Día Cuatro: Córdoba

Me levanto en la manana sentando como P. Diddy. Or I wake up at * in the morning, ready to go back to sleep. Today, my program had a scheduled trip to Cordoba and I needed to be on the bus at 9 am. I have yet to get a good sleep in Spain, but I do not want to miss anything. We left from Puerta de la Derecha at Universidad de Sevilla. Cordoba is an interesting city for many reasons. It used to be one of the most intellectual hotspots in Spain, so there are a lot of important historical locations within the city limits. There is also a mix of cultures in Cordoba that is very typical of Southern Spain. during the Reconquista of Spain, many of the Jewish and Muslim landmarks were converted to Christian places of worship, but there are very distinct marks in the architecture that reveal the original intents of the buildings. For example, one of the 'churches' we visited wass decorated with traditional Jewish mosaics and had a split level in the temple, one level for men and the other for women and children. There were also Muslim arcs covering the city, especially in La Catedral de Cordoba. This cathedral is the perfect example of mixted cultures in Andalucia, as half of the building is covered in thousands of gorgeous Muslim arcs while the other half is decorated in traditional Christian statues and figures of the crucifixion and saints. Another interesting thing about Cordoba is that before the Reconquista, most interactions between the three religions occupying the city were peaceful. After the tour was concluded, our guide suggested we cross the river to check out the festival. It was similar to fairs in the United States, but there was a very distinct dress code.

Día Tres: Host Families

Breakfast at 8:00 am. My roomate and I agreed to wake each other up, because if yesterday was any indication of today, we would be in serious trouble if we did not eat anything. And, as everyone knows, my caffine addiction prevents me from being a properly functioning person unless I've had coffee in the morning. Still, waking up after yesterday was a bitch. My whole body was aching and just begging for sleep. After breakfast, we were required to attend several orientations on housing and classes, and then we would be set free to our host families. I had received information on my host family the day before, which consisted of my senora and her daughter, Inma. Needless to say, I was extremely excited to meet them. When the information sessions were over, I finally got to meet my senora. She took me to Los Remedios, which is across the Guadalquivir from the main part of Seville. My apartment is beautiful, and my room is huge, with a nice window ledge perfect for sitting on. My window overlooks Calle Asuncion, which is always filled with the most adorable little children and dogs. My apartment is right above an ice cream shop, as well, which might end up to be a bad thing. I also have a wonderful dog named Bobi. We had lunch together, and I met her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend. They were all so nice and welcoming. After lunch, I had more orientations with CIEE, meaning once again, no siesta during the hottest part of the day, and returned for dinner. My senora is a fantastic cook, I love her food. I'm definitely going to like it here.

Día Dos: Muy Calor

Sheer, absolute ridiculousness... My program is run by Spaniards, who live in this climate year-round, yet they insist on making the international students walk around when normal Spaniards are taking a siesta. Today was ridiculously hot, and it was our day to 'explore the city'. In other words, get hopelessly lost in the summer heat. It wasn't exactly the best time of my life, and I'm pretty sure our guides didn't appreciate it, either. However, I do know the city a lot better now. But that could have been accomplished on more realistic terms. After our epic walk-about, we went to a flamenco show, which was extremely interesting, but difficult to stay awake for, especially after walking all over Seville. So, for an hour after flamenco ended, as a reward for surviving this ridiculous day, we went out to an Irish Pub. Reminiscent of the United States, yes. But definitely a great decision.

Día Uno: Heladería

Traveling on my own for the first time was slightly difficult. There was no one to talk to, only waiting to be done. I had to contemplate my unknown experiences on my own. But other than that, everything went fine. My six hour flight to London was difficult to sleep through, so I watched movies, which turned out to be pretty awful for jetlag. I arrived in Heathrow at 8am, after having left the US at 8pm. Goodbye, twelve hours of my life. Luckily, I happened to be seated next to two very friendly British boys on my flight from Heathrow to Madrid. They were on their way to Cuba because they were not ready to start at University. When I arrived in Madrid, I was extremely confused. The airport is a straight hallway, but it takes forever to get from gate to gate. It took me 20 minutes to get from my gate to the gate I needed to be at. I met some other girls from my program at the gate and we waited for our flight into Seville. Upon arriving in Seville, we were greeted at the gate and taken to the hotel. From there, our group leaders shuffled us to the pool area where we had a meet and greet. Sangria all around. It was beautiful to watch the city as the sun set. After the meet and greet, Oscar, one of the guides took us out for ice cream. In order to get to the ice cream shop, we had to walk through Plaza Nueva, where he warned us to stay close to him. Sevilla Futbol Club had won the King's Cup the night before, and there were people everywhere rioting. Something beautiful about Spain, there is no 'open container law', so everyone was carrying 40s. At the ice cream shop, Oscar advised me to get 'limon con hierbabuena', which is lemon ice cream with spearmint. I was feeling brave and adventurous after my day of no sleep and traveling, so I decided to give it a shot. Limo con hierbabuena is now my new favorite flavor. After ice cream, some people headed out to the bars, but I went back to the hotel and crashed by 1am. I was absolutely exhaused, and breakfast the next morning was at 8.