Spain Week Three!!

Another week in Spain has come and gone so fast! I feel like I wrote my week two post yesterday, but the time is flying by and I only have two full weeks left here. This week was incredibly busy as always, with new and exciting adventures 🙂

• I started off the week taking two midterm exams which I’m happy to say went very well! I am still quite busy with assignments but enjoying learning about business in the Spanish-speaking world.
• Tuesday we toured the Catedral de Sevilla and it was beautiful. I’m loving all of the cathedrals I’m getting to see while I’m here, because they are decorated with such a lovely combination of religion and architecture. We also got to climb up 34 flights in the Giralda tower which offered an amazing bird’s eye view of Sevilla. My favorite kind of view!
• Wednesday we visited Las Setas (Spanish for The Mushrooms) which is a super cool structure that you can climb to the top of and see an entire view of Sevilla. We went with our host family at sunset and the views were amazing!! Once it got dark, every single church in Sevilla was lit up.
• Thursday we toured a winery called Bodegas Góngora as one of our business visits. They’ve been in business since 1682 and specialize in several types of sherry wines. We learned the ins and outs of the wine business and got to try a few wines as well! I enjoyed tasting them, as well as the snacks they put out to go with the wine (LOL).
• Friday a small group of us took the train to Madrid! I found a cool hostel that was located in the theater district area which honestly resembled New York City a lot, especially the Times Square/Broadway area. We walked around and explored, and ended up at an Italian restaurant for dinner (I know what you’re thinking — we’re in Spain! But this place was delicious). I had a yummy pizza and we all split chocolate mousse that was to die for. We ended the night by checking out a rooftop bar and hanging out on the rooftop terrace of our hostel, where we met some nice people from Mexico and Australia!
• Saturday was a FULL day of exploring Madrid! We had a delicious breakfast at a cafe and headed out immediately to check off several touristy spots. We went to a few cool plazas, including one called Puerta de Sol which had a statue of a bear and a strawberry tree (Madrid’s official symbol) called El Ozo y el Madrono. We got to see the beautiful royal palace, the Reina Sofia museum that has Dalí and Picasso works in it and the cathedral. The cathedral was probably my favorite part — it was absolutely gorgeous inside with colorful ceilings and stained glass that I couldn’t stop staring at. We also went to a market where I tried a chocolate truffle and a Spanish treat called tejas, which literally means “roof tiles” but is actually an almond biscuit treat — yum!
• For dinner, we ended up at the same Italian place because of how much we loved it the night before (surprise surprise) and I had pesto pasta that was wonderful. I also ended up logging 22,000 steps that day — safe to say I got plenty of exercise!
• Sunday we had another delicious breakfast at a Spanish cafe and bakery where I had a cheese omelet and a palmera de chocolate, a chocolate pastry that’s sort of like a croissant with chocolate on top (again — surprise, surprise) and rode the train home. My roommate Audrey and I went to mass at a Catholic church and struggled to understand it, but it was incredibly interesting and we’re happy we went!
• My Spanish is a continued work in progress, and I’m learning useful slang phrases from my host family like “How cool!” is “Que guay!”
• As far as trying new foods goes, my host mom told me that “I eat basically everything” which if you know me is a HUGE improvement to my picky taste in the U.S.! I have been adventurous with trying food and it has benefitted me well. Some of the best things she has made for us have included zucchini and pumpkin soups, eggplant casserole, broccoli and potato casserole, paella, the list goes on! I’m excited to see what else I will try before I come home 🙂

sevilla cathedral!

view from la giralda tower

view from la giralda tower

las setas

view from las setas

view from las setas

host family!

winery

one of the beautiful parks we have at our fingertips

yummy breakfast bagel

bear statue

madrid

truffle and tejas!

cathedral in madrid!

inside of the madrid cathedral

royal palace of madrid

churros with chocolate!

dipping our churros in chocolate

beautiful madrid buildings

pesto dinner

royal palace of madrid with the group

don quixote statue

pope john paul II outside of the cathedral

weird baby head statue outside the madrid train station

So, to sum up: more delicious food (and copious amounts of chocolate, of course), beautiful sights and some awesome people to spend it with! I am happy and still learning so much. Thank you for continuing to read about my adventures!

‘Til next week!

Adios,

Cara