Royal Alcazars of Sevilla

A couple of Saturdays back, I went to the Alcazar with Brittany and Hannah. It is the royal palace in Sevilla and is still a residence for the royal family. It is situated in the city center, behind very high walls. In fact, it is so well hidden I really never noticed it until we went (this in itself is impressive because the residence is huge and complete with large gardens/parks). Maybe I'm just oblivious? We quickly ran out of time, not realizing that the palace closes at 5, we arrived around 4:15. Sooo, pictures are limited and lacking but, I think that you will still be able to see the previous splendor. The Moorish architecture is beautiful!













Too many photos??? They are probably better than boring old words! I think that we should start a collection to buy Ella a new D-SLR camera, so that you, the reader, have better images to look at! How is that for a pitch? So now I really have to attempt to get some work done! Midterms this week, ugh! I was under the impression that no one worked while studying abroad!

Universidad Pablo de Olavide

In case you're interested, this is a video about the university that I am attending while here in Sevilla. The best part is that the school looks nothing like this, as in it is definitely not this nice! It was previously a labor school, built by the dictator Franco, and was turned into a university in 1997. There are jokes around campus about how it was once a prison and that the tower is actually a sniper tower, ha ha ha! Needless to say, I am now appreciating the beauty and organization of my campus back home. The redeeming factor at UPO is that the professors are all fantastic. So while everything else could be improved, at least we have good teachers!



In the meantime, I have been fed french fries three times this week and consequently have reinstated my running routine. Please feel encouraged to hurl insults my way in the hopes that they will maintain my motivation!

More Bullfighting

When I finished my post about bullfighting a couple of weeks ago, I totally forgot to post the videos that I took while there. Apparently, video cameras are not allowed but, mine is deceptive! It is much easier to understand what goes on when you see it!

Flamenco

Hello,HOLA

I just returned from my weekend trip to Madrid (it is a more fabulous city than I had imagined).
I had the impression that Spain's capital would be large, daunting, and overwhelming; fortunately, I discovered this was not the case! Madrid is my kind of city, more info and photos to come.

In the meantime...I have been reading up about flamenco
Before coming to Sevilla, I thought of flamenco only as a style of dance; I was completely unaware of the culture, musicians, and singers that are also essential. Flamenco is a gypsy tradition from Anadalucía (the southern province of Spain that I am living in). The guitarists create beautiful, unusual rhythms, the cantaores sing sad, wailing lyrics, and the dancers express so much passion!

Only a few weeks into my stay here, I went to a flamenco show at La Carboneria (an enchanting hole in the wall, that is impossible to find and somehow houses a dive bar in the back). It is in the neighborhood of Santa Cruz, which is among the most beautiful parts of the city.




Here is just an example of the typical style seen here! Flamenco has also had a huge influence on modern Spanish music, especially Jazz and Rock. If you haven't, please listen to the Gipsy Kings!