Catedral:
Last Thursday, it was a beautiful day, so Stef and I decided to take a visit to the Catedral(Cathedral). We didn't know anything about it, so we were just soaking it in and randomly taking pictures. Any student studying in Sevilla gets free admission to the Cathedral..so no worries mom, no waste of money. Fortunately though (just to jump around a bit), CIEE scheduled a final visit to the Cathedral today, so Stef and I were able to find out what we actually took pictures of.
Interesting facts I found out:
- It is the 3rd largest in the world (Rome...duh and London are above it)
- It was primarily built in the 16th century
- It has the largest wood carved/gold leaf display/visual depiction of the bible
- After being moved around, it is the final resting place of Christopher Columbus
- San Fernando III is also buried there. He was responsible for the catholic conquest into Sevilla.
- The land was originally a mosque
- The primary style inside The Cathedral is Gothic
Aka...check out the pictures under my two Sevilla albums, they're spectacular.
Granada:
Thursday night, me and 2 friends took a bus to Granada. After settling into the hotel we went out for a quick drink. In Granada it is custom to receive a tapas (for free) with your drink. So we got a small hamburger and a tinto verano (yum). Then we decided we were too tired and had to wake up early for our visit to the Alhambra.
After waking up at 7:45 and getting ready, we made our journey to the Alhambra. It seemed like a long walk, but after walking it once, the way back didnt seem as bad...maybe because then it was downhill? We got to the Alhambra at 8:30. Our visit to the palace wasn't until 9:30 so we walked around and saw some of the other parts. It was absolutely freezing in Granada and the Alhambra is primarily outdoors so we were passing the audio guide around to allow our hands to defrost. Also, because it is still so cold, a lot of the flowers had not bloomed in the gardens yet, but it was still beautiful.
Interesting facts:
- Originally under Moorish rule
- Constructed in the 14th century
- Changed to Christian rule in the 15th century
- Washington Irving stayed there and is a main reason why it became so well known
- Wide spread and very wildly laid out
- 3 main sites: The Palace, General Life, Alcazaba
The facts do not give it justice. The pictures explain better.
After the Alhambra, we went to the information center for recommendations on where to eat. We went to one of his recommendations and had some of the best sangria and best sandwiches I have had here. One sangria, two sandwiches and fries for 5 euro!! Then we went back to the hostel because it was beginning to rain and we wanted to take a siesta after waking up so early. On the way back it started to SNOW. Yes, there is a picture, check it out if you don't believe me.
After our nap we got dinner at one of the other recommendations, not as good, or as cheap, but I got a pita type sandwich which I hadn't had here. After dinner we found a place to buy alcohol so that we didnt have to spend so much at the bars. We hung out in the room and skyped with some people through one of the girl's iphones, which was fun. Then we went to the recommended discoteca. It was 10 euro to get in, which considering we had never had to pay cover yet, seemed like a lot. But we got 2 "free drinks" so it more or less balanced out. The discoteca bar was fairly boring, it played good music and a group of guys and their uncle talked to us about Granada for a bit. Then we left them to find the dance floor, which was absolutely huge, and packed! We stayed out dancing pretty late and then headed back to sleep.
We caught the mid-day bus home back from Granada. Overall, despite the rain and freezing temperatures, Granada was absolutely beautiful and a must see in Spain.
Cadiz for Carnival:
Saturday night, a bunch of us (as in like 500 from various programs) hopped various busses through Discover Sevilla(A tourist company) and headed to Cadiz for Carnival. Everyone wears disguises, and wanting to save my money for elsewhere, decided to go with a simple, yet crowd pleasing quail man (cartoon character from when I was a kid...man I feel old saying that). Not knowing what to expect, we got off the bus and were immediately surrounded by people wandering the streets in disguises and drinking/peeing wherever there was room. While mildly disturbing, it was a once in a lifetime event and it truly was spectacular. The whole town basically shuts down for a week for the celebration and it is supposed to be a celebration before the beginning of lent. After enjoying ourselves and getting a taste of Cadiz, we got back on the bus and headed back to Sevilla. It wasn't an overnight trip, so we only had about 5 hours in Cadiz, but trust me, it was plenty for me.
After such a long weekend, I slept all day on Sunday and prepared for my week ahead.
Although I was supposed to start my internship on Monday, the dates/times have been pushed back twice now. I am now supposed to start on Thursday at 6 pm, so lets keep our fingers crossed.
Also, it has rained EVERY day this week and is supposed to continue into next week. According to our professors this is very uncommon and this is the first time in 60 years that Sevilla has gotten this much rain. Keep your fingers crossed for sunny days :)
Any questions or requests on what youd like me to go into more detail on, or less...leave a comment or send me an email. I love hearing from everyone and its fun to answer your questions!!
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