Sunny Sevilla - my new home away from home

This morning marks my tenth day in Sevilla. It feels like eons to me. Time has been moving both fast and slow. Slow as in I feel like I walked through the doors of the Eugene Airport months ago, but fast as in I already know that this trip will be over before I blink my eyes. Let me describe what I know of Sevilla so far and then I will go into the details of my first week here.

Sevilla is a magical place. It is a beautiful mix of old and new. The city is located in Southern Spain, meaning that the winter weather is mild. Most morning temperatures are around 45 F and afternoon temperatures often reach 65 - 70 F. While there can be a few clouds some days, it is mostly clear and sunny. The air is also a little more humid than that of Madrid. The city is full of gardens and parks containing all sorts of trees and other plants. Some trees include palm trees, orange trees, lemon trees, and pine trees. While it is still winter here, meaning very few flowers and trees still bare and brown, little buds are starting to form and yesterday there was the scent of flowers in the air. I know spring is on its way!

Many of the buildings are historical, dating back centuries. Because the region of Andalucia was occupied by Muslims for so long, much of the architecture has a Muslim influence. It is interesting to see the mix of the cultures. Many Catholic churches built by Muslim architects. Some of the most famous sites of the city are as follows:

The sites of Sevilla so far...

El Catedral de Sevilla y La Giralda - this cathedral and bell tower is the third largest in the world. While I have not yet visited it, I plan on going this week. I have walked by it a few times and the size of it amazes me. It takes up a full city block in the city center!

Royal Alcazar de Sevilla - this is the royal palace of Sevilla. It was originally built by during the Muslim occupation of Sevilla in the 8th century, and was converted into a royal palace and gardens when Spain conquered Sevilla. It is the royal residence of Sevilla and the upstairs section of the palace is reserved for royals visiting the city.

Sevilla also contains several historical neighborhoods, including Triana, and La Macarena, among others. Each neighborhood has their own little culture, history, churches, and patron saints.

El Parque Maria Luisa - this beautiful park is located half a mile from my apartment. It is full of winding paths, statues, fountains, gardens, and a variety of plants and birds. It is always full of people running, walking, reading, playing soccer, painting, and spending time with friends and family. It is especially full in the evenings and on Sunday afternoons. People in Sevilla spend most of their free time outdoors.

Plaza de Espana - this is a huge Spanish monument now turned into government offices. The outside is a beautiful area to walk around. It is built in a half circle, with a tower on either end and a fountain in the middle.

These are just among a few of the more well-known sites of the city. There are many, many more that I have yet to discover! I am finding that there is some statue, fountain, or historical monument around almost every corner in this city.

My first week!

My first day of classes was last Monday. I only have classes Monday through Thursday, which I love, but this means that those four days are very full. I have three classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, the first beginning at 9:00 am and the last ending at 4:00 pm. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I have four classes, the first beginning at 9:00 am and the last ending at 6:00 pm. I do have some small breaks throughout the day to walk home and eat lunch or go for a morning walk in the park, but it does make for busy days. My roommate, Claire, and I have been going to daily Mass every morning before school. We do not always know what is going on, but we are getting a little better everyday. I have been running in the evenings after class. Running along the river while the sun is slowly going down is beautiful and many people run at this time of day.

I am learning more and more about Spanish culture and the specific culture of Sevilla. Spain, especially Sevilla, is an evening culture. The mornings are slow and later than I am used to. Most people do not go to work until 9:00 am and schools often start at 8:30 or 9:00 am. Breakfast is very small, usually just a piece of toast and a cup of coffee. The lunch break happens around 2:00 in the afternoon and lasts for several hours. People go home for lunch and a siesta, shops close, and many restaurants open. Spain is very social and it is normal to go out for coffee or tapas during this time. Because going out is with friends or family, it is very social and all about the conversations and the people. The waiter will not bring the check until you ask for it, and they will not ask you to leave - this is seen as very rude. Most people will stay and talk for over an hour after the meal is finished or spend the whole afternoon at a coffee shop talking with friends. After this, people return to work or school, often finishing around 7:00 in the evening. Everyone heads to the park to run or walk or hang out with friends. Lots of people go out for a coffee or tapas and drinks. It gets very busy outside during the evening. Dinner usually takes place anywhere from 8:30 - 10:30 in the evening and is usually a little lighter than lunch.

It has been difficult for me to adjust to doing things later, but I am slowly getting used to it! So far the hardest thing for me has been getting used to a small breakfast and having lunch be the biggest meal of the day. I think that I am finally starting to get used to it though.

A little bit about my program and last weekend:

I also just want to give a little information regarding my study abroad program to give some context to my experiences as you read them this coming semester. I am doing Veritas. This is a small Christian study abroad program within the larger ISA (International Studies Abroad) program. This semester it is comprised of 13 students, 10 girls and 3 boys. The focus of the program is on long-term mission abroad and cross-cultural experiences of faith. Being in this program requires two classes in addition to other classes offered through ISA. These are a multi-cultural leadership course and a mission practicum. While the mission practicum counts as a class, it is set up a little differently. It involves two retreats, a bible study once a week, and volunteer work. I am hoping to do some volunteer work involving conversational Spanish to help me practice my conversational skills.

We had our first retreat this past weekend. We spent the weekend at the home of the couple in charge. They are missionaries who have been living in Sevilla for thirty years, and are very kind, hospitable people. They also have a young woman from Chicago helping them. She is kind, funny, and very fun to be around. They were able to house all 13 of us in their apartment, which was a little squishy, but it was fun. All of the girls slept on the third floor in a room full of little mattresses. It was like a big sleepover. We have all gotten to know each other really well and it is a really fun, great group to be a part of. I am looking forward to all our adventures!

It was also nice to eat American food, especially breakfast food, for a weekend, and to be able to walk around the house without shoes and socks on. Their house is located in the outskirts of Sevilla, and it was fun to leave the city for the weekend. It is good to be home again though. This will be the first week of doing the same things, and I am looking forward to consistency. Everything has been so new, which has been fun, but I am ready to have a consistent schedule.