Adiós, Sevilla!

Me with my youngest class

I had a wonderful and bittersweet last week and particularly weekend in Sevilla. I had my last week of school where the kids bid me very nice farewells, and I took pictures with the classes. I will miss their enthusiasm to practice English and them giving me high fives while walking through the halls.

Yery with some snails

Night out!

On Friday night, I went to a very local tapas place with my gay Spanish friends. I tried caracoles (snails) for the first time. They were a little hard to get down at first because you can see the whole snail when you eat them, but they were really yummy. Later, I met up with my European friends to hang out by the river and go to a club. We tried to get into the opening of an open-air club but it was way too crowded so we ended up at the nearly empty Bandalai. As always, it was fun dancing, but the music was not amazing and I was exhausted after a week of work. Nevertheless, it was great catching up with my friends.

Paddleboating!

Saturday was lovely. Julie invited me to go paddleboating on the river, something I had been meaning to do all year. It was absolutely gorgeous and perfect weather. Then we shared a meal at a Chinese restaurant and got full off of only 3 euros. I’m going to miss the low food prices when I get back to America. I said goodbye to her, which was very sad, and went home to do some errands and start packing. That evening, I went over to my German friend Nora’s house for a girls’ night. It was very nice, but it stopped being a girls’ night when we got invited to a pool party in a pueblo. I was tired from the night before but decided to be adventurous, seeing as it was my last weekend in Spain. The party was okay in the beginning, and I got to speak a lot of Spanish, but then I had a terrible allergy attack and was stuck to tissues for the rest of the night and not feeling very social. Since we were far from Sevilla, I couldn’t get back on my own so I had to wait until 5 am for our ride.  It wasn’t quite the night I was hoping for when I decided to be spontaneous.

I slept pretty late on Sunday and did loads of packing. I had shipped a big suitcase home earlier in the week, so now I am traveling for two weeks with only a carry-on suitcase and a backpack. This is a big step for me, a notorious overpacker. In the evening, I went for a lovely stroll through the Alcázar for one last time. It was a beautiful as ever and made me really sad to be leaving Spain. Boston just doesn’t have anything like it. At night, I met up with some friends for the prettiest of evenings on the terrace of Hotel Doña Maria. It looks over the Cathedral, which is all lit up at night. We finally tried Agua de Sevilla, a delicious cocktail that I had somehow avoided this entire year but that was incredibly fitting for one of our last nights there. After nursing our drinks for a few hours, Rebecca and I strolled through Santa Cruz. This made me even more unsure as to why I was leaving.

View from the top of Las Cetas

On Monday, I packed some more before having my last tapas at Los Coloniales. We feasted on some of my favorite foods, including a lot of patatas bravas. Then I went over to the house where my European friends live and knocked on every door to say goodbye. It was hug after hug after hug, and I have no idea when I will see these people next. They have truly made my experience here a great one since I have met amazing people from all over the continent. After that depressing rendezvous, we got our final gelato in Sevilla and made our way back towards our apartment. We decided to go up Las Cetas, those weird structures near my house. It was beautiful from up there but very surreal. I’m shocked I wasn’t abducted by aliens or at least didn’t fall through the many holes. We eventually got home, at which point I was bombarded by calls from people coming to take my extra stuff. I’m very glad that almost everything I couldn’t take home found a good home in Sevilla. The chaos calmed down and we chilled on our terrace for a while before it was actually necessary to finish packing. At about midnight, my friend Paige called to say some American friends were in the Alameda, so I strolled over in my packing clothes to bid everyone goodbye. I hadn’t expected to get a chance to say bye to most of them, so I’m so glad I got the opportunity. It was wonderful catching up with some people and hearing their plans. Almost everyone was leaving Sevilla today, like me. When they kicked us out, I went home to get a few hours of sleep while the mosquitoes in my room ate me alive. Spain really needs window screens.

This morning, I said goodbye to Rebecca before her early flight to Barcelona. At least I know I will see her in a few weeks. I finished packing, took care of some errands, and lugged my stuff to the bus stop. Now I’m sitting in the airport, waiting for my flight to Amsterdam, where I will stay with my friend Nite who was studying in Sevilla last semester. I can’t wait to revisit this city of which I only have a vague memory. I’m not sure I’m mentally prepared for two weeks of intense traveling, but I’m super excited for the cities I’m visiting and will obviously enjoy my last days in Europe.

I love you, Sevilla! I can’t wait to come back and visit soon! This was one of the best years of my life and certainly the most exciting!

Lagos

This weekend was the perfect culmination to an incredible year. I took a trip with a group of 10 Americanos to Lagos, Portugal to celebrate the birthdays of two of my friends, Julie and Reegis. We all piled into a bus at 7:30 am on Friday morning and took the long trip to Lagos. When we got there, we wandered through the adorable and hilly town until we found our hostel. Our room wasn't ready so we went and got some lunch before heading to the beach. I had no idea what to expect from the beaches there except what I had seen in some pictures, but they were some of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen in my life. They are surrounded by gorgeous rock formations and even have them sticking out of the water.  It literally looked other-worldly. We laid on the beach for a few hours and had the most wonderful time in the ocean. A group of 5 of us girls bonded instantly even though the only person I knew before the trip was Julie. We splashed around in the water laughing and being silly like I do with my friends from home. It was so refreshing. After the sun began to set, we stopped for pizza on the way home. We moved into our tiny room together, took a late siesta, and got ready for the night. Unfortunately, the night never materialized because we heard there was not much going on, but we found out the next day that we were just too early for the party. It ended up being good though because we actually had some energy to enjoy the next day.

We woke up for a yummy, family-style breakfast at the hostel on Saturday. We headed to a different beach for another incredible day. This beach was even better than the previous one and was what I consider to be the textbook definition of paradise. We laid out and swam a lot then took a little break for lunch overlooking the ocean. After lunch, we went out on a small motorboat for a grotto tour with a guy who spoke no English. Every time we turned a corner the views were more breathtaking than before. The girls were hilarious and we took countless pictures. The best part of the tour was when he let us jump off the boat and we swam in the middle of the water surrounded by rock formations. We could have been on another planet. Getting back into the boat was not as fun, as the only help you got was a little noose for your foot to hoist yourself up. It was a struggle. I have never laughed as much as I did while watching Nicole get into the boat - she is a tiny little girl but could not get in and was planked on the side of the boat with her legs flailing and the Portuguese man grabbing her butt to try to pull her in while she screamed. If only we had caught it on video... We were greeted upon our return by a hefty Portuguese man rocking a red speedo who chatted with us for a while. Later, he performed a balancing act on his boat. We swam and relaxed for a few more hours. On our way out, we met two guys from Spain. It made me realize how much I absolutely love Spain and practicing Spanish. Just one day away and I missed it...I'm not sure what going home will do to me. We had a nice dinner after the beach and then went back to get ready for the evening. We ended up going out to a few bars, and it was a lot of fun, but I didn't find the dancing atmosphere I was craving. Too bad. It was still a great night out!

After about 3 hours of sleep, we got up for breakfast again, packed up our stuff, and took everything to the beach. I had an amazing solo swim in perfectly calm and clear water. I seriously could have stayed there forever, if it wasn't for the bus home to Sevilla. The girls had a continuous debate on the way to the bus station as to whether we should stay another night, but we decided to go home in the end. The bus ride back was filled with a lot of necessary sleep. It was such a perfect weekend and Lagos is such a paradise. I would go back there in a heartbeat.

Now I have one more week in Sevilla, three more days of school, and countless goodbyes. Oh, and packing. I'm sure it will be a great last hoorah!

Granada

Me in Front of La Alhambra

I had a wonderful weekend in Granada! Rebecca and I headed to the bus station early on Saturday morning and had a restful 3 hour ride to Granada. We checked into our great hostel (Oasis Backpackers) and went off to explore the city. Our hostel was located in the heart of the Moorish part of the city, so it was like stepping out into a mini and much calmer Morocco. We walked past the Cathedral and wandered around some plazas. Then it was time for the famous tapas of Granada where you get a free tapa with each drink you order. We went to Babel and hit some bad luck with our first tapa - it was an ice cream scoop of paté. I ate it, but not happily. We found out throughout the weekend that while getting free tapas is delightful, it is probably easier just to order what you actually want to eat. Also, when I first arrived, I was nervous because I didn't know how it worked, but we consistently got tapas with our drinks throughout the weekend. We went back to the hostel for a street art and caves tour, but they cancelled it. Luckily, there was a big group of people wanting to go so a few people took the lead and took us on an uninformed adventure to the caves. I thought the caves were normal caves that we could walk through, but they turned out to be caves where people live. Who knew? We ended up basically climbing a big hill and trying not to scare the cave people. I slipped and slid back down but survived with the help of a sweet Venezuelan man. We all enjoyed some sangria overlooking rolling hills and the Sierra Nevada mountains. Then it was back to the hostel. I went off to explore the Albayzín and find the Moroccan part of town, but after being lost, confused, and deceived, I found out that the main section is the one right outside our hostel. Whoops. Rebecca and I went out for a more edible tapa (a yummy little sandwich) before chilling on the roof terrace and meeting tons of people. We went out as a huge group to the part of town with all the bars, but we spent most of the time standing outside with a smaller group of people we met. Instead of hitting the clubs, we hit the kebab stands and just hung out for a while. It still turned out to be a very late night and I only got a few hours of sleep.

La Alhambra

Inside La Alhambra

On Sunday morning, I had a nice breakfast with tons of people from the hostel. Then I went on a walking tour with most of them. It was led in English and Spanish by a guy from England. It was fun to have it in both languages. He walked us all around the Albayzín and into some beautiful gardens. We had some tapas after the tour and I went to meet up with Rebecca. We continued our own food tour with gelato and another tapa (they're small!). Then we made our way up a very steep hill to the famous Alhambra! It was absolutely magnificent. The Nazari Palace blew my mind and was probably the coolest building I've ever seen. We ended up walking through it about 3 times, but I'm sure I still missed tons of the infinite intricacies in the walls and ceilings. My new life goal is to marry a Spanish prince just so I can have my wedding there. After the palace, we wandered through the beautiful gardens and into the other buildings on the grounds. It was a lovely afternoon. We headed back towards our hostel to chill around there before taking a train home around 9:00. After saying goodbye to all of our new and fleeting friends, we walked out the door only to run into a friend from Tufts, Duncan. My mind was very confused when I saw him standing there because my worlds were colliding. He convinced us to stay another night and luckily the hostel had just enough beds for us. What a crazy coincidence! We hung around the hostel then sat on a ledge overlooking the Alhambra lit up at night while we caught up on life. We had wonderful tapas and sangria at a bar near our hostel. At about midnight, a huge group of English teachers from Madrid showed up at the bar to party before their night bus home. They had a football with them so we started throwing it around in the streets. A bunch of Spanish guys walked by and wanted to play, so they started playing rugby with the ball. I explained to them that it was an American football but they didn't seem to mind the difference. It was hilarious and totally random. Eventually, the other Americans went on their way, and Duncan, Rebecca, and I went to a tetería. We were the only people in the entire place, but it was quite fun, despite the growing tiredness. Once they kicked us out at 2 am, I was more than ready for bed.

Rebecca in Generalife, the Gardens of La Alhambra

We had a lazy and very tired morning lounging around the hostel. As we were heading out to walk around, we ran into Duncan again in the same spot. We wandered around with him and another girl we'd met named Stephan. It was nice just relaxing around the city and chatting with friends. When it came time to leave for real, I had deja vu when I said goodbye to the exact same people while walking out the door. We bid Duncan farewell and wished him luck in Tunisia, his final destination. It is always so nice to see a familiar face when you are so far from home. Rebecca, Stephanie, and I all went to the bus station and tried to sleep on the way home. It was great to return to Sevilla, and it is reassuring to know that it is still my favorite city in Spain.

Me, Duncan, and Rebecca

I only have two more weeks here, which is horribly sad. And next weekend, I am off to Lagos, Portugal for some birthday celebrations with a big group of Americans!

Ronda

On Monday, Rebecca and I took a daytrip to Ronda. It is a white hill town in the province of Malaga and one of my favorite places in Andalucía. The town is adorable with lots of winding, steep roads and cute craft shops. Its most famous site is the Puente Nuevo (New Bridge) over a gorge. It’s scary to look down through the grates on the bridge to the abyss very far below.

We enjoyed a coffee overlooking the gorge. We sat with a view the rolling hills while listening to Spanish guitar. We wandered through the old Arab Baths and watched a video in Spanish about how they worked, which I actually understood. After lunch of paella and Iberian pork, we hiked down to a viewpoint to look at the bridge. The views were just spectacular. Well done, constructors of Ronda!

Feria de Sevilla

Me dancing Sevillanas

This week in Sevilla was the Feria de Abril, but it actually happened in May this year. It is basically a week-long party in the seemingly endless fairgrounds in Los Remedios. It is quite spectacular. Along the fairgrounds are hundreds of "casetas," which are basically elaborate tents with kitchens, bathrooms, and dancing and seating space. Most of the casetas are private and you cannot go in them unless the owner invites you. Some are public for people like me and my friends who don't know the elite of Sevilla. There is also an amusement park on the far end of the fairgrounds with tons of overpriced attractions and rides.

Las Casetas

Trajes de Flamenca

The most impressive part of Feria are the outfits. Most of the women dress in
"trajes de flamenca," incredibly beautiful and evidently flattering dresses. I didn't fork up the euros for one of these dresses, so I was very jealous of how amazing everyone else looked. Rebecca and I did stop in a store on the way for flowers for our hair though, so we were not completely un-Sevillana. The men dress in nice suits, which is always a treat for the eyes. On the streets, there are tons of horses and carriages, which add to the antique feel of the fair. The official music of Feria is "Sevillanas" and people do the dance of the same name. I got to use the moves I had learned in my Sevillanas class at my gym, but they were nothing compared to the passion and grace that the true Sevillanos exude while dancing. My favorite part of the whole fair was watching people dance. Overall, it is definitely the most interesting and beautiful festivals I've ever attended.

Horses

El Alumbrado

On Monday night, Julie, Leah, and I went to see the "alumbrado"where they light up the enormous entrance gate at midnight to signify the start of Feria. It was really pretty and everyone cheered. We ended up meeting some guys who invited us into a caseta. Score! We tried the official drink of Feria, "rebujito," a yummy combination of white wine and Sprite. We danced for a bit at what seemed like a wedding party or the 1920s. It was a good start to the most talked about week in Sevilla.

Spanish Girls in Front of the Gate

On Tuesday evening, I went to see the spectacle during the day. The horses were out and about and I had to dodge them while walking through the fair. The dresses on the girls were each so unique and beautiful. I met up with Leah whose Spanish intercambio partner helped us get into a private caseta. I chatted with the people there, ate some desserts, and danced Sevillanas. Unfortunately, I suffered from terrible allergies caused by the dust they use on the ground, the horses, and the smoke. I was a sniffling mess among the endless beauty. It was a lot of fun but it's too bad I'm allergic to Feria.

The Amazing Dancers

I stocked up on allergy medicine and headed back on Friday night with my European friends. We hung around a public caseta, listening to the music and attempting to dance. I was lucky enough to see two incredible dancers do some improvised Sevillanas while an entire crowd watched in amazement. It was the sexiest and most passionate thing I've seen in a long time. That made my night and was the epitome of Feria for me. If you ever get the chance to come to Sevilla during Feria, do it! It is such and unique and sensational experience. Just remember to bring your Zyrtec!