Sorry, guys! It’s been forever since I’ve written! I’ve been super busy with studying, experiencing the Spanish culture, and even traveling a little bit! This is going to be a long entry, just to warn you in advance!
Here’s what I’ve been up to since La Rabida and the beach at Huelva:
- Class: I finished up my Spanish Culture class last week. We learned about twenty centuries of Spanish history in three weeks! I had to read and do worksheets every night for homework, and there were two tests: one midterm and one final. I did well on both. I also had to write a 4-6 page paper on the topic of my choice. I researched Isabel la Católica, the queen who funded Christopher Columbus’s trip to the Americas. She also made mandatory Catholicism, which started the Spanish Inquisition, where thousands of Jews, Muslims, and Christians were expelled from the country or were tortured, imprisoned, or killed. It was a really interesting paper to write, and I did really well on it! 98%! In addition to the long paper, I had to write several short one-page papers about visits to historical sites, including Itálica, El Alcázar, and La Catedral. I already told you about Itálica, but here’s a little information about the other two:
o El Alcázar is a royal palace built in the 10th century by the Muslims, for the Christians. This style of architecture is called mudéjar, and it was very popular back in the day. Everything is very geometrical, and the designs on the walls are incredibly ornate and beautiful, with tons of details. My favorite part was Prince Carlos I’s bedroom: the ceiling was SO beautiful! I can’t even imagine falling asleep looking at that every night! The Alcázar also has beautiful gardens. Some friends and I explored one of the mazes, and ended up in a different part of the garden. This part had PEACOCKS!!!! Wow!! I got really close to one of them! Apparently there are concerts in the gardens from time to time, so I’m going to try to attend one of those when I can.
o La Catedral is the cathedral in Sevilla. It is the 3rd largest cathedral in the world, and the largest Gothic cathedral. I pass the Cathedral every day on my way to school, and it is always so beautiful. It was nice to go inside and learn a little bit more about the history. The tower of the cathedral is called La Giralda because on top of the tower, there is a statue of a lady who moves according to the direction of the wind. I went up the 35 ramps to the top of the tower, and boy was it high up! Dad, you would have freaked out. I was feeling a little shaky after that because it was really high, and I’m not a fan of heights. However, the view was spectacular and I’m glad I went. I hope to go to Mass at the Cathedral one of these days, but I have to look up the schedule first.
- Taller de Sevillanas: Flamenco dance classes. My teacher, Elena, is super spunky and energetic. She is very funny, and she’s a great teacher. I have really been excelling with the steps, but as soon as I add the arms in, I’m an absolute mess! It’s a rather comical sight, I’d have to say. We’re on a week break, but I’m going to start up again next week with the classes, and hopefully I will be able to improve my coordination and get those arms down!
- Córdoba: On June 11th, I went to Cordoba, one of the oldest cities in Spain. It was very beautiful. At Cordoba, we visited a synagogue, some Christian baths, and a cathedral that was once a Muslim mosque. All were very beautiful, but I especially liked the mosque (La Mesquita). The architecture was very unique, with red and yellow arches from the Muslims, small chapels (capillas) from the Christians, and a larger section of the cathedral built in the Roman style. I have learned a lot about different art styles throughout history in my class, and it was awesome to be able to see all of these styles in person at Cordoba.
- El Castillo de San Jorge- This castle was one of the headquarters of the Inquisition. Here, police officers would imprison anyone who was suspected of practicing a religion other than Catholicism. Isabel de Castilla and Fernando de Aragon wanted to unify Spain, and they believed that in order to have a unified country, they needed to have a unified religion. Because of this, anyone who looked different, smelled different, or was suspected of hosting religious practices in their homes was sent to this castle to be jailed. They would often execute people of other religions as well. This castle calls us to remember the Inquisition and the injustices it caused. It made me think about all the injustices that have occurred in the world because of religion. It’s crazy to think about, and very sad, but I’m still very glad I went to this museum.
- Intercambio: My Spanish speaking partner’s name is Ramón. He’s 28 and an engineer. He needs to practice his English because he is looking for a job and engineers need to know English. It’s been fun to meet with him every week. He knows a lot, and has been able to help me out with my Spanish. Every week, we each get a Coca Cola and sit and talk for an hour, half in Spanish and half in English. I’m glad I have him as a friend- he’s a really great guy.
- Portugal: The weekend of June 17-20th, I went to Portugal. We went to Lagos and the surrounding area. Each day, we went to a different beach. They were all SO beautiful. We stayed at a hotel right on one of the beaches, and at this beach, there were grottos in the water. Grottos are big rock formations that look kind of like free-standing cliffs. They were so beautiful they didn’t even seem real! In Portugal, we went shopping on one of the days, and out to eat a few times. I had a hamburger with a fried egg on top one night, and it was good. The next night, I ate sea bass. It had a head, so I kind of freaked out a little bit, but my friend Catherine took off the head for me, and then I was fine eating the rest. I just don’t like having to look things in the eyes before I eat them. After I ate the fish, we went out for a few drinks because an Irish guy approached us on the street and rapped for us. We couldn’t really just go home after he tried so hard to get us to go to his bar! I made a nice new English friend at that bar, too. His girlfriend let me wear her leprechaun hat. It was a very strange experience, but my friends and I had a lot of fun! Also in Portugal, we went to Cape St. Vincent to watch the sunset. Cape St. Vincent is the southwestern-most point of Europe, and it was once thought to be the “end of the world.” The sunset was very beautiful here, but it was really cold and windy! We all huddled close together under a blanket that one of the girls thought to bring from the hotel room. What a smart chica!
- Corpus Christi- On Thursday, June 23rd, everything was closed and we didn’t have classes because of the Corpus Christi celebration, which honors transubstantiation and the host becoming Jesus’ body. There was a big procession with bands, flags, and large religious statues. There were also altars displayed all around the city. It wasn’t what I was expecting, but I liked it a lot. At the end of the procession, they carried the Body of Jesus, and as it passed, all the people watching starting singing a song of adoration. It was very powerful, and was my favorite part of the day.
- Alicante- This weekend, I went to Alicante with three of my girlfriends. Alicante is a city on the east coast, on the Mediterranean Sea. It was a beautiful city, with palm trees and lots of sun. We visited a castle while we were there, el Castillo de Santa Barbara, and it was situated on a tall hill so we could see the city and the ocean. The view was spectacular! We were supposed to pay to get in, but the elevator guy took a liking to Melinda, so we got in for free! We stayed at a really sketchy hotel, but it was cheap and relatively clean. The worst part was the bathrooms- they were almost like airplane bathrooms, except dirtier, more humid, and everything was soggy. It was nasty. Plus, we were really far away from downtown Alicante, and we were in the middle of an industrial area, right across the street from a Coca Cola factory. It was bizarre. I think next time I will spend a little extra money just to be a little closer to the city and to have my own clean bathroom. I think it’s worth it. I also forgot that sunscreen was a liquid, so the security people took away my sunscreen before I got on the plane. Once I got to Alicante, I could only find SPF 40 sunscreen, and apparently my skin only takes 50 here, so I got burnt the first day. The second day, I stayed at the beach for a little bit, but then I just walked around the city. I didn’t go to the beach at all the third day because I would rather not get skin cancer, thank you very much! But now I’m nice and tan, and not so red anymore. Hooray! Overall, Alicante was a great trip, but it was definitely a learning experience for me!
- This weekend, I am going to Morocco with the same three friends. This time, we are going with a travel agency, so we will have a guide, a nice hotel, and free meals. We get to go on a camel ride- I cannot wait!!!!!
I think that’s about all the updates I have, at least regarding my visits. It’s summer here now, officially, so the temperatures are rising more and more each day. I think I’m wet with sweat more than I’m dry these days, but it’s just a way of life here. Running has been difficult to fit in, both because of the heat and because we walk so much during the day. However, I’m still managing to get some decent runs in two or three times a week. Hopefully once classes start up again I’ll be able to get into a better routine so I can actually get some good workouts in. I need to get in better running shape! My host mother Rosario is wonderful, as always. She has been very busy with her grandkids lately because Ima, her daughter, is working as a nurse in two different hospitals right now and Carlos, Ima’s husband, is also working, as a firefighter. Their schedules often coincide, so Rosario takes the kids when that happens. Rosario works very, very hard, just like any other mother and grandmother. I just wish I could do more to help her out! She is seriously the best host mother I could have asked for here in Spain, and I already am dreading the day I have to say goodbye to her!
Next week, I am starting a new class, Art and Culture of Muslims in Spain. Melinda is in my class, as well as my friends Kevin and Sara. As of right now, I don’t know of anyone else, so it might just be the four of us! It will be a small class, but it should be a good one. I’m excited, because we all get along really well!
I miss you all. It’s hard to be here without cell phone service or internet. I wish I could stay in contact with all of you throughout the summer, but this is about the best I can do with the resources I have. Just know that I am thinking about you all and miss you bunches!
Hasta luego! (See you later!) Te quiero mucho! (I love you lots!)
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