Just another day in Paradise...

I know that all the time people use the cliché "time flies," but whoever those people are, they're right. As of Wednesday, I will have been in Spain for a month. I cannot believe how quickly the time has passed here. And I know that it's going to start going even faster because the month of March is all about travel for me and my amiga.

Tomorrow is Andalucia day, basically a "state" holiday when the banks and schools are closed. So we are going with some friends to the city of Jerez for a day of wine tasting. This Friday, we leave for Milan for a weekend. Next Wednesday, we are leaving for Scotland. The next weekend, we go to Córdoba and Granada with our program, and the last weekend in March we are going to Morocco. Needless to say, this month is going to be insane, but in the best way possible.

Though we didn't take any huge trips this week, I still have fallen even more in love with Sevilla. Ann and I finally received our Sevici passes in the mail! Sevici is Sevilla's public bike system. Now we're able to take bikes across the city, which cuts our travel time in half and is a little more fun than walking. Bike riders in this city are maniacs; they swerve in and out of people, of traffic, you name it. So these bikes have definitely been an adventure so far, but a pretty fun one.

Most of the week was pretty monotonous for us. We didn't do a whole lot and started to get pretty bummed out. So Friday we went with ISA to see Alcázar, the royal palace of Sevilla. It was huge and beautiful (not a surprise here anymore) and had acres and acres of the most amazing gardens I've ever seen. The craziest part was that this palace is directly across the street from our school and we never even knew it existed until Friday. After we went there, Ann and I took our own tour of the Plaza de España and el Parque María Luisa and I found my new favorite place in Sevilla. I don't have the best words to describe it (just my typical and much over-used "beautiful," "amazing," and "breathtaking") so I'll try to let my pictures speak for themselves.

After a pretty tame and uneventful weekend, we spent the day yesterday outside and in the sun and went to see la seta (the mushroom) of Sevilla. It's this giant sculpture in the middle of the city. When they were building it, they stumbled on some ancient archaeological ruins, so now there is a museum underneath. There were about a million people there yesterday, so we didn't get into the whole museum, but it was still very cool to see.

We spent yesterday afternoon and evening back in the plaza and the park. We sat on the ground eating sunflower seeds, drinking pop, and people watching. And honestly, it was probably the best Sunday we've had yet.

So, even after our 'uneventful' week, we've discovered some of the best place places Sevilla has to offer. We're living the life and we're loving every minute!

Photos of the plaza and the mushroom here!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2599553108678.2116410.1250280194&type=1&l=f5474df50a

Missing my family, friends, and boyfriend a LOT this week--sending love to all.

-Natalie



La gente está muy loca....Version 2.0

Well let me just get straight to the point and say that we went to Carnival. And it was the most insane thing I've ever seen. Let me elaborate...

Our host mom kept telling us before we went that we would just have no idea how crazy Carnival really was until we got there. And boy was she right. We took a long siesta Saturday afternoon so that we were roaring and ready at 8:30 Saturday night to hop on the bus to Cádiz. Ann and I dressed as nerds (not much of a stretch, I know!) and so did our friend Amanda, so we proudly called ourselves the "nerd herd" as we walked across Sevilla to the meeting point for the bus. I couldn't believe it but of all the people we saw in Sevilla only one man laughed at us. I guess everyone else knew we were heading to Carnival---or we just didn't look that out of the ordinary.

 It turns out there were about 15 buses filled with college kids in crazy costumes heading to Cádiz---so I knew that this party was going to be fun. And crazy.

When we arrived in Cádiz, the bus dropped us off and we got a free shot and a free bocadillo (sandwich). I was a little surprised to see people down their shot and throw their cups straight on the ground---until I walked around the corner and saw that all the streets and sidewalks were covered in garbage of every sort: cups, plastic bags, beer bottles, and just about every other thing you can imagine. I'll leave it at that. We walked to the center of the city where there were thousands of people dressed in some outrageous costumes (I got some great ideas for next Halloween!) and started to mingle with some of the locals. The city was absolutely packed--we literally stood shoulder to shoulder with every person there.

We walked all around Cádiz--every street was filled with borrachos (drunks), booze, garbage, and things so disturbing I don't feel comfortable talking about them. I thought the people in Sevilla liked to party, but compared to Cádiz, they're like...well, I can't think of a good analogy. But let's just say that Sevilla doesn't hold a candle to Cádiz.

We partied until about 4:30, because we had to make our way back to the bus by 5:30. We got back a little early, but ended up waiting a couple of hours because no one could find our bus. And let me tell you, when there are a million drunk people walking through a city with about a billion buses, things can get chaotic. We were freezing and miserable and at that point just ready to be home. When all was said and done, we ended up crawling into bed at about 9:30 this morning. Talk about a long night.

Don't get me wrong, we had a great time, but I can say with 100% certainty that I will NOT be returning to Cádiz any time soon.

But hey, you only live once, right?!?

Enjoy the pictures!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2687892477107.2117892.1250280194&type=1&l=847b223bf0

 

-Nat

La vida española

Well we've been in Spain for a couple of weeks now, and it's such a cool feeling knowing that you can see and do new and exciting things every single day. I can't count the number of times I've said to Ann, "Do we actually LIVE here?" It's like I still need to pinch myself sometimes to remember that I'm living in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

We survived our first week of classes--and I made it out with only ONE homework assignment, which, don't get me wrong, was a giant pain in the you-know-where, but I was still thrilled not to have homework in any other of my three classes. Ann didn't have any homework at all---I think we might actually like this whole school thing after all ;)

So, what has been happening for the last few days.....

We went to Salir con Españoles last week but it turned out there were about a thousand students and just a few españoles (I'm exaggerating, but the ratio was definitely not ideal.) So, we didn't really get a whole lot of talk time with our Spanish leader. We did, however, discover a new bar with some delicious tapas and sangria--what a surprise. We're going to go again this week--hopefully the numbers are a little better, but, if not, I'm sure the sangria will make it worthwhile!

On Friday our group took a trip to Ronda, an old city situated beautifully in the mountains. Of course the scenery was breathtaking, as it is in all the cities here. We also took a tour of a plaza de toros (a bull fighting ring) and learned all about the bull fighting traditions. I am definitely putting "watch a bull fight" on my to-do list now. They sound really fun!

After the worst bus ride of my life (the winding roads and swaying bus made just about everyone nauseous), we got back to Sevilla and did some shopping, got our noses pierced (sorry mom!) and searched for a Mexican restaurant because we were all craving a margarita. As it turns out, no one can make 'em here like they can back home. So if any of my friends/family can figure out how to FedEx a margarita on the rocks with no salt, I'll owe ya big time. I think that's my biggest craving at the moment.

We spent the day Saturday shopping (again). We will be lucky when all these rebajas (sales) end because they've been an excuse for us to go shopping about every other day. I did find some great steals on Saturday, though. But I think this weekend I'm gonna try to lay off the sauce and stay away from the mall! We'll see about that one!

We went out with some friends Saturday night. And it's safe to say we still love the night life here. Our host mom asked us on Sunday what time we came home and when we told her 4:30 she said "Why so early?!?" I know I've said it before but la gente está muy loca. (The people are crazy). So so fun though!

I spent all day Sunday in my room sleeping mostly (I've got a serious cold/sinus thing at the moment) and working on my one homework assignment. It was nice to have a lazy Sunday, but now we're looking forward to doing some more fun things this week and weekend. This Saturday we will be heading to Cádiz for Carnival...which is basically like Spain's version of Halloween. Only more fun. With more alcohol. I think. Our host parents told us it was just crazy--drunk people and costumes everywhere!  I've made it my mission this week to come up with a great costume. We'll see how that goes when I don't have my mom here to sew it for me!

Tomorrow, we're going out to dinner and to the bar with some friends to celebrate being alone on Valentine's day. We all have someone special at home so we decided to opt out of being alone, crying through a box of kleenex and slamming a box of heart-shaped chocolates by going to the club together. I'm sure it'll be great, but I wish I could celebrate with Blake. So honey, if you're reading this, Happy Valentine's day and I love you =]

Other than that, just going to class every day and living la vida española.
Needless to say, life is good!!

More pictures to see:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2646188354530.2117199.1250280194&type=1&l=766b1d28b2

 

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2646275236702.2117201.1250280194&type=1&l=3aea6f1eff

 

Until next time,

Natalie

La escuela

Well, I guess all good things must come to an end. We finished last semester about the 15th of December and ever since, we've been traveling, partying, exploring, and doing the most fun things. I know that I was luckier than everyone in the world to have such a long break between semesters, but I have got to tell you, waking up for school Monday morning was no fun at all. Throughout my almost two month hiatus from school I've discovered that I'm not at all a morning person like I used to be and that I prefer to sleep in as late as possible. I guess it's a good thing that I only have 9am class on Mondays and Wednesdays (and I don't start til 1pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays). Classes here in Sevilla are pretty laid back...oh, and did I mention that we don't have ANY classes on Fridays? Yeah, so I guess I'm still pretty lucky. Classes are okay so far, mainly introduction stuff this week. They're not hard which is nice, just a little boring! Hopefully that gets better as the semester goes on....

Last night we went out for a friend's birthday to a place called Santuario. Before we went, our friends told us that Santuario had free shots and free sangria, but I thought it was too good to be true. I'll only say this once in my life, but thank GOD I was wrong! We had to pay a 1 euro cover charge to get in, but as soon as we walked through the door there was a free shot waiting for us and....BOTTOMLESS sangria. We basically drank it like they weren't gonna make it tomorrow. Even though that miracle only lasted for an hour, we hung out to dance and celebrate our friend's 21st birthday. As usual, we ended up having way too much fun and didn't get home 'til about 2....which made that 9am class even tougher this morning! But I have a feeling that Santuario may become a Tuesday night ritual...and that I'll be suffering through translation class every Wednesday. As they say here in Spain "Es lo que hay"..."It is what it is!"

Thank goodness I've been able to embrace a little Spanish tradition they call siesta. I have never in my life taken naps but since I've started classes I've been taking full advantage of my free hours in the afternoon. We come home and eat lunch and then I curl up in bed for about an hour and snooze. I honestly don't know how I ever lived without these...I feel like a  million bucks when I wake up. So, when I come back home I may have to find a way to work a siesta into my daily schedule. Vamos a ver (We'll see).

Tonight, we are going to "Salir con Españoles," which is organized by our program. We get to meet Spaniards and talk with them and they are going to take us around town and show us some of their hangouts. I'm so excited too see how the locals live...and hopefully we'll find some good tapas and good drinks while we're at it!

But for now, I think I'm gonna get an early start on today's siesta!

Until next time,
Natalie

La Gente Esta Muy Loca

Well, our first days in Sevilla  did not disappoint! We arrived here Thursday evening and were greeted by our wonderful 'mom' Rebeca. The first thing she said was (rough translation) "You girls are crazy." Our luggage really was outrageous. The three of us crammed into her brother's tiny car which was packed to the brim with suitcases and backpacks and first made our way to her mother's clothing store where our 'dad' Francisco was working. We met him and then headed home to unpack. It felt so nice to finally have someplace to call home instead of living out of a suitcase. Our apartment is very small and adorable, but even though our room is small it has a ton of closet and storage space. Thank goodness! We managed to stuff our closet with our clothes (but still have some room left over for new ones!) Our first night we had a delicious Spanish dinner and chatted with our parents. Francisco is actually from Nicaragua so he speaks even differently than Rebeca, but we understand both of them pretty well (most of the time!) They are both so helpful and we are learning so much. They have told us that we speak very good Spanish, which is such a relief!

So, Sevilla...... Friday we went to orientation at school, which was a bore but seeing our new school was very exciting. It is very old and beautiful, as are most of the buildings here in Sevilla. And it's across the street from a great little bar and restaurante, Cien Montaditos, so I think we're really going to enjoy our long breaks in the afternoons. After orientation, we went on a tour of the world's third largest cathedral, where Christopher Columbus is buried. It was absolutely massive and beautiful of course and we were lucky enough to walk to the top (36 stories) and get a bird's eye view of Sevilla. I have never seen anything like it in my life. Friday night we went out for tapas, (which are like small appetizers) with our entire ISA group. Of course we went for Sangria afterward cause it's just so good here.

Yesterday Ann and I spent some time exploring el centro comercial (the mall). For about a month in the winter, Spain has rebajas, or discounts at every store. Yes, I said EVERY. Things are so cheap and we were absolutely amazed at how cheap some of the clothes are. So, we went to the mall twice yesterday and ended up with some pretty great stuff. Last night, our host parents were going to see a friend in concert and invited us to go along. Of course we said yes and we ended up seeing some very good (and different) music and a bar called FunClub. After, we went to another bar with them and met some more of their friends, all who told us we were very great Spanish speakers. After that, we went to our first discoteca and danced...yes, with our parents. They are so much fun and so funny and adventurous and we absolutely love them! Next thing we knew, it was 5am and we were walking home, with all of the bars still full. The night life here is LOCO. That's the only way to put it.

So, after sleeping in wayyyy too late today, we are gonna get dressed and do some more exploring to see what this city has to offer!

If you want to see what I've seen so far, use these links to see my pictures on facebook:

 

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2582757968810.2116159.1250280194&type=1&l=81f2f0d312

 

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2599553108678.2116410.1250280194&type=1&l=f5474df50a

 

Until next time,
Natalie

Los primeros días...

Well the last few days have been nothing short of loco. It feels like we’ve been in Spain for weeks when actually we’ve only been here since Monday. So far, we’ve been acting like typical American tourists---visiting museums, taking pictures of everything and everyone we see, and seeking out Wifi hotspots. I have to admit, I’m not big on museums or art, but the things we have seen so far have been nothing but amazing…

Yesterday we went to El Museo del Prado and saw a whole bunch of Spain’s most famous paintings. It felt like we were back in grade school on a field trip because we actually learned the entire time. After that, we went to El Palacio Real (the royal palace) which turned my new life goal into becoming a Spanish princess so I can live there. It is absolutely massive and has about 2,600 rooms (of which we only saw about twenty).  They all were decorated in gold and silk…Needless to say, the Spanish monarchs have been livin’ it up for hundreds of years.

We finally went out last night in Madrid…We had dinner and sangria with some new amigas and then went to a bar afterward. All of the fun dance clubs are closed on Tuesday nights so we went to a pretty low-key little place and had some chupitos (shots) but took a taxi home because we had to be up early this morning.

We came to Toledo today— a city built on a mountain surrounded by giant stone fortresses. There is so much history here, but more than that it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. I took a million pictures, but none of them seem to do it justice. We took a bus tour around the city and then walked through downtown with our guide Quique (short for Enrique) through an old cathedral and a synagogue.  After our tour, they gave us some free time for lunch (today was the first time we didn’t drink sangria with a meal) and then we had some time to explore. And by explore I mean shop. All of Spain has “rebajas” right now…Which basically means that everything in every store is on sale. But unfortunately, Ann and I had to restrain ourselves because all of our bags are packed to the brim. So we just ended up with a couple of scarves and some jewelry. Toledo is also famous for its swords so every single store sold them…Yes, like actual, authentic swords. We thought about buying one but didn’t think we could get it past security when we came home.  
Anyway, I’ve rambled for long enough, but I’m just so excited about everything I’ve seen so far. Of course I’m already missing my family and my novio (boyfriend) but I’m very thankful for Skype!  I will try and upload some pictures eventually so you all can see all the amazing things that I have.

On a different note, I’d like to wish a very happy 28^th birthday to my beautiful hermana (sister) Audra!

Until next time,

Natalie