Saturday, December 10, 2011
Morocco
..or as we say in Spanish, Marruecos. In Spain, people love their holidays and any excuse for a day off work/school. So, it was only fitting that at the end of the semester we had a full off school. Long weekends are called 'puentes' meaning a bridge, but this break was taken to the next level. An aquaducto. I spent my 'aquaducto' in Morocco with four of my closest friends here...and 80 other people. It was the most incredible experience.
We started off in Rabat and made our way down to Fez. After Fez we stopped in a few towns along the way until we ended up in the Sahara! We drove through the Mid-Atlas mountains, the Atlas mountains, saw monkeys, snow, rain, desert and more. We were only in Rabat for a day so we had lunch at a beautiful restaurant on the water, walked through the kasbah and toured the famous square that Abd Al-Rahman III built. On our trek down to Fes we stopped for lunch in Midelt, drove through both the Atlas and Mid Atlas mountains, and stopped to play in the mountains with the monkeys that live there! We spent one night at our hotel in Fes before we began our 8hr drive down to the desert. Once we got there we hung out at our hotel in Xaluca (that we returned to the following night), had tea and regrouped. We proceeded to get into 4x4 jeeps and drove through the rocky desert into the Sahara (not kidding). I was amazed at how the drivers knew exactly where they were going when it was dark outside, not to mention the fact we were just driving through rocks and sand with no landmarks to stick by. Our group was greeted by camels which we then rode 30 minutes into our tent village (Desert Oasis) in the Sahara. We spent the night sitting around the campfire, talking with the Berbers and listening to them play the drums.
Our tents were made of beautiful Moroccan rugs..but we chose to sleep outside under the stars. It was 0 degrees Celsius (about 32 degree Farenheit) but we brought a ton of blankets outside and slept under the stars. We saw a total of 16 shooting stars that night..magical.
The next day we got back on our camels and rode 2hrs to a hotel in the desert to have lunch and relax for the day. After lunch we had the opportunity to tour a Berber village. This particular village is home to only 30 families. Education is only guaranteed for 3 years before the students need to find school in another town. However, as one can imagine, it is very rare for the students to continue their schooling past the first 3 years due to financial reasons.
That night we spent the night back in Xaluca at the most beautiful hotel I've ever stayed at. It wasn't ritzy, but the colors and traditional Moroccan decor made it more beautiful than any Ritz Carlton. It wouldn't have been a real Moroccan experience if I hadn't gotten food poisoning...which I did. That was the low of the trip, but even still I was in such a beautiful place I didn't even mind.
Our last day we toured the Medina in Fes (the oldest part of the city dating back to the medieval ages). There we were able to shop in the local markets and have lunch at a traditional restaurant. This was probably my favorite part of the trip (besides sleeping in the Sahara :) ) We got the real experience..donkeys, carts, and children running at you every which way in the most narrow streets you could ever imagine.
It was the most beautiful, yet saddest place I've ever seen. This was my first experience in a developing country like this and I think what I found most striking was the country's natural beauty but also the sadness of all the poverty. It seems to be the most beautiful places in the world are always home to the poorest as well.
There is so much more that I could write but I would probably be sitting here for hours..or days. The most amazing part of my trip was that even though this was Africa and not the Middle East, I was still in an Islamic country. I felt as if everything I've been learning was coming off the pages off my textbook and turning into a reality. That was the coolest thing of all, that all of my hard work and studies from the past year and a half have paid off in ways that I could not be more grateful for.
It was a great way to end my experience abroad (very bittersweet), but nonetheless I'm happy I had the best trip so far at the end. It is my last weekend/week in Sevilla so I don't think I'll be updating the blog too much, will be too busy with finals and spending the last few days with my friends and host family. Can't believe how quickly this has gone by, does not feel real that it is already December!
Happy early holidays :)
We started off in Rabat and made our way down to Fez. After Fez we stopped in a few towns along the way until we ended up in the Sahara! We drove through the Mid-Atlas mountains, the Atlas mountains, saw monkeys, snow, rain, desert and more. We were only in Rabat for a day so we had lunch at a beautiful restaurant on the water, walked through the kasbah and toured the famous square that Abd Al-Rahman III built. On our trek down to Fes we stopped for lunch in Midelt, drove through both the Atlas and Mid Atlas mountains, and stopped to play in the mountains with the monkeys that live there! We spent one night at our hotel in Fes before we began our 8hr drive down to the desert. Once we got there we hung out at our hotel in Xaluca (that we returned to the following night), had tea and regrouped. We proceeded to get into 4x4 jeeps and drove through the rocky desert into the Sahara (not kidding). I was amazed at how the drivers knew exactly where they were going when it was dark outside, not to mention the fact we were just driving through rocks and sand with no landmarks to stick by. Our group was greeted by camels which we then rode 30 minutes into our tent village (Desert Oasis) in the Sahara. We spent the night sitting around the campfire, talking with the Berbers and listening to them play the drums.
Our tents were made of beautiful Moroccan rugs..but we chose to sleep outside under the stars. It was 0 degrees Celsius (about 32 degree Farenheit) but we brought a ton of blankets outside and slept under the stars. We saw a total of 16 shooting stars that night..magical.
The next day we got back on our camels and rode 2hrs to a hotel in the desert to have lunch and relax for the day. After lunch we had the opportunity to tour a Berber village. This particular village is home to only 30 families. Education is only guaranteed for 3 years before the students need to find school in another town. However, as one can imagine, it is very rare for the students to continue their schooling past the first 3 years due to financial reasons.
That night we spent the night back in Xaluca at the most beautiful hotel I've ever stayed at. It wasn't ritzy, but the colors and traditional Moroccan decor made it more beautiful than any Ritz Carlton. It wouldn't have been a real Moroccan experience if I hadn't gotten food poisoning...which I did. That was the low of the trip, but even still I was in such a beautiful place I didn't even mind.
Our last day we toured the Medina in Fes (the oldest part of the city dating back to the medieval ages). There we were able to shop in the local markets and have lunch at a traditional restaurant. This was probably my favorite part of the trip (besides sleeping in the Sahara :) ) We got the real experience..donkeys, carts, and children running at you every which way in the most narrow streets you could ever imagine.
It was the most beautiful, yet saddest place I've ever seen. This was my first experience in a developing country like this and I think what I found most striking was the country's natural beauty but also the sadness of all the poverty. It seems to be the most beautiful places in the world are always home to the poorest as well.
There is so much more that I could write but I would probably be sitting here for hours..or days. The most amazing part of my trip was that even though this was Africa and not the Middle East, I was still in an Islamic country. I felt as if everything I've been learning was coming off the pages off my textbook and turning into a reality. That was the coolest thing of all, that all of my hard work and studies from the past year and a half have paid off in ways that I could not be more grateful for.
It was a great way to end my experience abroad (very bittersweet), but nonetheless I'm happy I had the best trip so far at the end. It is my last weekend/week in Sevilla so I don't think I'll be updating the blog too much, will be too busy with finals and spending the last few days with my friends and host family. Can't believe how quickly this has gone by, does not feel real that it is already December!
Happy early holidays :)
Monday, November 28, 2011
País Vasco!
This past weekend Holly and I went to the Basque region (país vasco) of españa. We spent one night in Bilbao and the other two in San Sebastian. Bilbao was a great city, so modern! Tapas there are called pinxho's and they are little pieces of bread with toppings (essentially). Many have a mixture of sea food, meats, cheeses, vegetables and sauces on top and they are great ways to snack or you can make a meal out of it! In Bilbao we went to the Guggenheim which was the coolest museum I've ever been to. They had really interesting artists from all around Europe. My favorite was Francisco Torres, from Barcelona. His exhibit featured 6 slides of what he considered to be the most influential/groundbreaking political moments in the 20th century. On top of this, there was a small TV in the corner of the room with a live stream of today's news (CNN Live). The other corner featured a chimpanzee sitting on a chair turning at a 120 degree angle observing everything that was going on within the room. The beauty of art is how it is interpreted differently by everyone, but what I gathered from it was how the chimpanzee (the most pure and original form of mankind) looks over how far humanity has come. Also, Torres tries to demonstrate how much these 6 groundbreaking moments have influenced our world today. The viewer can see this as you simultaneously are absorbing history and watching CNN. This really blew me away, I had never seen anything like it. The Guggenheim was definitely the highlight of my trip to Bilbao.
In San Sebastian, Holly and I covered a lot of ground. First we went to the famous Aquarium which was beautiful! A lot of the Aquarium was dedicated to the history of the fishing port that was once the biggest in all of northern Spain. They had a great aquarium, lots of sharks and local fish/sea critters that could be found in the nearby ocean. Later that day we hiked up to "Jesus" as the locals call it, to see a panoramic view of the city. Breathtaking view, definitely worth the hike! We spent the rest of our time eating pinxhos and walking around, I can see why so many people fall in love with this city. Today we walked to the other side of the city to see the caves/modern sculptures built into the rocks along the water. Took a lot of cool pictures, even though it was freezing!
This was Holly and I's last trip together..hard to believe how fast time has flown by!
In San Sebastian, Holly and I covered a lot of ground. First we went to the famous Aquarium which was beautiful! A lot of the Aquarium was dedicated to the history of the fishing port that was once the biggest in all of northern Spain. They had a great aquarium, lots of sharks and local fish/sea critters that could be found in the nearby ocean. Later that day we hiked up to "Jesus" as the locals call it, to see a panoramic view of the city. Breathtaking view, definitely worth the hike! We spent the rest of our time eating pinxhos and walking around, I can see why so many people fall in love with this city. Today we walked to the other side of the city to see the caves/modern sculptures built into the rocks along the water. Took a lot of cool pictures, even though it was freezing!
This was Holly and I's last trip together..hard to believe how fast time has flown by!
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Córdoba
Yesterday API took us to Córdoba to see the Medina Azahara and of course the Cathedral (once Mosque). It was incredible to see the ruins of Medina Azahara. 10-15,000 Muslims once lived here but today the ruins have only been recovered to demonstrate the area where the Caliph, the elite and the workers lived. Although there is not much left of the Medina, there is enough and I find it amazing that it has stood the test of time. Later we walked around Córdoba which may be my new favorite city in Spain (besides Sevilla of course). Historically, Córdoba was the capital of the Islamic empire in Spain due to its central geographical location and also its proximity to the Guadalquivir. Still today, Córdoba remains historic with the Mosque of Córdoba standing tall within the city center.
The Mosque was the single most interesting thing I've seen in my entire life. Later after the Muslims were expelled from the country, the Mosque was converted into a Cathedral. However, most of the building is still in its original form from the days of when it stood as a Mosque. The Arched entry ways, incredible columns and scriptures on the wall are all from the days of Muslim rule. Yet the newer part, is the Cathedral. It is fascinating to see the mixture of both Christian and Islamic influence in one area. The lamps that hang from within the historic mosque are garnished with crosses..something I found very interesting. The Cathedral and where the Mosque was once is only divided by floor marble and walls.
Today there is so much hatred between the Islamic and Christian world. To think that there is a building that encompasses both religions where people visit every day to not only tour, but also to pray is amazing. Originally I was ecstatic to tour the Mosque because of its historical significance. Now, I am more amazed by the symbolism of this building in today's world and that it is still being preserved. Although it is called the Cathedral of Córdoba, what remains of the Mosque is preserved and the importance of what this Mosque once symbolized is still respected.I think that's what struck me the most about the Mosque.
Dad comes today, can't wait! Weekend off to a great start!
Monday, November 14, 2011
Last week was our midterm week. I cannot express how happy I am that I chose to take my classes in Spanish. Although sometimes it can be difficult writing essays, taking notes/exams, and most importantly learning everything in Spanish, it has made such a difference in both my oral and writing skills. My ability to understand a native speaker (which most of the times is the hardest part) has developed immensely. I am enjoying all of my classes but in particular, my History of Three Cultures class, has been an incredible learning experience. This class focuses on the history of Spain in regards to the Jewish, Muslim and Christian empires. Although I had a brief background of the influence of the Moors, I was unaware of the amount of influence the Islamic empires after had on the country. Still to this day in Sevilla and the rest of Andalucia, there is so much that exemplifies the power the Muslims had.
The other day, my professor told our class that the average Spaniard does not realize how much of Spanish culture today is rooted in the days of Islamic occupancy. Now that I have learned so much about the cultural and urban influences that developed in Spain, it seems impossible to not be able to see the similarities!
Some fun facts: any Castilian word that begins with ‘al’ is rooted in Arabic. For example, albóndigas (Spanish meatballs) was originally al-bóndiga. To this day in Sevilla alone, there are many streets that begin with ‘al’. Al-Andalus, is the original name for Andalucia (the south of Spain). Also called, la peninsula Iberica, this part of the country was given this name by the Moors. The Guadalquivir, the river that runs through Sevilla comes from the Arabic world meaning ‘great river.’ In addition, many parts of the city still resemble what one would imagine Sevilla once was when Muslims ruled Andalucia. My favorite street here Calle Alhóndiga, seems to have remained untouched. The Alhóndiga was the part of the local markets dedicated for foreigners that came to sell their goods. This part of Sevilla where calle Alhóndiga is located used to be the part of the Medina (enclosed area of the city) where these markets were held. Once I learned this information, it was easy to envision what these streets used to look like. To this day, this area is filled with windy small streets, tapas bars and small restaurants hidden on every side street. The ability to take what I have learned in my class and explore these parts of the city on my own has probably been my favorite part about studying in Sevilla.
The other day, my professor told our class that the average Spaniard does not realize how much of Spanish culture today is rooted in the days of Islamic occupancy. Now that I have learned so much about the cultural and urban influences that developed in Spain, it seems impossible to not be able to see the similarities!
Some fun facts: any Castilian word that begins with ‘al’ is rooted in Arabic. For example, albóndigas (Spanish meatballs) was originally al-bóndiga. To this day in Sevilla alone, there are many streets that begin with ‘al’. Al-Andalus, is the original name for Andalucia (the south of Spain). Also called, la peninsula Iberica, this part of the country was given this name by the Moors. The Guadalquivir, the river that runs through Sevilla comes from the Arabic world meaning ‘great river.’ In addition, many parts of the city still resemble what one would imagine Sevilla once was when Muslims ruled Andalucia. My favorite street here Calle Alhóndiga, seems to have remained untouched. The Alhóndiga was the part of the local markets dedicated for foreigners that came to sell their goods. This part of Sevilla where calle Alhóndiga is located used to be the part of the Medina (enclosed area of the city) where these markets were held. Once I learned this information, it was easy to envision what these streets used to look like. To this day, this area is filled with windy small streets, tapas bars and small restaurants hidden on every side street. The ability to take what I have learned in my class and explore these parts of the city on my own has probably been my favorite part about studying in Sevilla.
Recent Travels
The past few weeks have been filled with traveling—which is why I haven't posted in a while! Two weeks ago my friend and I spent a weekend in Alicante. Alicante is a small city south of Valencia right on the Mediterranean coast. The city is known for their seafood (especially their paella), which we enjoyed immensely. While we were there the Volvo Around the World sailing race had just begun. Professional sailors begin their year long journey sailing around the world in Alicante. Their stops include, Miami, Brazil, New Zealand, an island in the Pacific, Abu Dhabi, South Africa, and then Lisboa. The pier and area near the water was filled with sponsors, vendors, and special exhibitions for the race. I really liked Alicante and it was so nice to be by the water again! I miss the ocean! Although I have traveled internationally since I've been here, I also made it a priority to see different parts of Spain. I'm really happy I got to see Alicante, a landmark on the Eastern coast, and explore a different part of Spain.
This past weekend I went to Barcelona and met up with two of my best friends from Rhodes! The whole time we couldn't believe we were all together in Barcelona. The next time we'll see each other will be in Memphis, which was so strange to wrap our heads around! I was only there for two days before I went to Brussels for the weekend. However, during those two days we went to Gaudi Park, the Cathedral and saw one of Gaudi's most famous works, Casa Batllo. We also visited a local fruit market where they make juices of all sorts fresh every morning. The market is only open on Thursdays, so we were lucky we got to visit! The market is also known for their wide range of meats and skilled butchers that sell meat from chicken to brains (yuck!). Since one of my friends is studying there, it was great to have someone who knows the city showing us around since there are many local spots, that as a tourist you have a harder time finding. Barcelona was an amazing city, I'm really glad I got to visit while I'm here!
The rest of the weekend spent in Belgium was amazing as well. My friends and I visited the Atom, Mini-Europe and the Chocolate Museum. I ate the best waffles with chocolate, strawberries and whip cream! Of course we ate the famous french fries (multiple times) with all different dipping sauces. All in all it was a great weekend, and I'm so glad I got to see some familiar faces.
This Friday, API is taking us to Córdoba where we will tour the Grand Mosque that still stands from the days of Islamic rule. I'm really excited to see this incredible building that represented and continues to represent so much of Spanish history.
This past weekend I went to Barcelona and met up with two of my best friends from Rhodes! The whole time we couldn't believe we were all together in Barcelona. The next time we'll see each other will be in Memphis, which was so strange to wrap our heads around! I was only there for two days before I went to Brussels for the weekend. However, during those two days we went to Gaudi Park, the Cathedral and saw one of Gaudi's most famous works, Casa Batllo. We also visited a local fruit market where they make juices of all sorts fresh every morning. The market is only open on Thursdays, so we were lucky we got to visit! The market is also known for their wide range of meats and skilled butchers that sell meat from chicken to brains (yuck!). Since one of my friends is studying there, it was great to have someone who knows the city showing us around since there are many local spots, that as a tourist you have a harder time finding. Barcelona was an amazing city, I'm really glad I got to visit while I'm here!
The rest of the weekend spent in Belgium was amazing as well. My friends and I visited the Atom, Mini-Europe and the Chocolate Museum. I ate the best waffles with chocolate, strawberries and whip cream! Of course we ate the famous french fries (multiple times) with all different dipping sauces. All in all it was a great weekend, and I'm so glad I got to see some familiar faces.
This Friday, API is taking us to Córdoba where we will tour the Grand Mosque that still stands from the days of Islamic rule. I'm really excited to see this incredible building that represented and continues to represent so much of Spanish history.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
Hiking in Aracena
Today we went hiking in a small pueblo outside of Aracena, which is about an hour and a half outside Sevilla. Our program took us on a day trip there and it was so beautiful! We hiked 9 MILES though the mountains and outskirts of the town. During the hike we passed by multiple pig farms (yummmy jamon ;) haha) and horse farms as well. We also saw plenty of sheep, even a few baby ones that were precious! We stopped in one of the small pueblos (towns) for lunch and some tinto de verano which was delicious. All in all it was a great day but we are all so exhausted from the hike...were not told it was going to be 9 miles that was a surprise.
Tomorrow will possibly be going to Rhonda--this very small cool town outside Sevilla for a day trip with some of my friends.
Weekend is off to a great start!
Tomorrow will possibly be going to Rhonda--this very small cool town outside Sevilla for a day trip with some of my friends.
Weekend is off to a great start!
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Week in Sevilla
Hola! This was our first FULL week/weekend in Sevilla since we've been here. Seems crazy, but the past two weekends I was traveling and the first weekend we were here it was more of settling in etc. My classes this week went well, I'm really enjoying all of them. For my Flamenco class, we got our first paper assignment; to compare and analyze two different types of Flamenco. We can hand in the paper whenever we like as long as its before the end of the semester, so I'm going to get started this week. We have to go to different flamenco bars and watch the different types of flamenco...rough life I know.
This weekend was great especially because my bestie Marie came to visit me! She is studying in Barcelona and came to Sevilla with some of her friends for the weekend! It was a great weekend and SO nice to have her here. I feel so lucky to have been able to see Camilla, Marie and my Dad all within these past two weeks :). I took Marie to Alcazar (the Moorish palace) and to the back streets in bario Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz is a very traditional Sevillian district with tapas bars, winding streets, flamenco bars, small plazas..very magical. We had delicious paella, sangria and dulces at a wonderful restaurant. (My first meal I've splurged on since I've been here!) On Friday night we went to see flamenco at La Carboneria, a very well kept secret in Sevilla. They are famous for their traditional, non-touristy flamenco shows and for Agua de Sevilla. Agua de Sevilla is a traditional drink here that is four different liqours, champagne, pineapple juice and whipped cream..definitely lethal but delicious!
Marie met all my friends and they all loved her! Showed her nightlife in Sevilla and took her to a bunch of bars and discotecas. We had tinto de verano on the river last night which was great. I also took her to plaza de espana, a very big plaza that was built to commemorate Spain. They have a little waterway that runs circular around the fountain and you can rent mini paddle boats for 40 minutes to go around the plaza so I took Marie to do that with my friends and I. Today, my host brother invited Marie over for lunch. Amanda, Marie, Felipe (host brother), two of his friends and I had a delicious lunch that Felipe prepared..Lasagna and Cruzcampo (Spanish budlight)!
Tomorrow starts another week of class, more updates coming soon :)
This weekend was great especially because my bestie Marie came to visit me! She is studying in Barcelona and came to Sevilla with some of her friends for the weekend! It was a great weekend and SO nice to have her here. I feel so lucky to have been able to see Camilla, Marie and my Dad all within these past two weeks :). I took Marie to Alcazar (the Moorish palace) and to the back streets in bario Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz is a very traditional Sevillian district with tapas bars, winding streets, flamenco bars, small plazas..very magical. We had delicious paella, sangria and dulces at a wonderful restaurant. (My first meal I've splurged on since I've been here!) On Friday night we went to see flamenco at La Carboneria, a very well kept secret in Sevilla. They are famous for their traditional, non-touristy flamenco shows and for Agua de Sevilla. Agua de Sevilla is a traditional drink here that is four different liqours, champagne, pineapple juice and whipped cream..definitely lethal but delicious!
Marie met all my friends and they all loved her! Showed her nightlife in Sevilla and took her to a bunch of bars and discotecas. We had tinto de verano on the river last night which was great. I also took her to plaza de espana, a very big plaza that was built to commemorate Spain. They have a little waterway that runs circular around the fountain and you can rent mini paddle boats for 40 minutes to go around the plaza so I took Marie to do that with my friends and I. Today, my host brother invited Marie over for lunch. Amanda, Marie, Felipe (host brother), two of his friends and I had a delicious lunch that Felipe prepared..Lasagna and Cruzcampo (Spanish budlight)!
Tomorrow starts another week of class, more updates coming soon :)
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