Climbing in the Campo

Jesús's Birthday!

On Wednesday, I went to a cafe with Inma and Jesús to celebrate Jesús's 20th birthday. The cake we got for him was delicious and it was a nice little Spanish session for me. Sevilla was playing Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey that night, so we met up with a group of Jesús's friends to go watch the football game in a bar. We walked around Nervión for about an hour trying to find a specific bar with bad directions, and it ended up being closed. We eventually settled on a bar with a big but very pixelated screen and a fence blocking the screen. We watched most of the game, but Inma and I decided to walk to the stadium and see the atmosphere there. We saw people walking out before the end of the game, so we snuck in and I got to see the packed stadium. My height did not allow me to see the actual game, but I was proud to have been there. Unfortunately, Sevilla lost even though they clearly should have tied.

Erasmus Friends

On Thursday night, I met up with my Erasmus friends to celebrate several of their birthdays. It was such a great time! We went to Los Coloniales and had a delicious meal. I felt totally comfortable there - something that rarely happens in this city. I was cracking jokes just like at home and had a wonderful time hearing everyone's stories. I makes me incredibly sad that many of them are leaving in a few weeks, but it has been great getting to know them here. Thank god I stayed in that hostel when I got here and met them all.

On Friday night, Reegis, Rebecca, and I cooked a delicious meal together - chicken, tortellini, and broccoli. It was not a late night for me because I had a big day on Saturday, but we ran into some friends in Plaza Salvador and caught up a bit before I headed home.

Fran, María, and Jesús in the Bosque Suspendido

Saturday was one of my favorite days in Spain so far. We had a teachers' fun day at a "bosque suspendido" (suspended forest). It was basically a ropes course suspended between trees. It was really nice hanging out with my coworkers outside of work. I got a ride there with María, the gym teacher at my school. She brought some guy friends who I instantly bonded with. We spent the day going through the courses, which pretty much terrified me, but I did most of them. My hands were raw by the end and my arms were very sore the next day, but it was a lot of fun at the time. After we spent a few hours at the park, I went out to eat in the town with María and her friends. We shared an amazing meal of olives, salad, croquetas, three types of meat, and yummy desserts. I had a great time getting picked on by and picking on the guys. They told me I would get an advanced course in (dirty) Spanish that day. Luckily, they spoke pretty good English too, so we could talk in both. One of the guys said I was "de puta madre," which you don't need to know the literal translation of, but it means really awesome. I've never gotten that compliment before, so I was quite flattered. After lunch, we went to that guy's parent's house in the countryside. They live on a vineyard and make their own wine. He gave me a tour of the wine cellar and explained how they make it all. We had coffee with his parents, and I didn't understand much of the conversation, but I still enjoyed being there. Then we took a walk around the property and I learned about a lot of plants, and he gave us lemons, sweet oranges (they don't have acid), and mini oranges that you eat with the skin on them. I was sad to go home after the long, great day, but hopefully I will see them again at some point. It was a wonderful day of adventure in the campo, and I ended it by relaxing and watching a pretty terrible movie with Rebecca.

Wine Cellar

I have been packing up a storm because I move tomorrow! I cannot believe it is so soon, but I am very excited to live in the center. Yesterday, I spent some of the day wandering around the Alcázar and catching up with friends, and it made me so pumped to be living right in the center of the action. I now have piles of suitcases and bags in the living room, ready to be transported tomorrow night. Hopefully they will fit in a cab and I can get them up the stairs in my new house. Until then, I will enjoy my last night in my very comfortable bed (it's extremely hard to leave) and enjoy my last day of work on a Tuesday before my schedule switches next week.

Almond Plant