Un paseo por Sevilla.... a walk through Sevilla!!!!

Hello friends and family! Here's a little video I put together real quick to show you my usual route to and from class, shopping, and the downtown area! Hope you enjoy it! :)

My schedule

You are all probably wondering what a day in the life is as a study abroad student in Sevilla. Judging by my pictures on facebook, you probably all think that it is all play and no study. I promise I do still go to class and do my homework, so here's a little jist of what my day is like so far. For the first two weeks of my program (we're currently in the first week) we take one class called the advanced intensive grammar course. After our first two weeks, we will start with our regular classes.

7:30AM Alarm goes off
7:31AM Press snooze
7:45 AM alarm goes off again & get up
8:25 AM Leave for the CIEE study center (location of class)
8:45 AM Arrive to the CIEE study center and print out materials for that day
9:00-12:00 PM Grammar course. We have a break in the middle and I usually eat a Magdalena (small orange flavored muffin)
12:00 Leave CIEE
12:25 Arrive to the apartment
1:00/2:00 Eat lunch
3:00-10:00 Do homework, study, relax, watch TV shows on channel131.com because Hulu doesn't work in Spain, go shopping, siesta, check out the rebajas, go to have a beer at Flaherty's located next to the cathedral, siesta, go to a cafe at Plaza Nueva, stop in at a pasteleria, have a glass of wine, share a pitcher of sangria with friends, take a paseo, siesta....
10:00 Eat dinner
12:30 AM Sleep! Zzzzz

Okay, well it may seem like a lot of play instead of a lot of work but it's called study ABROAD for a reason.. one must learn how the locals live and since the following are normal activities, "siesta, check out the rebajas, go to have a beer at Flaherty's located next to the cathedral, siesta, go to a cafe at Plaza Nueva, stop in at a pasteleria, have a glass of wine, share a pitcher of sangria with friends, take a paseo, siesta...." why not live like a Sevillana.



In other words, it's like being in the movie Eat, Pray, Love.... with a specialization in the "Eat" aspect.



Mixing work & play; enjoying wine at a cafe while doing homework

Another one of those delicious pastries

Meet Jara

I've traded in these two little munchkins...

Tiki

Chewy

For JARA. (Pronunced "hara")

Here she is!

Meet Jara. Part German shepherd part something else I don't know, this twelve year old perrito lives with us in our apartment and our two senoras (sisters). Lately, she has enjoyed her daily siestas in my room in front of my space heater as I do homework or procrastinate on facebook.  I'll probably have some more stories about her in the future.. nothing interesting so far besides the fact that she went to the vet.

My new daily habit

I've found my one true love in this city and no, it's not some random Spanish man, and not even their wonderful "rebajas" sales... It's the pastelerias. I pass about 10 each day on a minimum and each and every one has a display window even Jenny Craig wouldn't be able to resist. Since lunch is served around two in the afternoon and dinner isn't served until ten pm... I've set aside time everyday to stop at a new pasteleria each day and see what each one has to offer! Either on the go or relaxing at a cafe with friends from my program, the pastries here surely beat Betty Crocker and Dunkin Hines. And since I'm doing all this extra walking, why not stop by at the nearby pasteria for a chocolate crossaint drizzled with nutella on top!

At a charming cafe located between Plaza Nueva and the cathedral

It's like Burge!!!! On steroids....

LA TORTILLA

Una tortilla does NOT surround your chipotle burrito and it is not something you can buy at Taco Bell. Tortilla is the Spanish word for omelet, but the tortilla that my senora made last night was definitely no ordinary omelet. Placed at the center of the table was an omelet the size of an apple pie... it was about two inches thick filled with potatoes and onions. In basic words, a giant sized hashbrown with eggs and onions. Delicious! And for all of my Iowa friends who know Burge cafeteria, my roomate Alex, exclaimed as she had her first bite, "Oh my gosh... it's like Burge breakfest on steroids!"

The giant hasbrown

LOST! Another form of exercise...

So I'm walking back home with a friend from my program from the public library and we are taking a different route.... scary. It was time to part ways so she turned and I continued going straight. All of a sudden, five minutes later, I AM LOST.

-NO MAP
-BY MYSELF
-IN THE RAIN (NO UMBRELLA)

I did have my iPhone and my map application was working since I saved it on my favorites but I couldn't

a. Find myself on the map
b.Find myself on the street I was on (In Sevilla, streets change names constantly and not all the streets have name signs)

Yes, I could have just called my friends easily with my YOIGO (prepaid phone) phone but I decided to consult with the experts.... THE SEVILLANOS! I thought, well, I came here to speak Spanish so why not just chat with some locals.. they know the city the best anyway! About 5 wrong turns and fifty minutes later, I return to my apartment exhausted, with wet hair, and shin splints. Yes, this really sucked but I came here to speak Spanish I'm glad i'm getting what I paid for! :)

Anyway, I probably burned way more calories and when you live in a city with 293048309 pastelerias and no self control, why not get lost and burn extra calories!

Who knew that going to mass and a public library could be so difficult....

Today, after my siesta I decided to go to mass to make up for the one I missed yesterday. (Yes, I know that's not how it works but it's better to got mass than none at all!)

4:30 PM Wake up from my siesta
4:32 PM Realize that mass starts at 5 in the Cathedral.... a 40 minute walk away
4:33 PM Realize that I will be extremely late
4:35 PM Found a friend in my program that wanted to go with me! We decided to meet up at the CIEE study center... in the middle of Barrio Santa Cruz... otherwise known as a GIANT MAZE.
5:00 Finally get to CIEE.... with shin splits because of speed walking in boots not helpful for walking... (I didn't bring a pair of gym shoes... stupid in the perspective of some people but A. I don't work out really and B. They would never match any of my outfits)

We walked together to the cathedral again getting a little lost because of course in Barrio Santa Cruz the streets happen to change and manipulate themselves....

FINALLY get to the Cathedral! Oops! We're late. It was 5:20 and mass started at 5! Well, we tried to get in anyway but the church had no open doors what so ever so we said to ourselves, "Well atleast we tried!"

After our mass attempt, we passed the most delicious looking heladeria (ice cream shop) so of course we had to get a scoop. Plus, it was merienda time and since I'm living in Sevilla, I want to live like a Sevillana and have a merienda!..... of ice cream.

Me and my ice cream!

While enjoying our ice cream in the outdoor cafe and admiring the view of the grand cathedral, we run into our friend... well actually our friend ran into us while she was going on her jog. She decided to sit and chat for awhile.. which turned into one hour. We then met this old man named Antonio, who was 98 years old and claimed he was the hardest working person in Spain and all of Europe. He was out for his paseo and decided to stop and chat with us while we were enjoying our helado! He was part of building the Avenida de la Constitucion (famous pedestrian walk way in Sevilla) and claimed he laid every single brick on the street! He explained that he was very strong and decided to show off how strong he is by running down the street! We didn't see much more of Antonio but he was very fun to talk to (well more like listen to.. quite the talker) and very friendly.

View of part of the cathedral from the ice cream shop



 Finally, we finished up our ice cream and decided that we should head to the public library. Our first homework assignment is to write a two page paper about the library.... not really sure how to take up two pages about a library... but we'll see. Not exactly knowing where it is located, I atleast knew the street which definitely helped. After asking two Spanish ladies and a Spanish police man where the library was, we finally found it after about twenty minutes. It's very modern and looks very much like an American library but it is full of Spanish books, Spanish people, and even personal flat screen TV's!

Outside the public libary... looks pretty American, doesn't it?

Inside the public library! Full of Spanish students studying for their finals!

Me in the children's section of the library



So after this afternoon I came to the thought that going places in Sevilla is not just one small walk or car ride away... it WAY MORE COMPLICATED. In addition, I got lost on my way home! By myself! But that story is coming later on my next post because that's a story all on its own. Anyway, I came to the conclusion that I can either

A. Go to church in Palatine then go to the Palatine Public Libary... Estimated time: 10 minutes

or

B. Try (and I really tried this time Mom, but we couldn't find an open door of the cathedral) to go to mass in the famous cathedral and visit the Sevilla public library... Estimated time: 5 hours plus painful shin splints from walking 10 hours a day

I'll go with B! Despite the time wasted, the wrong turns we took, and the calories we consumed, it was more about the journey than the destination itself. With a little bit of navigation skills, outgoingness, and a sense for adventure, you may encounter the most interesting people, see the most interesting places, and eat the most delicious ice cream! :)

Who knew that going to mass and a public library could be so difficult....

THE AMERICAN BREAKFAST.... is the american dream.

Hola amigos!!! I just want to comment on how lucky my american friends are for having such a delicious and scrumptous breakfast menu........

Spanish breakfast (desayuno) menu: Cafe con leche (coffee and milk) y tostada (toast) And if you're lucky.... with marmelade.

American breakfast menu: Pancakes, waffles, bacon, sausage, hashbrowns, skillets, omelets, biscuits and gravy, donuts, macchiatos, frappucinos, white chocolate mochas, steak & eggs, pop tarts, Special K, Resse's cocoa puffs, bagels, egg whites, monkey bread, cinnamon rolls, French toast..... lucky americans.

I did it. I had an american breakfast today. It was actually eaten at noon time (breakfast time for Spaniards and lunch time for Americans.) Sure, it was just a fried egg, toast, and bacon, but I had to have it and it was definitely 4 euro well spent.  


To my friends at 522 in Iowa City... be greatful for Friday brunch. If some of you are studying here next year.... take advantage of the GREAT AMERICAN BREAKFAST.

Every hour is happy hour en Sevilla....

For all my crazy friends at home and at Iowa... I thought I should write about the bar etiquette and helpful facts...

-Their most popular beer is "Cruzcampo"
-When you go to a bar and you want a beer, they will most likely only have on type of beer, which is Cruzcampo. So when you ask for a beer, simply say "Quiero/Me gustaria una cerveza"
-The beer is super cheap; way cheaper than Sangria
-The average sangria pitcher can be 13-15 euros... so either share it with friends or take advantage when someone is willing to pay for you
-Another popular drink is called "tinto de verano" but sometimes people just say "tinto verano". It is wine mixed with fanta orange or lemon, or it can be also mixed with soda water. Delicious!

Tinto de verano

As for the night life...

There are discotecas which I have not visited yet... BUT so far here's what it looks like.

Picture this: A plaza surrounded by OLD charming buildings with a bar in the center. A lot of people standing around drinking and socializing.... Reminds me of a more mature Iowa football game tailgate... and I mean way more mature. Oh yeah, and no beer pong games or flippy cup either. Here, they actually use real glasses and NOT red cups.

Chrissy Suarez lives with a German shephard...

Yes it's true. I've moved with in my room mate Alex (She goes to Iowa too and is from the Chicago suburbs) and we now have not just a "perrito" what the Spaniards call dogs here but "un perro grande" a big dog, what I would consider a German Shephard. The apartment is so charming and is walking distance to the stores (my favorites right now include Zara, Mango, and Blanco). They have Ikea furniture and it is very nice and my room is a very good size - it is much bigger than the single rooms in Tridelt- sorry 522, but this apartment rocks! The tapas are great because every dish has a pile of fried potatoes... my type of meal. I will include pictures later! Hasta luego!

My take on my first few days en Sevilla.....

Las Meriendas
Las meriendas (also known as snacks) here in Sevilla are completely ridiculous and I am still amazed on how skinny these people are when they eat things like this.... usually accompanied with cafe con leche this scrumptous treat is eating by locals all over the city. Watch out college students... this could be your next wave of the freshman fifteen.

A chocolate crossaint y cafe con leche

The famous catedral
A few basic facts...
1. Third biggest church in the world (The first is St. Peter's Bascilica in Rome and the second is St. Paul's in London)
2. Claims to have the tomb of Christopher Columbus
3. Has the famous tower called "La Giralda"
My observations and comments.....

It's best to go here with a friend. It's really cold and the organ is very loud and plays scary music straight out of phantom of the opera. It's a little creepy. A lot of things are gold plated so everything is behind a cage type of thing. FYI you also have to pay.

La Giralda

Paseos
Watch out NYC fashion week paseos en Sevilla are showing you up! Late afternoon, los sevillanos step outside and roam the streets to take their daily paseo (walk) and check out the latest fashions offered by their unique boutiques.  It's not uncommon here to see young mothers strutting in the neighborhood of Santa Cruz in their high leather pumps and fur jackets. Men wear plaid and nice slacks and even children wear more charming outfits than Suri Cruise. They also walk at a pace of 2 MPH, so if you expect to get from point A to point B fast between the hours of five and seven, think again.

OMG... shoes.

Officially bought my third pair of shoes in Spain! There is such a great variety of shoes here and the prices are super college friendly because of the "rebajas". These shoe stores are all over Sevilla and they definitely beat any American DSW and Nordstrom. But before I give up any of my precious euros, I look for a few chracteristics.

1. Are they comfortable? Europe has so much walking that comfort is crucial. It can make or break your day. It isn't like the University of Iowa where you can jump on a cambus to ease your pain. Therefore, I always do several laps in the shoe store before making the purchase.
2. REAL leather!!! Europe has great leather products for friendly prices. THINK TWICE before buying the three hundred dollar pair of boots they sell in Nordstrom. I assure you, you will find something better here for a better price. For 80-100 euros, you can find REAL LEATHER boots in hundreds of styles. If you want to make sure something is real leather, just look inside!
3. Style. If you are ever curious about the current style of Europe, the best thing to do is to go outside and look! Not here yet? Visit thesartorialist.com and you will find pictures of the most current styles in all major fashion capitols of the world. You don't have to look frumpy to be comfortable!

I asked a lady in Marbella how you can tell if a product is real leather and she said if it is a Spanish product, they will have the word "piel" (word for "skin" in Spanish) stamped on the inside of the shoe. Es verdad that you have to pay more for real leather shoes, but they will last you far longer. And with all the walking you do in Europe, durability is muy importante.




My shoes so far!!!!!
Left: Black leather ballerina flats from Marbella (Marbella is the Spanish version of the Hamptons in Spain)
Center: Comfy leather walking shoes from the Triana neighborhood of Sevilla
Right: Black baby wedges from the Santa Cruz neighborhood of Sevilla





Our road to Sevilla!

Finally in Sevilla! My home for the next five months. Wasn't the most relaxing excursion, but we definitely saved a lot of money which was college student friendly!! The train costs about 1.50 euro and is fairly cheap depending on where you are going.

5:00 Wake up (This was awful and should be illegal)
5:55 Take cab to the Arroyo de Miel train station in the downtown Benalmadena area
6:05 Arrive to the train station to take the 6:15 train to Malaga to catch the 9:00 AM bus (We left so early to make sure we got there on time and to have breafast in the Malaga train station)
6:13 Find out that a 6:15 train does not exist; and that the next one doesn't arrive till 6:44
6:15-6:40 Watch Couples Retreat (one of my most favorite movies because of the pretty scenery and Vince Vaughn) in the train station (NOTE: This is not a Chicago surburban metra station with a Starbucks and a charming fountain outside. It is down stairs in a cold basement, kind of like the subways in Paris)
6:45 Train arrives
7:30 Breakfast (Ate the most delicious chocolate crossaint)
9:00 Bus to Sevilla
12:00 PM Arrive in Sevilla

For the rest of the day, we perused around the area of Barrio Santa Cruz and checked out the charming restaurants and famous rebajas.

FUTURE STUDY ABROAD STUDENTS GOING TO SPAIN: Do not do any shopping before you study abroad in Spain if you are going in the Spring semester. They have their semi annual sale (in ALL stores) from January 7 to February 28!!!! Plus, you don't have to pack as much and then you have a reason to go shopping :)

Finally, we got churros con chocolate! Basically, churros with hot chocolate with the consistency of maple syrup! Delicioso!

Gibraltar... Land of the British

Gilbraltar...

Who? This land is owned by the British according to the Treaty of Utecht (sp?) of 1517 or some year like that. People that live here have British accents and speak fluent Spanish. Quite the site... super cool. They even have super cute British/Spanish babies and kids.


The famous rock



What? It is NOT an island (a common misconception). In my words, it's a piece of land with a giant rock on it which is basically a mountain. Fun fact: It is the logo for Prudential, you know, the American company that we all know of but we don't really know what they do. Still a mystery to me.



Where? Southern tip of Spain... and a short 14 mile swim to North Africa.. pretty cool. Also, it is where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean.

When? Hmmmm.... well we went today, January 12.

Why? I read reviews on this place and I was really apprenhensive. But Lisa wanted to go to play with the monkeys that roam the island, so we went.



How? We took a tour bus. Then we found this random guy Damien, that had a tour for only 25 euros. Now, yes that's a lot of money on college student terms, but the price to go up and down the mountain was 26 euros and that was without a tour so we took it.

Future Study abroaders and Gibraltar visitors:

*If you want really delicious fish and chips go to Roy's in the main square. Then you can get ice cream right after at the ice cream stand located directly infront of the restaurant.

*Perfume and cosmetics are priced 30% lower in Gibraltar than in Spain. I'm not really sure why exactly, but that's what it said in Rick Steve's. I think it's because they don't get taxed on these items.

Ice cream with the sisters in Main Square

*I won't even bother going when it is rainy or in high tourist season. It's a small place and torrential down pours and foreigners will stress most people out.

*Don't touch the monkeys or else they will bite you! They can touch you though, and they won't attack as long as you don't touch them. I know... kind of unfair.

The meaning of "siesta" in Benalmadena Pueblo

Benelmadena pueblo is located about 20 minutes away by car. To get to this quaint, and I meant super quaint pueblo, you can take a bus and it will drive you up towards the mountain full of white houses that look over the Mediterranean sea. We arrived late, of course running on Filipino time, and did not get to the pueblo till noon, which meant that the siesta started in about an hour. There was not that many people on the street to begin with, but once the clock struck one it turned into a ghost town. Not a soul in sight. Even the bars were closed. And I needed to use the bathroom which in Europe, is hard to find since they don't get the concept of public restrooms.

NOTE FOR FUTURE STUDY ABROAD STUDENTS: Public restrooms are very rare. When you see one, thank the heavens that they have provided you with such a gift and use them.

Benalmadena Pueblo

Anyway, the town was very pretty and looked straight out of Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Woody Allen movie). But I wouldn't really recommended unless you're retired or don't like people. This isn't really good for a loud college student like me. Luckily, I found a playground so that kept me happy and produced some endorphins. Finally, we went back to the main road, which really was the width of of seven feet, and found a cafe. FINALLY. We got some cafe con leche so I could go to the bathroom and headed back on bus 121 back to the real Benalmadena with all the British people.

The playground

MALAGA

Went to Malaga today con la familia! This is what I saw.....

Mucho shopping... Las rebajas (sales that happen twice a year) are better than Black Friday!
Anchovie sandwich (Lisa ate it in El Corte Ingles... their big department store)
Lovely little alley ways with THE BEST SHOE SHOPS
A restaurant called La Taberna del Obispo.... (The Tavern of the Bishop.... oxy moron much?)
Good food for friendly prices... eat at the top floor of El Corte Ingles.. order the salad with mixed lettuce.. you won't regret it. The cafe is called lamoraga.

A supermercado (super market) in the basement of El Corte Ingles where we bought food to make ham & cheese sandwiches... but instead of using Sarah Lee and Kraft cheese we opted for Jamon (ham) Serrano and Manchego cheese... specialities of Espana.

Below are some pictures of the day! Ciao!

P.S- And if any of you are wondering... I did buy my curling iron from El Corte Ingles... and I did it all en espanol!

Anchovie Sandwich



The menu of Lamoraga



Our ham & cheese sandwiches accompanied by local wine and pastries



Las rebajas!





Our beautiful resort

 

My future condo building... pink and white!


Arrived in Benalmadena!!!!!!

First day in Spain and a little bit jet lagged! Two flights, one train ride, and a short taxi ride later... we arrive to this

Part of our awesome view

Eat stuff like this...

Grilled Sardines (Actually, I didn't even try it because I don't eat fish with heads still on them. I prefer sushi which may or may not be a problem in Southern Spain.)

And do things like this...

take a paseo!

 Going to El Corte Ingles tomorrow in the city of Malaga to buy a curling iron! This will be a very important purchase since I take curling my hair very seriously- wish me luck! Hopefully, we'll check out these famous Rebajas (sales). Up to 70% off at Mango?!?! Yes, I'll take that.

Hola

One day left in the states. Goodbye to Portillos, Franzia's sunset blush, Forever 21, and Clinton Street. I’m trading you in for tapas bars, sangria, Zara, and Andalucía.  I’m returning to the land of my ancestors and leaving good old University of Iowa behind, land of corn, to go study in Spain, land of bullfights and flamenco dancing. No offense to you Iowa, I’ve enjoyed your tailgating and abundance of bars, but your harsh cold winters and your Twenty One ordinance is not as appealing to me as it used to be. So here’s my blog about my adventures in Sevilla, and if I’m lucky, many other places in Europe. But first, a little blast from the past of pictures of my family and I in Southern Spain nine years ago.  

Mis hermanas y yo en Alhambra
(Do not make fun of my hair)

At the family jewelry store..... hah I wish

En Costa del Sol wearing my favorite shirt at the time

En Sevilla