From Trainspotting to Catalunya

Here in England they do a strange thing where they give you a month off from classes. So for a month I was basically free to do whatever. I intended to write essays during the first two weeks. The next two weeks I spent in Scotland and Spain.

Scotland:

We only stayed in Edinburgh, and from what I was told before going there it’s pretty “capitaly”, fittingly since it’s the capital of Scotland. So we did all the typical tourist stuff. Went to the castle. Paid, actually, 14 pounds to get into the castle. Was told that the thing to do at the castle was to watch the canon go off at 1 p.m. Watched the canon, though from what I could tell it was more of a big, modern-looking gun on wheels. I was expecting a colonial-era type thing. Was unimpressed. I guess it’s because I’m an American. And in America practically all our houses are castles and we all own canons and fire at will. That said, really, let’s get this gun control legislation going, America. If not only to keep mass murders to a minimum, but also because I want to be able to look at a canon and be awed.

We went to Arthur’s Seat as well. Something about Arthur’s Seat that no one discloses is that it is the windiest place you will ever go in your life. I was blown off of my feet and onto the ground, screaming with terror along with the rest of the people on the mountain of a hill that day. All this actually happened. I locked eyes with an Asian tourist, and in that moment we mutually recognized that this may very well be our last day on Earth. To get to the very top peak you actually do have to do some pretty rigorous climbing. After a point, It’s not just simply walking up a hill. Despite the risk of losing my life, the view was pretty incredible and I got in more exercise that day than I do in a year.

After the trip to Arthur’s Seat though, I seriously did google if anyone had died there because it just seems like one of those places. Like Yellowstone National Park. Just a death trap. That suspicion was confirmed. Thankfully though, me and the Asian tourist got to live to see another day. You’ll have us yet, Arthur’s Seat.

The city of Edinburgh is really lovely. I found myself falling in love with everyone I talked to. Maybe it was the accent, but I think they were just really laidback, friendly people. Walking around the city was beautiful. Everything was old, typical europe, but it was charming.

Barcelona:

The day after I got back from Edinburgh we flew to Barcelona. Some of the people I was with weren’t that fond of Barcelona, saying that it was kind of stinky and dirty, which admittedly was so. However, I really liked Barcelona. It’s adventurous and lively. In a lot of ways it reminded me of Miami: beachy, people who speak Spanish…ish (they actually speak Catalan there mainly), casual. Except it was 400 times better than Miami. I’ve said this before, but one of the things I dislike most about the U.K. is how done-up everyone is: girls wear make-up and false eyelashes, boys wear quiffs and dress like mods. In Barcelona I was reminded so much of the style we have back home. People were so much more natural there and it was refreshing. I think the people, mainly, were what made the experience so great.

Like the guy we met on our way to Montserrat after getting off the train at the wrong stop and wandering along a highway for two hours. He let us use his cellphone to call a cab, while talking to me about the places he’d been in Florida. Or the cab driver, who spoke no English, but was willing to cram 5 students in his 4 person car and giggle with us on the way to Montserrat. Or our landlord. She gave us a bowl of fruit. FRUIT. I, again, fell in love with everyone I met there.

So, I mentioned Montserrat. Montserrat is a mountain that has a monastery on it. It is massive, and we hiked to the top. It was, by far, one of the best places I have ever been. It was breath-taking. I also googled if anyone had died here either. Surprisingly I couldn’t find anything. Therefore, Montserrat is safer than Arthur’s Seat. Let it be known.

The previous day we had hiked to the top of Park Guell, and got a nice view of the city of Barcelona:

On our last day we went to Tarragona, which is a city about an hour and a half away from Barcelona. It’s quaint. It has roman ruins.

It also has a lovely little beach, which is something I have been sorely missing since leaving Florida.

That’s everyone on the trip, but me, who is behind the camera.

Ruins and Whirlwinds

Oh man, what a week I have had. When I say it was a whirlwind, I literally mean that in my head it is a totally jumble of awesome and amazing things, but so many that I can barely remember. But I am going to do my best to recount it for you guys.

So, last weekend, I ended up not going to Gibraltar. But I DID go see a flamenco show Saturday night. It was really beautiful. I went with a guy I met here and a few of his friends, who are studying abroad from London. I immediately fell in love with flamenco. It is a strange dance, with strange music, but strange in a enrapturing way. I was so caught up in it that I totally forgot to take any pictures or videos. But I will be definitely be going to another one, so next time I can post some. I am really glad I went though. One of the reasons I am in Seville in the first place is to experience the culture as much as possible, and I feel like you can’t do that without taking in a flamenco show.

This week was my first full week of classes, and I am continuing to really enjoy them. I’ve started to kind of get into a routine and settle down here, which I’m loving. I feel like getting more established here is really helping to lessen the number of “homesick” times I have. I still totally have them, usually at night if I can’t sleep. But I am slowly becoming more grounded in Seville, and it is starting to feel more like home every day. I now have a bank account here, a mobile phone and a gym. I also have connected with a pretty solid group of girls, all of whom are really amazing people.

Anyways, back to my crazy week. I honestly cannot remember what I did on Monday and Tuesday. I know I went to classes, but I just can’t recall what else I did. And not because of any kind of inebriation, just because my head is so full of experiences. I think I am going to start writing a journal everyday, because I really want to make sure I remember as much of my trip as I can. Anyways, Wednesday after classes, I met up with the aformentioned group of girls because we all wanted to plan out the trips we want to take this semester. We met at a place in the center of the city called Cien Montaditos, which has 100 different kinds of little sandwiches (montaditos). On Wednesday everything on the menu is 1 euro, so we were all over that.

Did I mention that tinto de verano – aka wine – was also a dollar? Hehe.

Anyways, we planned out basically our whole semester. Just to give you a brief overview, we are planning on taking trips to Barcelona, Madrid, Granada, Cordoba, Santander, Portugal, Morroco and Italy (!). Sounds like a lot right? The Portugal and Morocco trips are through a company that organizes trips for students and the others we are doing on our own. The Portugal trip is actually this coming weekend and I am SO excited. Like little-kid-on-Christmas excited.

Thursday night we had our first REAL night out in Spain. We went to a club called Buddha. Excuse me, a discoteka. It was a total blast, which surprised me because I am not much of a club person, but I really enjoyed it. I think my favorite part of going out anywhere in Seville is the diversity of the people I meet. Seville is a really big town for study abroad, not just for the US, but for Europe as well. So on any given night, I meet people from France, Finland, Germany, England, etc. It is like culture overload and I adore it.

Friday I went shopping with Amanda, then at night we went out to dinner at this really cute Italian place in the center with two other girls Lindsey and Marcela. Then afterwards we walked around, and ended up just hanging out at a little cafe on the river with a glass of wine. Crazy nights out are fun, but I also appreciate the times when it’s just a few friends chatting and enjoying the beauty that is Seville.

Saturday my group of friends and I went to a pool party thrown by the same company that does the Portugal and Morocco trips. It was at a country club outside the city. It was fun, but so, so hot. I spent most of my time lounging in the shade. I have very fair skin so long hours in the sun do not work for me. People normally don’t believe me when I say I am from Miami because I am so pale. Nevertheless, it was nice to hang out by a pool with a few drinks and some friends. Once again, I met a bunch of people from all parts of Europe.

That brings me to today, which is Sunday. Today was pretty awesome and amazing, and probably the best day of my week. This morning my friends and I caught a 10:30 bus to a town called Santiponce, about 20 minutes outside of Seville. In this town are the remains of an old Roman city and ampitheatre, called Italica. This was one of the coolest things I have ever seen.

The city was one of the first Roman cities founded in Spain, in 206 B.C. It was a integral part of the Roman rule in Spain. It was really amazing to be in a place that old. What made it so cool was that I had JUST learned about it in my history class the previous week. It is always cool to learn about history, but to learn about it and then actually go SEE it, in person? Incredible.

That ampitheatre, by the way, was part of the inspiration for the ampitheatre in the movie Gladiator. Just a fun little nerd fact.

So there you have it, my attempt at a recap of this week. I’m thinking of doing maybe two posts a week instead of just one, because I feel like I am experiencing so much, and I don’t want to just cram a bunch of stuff into one post. The problem is finding the time. It is strange because I am so busy here, but in the slowest and laziest way. Does that make sense? Probably not. Anyways, I am off to read for history. And I’m actually looking forward to it! Madness! Ciao!

Slowing Down the Pace

Hey everyone! Hola from Seville! I have been here for about a week now, and I can honestly say that I have fallen in love with this city.

Guadalquivir River at night

Quick recap on the past week. I arrived in Seville on September 8th. I took a train from Madrid, and then a taxi from the train station to my host mother’s apartment. I was so nervous on the cab ride. I kept thinking, “Oh my god, what if she doesn’t like me, what if she is mean, what if she is a bad cook?” When I finally arrived, I got into her apartment, and all my worries immediately vanished. Maria (my host mom) greeted me with a huge hug and kissed both my cheeks, then set about making me an amazing lunch. I really adore her. She speaks no English, but has very proper Spanish so she is easy to understand. She is also very understanding if I don’t understand something, and had no problem when I asked her to write some things down so I could use Google translate (true story). And she had my room set up really nicely, with shelf space and a cute bulletin board. It is a small apartment, but super cozy and homey.

Maria lives in an apartment in a neighborhood called Nervion. It is a really great neighborhood, with tons of restaurants and cervecerias (bars) all up and down the street. It is about halfway between the school and the city center, which is great. There is a metro stop super close by, which I use to get to class, but everywhere else I mostly walk. I do a LOT of walking here.

My first week of classes went really well. I am taking five courses here: Spanish Intermediate II, Spanish Conversation, History of Spain, Spanish Civilization and Culture, and Cultural Psychology. I really like them all, but I especially like my intermediate Spanish class and my Civ. and Culture class. The teachers are really cool, and I am actually excited to go to class because what I am learning is so relevant to where I am.

Now, you might be thinking, “wow, this all sounds so wonderful, this girl is not having any problems adjusting!” Let me assure you, as much as there has been good stuff, I have had my share of frustrations. My Spanish is enough to get by, but in a lot of situations when it was necessary to communicate specifics, it has been really difficult to get my point across. Some examples: getting a prepaid phone, opening a bank account, setting up internet, even looking for toothpaste at the pharmacy. Sometimes I just don’t have the words I need in my repertoire. And the people here generally do not speak ANY English. So yes, there have been many frustrating moments, and many times when I wondered to myself if I made the right decision in coming here. But I have learned that the easiest way to deal with those moments is to tell myself that it is temporary, and focus on all the amazing things I am experiencing instead of the few instances of unhappiness.

Anyways, back to the happy stuff. I would say my favorite part about Seville, and also the part that is most different from the US, is the time and pace of everyday life. Here, everything is so much more laidback and unhurried. In the US, and especially Miami, I feel like people are always rushing to get somewhere or do something. Here, it’s like the clocks slowed down. But it isn’t in a lazy or lethargic way. It is more like people take the time to appreciate and enjoy everyday things, without constantly thinking about the next thing they have to do. It is an incredible attitude to have, and one that I have fully embraced. Siesta time is now my favorite part of the day.

Anyways, my first full weekend in Seville is shaping up to be fantastic. I have met a lot of new friends this past week, so there are many plans on my horizon. Tonight, I am going to a world class flamenco show, and tomorrow I am spending the day in Gibraltar. But for now, I think it’s about time for that siesta I mentioned. Hasta luego!

Holy Toledo

Yesterday many of the UF students went on an official host university excursion to the city of Toledo, an hour-long drive south of Madrid. As we stepped off the bus, we were greeted with this view.

Making way around the city, the adjoining professors gave a detailed history (en español, por supuesto) of the many peoples who have held to this city before its next conquerors arrived. The influence of Islam, Judaism, and Roman Catholicism in combination is most clearly evident  in the city’s architecture.

Tight, winding streets were also a theme throughout the city.

In holding to the themes of Toledo’s rich history of religious institutions, our primary tour stops included a mosque, a cathedral, and a temple. Each place was host to many legends of sizes large and small, giving context to the many ornate details that each building possessed.

The mosque shared Christian influences and had weathered much fighting before our  arrival.

The cathedral was grand by all measures and perhaps larger than La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. Home to twenty-seven small chapels which serve as the final resting places of Spanish nobles, it is plainly difficult to describe the grandeur of all that it is. The cathedral is home to many paintings of El Greco, an artist of the Spanish Renaissance in the sixteenth century.

Our last stop was the temple. While the exterior was unassuming, there was much to see inside.

After grabbing a bite, we headed home by bus. My last view before taking to slumber.

Blogger: Steven Evens
Program: UF in Madrid: Business Study Abroad Program at Universidad Antonio de Nebrija
Location: Toledo, Spain

Just Touched Down in London Town

Yup, I did just quote from “American Boy.” It’s been playing in my head all throughout our travels from Dublin to London, over the Irish Sea for 4 hours on a ferry and through Welsh country for 8 hours on a bus.

It’s been quite a trip, hasn’t it?

Dublin was, to put it simply, amazing. It’s not like any city I’ve ever been to before, and I’d love to have the chance to explore it more in the future. So, overview of Ireland in general:

Galway = gorgeous.

Arran Islands = gorgeous x2

Cliffs of Moher = the level of gorgeousness that would be tied with the Arran Islands.

Dublin = AWESOME + gorgeous = gorgawesomeee

Glendalough = gorgeous x 14. Which makes it the most gorgeous place in the world, no kidding.

So if we’re being logical, I’m going to have to conclude that Ireland = gorgawesome x 14.

And now, we’re in London. For the next few days, I’ll be getting myself acquainted with the city, and shopping like you’ve never seen me shop before. There are plenty of Broadway shows at great discounts here, and next week I’ll be going to the Globe theater to see Macbeth and talk to the actors a little bit (I’ll be tagging along with the English & Irish Culture class, which I’m not actually in but am still allowed to take part in the event for), and I plan on taking a Harry Potter tour around the city sometime this week, where they show you where the movies were filmed and where J.K. Rowling penned her famous series. Tomorrow, we’re going on a double-decker bus tour of London; on Monday, we’re going to see Mama Mia; next weekend, there is a good chance that I’ll be going to Paris (woohoo!); and sometime after next weekend, we have trips to Bath, Stonehenge, and the London Eye. At some point also, I plan on going to Oxford, Stratford-Upon-Avon, and possibly even Scotland. We’ll see what happens.

In the meantime, I’ve been awake since 5:30 this morning (which, Florida time, is 12:30am), and I think it’s time for me to go to sleep. Sorry this post wasn’t too long; I’ll update with a more detailed version of our Ireland experiences as soon as I’m more awake. But for now, I shall talk to you soon, and as usual, feel free to contact me with concerns, questions, and comments. Happy travels!