It's been too long...

So much has happened! Too name a few… I started my regular session of classes, traveled to the quaint town of Cordoba, ate soup cooked with pig’s ear, and found what I now consider the best burger in Sevilla.

Starting from the beginning: classes. I love them. Mt first class of the week is my favorite so far. It’s called Spanish for the Health Professional. The teacher is an animated man who is always making sure we actually understand what he is saying. Unlike the majority of the time where I can get away with smiling, nodding, and the occasional “bueno,” he actually makes sure you are following along. Likewise 2 of my other professors and extremely nice and I feel I will enjoy their classes as well. My last class of the week is Contemporary Spanish-American novels. I’m fairly positive the professor is a genius. He speaks rapid-fire Spanish much like my senora and I can’t understand everything he says, but the 70% I do understand is going to be more than I will learn in all my other classes combined. He reminds me of my father’s best friend, Walter. The smartest guy I know, and he looks like him too! It’s the best!

Our trip to Cordoba was fantastic. It’s a town famous for its mosque which is now a cathedral (since the rude kicking Muslims and Jews out of Spain). But everyone still refers to the building as la mezquita (mosque). People of the town still say they are going to mass in the mosque. The architecture inside is something to marvel at. The mix of Arabic, roman, renaissance, and baroque influences are juxtaposed into a mindboggling display of architectural creation. You walk into the mezquita to escape the extremely loud bells that chime from the original minaret every 30minutes. And the first thing that hits you is the columns - 859 of them to be exact. Roman-style marble pillars rise out of the beautiful tile floor to connect with cream and crimson (Go Hoosiers!!)  double-decker arches that traverse the entire width of the mezquita.  It’s a huge open space below the decorated ceiling but as with all buildings built for Muslim purposes it’s filled with a very dusky luminescence. You get to walk through the mezquita towards the back where the Qur’an was kept. Look up and you get to see the most amazing ceiling I have ever encountered. Millions of pieces of colored glass were painstaking put into place to create a beautiful floral are star-filled ceiling.

 Interesting fact: they sure didn’t think much of women then. Where did we get to sit? Nowhere near the Qur’an that’s for sure. If there was room all the way at the back, yes we could sit there. If there wasn’t room or the men just didn’t feel like having us there, well, the patio outside is where you could find us. How rude! Honestly, I am so thankful that I live in a time of equality and I want to give thanks for all the strong women who have come before me who fought for that equality. I am lucky enough to be part of a family filled with strong women, great-grandmothers, grandmothers, my mother, aunts, and the rest. I love you all.  Sorry to get sidetracked   : )    Overall Cordoba was a great day trip. We had a couple hours for lunch and my friends and I found a hidden gem in the windy back streets of Cordoba. With full les of dried pig hanging from the ceiling and every inch of the walls covered in pictures of famous bull fighters, this bar had the most Spanish spirit I have seen anywhere. It was clearly a local favorite and it was fun to find it. 

Apart from school and travels I have been able to enjoy and explore Sevilla a little more. I went for tapas after class one day with some friends and we stumbled upon the best burger in Sevilla. I have to go back very soon. You can’t go wrong with burger, cheese, and caramelized onion. Pair it with a tinto de verano (red vine and lemon soda) and you have the ultimate early evening snack. I’ve met some new friends too. One girl moved here on a whim and has been here for 7 months. Later this week she is taking me for pizza – besides skittles, pizza (without ham… which is one everything here) is the biggest craving I have had yet.

This coming Friday I am off on another day trip sponsored by our program to a small town called Carmona. It’s about 30km from here. Sunday I am going on a 7 mile hike. Our program is really amazing about setting up trips for us. I am thoroughly impressed with our program thus far and highly recommend it to anyone who knows someone wanting to study in Spain. 

I’m sorry this is so long; I won’t leave so much time in between next time. There is just too much to tell and not enough time to tell it all! 

Love and miss you all - At

My artsy picture I am most proud of. These are the old baths inside the royal palace here in Sevilla.

The view as you cross the original bridge into Cordoba. This is the same river that runs through Sevilla.

After lunch, getting ready to explore the mezquita!

The cream and Crimson arches! Who knew the people of Cordoba love IU as much as I do!  There are 859 of these columns throughout the mezquita

The beautiful glass mosaic ceiling above the old Qur'an room. A picture really cannot do it justice.

It's amazing the difference between the dark original mezquita part and then your literally turn a corner and find this HUGE open light cathedral. How different can you get?!?

As our guide informed us, this is the "must-get photo" of Cordoba. This is the street rightfully named the street of flowers with a view of the bell tower / minaret of the mezquita. How pretty!