So I guess if I could say one word to describe my attention to this blog it would be lacking. But, as I have been in bed for the last 3 days, and I need to get all previous thoughts out of my head before I head to Morocco, assuming that my varied amount of strange sicknesses cease to afflict me. Okay, but really, three weeks late is really unacceptable. Overview of Ronda and Sevilla, since it's honestly been so long now I can hardly remember (I feel like my brain is constantly on overload as I try to take in more and more information about Spain and Spanish culture!)
Ronda: We were only here for a few hours in the morning before leaving to go to Sevilla, but Ronda is a small ancient town in the south west corner of Spain. The city is tiny but it is all white washed, ancient, green, and beautiful. (Side note: we switched buses for this trip, partially because there is more room, and partially because Mariesa and I were too afraid to show our faces after making the first bus late by over an hour to Cabo de Gata.) We first got off the bus, on the pretense that it would be very warm. It was not. I wore my comfortable American yoga pants expecting to only wear them on the bus and then change into my only pair of shorts, but that did not happen. I stayed in my sweatpants, feeling like crap, and still sick from the IES cold thats been travelling around (symptoms include but are not limited to: fever, sore throat, loss of hearing, loss of smell, headaches, tiredness, and loss of apetite). In Ronda, I walked around with Javier, our program director, and a group of students including, of course, my roommate Mariesa, Clare and Michi. We walked around the outskirts of the city, across bridges and out into the gorgeous rural landscape of Ronda. Ronda is definitely the most beautiful place I've seen in Spain so far, and for me to say that despite the cold weather is really saying something.
After walking around until almost 2, we stopped for lunch (I ate overlooking the above photo just in case you were wondering), and strolled about the city for a bit, luckily encountered a McDonald's! where I of course got french fries with Heinz ketchup despite the fact that I'd just had lunch and we walked back to meet the rest of IES at the teeny tiny plaza de toros. Around 4, when everyone had finally reassembled, we walked into the Ronda bullfighting ring, where our teachers explained to us (well, in English to me, I joined Smiley's group because 1. it's easier for me to tune in and out and 2, she is amazing) exactly what happens in a bullfight. Note that this tuning in and out thing would work to my great disadvantage later.
Here's Cy and Chris Clark, having fun at the Ronda Bullfighting Ring
After the bullfighting ring, we all boarded the buses to finally head to Sevilla, and also, thankfully to warm weather. Now you may be wondering (MEGHAN DARST) what's Sevilla like? Well, Sevilla is one of the oldest cities in Spain. It used to be the stronghold for major battles between the Christians and the Arabs and is a river city, much like Louisville. However, despite it's history it is also a fairly modern city, with lots to offer for tourists and locals alike. I absolutely loved this city, although I was very excited to get back to our hotel room, where I rested and slept until 8 o'clock. At 8:30, Clare Michi, Mariesa and I all got ready for dinner before the IES private flamenco dancing show! Of course being overwhelmed with the options of authentic American food. We decided that Clare and Mariesa would go to Burger King, and then bring their food to Domino's pizza to eat with Michi and I. Talk about the true cultural experience! Needless to say, the pizza was delicious and we at the whole thing (with beers! because you can get beer at fast food restaurants! -- now that is authentic). We hurridly met the rest of IES outside the hotel to walk to flamenco dancing.
And it was a show. I somehow luckily managed to find a seat in the front row, even though I was wandering aimlessly somewhere toward the back of the group for the whole walk over, and it was amazing. It certainly isn't like any kind of style we have in American, but I one day aspire to do what this female flamenco dancer did with her dress. It was incredible. And they also had a male dancer - who puts American cloggers and tap dancers to shame - a singer, and a guitarrist. Overall, a class A act. We finished off our wonderful evening by all of us (all 90) having champagne provided by IES to officially kick off the program.
After our champange, I can't say that a lot happened. We tried to go out, but we mostly spent the night walking up and down the same street in Sevilla, most people looking for bars, me looking for Smiley who occassionaly disapears. We ended up having so much fun at this discoteca that I cannot remember the name of but for some reason recall a blue tint to the lighting? Regardless, we danced the night away and didn't call it a night until 3am, a decision I seriously regretted in waking up at 8am the next morning.
After having our international breakfast, which is always interesting to say the least, we went on a group tour of the old Sevilla royal palace - just in case you were wondering this palace is the same place from which Christopher Colombus proposed the idea of exploring the "New World" to the King and Queen of Spain, and also where, years earlier, the Christians lauched their final successful battle against the Arab rulers of Spain to conquer... guess where, Granada. This place, called Real Alcazar, is soooooooo beautiful I can't possibly describe it. Where there's not a huge garden, there's a national monument, where there's not a national monument there is a beautiful collection of classical art from Europe, where there's not classical art there are the most elaborate equisit Arab wall and ceiling engravings, where there is not Arab decoration there is a huge 1000 year old stone wall still standing. It was absolutely incredible to be in a place with so much history. After that, Jane and I took a short snack break (beacuse even after almost three weeks here I still am not adjusted to waiting until 3pm to eat lunch. After that we met in front Sevilla Cathedral for a tour, one of the biggest in the world. It's huge and absolutely gorgeous. Of course we walked to the top of this huge tower and had a blast. Just to reiterate, this cathedral is so big that we stayed in it from 10am to 1pm and I still don't think saw it all. It was absolutely wonderful.
After the Cathedral, we had our lunch break, in which Chris Clark, Cy, Lucas and I ate outside at a little pub facing the Cathedral on an absolutely perfectly sunny day. I had chicken and fries -- you might be American when the most disgustingly unhealthy food on the planet nearly brings to you tears for reminding you of home. Walking back to our wonderful hotel we stopped for ice cream and then I started to prepare for my bike ride.
Now as you all know, my athletic coordination abilities outside of dancing are minimal to say the least. Add to that the fact that I can't remember the last time I rode a bike (although I do remember that it hasn't been in college or high school), and we're looking for at best free entertainment for my peers, at worst a traffic incident. However, aside from eating concrete in an attempt to run to meet the bike riding group in front of 30 American students right before the bike ride, I'd say it went pretty well overall. I got to see parts of Sevilla, like the parks, the market, the government center, and an old jewish neighborhood that lots of other students didn't get to see!! I am so cool! After the bike ride we came back just in time to grab our stuff and get back on the bus to return to Granada.
Some fun facts about Sevilla:
I love it there, it's such a beautiful city and has this amazing combination of history and moderninty. It's a lot newer than Granada, and caters much better to tourists (we pretty much just have the Alhambra). The feel of the city reminded me a lot of Louisville.
If you are going to Sevilla, (hehem, attention Meghan Darst) you should absolutely, go to the cathedral, go shopping, find a way to get a tour of Alcazar, recommend that they give free tapas at bars like we do in Granada.
