Learning experiences on top of learning experiences...

So yesterday I returned from my first trip that was planned completely by me and my friends, and the first thing I'd have to say is what an experience.  Looking back at the weekend it was definitely a good time but it was no walk in the park.  The plan for the weekend was go to Amsterdam from Friday to Sunday and then Belgium the rest of Sunday to Tuesday.  Marielle and I left for the airport late on Thursday and got into Barcelona around 7 pm.  We then had an 11 hour layover until our flight to Amsterdam, so being in Barcelona we naturally decided to go see some of the city.  We had originally planned to eat dinner and go to some bars, but since I was still getting over my cold and my tonsil had swollen to an uncomfortable size we decided to take it easy.  We ended up just having a nice Spanish dinner full of random tapas and walked around Barcelona a bit.  Then we headed back to the airport to try to get a couple ours of sleep before our flight to Amsterdam.  

Marielle at dinner

Streets of Barcelona

Amsterdam, Netherlands

When we walked out of the train station in Amsterdam, it took my breath away.  The city was so beautiful, and in a completely different way from Sevilla which was a really nice change.  Though it was overcast and colder, I found it refreshing and thought that it enhanced the overall feel I got from the city.  The architecture was so different, all the buildings were squished together and many came to a rounded point at the top.  My roommates told me that they learned all the buildings lean forward slightly and at the top of each building there is a hook.  The builders did this because the stairs were so narrow that it was next to impossible to move things to the top floors, so they'd use the hook to pull things up.  With the buildings leaning forward nothing would hit off them.  An interesting way to go about it, but as long as it works! 

Canals in Amsterdam

 

While I was in Amsterdam I met up with Kaelyn a friend from Allentown, Lori a friend from Umass and Long Island, and Katie a friend from Umass.  It was so awesome to see them, especially in Europe!! It's kind of unbelievable that we were able to organize a meeting.  But while I was in Amsterdam my tonsils infection reached a new level.  It had swollen up so large that it was blocking more than half of my esophagus and I could feel the pain moving down into my throat.  I have a bad habit of ignoring my illnesses, I recognize that they are there but I don't like to let being sick stop me from whatever I'm doing.  Usually I think that it will heal on it's own time and that all a doctor will do is tell me to drink water and sleep.  Unfortunately it got to such a bad point that I had issues eating, swallowing, speaking, and sleeping.  So the second morning in Amsterdam while waiting to go on a walking tour (which I was extremely excited for) I forced myself into a taxi and went to the hospital.  The worst part about the whole thing was that I was just so depressed about my situation, I was in an amazing city with some of my closest friends and I was completely incapacitated.  I ended up crying a lot, actually to every single person I encountered during my solo hospital visit.  Taxi drivers, receptionists, doctors, pharmacists, you name it, I was the crying American girl that day.  Luckily I got an antibiotic that quickly reduced the swelling and the pain.  Modern Medicine: 1 Arielle: 0

From the left: Me, Kaelyn, Lori, Katie, and Marielle

Needless to say my sickness put a huge damper on my time in Amsterdam.  After the hospital visit I was pretty determined to get better.  Overall my time in Amsterdam was spent mostly walking around, my hostel was close to the red light district which was a very interesting place to be.  I got to see some hookers in red lit windows at least! We also walked to Dam Square which is a main square in Amsterdam pictured above and below.  It really is unfortunate because the city is literally filled to the brim with things to do, so many amazing museums and places to visit.   I did manage to go to the Anne Frank house, which was the house that Anne, her family, and another family hid in during the holocaust.  We weren't allowed to take any pictures while inside the house, but it was really amazing to see.  Any Jewish kid growing up learns about Anne Frank and what she went through during that time, and just standing in her bedroom was so surreal.  The pictures she had put up on the walls to make her room seem nicer were still there.  I stood in her room and it felt weird, just knowing this girls story and everything she must have thought about and gone through.  While getting on the bus to head to Brussels I thought about two things: 1. I absolutely have to make it back to Amsterdam and 2. When I get back to the states I'm getting my tonsils removed. 

Brussels, Belgium

I loved Brussels!! I was feeling well enough Monday in Brussels that I was able to do everything I wanted to, except drink Belgium beer.  I felt that I had to keep my body as healthy as possible.  Since things in Amsterdam got so hectic we decided to strategically plan out the full day we had in Brussels.  We started the day off right with a recommended visit to a delicious place to get Belgium waffles!! Obviously they were amazing and we were so excited to be eating this food in it's place of origin :)

After breakfast we went to the Cathedral of Brussels, it was beautiful.  Obviously by now I've been in a lot of churches, and this one was probably my favorite.  They had a lot of beautiful statues lining the walls and interesting carvings.  Also there seemed to be an ocean theme which is something I'm not used to seeing in churches.  But by far the best part about this cathedral was that it was absolutely filled with stunning stain glass windows, stain glass is my favorite.

Outside the Cathedral

Inside 

So pretty!

We spent some time wandering and enjoying the streets as we went from destination to destination. Here we are outside of the library where we went to get a coffee and see a great view of the city.  There was a nice view from outside it as well :)

Marielle, Me, and Belinda 

Keliana is obsessed with chocolate, so being in a place known for its chocolate was very exciting for her.  Here she is in a nice chocolate store complete with a chocolate showcase. 

Cool mustache man statue

Waffles everywhere!

I don't know if any of you know anything about Brussels but it is known for its magnificent statue of a boy peeing.  Well here he is! We had heard that it was going to be small, but damn this statue was just on some random street corner. I guess that the people of Brussels still think that it's awesome cause figurines of this guy can be found in any Brussels tourist shop.  Apparently it is supposed to represent the independent spirit of the people in Brussels.  Yay Manneken Pis! (it's proper name)

After Manneken Pis we headed to the main attraction which is the Grand Place, the square of Brussels. As we walked through the narrow streets we saw the tower marking the square and when we entered the square it was so amazing.  Just all of a sudden, huge square!  The architecture in Brussels is similar to that in Amsterdam, and I really love it! It was literally a 360 beautiful buildings.  

Above are the botanical gardens that are in Brussels, we went expecting beautiful displays of flowers and instead realized that it was more of a music hall with some nice gardens outside.  It was okay though because it allowed us to see the more modern aspects of the city on the walk over. 

The last day we were in Brussels we got ourselves to the chocolate museum, a small little museum that gave you the history of chocolate, how it's made, and even a little demonstration on how they make chocolate shells.  We went first thing in the morning and got nice and filled up on free samples.  This man gave us the demonstration, he was so cute! 

After our chocolate overdose we sat in a little bar in Brussels because we thought we had some time to kill before our flight.  This is where I decided to get my Belgium beer, I just couldn't leave without having one!  It was very tasty :))

Airport Fiasco

We ended up overestimating the time it would take for us to get to the airport that day and the whole process of getting there turned into quite the situation.  We managed to get on the wrong train, get on the right train, miss 2 different buses we could take to get to the airport and ended up having to split a 140 euro cab ride to the airport (it was 45 minutes away).  Once we finally got there we checked in and since we were using a cheap airline called Ryanair they have very strict rules about how big your bag can be.  They have this metal box and if your bag doesn't fit, you have to check it.  Guess who's bag didn't fit? Yeah mine. So while all my roommates were on the other side going through security I was running from place to place checking and paying for my bag.  It was all very frustrating especially cause the plane was about to board.  

 Everything worked out in the end, after much difficultly.  The trip itself was just so demanding in so many different ways.  Before I came to Spain I would think about how much this whole experience would teach me and cause me to grow, but so far I hadn't felt like anything was really doing that.  It wasn't until I went through this first trip that I realized that's where I could grasp my new experiences and where my character and ability would be tested most.  So while a lot of aspects of this first trip were a disaster and I made a lot of stupid mistakes, I realize that this is what's going to help me be more capable for the future trips.  It was one of the first steps I would be taking in being more independent and it makes me excited for the all the challenges that still lay ahead of me. 

To be sick in Spain

It really sucks actually, I had gotten a little cold that lasted like 2 days earlier but I got sick again and this time it's for real.  I haven't left the house today :( I think it was a mix between lack of sleep, going out, and many activities last weekend.  Which I really can't complain about cause it was a really fun weekend.  Last week was like any other week, the only thing is it's actually starting to get a little cold here. The way the weather works is that it's warm in January and then it gets cold at the end of February and by March it's supposed to be like 80s.  Ughh I can't waittt!! But in the meantime we are still discovering things we like to enjoy in Sevilla on the day to day.  There is a big river that runs through the city and it's always very pleasant to go down to there and hang out in the sun.  

We went to the river and enjoyed some mid-day Sangria on a boat bar, it was lovely!

                                     

I started my Flamenco class at the University of Sevilla, here's a picture of the entrance way there.  The class so far has been okay, a lot of watching and listening to Flamenco and for 4 hours it can get to be a lot.  But i'm excited to really start to understand the dance. 

Night life in Sevilla has been really exciting, especially compared to the lack of things to do back in Amherst.  There is always a club or a bar to go to.  Most of the discotechas we go to are huge and perfect if you want to dance all night.  But then there are also plenty of bars.  I prefer to go to a mixture, bars that have dancing but aren't so huge that you can't lose all of your friends.  Above is a picture of Alfalfa Street which is a street lined with bars.  A lot of times people flood into the streets to hang out and drink, its all very cool if you ask me. 

This is a picture of a man hole with the slogan of Sevilla on it, NO8DO. This slogan can be found all over Sevilla like on flags, buildings, bricks, you name it.  There are several ideas about where it came from and what it's meaning really represents but in a nutshell it means Do Not in the name of God.  Popular legend believes that this is referring to the cities resistance to Don Sancho's take over of his father Alfonso X the Wise in the 13th century.  

A trip out of Sevilla

So this weekend was the first time I actually left Sevilla, we went on a led trip by CEA to Cordoba and Granada.  Both cities were like 2/3 hours away and the bus ride was very enjoyable because it gave me the opportunity to appreciate the beautiful Spanish countryside, which I never get to see in Sevilla.  It was very mountainous and either very green or filled with lined olive trees.  

Cordoba! 

We have a theory that this town would be absolutely nothing if it weren't for this massive Cathedral.  We only spent a few hours in Cordoba where we toured the Cathedral and then got a little lunch.  This Cathedral is a very unique structure in all of the world because it was first built as a Mosque by Muslims.  As a Mosque alone it was thought to be one of the most important sanctuaries but then when the Christians came along they build a huge Cathedral inside of it. Yes.  So we are walking along, lots of red and white striped arches, dark halls with stained glass windows, all very Mosque like and then BAM huge bright Cathedral with high ceilings and extravagant statues of Jesus.  It really was very cool.  The only thing was that we were in huge groups which made it difficult for me to hear the tour guide, let along understand what I was really seeing.  Either way the transition from one section to the other made a lasting impression.

Mosque section

Cathedral section 

Granada! 

After our tour in Cordoba we drove to Granada which is where we spent the night and a majority of the next day.  Granada is a mountain town and wherever you are you can typically see a massive mountain looking down at you.  It was nice to see some mountains :)e

Similarly to Sevilla, Granada has a symbol that can be found all over the city, pomegranates! This was exciting for me because while I was in Israel I formed a little obsession with pomegranates as a symbol.  The reason it's connected with Granada is because pomegranate in spanish is Granada!

The afternoon we arrived in Granada was pretty much free time, we didn't have anything scheduled till the next day.  We relaxed and saw the city and then had a long spanish timed night out at this massive club.  Needless to say the next morning we were very tired but we all got up so we could enjoy the complimentary breakfast, which was amazing if I do say so myself.  After that even though we were lagging, we decided to explore the city some more you're only in Granada once!  

It was an awesomely clear and relatively warm day and Marielle, Keliana, and I had a great time just wandering the streets.  We also ended up running into some amazing street art graffiti, which I absolutely loved!  Everywhere you turned there were beautiful works of arts on random buildings. Later we met up with on of Keliana's friends who lives in Granada and she gave us a tour of some more artwork. 

Graffiti of Loui Armstrong, amazing stuff.

After our street adventures we met up with our group and took a tour of the Alhambra which is a massive palace that was also built by the Muslims.  Here are some pictures.

View from the "summer home" which is basically right next to it. Apparently the closer your summer home to your palace the richer you were because you didn't have to ride on horse back for too long.  It was all very pretty and full of impressive architecture, fountains, and gardens. 

While walking back from class today

I was approached by a couple of Spanish girls who had to be around 12 years old, they were saying something to me in spanish and handing me a flower. Confused I took the flower and they said to me "beautiful person, beautiful person!" and went on their way.  It was really cool and made my day :))

Another week gone by

I can officially say that I am all cozy in my new life in Sevilla, all the girls moved into the apartment and everyone really gets along.  It could have been such a crazy situation (which it still sort of is) but I'm glad that CEA set me up with some real ladies.  It's funny that I go one semester, living with 5 boys and Lucy to this semester living with 11 girls.  Talk about extreme living, haha, was that cheesy? One thing I can safely say is that whether they are boys or girls, no one likes doing their damn dishes.  Good thing my parents had me doing them so early that it's like second nature to me.  

Here is a picture of the market that is like a block from my house, nice right?  Obviously I didn't by anything in this picture because seafood is scary and I have no idea how to cook it. But the market is full of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, breads, and much more.  Plus it's way cheaper than any of the other grocery stores.  Lately I have been struggling with whether or not I should be buying food and cooking or just eating out.  Money is just flying out of me either way, it's a little nerve racking. 

Spanish guitar is the best, and they just play on the streets <3

This past week I've been seeing historic Sevilla

Since I'm living here, I have to go and see the sites!  On the way to school there is this huge wall that lines the sidewalk, turns out its just an old Moorish Palace, the Alcazar!  Keliana, Cari, and I decided to look through this old palace and it was really gorgeous and enormous!!  Walking through every wall is covered with interesting tile and intricate carvings.  While looking at it we couldn't help but wonder how the hell they did it all and how long it took.  That shit cray! The upper levels of the palace are still used by the royal family apparently but the lower area and courtyard/gardens are open for tourists.  

 

Above are some pictures from the Alcazar.  Below is a picture of the gardens within the walls of the palace.  In the gardens there were tons of orange and lemon trees, gazebos, peacocks, and even a labyrinth.  Actually the whole palace was kind of a maze in itself, but non the less a beautiful piece of Sevilliano history. 

Here's a picture of a floating street performer and kid who is more than confused hahah.  But really this guy was legit, I have no idea how he was doing that. 

So more than a couple times I've been walking along the street and ran straight into a random parade, here are two pictures from that, I just thought they were nice :)  We think this one was just a practice for Semana Santa, a whole week celebration of the last week of lent.  It's a pretty big deal here.

In addition to the Alcazar, we also went to the Cathedral.  Inside there is one room that is just like a massive hall with huge ceilings.  There are statues and stain glass windows everywhere, it really is quite a sight.  We were making jokes that it kind of reminded us of the Mines of Moria from Lord of the Rings. Also inside the Cathedral is Christopher Columbus's tomb, it's held by 4 giant soldiers, pretty impressive.  The coolest thing about the Cathedral though is that you can walk to the top of the tower, which we did and amongst the bells you can look out and see a 360 degree view of Sevilla.  Overall it was an excellent activity.   

Entrance of the Cathedral

Inside, LOTR right?

Christopher Columbus's tomb!

Check that sick view :)

It's always nice to chill in the sun at the mushroom :)

A nice street view picture, orange trees holler!

Spanish Food! Yes. This restaurant we went to was amazing, in this picture we have some croquettes which are little creamy fried nuggets usually with ham inside, these have spinach.  To the right is a Tortilla Espanola which is basically an quiche thing with potatoes and herbs in it, they are so good and slices are often served on sandwiches too!  Yummmm

My first flamenco show

which is obviously very important being in Sevilla and all. Andalusia which is the providence of Spain I'm in is known for keeping the flamenco and bull fighting traditions alive, so I'm in a prime spot to see all the traditional Spanish goodies.  The show was at a little bar and the whole time I was going crazy with the camera.  There is a guitarist, a singer, and a flamenco dancer.  Most people think that flamenco must always consist of a dancer, but actually it is very common to just have a guitarist and a singer.  Below is a picture of two men doing flamenco.  The dancer is usually just a visual to accompany the music, rather than vise versa.  But it was an awesome show. 

Here's a picture of some of my roommates when we got lost in the twisted streets of Sevilla while looking for a Mexican restaurant.  We ended up finding it, best and most original Mexican I've ever had. 

I put up this picture purely for my mother and Busy, it's like some kind of weird bug thing? I don't know but I saw it and I had to take a picture to show you guys. 

Here I am with Keliana and Marielle attempting to look classy with a delicious 3 euro bottle of wine :)

This weekend we are going to Granada and Cordoba

It's our first trip out of Sevilla!  I should be a good time and I'm looking forward to getting to know more people in my program and seeing a completely different place.  Both are towns in Spain but it'll be interesting.  The only thing is it should be pretty cold and I'm already having difficulty with the 40 degree weather we sometimes have here! Good thing I brought my Northface!