Semana Santa

Semana Santa in Sevilla is like nothing else I've ever experienced. It is one of the most important traditional events here - there are tons of people, lots of activity, and the city truly changes shape for a week - but in a good way. All week long there are processions, almost continuously, from the churches in Sevilla to the Cathedral. Each church processes with it's paso, which is a large, wooden float depicting either a scene from the Passion of Christ, or the Virgin Mary - or both. Each paso is ornately decorated, and is accompanied by a large musical band and by nazarenos, which to the untrained American eye, looks very similar to an unpopular group of hooded figures from the South (see photo above). The processions are quite large, and move VERY slowly through the streets of Sevilla. They start at their respective church, walk to the Cathedral, and then process back to their church. The longest single procession takes 14 hours! The floats are carried by men, who are huddled underneath the float, unseen by the public. The floats are extremely heavy, and to navigate them almost blindly through the narrow, cobblestone streets of Sevilla - it truly is a work of art. The procession routes are lined with people, and in some neighborhoods, individuals in the crowds break into spontaneous song. We were fortunate to see this first-hand in Triana, when some women on one of the balconies began to sing a flamenco-style song.

The whole experience is very powerful: the ornate pasos, the music, the nazarenos (many of whom walk the entire procession barefoot), the incense, the crowds of people gathered to watch...words cannot describe it. Mom, Dad, and I were fortunate enough to see quite a few pasos - mostly by serendipity. But every time, we were struck by the power, beauty, faith, and significance of the event.

Nazarenos.

A paso of Christ, making its way through the streets.

The feet of the Costaleros, carrying a paso.

Another paso, moving through the Triana neighborhood, while people watch from the balconies.

A paso outside of the Cathedral.

La Mantilla - the traditional dress during Holy Week, especially Holy Thursday.

A paso dedicated to the Virgin Mary. I love all the candles - especially at night.

Mom and Dad in Spain!

My mom and dad officially arrived in Sevilla! And as I'm writing this after their visit, I can honestly say that we couldn't have asked for a more perfect 10 days. After an unseasonably rainy winter, the weather was finally beautiful, and you could smell the orange blossoms (azahar, as they call it here) everywhere. We did so many things, I don't even know where to begin! We walked a lot, watched the many street performers, ate lots of yummy food, drank lots of Spanish wine, and stopped for ice cream more than once or twice. Our favorite little cafe was called 'La Cava', near Barrio Santa Cruz. They had an eclectic variety of tapas, and a really great Rueda wine by the glass. We went to mass at the Cathedral, walked along the river, visited the farmers market in Triana, bought some traditional tile work in the old Jewish neighborhood...and we even attempted to ride bikes around the city, which proved to be more difficult that we thought with all the people and festivities! More about our adventures to come!

 

First tinto, beer, and olives in Spain - a proper welcoming.

Mom and Dad in Puerta de Jerez.

Walking along the Guadalquivir River.

Having a frosty brew at the Cerveceria Internacional - one of my favorite spots!

Lunch in Jerez

After school today, some of the teachers and I went to Jerez de la Frontera (a nearby town) for the afternoon. We had a delicious, leisurely lunch at an outside cafe, and then spent a few hours walking around the town. In true Spanish fashion, we stopped for coffee...and then a short while later, stopped again at a tea house. I think that is one of my favorite things about Spain: spacing things out over a relaxed, several hour period. Hence the idea of tapas, or stopping for periodically for a coffee, or a beer, etc. And also in true Spanish fashion, we didn't pay much attention to the time...and thus, one American girl missed the last train back to Sevilla and had to spend the night with her friend Puri in El Cuervo. :-) But that's okay - it's all part of the adventure...

At the Alcazar (Royal Palace).

Stopping for coffee...

...and now, at a tea house! Ana, Lourdes, and MariCarmen.

Puri and I.

Happy (Early) Easter!

This week, I taught the students about American Easter traditions: Easter baskets, the Easter Bunny, Easter egg hunts, dying eggs, lots of candy, etc. And I learned that there really isn't a word in Spanish for jellybeans. Oh well. It's interesting because in Spain, it almost seems like more emphasis is put on Semana Santa (Holy Week) than on Easter Sunday itself. But regardless,  here it is definitely a religious holiday, steeped in tradition. Anyway, the kids decorated some Easter baskets, Easter eggs, and Easter bunnies to hang on the wall in the main entrance of the school.  Their work is proudly displayed above.

 

Some of the kiddos, making Easter baskets.

MariCarmen, myself, and Puri - the 3 English teachers.

Feliz Cumpleanos!

Today was my 29th birthday, and I can't think of a better place to have spent it than in Spain. :-) It was a pretty mellow day, as I had to work...not to mention that I had a whole weekend of celebrating in Barcelona and Paris beforehand! But I did meet up with some friends in Plaza Salvador for a beer. Plaza Salvador is a big, open plaza in the city center. Anytime the weather is good, and even sometimes when it's not, you can find tons of people outside having a beer and chatting. You can usually hear the buzz of the crowd way before you actually arrive in the plaza - I love it. And as a beer only costs 1 euro, you really can't beat it! The picture above is of me with two of my closest friends here in Sevilla, Aranoa and Maria. Feliz Cumpleanos!!

Paris

What can I say? Paris is Paris. A city full of amazing architecture, delicious food, and people speaking a beautiful language. Andrew and I did most of our sight-seeing on foot, which reminded me how much bigger Paris is than Sevilla. But I still think the best way to see any city is on foot. We saw all the usual sights: Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Sacre Coeur, Moulin Rouge, Arc de Triomphe, etc. And of course we ate all the typical French foods: crepes, croissants, quiche, and french macaroons (if you haven't tried a french macaroon, you need to put this high on your priority list. They are simply delicious!). We were actually in Paris for "National Macaroon Day" so we got to try macaroons for free! How bout that. 

My friend Meghan is teaching in Paris at the moment, so she met up with us for a night to give us a taste of Paris, non-tourist style. We had dinner at a great French restaurant and then went to the Latin Quarter  for some drinks. The Latin Quarter is in the 5th arrondissement, and we had drinks on rue Mouffetard, which is a young, hip area with lots of shops, cafes, and bars. I love the French language. When your word for 'neighborhood' sounds as beautiful as 'arrondissement', then you know you're in a good place. ...Although I have to admit, I still giggle every time I say the words 'rue Mouffetard'.  I guess we don't ever truly grow up, do we?

The fountain behind Luxembourg Palace.

San Chapelle, the Commissaire de Police, and the Metro - a photo conglomerate of historical significance.

Notre Dame by night.

Sacre Coeur.

The infamous Moulin Rouge.

The Ile de la Cite.

Me outside the Louvre.

Arc de Triomphe.

Barcelona

Andrew and I stopped in Barcelona for a day on our way to Paris for the weekend. I had visited Barcelona 9 years ago, but I enjoyed the city more this time, however briefly, than I had previously. We had a little mishap on the train into Barcelona from the airport, and ended up in a not-so-good industrial neighborhood somewhere on the outskirts of the city. While waiting for a train back into the heart of Barcelona, we were "entertained" by a gentleman who clearly had been celebrating St. Paddy's Day (wink, wink), and another guy who invited to let us stay at his "crib" and assured us that he was going to be a famous soccer player for the Barcelona team. Let's just say I was glad when the train finally arrived. :-) 

Anyway, we saw Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia church, which is one of the most intriguing buildings I have ever seen. I find Gaudi's work fascinating, and I think his style is best exemplified by La Sagrada Familia. Construction of the church began in 1882, and still continues today (even though Gaudi passed away in 1926). Hopefully my pictures will capture a little of what I'm talking about -- it is a remarkable structure. We also walked down La Rambla, which is Barcelona's most famous street, chalk-full of street performers, and sidewalk markets selling anything you can think of: art, souvenirs, toys, roosters...yep, I said roosters. We found an AMAZING farmer's market just off of La Rambla, called Mercat de Sant Josep, which sold every type of fruit, vegetable, meat, seafood, candy, etc. We grabbed a slice of pizza there and wandered though the stalls, just admiring the selection. Want to buy an entire octopus? No problem! How about a whole sheep's head? They've got that, too. Fresh cactus flower juice? I tried that one -- DELICIOUS.

 

Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia.

Another view.

I love how the architecture here looks like stretched tendons.

Can you tell I love this church??

Mercat de Sant Josep - the fruit stalls.

Now on to the sweets!

Andrew meandering through the seafood stalls.

Which would you prefer: the fish with sharp teeth or the spiny ball-shaped things?

St. Patrick's Day

Today at school, I taught the children about St. Patrick's Day. Again, teaching them in English, I have to keep things VERY simple. It usually consists of a few new vocabulary words, a brief explanation of the history/significance of the holiday, and a fun activity. So, I had to boil St. Patrick's Day down to a day of good luck -- that way, I could explain four-leaf clovers, leprechauns, and pots of gold at the end of  rainbows. As far as celebrating it in the USA, I could only think of parades and drinking green beer! (Although I didn't actually teach them about drinking green beer.) Anyway, we had a giant leprechaun hat, which the kids got a kick out of wearing, and they colored some leprechaun faces. After school, it was off to Barcelona with Andrew -- but I will save that for the next post!

The infamous hat, making the rounds...

 

Coloring leprechauns.

A group of Spanish leprechauns. :-)

...and now my turn to wear the hat!

Sanel

Sanel is the name of my volleyball team here in Sevilla. We practice every Monday and Thursday night, and then play games on the weekends. It's been an incredible experience for me, as I've met a bunch of new people, get to practice Spanish, and experience sports in another country! The girls on my team range anywhere from 18 to 30 years old, and all of them (besides me, of course) are Spanish. We practice at a Salesian school here in Sevilla, which ironically reminds me vaguely of my own grade school. I do have to admit that one of my favorite traditions revolving around volleyball occurs after practice every Thursday night. I go with about 3 of my teammates to Tribuna, our favorite neighborhood bar, for tapas, a drink or two, and a few hours of great conversation on the patio. It's something I look forward to every week. :) Anyway, here are some pictures of a game on our home court, as well as a tournament in Cadiz.

Lining up before a game on our home court.

Home game - we won!

My coaches, JuanMa and Ale, playing in Cadiz.

My friend Chipi and I at the tournament in Cadiz.

My teammates.  :-)

Accepting our 1st Place trophy at the tournament in Cadiz.