I just got back from an amazing weekend in southern Spain's Andalucia...Not only did I enjoy warm weather for three days, but I got to see a totally different taste of this country. It is a sharp contrast from cosmopolitan Barcelona.
Friday morning we flew to Sevilla's airport, drove to our hotel, and walked around for 3 hours before our first tour. The thing to do in Spain is visit the "Plaza de España" because every major city has one. Little did I know, the Plaza de Espanya was located literally around the corner from the hotel. At first, you wouldn't think anything of it....it looks like a large circular fortress made of stone. We walked in and our jaws dropped...It was unbelievable. It was a huge cathedral-stadium like facade that circumscribed an inner moat, which circumscribed an additional pathway where horses pulled human-filled carriages. In the center of the plaza stands a huge water fountain that compliments the beauty of the rest of the architecture. Within the facade are hundreds of columns which are decorated with detailed murals.....truly a spectacular site.
Sevilla is famous for its bitter oranges...hmm, this came back to haunt me. Our tour guide told us to taste one so I ripped one off the tree, peeled it, and plopped about half of the fruit in my mouth....there is video of my reaction. It was the most horrid thing I have ever tried in my mouth....so bitter my left eye blinked incessantly and my lips quivered to my right cheek for several minutes. Not attractive.
As a whole though, I loved Sevilla because I thought it was a great change from the normal beat of Barcelona....
Something I didn't know: the huge contingency of Judaism in Spain before the Inquisition. There exists in both Sevilla and Cordoba "Juderias" ...or Jewish barrios (neighborhoods) with very old synagogues they maintain. I took a picture next to the menorah...
In Cordoba, the only difference is that there is more of an Arabic presence due to the city's proximity to Morocco. Cordoba was one of the more modern cities of its time, due to the co-existance of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity in the 1300's. Its people were able to work together, live together with no problems whatsoever....still, however, maintaining each other's barrios. This is something we as a people today strive to work for.
The night life in Sevilla is very fun....the drinks were very cheap, espcially the 1 euro shots. I had only 2 all night (for mother).
Before people go to the bar, they assemble in a tailgaiting-like spot along the huge river that separates Sevilla in half. Its an absolutely blast. They do something called "Botella-ing" literally translated to "Bottle-ing"....about 800 people chat, hang out and listen to blasting music until about 2 in the morning. A scary moment: A fight broke out between to homeless guys along the street, far away from where I was hanging out, but he proceeded to slam 3 or 4 bottles on the ground and chuck all the broken pieces into the large crowd. Everyone ran away....I was untouched, but I think a couple people were definitely hit. I saw one kid with a cut hand. Within literally five minutes arrived the SWAT team, police, and ambulances. They arrested him instantly, slammed him to the ground, and took him to jail.
Again, I'm completely fine. Much much worse things happen at Vanderbilt at the bars.
As a whole, I had a great time in the south of Spain because it gave me new perspective about the dynamics of the country. I have no experienced northern Spain in Baque country, central Spain in Madrid, eastern Spain in Catalunya (Barcelona) and the south of Spain in Andalucia. I'm privileged to be able to make these trips and here the different dialects....a store owner told me I spoke the best spanish out of almost every other american study abroad student he had met...i was also a customer purchasing something at his store, you decide. Adios until next time
