. Therefore travel.  I spent five days in Paris then five days in Ulm, Germany!

In Paris I stayed with a Covenant friend that is studying abroad there (Susanna) and had a wonderful time experiencing the city with a "local"! Really though I'm so thankful to have been there with friends who knew what to do.  I went to Parisian bars, a market, ate baguettes with fresh cheese in Park de Buttes-Chaumont, took in views of Paris from Sacre Coeur, which is a beautiful white church in Montmartre.  We also walked around that neighborhood, ate and walked through the Latin Quarter, had Belgian waffles, and saw the Pantheon.  I ate ice cream in front of the Eiffel Tower, went to a French church, visited the Arc de Triumph, shopped a little on Champs Elysees.  I saw the Mona Lisa in the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Lock bridge, and also read a book at Shakespeare & Company.  I went to Plaza de Republic where there still are things that say "Je Suis Charlie".  And my favorite part and where everyone must go in Paris was Musee d'Orsay where I went with a friend, Hannah Brown, and experienced the beautiful museum that was once a train station and also saw many beautiful works by Degas, Monet, and van Gogh.  Degas' "Little Dancer" was even there and I saw her in DC right before coming to Spain! It was a great few days with some wonderful people in a beautiful city!

My grandparents have always had exchange students, and when I was 16 they had a girl named Franzi from Germany come stay with them.  Franzi and I became pretty good friends in her year there, and her family invited me to spend Easter with them in Ulm, Germany!  I had a wonderful time with her and her parents, drinking coffee, eating fresh bread with homemade jams, exploring Ulm, and reading books and newspapers. It was a great way to end my week!

Looking ahead I don't really have anymore "big" trips planned. My parents will be here in less than ten days and I can't wait to see them! Then I'm going to the beach in Portugal at the beginning of May then on back to Maryland for the summer! I'm still kayaking as much as possible and speaking lots of Spanish!

Franzi's parents at an archeological site outside of Ulm

Myself and Hannah Brown in Musee d'Orsay

That Eiffel Tower though!

Henry and myself in Montmartre

Covenant Reunions and Cold Cities

This weekend was a whirlwind of wonderful things.  Friday afternoon I flew to London and met up with some Covenant friends! It was so crazy to be in London with Covenant people that were here for spring break and Covenant people who are studying at Oxford and in Paris... definitely a little mind-blowing. And oh so wonderful!

I was in London for less than 24 hours, but managed to see and do a ton! I ate fish and chips in a pub, and walked a lot around the city. I walked out of the Westminster underground station and the first thing you see is Big Ben and the House of Parliament... so incredible! I saw a celebration for the unveiling of a statue of Gandhi and Westminster Abbey, I saw Buckingham Palace and walked through St. James' Park.  I got to go in the Globe Theater and into St. Paul's Cathedral, and of course saw the Tower of London! Then it was off to Dublin!

Dublin (and Ireland) is a place that I absolutely want to return to! In my time there we walked around a lot, went to the Temple Bar area, and went to the Guinness Storehouse, and in the future I would love to get to explore more of the countryside!

As fun as this busy weekend was, there is always something sweet about coming home to Sevilla and the streets that I know and love. This weekend will be pretty relaxed school-wise as this Friday we have a trip to Ronda, Spain!

Myself (Spain), Henry (Paris), Conrad (Lookout Mtn), John Christian (Oxford), and Michael (Lookout Mtn) 

View of Buckingham Palace from St. James' Park

Buckingham Palace

Awkward cold photo in front of St Paul's Cathedral. I've now been to 2 of the 3 largest cathedrals in the world!

Shakespeare's Globe Theater

Church in Dublin

Me and the Guinness turtle

Basically nothing can stop me now.

Fish n chips & Bangers n Mash & flights of Dublin-brewed beers

Susanna, Henry, myself, and our perfectly poured pints!

Sevilla sorts of things

Today I got to go to the Cathedral of Sevilla with my art class!  We have been studying gothic architecture, especially cathedrals, and so it was really cool to get to apply the things I've learned.  Also it's incredible how huge it is.  It's the third largest cathedral in the world and the largest gothic cathedral! Also part of Christopher Columbus' remains are there (they really are, they DNA tested them). And this is right down the street from my school! So cool. We also climbed the 35 ramps and 17 steps to the top of the Giralda to see some awesome views of Sevilla.

Also I got a manicure today for 3 euros.  I didn't even know that was possible (aside from in China)!

An interesting thing about Sevilla is that SEVILLA HAS MADE ROLLERBLADING COOL AGAIN. Go Sevilla.  There are always people rollerblading around and also at night some kids hang out in a plaza and do tricks on their rollerblades. Also so many people bike here, so that's pretty cool too.  And everyone who doesn't rollerblade or bike walks everywhere, which is something I'm definitely going to miss when I go back to the States!

Anyways, here are some photos from the Cathedral! And my next blog post will be all about my adventures in London and Dublin!

One of the organs in the Cathedral

Christopher Colombus' remains

View from the top of the Giralda

View from the Giralda of the top of the Cathedral

The Vision of St. Anthony by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo

Part of this painting (the monk) was cut out and stolen in the early 1900's and returned about 20 years later when it was being auctioned in New York City and was recognized

Let the adventuring continue!

Happy Monday morning world! And happy spring break to all you Covenant students! This morning (12:30ish) finds me at The Good Burger, enjoying some ice cream while reflecting on that past week. I arrived at school this morning to find out that my professor would not be in today, and just like that my morning became free! This afternoon I'll be going to our amazing receptionist, Ana Bello's house to learn how to cook paella and croquetas.  Both classic Spanish foods!

This week was a full one! I kayaked (Monday & Wednesday), drank cafe con leche (every day), turned 21 (Thursday), explored Toledo (Thursday & Friday), and experienced Madrid (Friday - Sunday)!

The Toledo trip was with the Semester in Spain program, and we got to go to La Iglesia de San Tomé, which houses El Greco's Entierra del Señor de Orgaz. I've been studying El Greco in my history of Spanish art class, and so it was incredible to see that in person. We also got to go to the Cathedral of Toledo, which is considered the most Spanish of the gothic cathedrals in Spain, and also is home to Greco's Expolio. On our way to Toledo we made a stop at some windmills, which appear pretty normal but are actually the ones from Don Quixote! I spent my birthday night exploring the winding streets of Toledo and eating delicious food with good friends, and Friday afternoon I caught a bus with some other students to Madrid!

El Explio

Wow, Madrid. Everyone should go! There is so much to do and it is such a fun city, and this was also a spur of the moment trip for me (I decided Thursday to go)! My friends and I stayed at a hostel called Way Hostel, and walked a ton.  Saturday morning we went to San Gines, which opened in 1894 and is the oldest and best place to find churros con chocolate! After that we went to Plaza Mayor and then to the Mercado de San Miguel, which was full of delicious-looking fruits, veggies, meats, seafood, and wine. We met up with some other students from Semester in Spain at the Palacio Real to do a tour (student discounts are great) and got to see the armory and first floor of the palace! On our way to lunch at El Tigre we stopped at the Puerta del Sol to see the famous bear statue, then continued up to Gran Via to find El Tigre. Guys, that little bar was incredible- if you're ever in Madrid, go! We grabbed lunch there then went to take a little rest by the Prado before we took in some art, which consisted in laying on a grassy hill listening to the sounds of a guitar. The Museo del Prado is HUGE. We spent around two hours there which was not nearly enough, (got in for free-student discount) but had time to see Las Meninas by Velazquez. There are no words to describe how amazing it is to stand before such a magnificent work of art! I also got the see The Third of May, by Goya and many many other masterpieces. After the Prado we went over to Reina Sofia to see the Guernica by Picasso which was obviously incredible. We also visited the Parque del Retiro and did some shopping on Gran Via! Madrid is definitely one of my favorite cities, but after our six hour bus ride back to Sevilla, it felt great to be home!

San Gines- Churros con chocolate

El Mercado de San Miguel

Palacio Real

The bear!

Sunny with a high of 75!

And so begins week 7! This past weekend I went to a little town in Portugal called Olhao, which was incredibly beautiful and relaxing! I was also serenaded in front of a crowd in Portuguese. Didn't know that was on my bucket list, but we'll check it off anyways! I went with four friends and we rented an apartment and thus had the opportunity to use a kitchen. We made good use of this by preparing homemade mac & cheese and garlic bread and eating ice cream. Simply marvelous. And very American! It was definitely interesting to be in a place where they don't speak either of my two languages!

This week is full of school (well, until Wednesday), kayaking, and sun! The weather here in Sevilla is gorgeous and I love it. Curiously enough, the Spaniards still wear coats and scarves and everything! It's like the weather hasn't changed since we arrived, when actually it has gotten about 30 degrees warmer already! Thursday and Friday my school travels to Toledo, the old capital of Spain, and Thursday is my 21st birthday! I'll be waking up at 5 something and spending around 7 hours on a bus... but it should be a good time! I'm still loving kayaking, and am actually about to go do that now! But before I go, here are a few photos from the past week!

Jamee, Shawna, and myself on one of the islands off the southern coast of Portugal!

Serenaded in Portuguese! *no he did not propose (as far as I know)

Rafa (kayaking instructor), Lauren, myself, and Brian at the Club de Piragüismo de Triana!

Granada, Spanish friends, and kayaking!

This past Friday and Saturday, my program took all of us students to Granada.  Granada is another city in Andalucia (the southern region of Spain) that used to be under Muslim rule.  It was actually the last city that Isabel and Fernando conquered.  We stayed in a five star hotel and got to visit La Alhambra, the old and incredibly decorated castle, and also the church where part of Isabel and Fernando's bodies are buried.  Granada is a beautiful little city that was sort of a mix between the Spain I'm used to and the Morocco that I've had the opportunity to experience.

Life here in Sevilla is good.  My Señora is an incredible cook who never uses a recipe or measuring cups, which is pretty amazing.  I did try baby eel the other day.  Needless to say that was an adventure!  I've hung out with my intercambio a few times.  An intercambio is a native Spaniard that I meet with for about an hour a week to hang out and practice Spanish.  Mine is named Carmen and is the same age as me!  She's really great about introducing me to her friends and after class a few times a week I go hang out with them.  The newest thing in my life begins this afternoon when I go take a class about kayaking!  I'll be joining one of the clubs along the river so I can go kayaking every day if I so desire! This is something that I've wanted to do since the first day I got to Spain and saw people on the river, so I'm super excited for the opportunity to join the river crowd!

Here are some pics from Granada!

Let me tell you about Morocco!

This past weekend, myself and 10 other students from my program here in Sevilla went on a weekend trip to Morocco with Discover Excursions!  We were part of a group of around 100 people, and I was ecstatic to be able to fit my life for the weekend into my backpack.  In our short amount of time there, we experienced a lot as we visited four different cities and also got to ride camels right near the beach.  We stayed at a hotel in Tetuan, and spent most of Saturday in Chefchaouen.  Chaouen is known as the blue city, because most of the doors and walls in the Medina (or the old city) are painted blue.  The people there do this to keep flies away and also because it keeps their homes cooler in the summer.

The next day we had a panoramic tour of Tangiers, and stopped at Cabo Spartel, which has a lighthouse and is also where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean in the Strait of Gibraltar.  We then got to go on a camel ride by the beach which was so crazy!  It was also really cool to be right on the coast of Africa. 

 We had lunch at a restaurant right outside of Assilah, which is a small beach town that also has a beautiful old Medina.  We got to explore and shop there for a while too!  It was an incredible short little weekend that I am so thankful I went on!  Granted I got back late Sunday night and had two tests Monday morning... but my time in Morocco was full of moments to remember with a great group of friends!  

Immensity

Tomorrow we go to Córdoba!  We will visit La Mesquita there, which is the mosque that started construction in the 8th Century.  I've been learning about it in my Spanish art history course, so it will be so cool to get to actually experience it!  When the muslims invaded Spain in 711, they established their capital in Córdoba, and as such it is a place very full of history! (though those places aren't difficult to find around here)

I've begun planning some trips around Europe and the area, which is so exciting!  My first one is next weekend, and will be to Morocco!

Something I'm learning while here is about how small my world is.  Everything seems so big and important to me.  But the other day I sat in a park staring at a tree with roots that were partially above ground.  The part above ground was almost to my waist!  That tree has been around for hundreds of years!  Kind of puts things in perspective.

Sevilla is an incredible city.  There is always something new to discover, and I will forever be in love with the Guadalquivir that I walk across every day to class.

This is a photo I took tonight as I walked to a place I hadn't yet been on the edge of the river. 

I did manage to watch (some of) the Superbowl!  Kickoff was at midnight-thirty here, so I only made it through halftime.  I went to a bar that had advertised that they were streaming it and it was FULL of Americans studying abroad.  Some people had been there since 5pm!

Sunday I visited the Cathedral in Sevilla and wow.  It was beyond incredible!  The art, architecture, immensity of everything, it was breathtaking.  

I am so thankful to be here in Sevilla and with this wonderful friend and fellow Jubileean! It's such a blessing to have a bit of Covenant and the familiar with me here in Spain.

One week in and I am definitely still in the honeymoon stage of adjusting to another culture!  I love the tapas, the siestas, the fact that I walk everywhere, and especially that I can get a cafe con leche at any hour of the day!  My Spanish is improving daily (I think) and I am understanding more and more.

My Señora continues to be amazing as she has made things like tortilla de espana for Mica and I.  Today I Haley and I got some vino and as I was getting up to leave the table at Toc Toc Tapas, my jeans caught and ripped a little!  So I asked my señora where I should buy a needle and thread and she proceeded to pull a needle out of her jacket. Needless to say my jeans are ripped and I didn't have to fork over any euros.

Saturday afternoon was incredible!  I spent some time by the river reading and writing with friends (and getting a bit tanner!) then we decided to go for a walk.  We overheard some screaming in the plaza by our school so we went to check it out and turns out we came across some Spanish celebrities!  So we joined the yelling and jumping up and down, though we had no idea who they were.  Turns out we happened upon some famous youtubers.  We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the beautiful Plaza de España, which can be seen below or in the Star Wars movies, whichever you prefer.

Not all of my life is vino and tapas, of course I have some classes.  They're all pretty fun I suppose and I really enjoy that I don't get much homework (yet)!  Anyways, here are some photos of my adventures!

This is the Guadalquivir, the river that I walk over every day.  You can see the Torre del Oro also.  I spend quite a bit of time near the water reading or studying.

The Plaza de España by night.

Our Spanish celebs.

Again, the Plaza de España, but during the day.

And finally the view from my 8th floor bedroom window!  Yes I walk up all 8 flights multiple times a day. 

Time for Class!

As Profesora Cochran would say, gracias a Dios porque hoy es viernes!  This Friday I am reminded that living in Spain is not quite all fun and games.  We start classes today!  Thankfully I don't have a 9:00 class as my first one doesn't begin until 9:55!  I'm taking Advanced Grammar, Literature of Spain, and History of Spanish Art.  I'm pretty excited about the art class!  Also that I have a break from 11:45 to 12:35, and am done with class for the day by 1:30.  Interestingly enough I have the same profesora in the same classroom for all of my classes: Carmen Suárez.  She seems really cool and I think I'll like her!

After siesta today, our school is taking us to a Flamenco show!  I'm so excited, especially as we'll begin learning Sevillanas, a type of flamenco specific to Sevilla, in a few weeks.  I know a little bit about this style as my sister learned it this past summer at Kirov and also as I've seen some people dancing in the streets!

I've been meeting some really cool Americans in my program, and can't wait to start my intercambio so I can meet some Spaniards.  A few of my American friends and I have already decided that we're going to become regulars at this little bar near one of their houses.  (Don't worry mom, bars here serve coke, tea, cafe con leche, as well as alcohol, and are a very normal place to hang out with your friends).  This bar has wicker chairs, deep red walls, and a nice middle aged bartender with a receding hairline! It's a great place to hang out and talk and laugh.

My dad got my phone set up here and if you would like to call me, incoming calls for me are free! Check with your provider if you can call internationally without racking up ridiculous fees, but my number is 011-34-602231792.

xoxo, Isabel

First Impressions- for Joy

Dear Joy,

Estamos en España!

After many many hours in airports, train stations, and the air, I've made it safely to Sevilla!  We arrived at the train station in Sevilla yesterday (Tuesday) around 1:30, and my roommate whom I've dubbed "Mica" and I were put into a taxi and sent to our "piso!"  Her name is really Micayla but that is so long to pronounce in Spanish!  Our Señora is the sweetest little lady with a boyfriend in Granada (as long as he's working, she refuses to marry him) and she loves to cook which is wonderful.  She also has a chihuahua named "Paquito" who is hilarious and she describes as an "angry little man." Paquito and I are becoming friends (at least he let me hold him for a moment- my Señora was so surprised).  Mica and I share a room and bathroom, which is pretty fun.  However, there is no central air, so our room is freezing!  We have a little heater that we run at night as well as two down comforters for our beds, which needless to say it has made getting out of bed in the morning even more difficult! Yesterday was uncharacteristically cold and rainy, but today is much nicer!  Our Señora promises that in five days it will be warm and sunny.

This morning we joined all the school children in the neighborhood and walked the streets of Triana (my neighborhood) to a hotel where all the Acento students were meeting for orientation, meeting professors, taking a placement exam, and getting our Spanish phones.  We had cafe con leche and some delicious little pastries and made some plans for later today!  Mica and I returned to our piso on Calle Trabajo for a lunch of paella around 2:30 and now are taking a ciesta.  Later today we are doing a walking tour of Sevilla with our school and later tonight we're going to go to Calle Betis with some chicas from our program!  I suppose that that's all for now!

Hasta luego, and more to come!

Ellie

T-7 Days!

This semester will be spent studying abroad in the beautiful historic town of Sevilla, España!  As a Spanish major, this study abroad time is a requirement for my degree, but also an eagerly anticipated time of independence and adventure as I discover a foreign city.  I'll be taking classes about the culture, art, and of course the language of the Spaniards while living with a family and another student from the US.  

In preparation for this immersion experience, I've switched my phone language to Spanish, started using a Spanish Bible, and more importantly started watching Spanish TV shows.  As cheesy as it sounds it has helped prepare me for the Spanish accent (I hope) and also has just put Spanish in my head.  So much so that sometimes after I've been watching a show I'll without thinking speak in Spanish which I love of course! 

The biggest concern right now, naturally, is what to pack!  There are so many blogs that say so many things, and as I haven't ever really been to Spain in the spring it's hard to know the clothes and shoes to bring.  

As my brother is leaving to go back to Covenant, and some of my favorite people are already back there, I know this will be a hard semester as I will miss everyone so much and also miss some fun events like 80's Skate Night and such.  However, I know that I will be having a wonderful adventure in Europe with some wonderful people!

Adios for now,

Ellie