Tenative Itinerary for Seville!

A list of ideas I got from http://www.exploreseville.com/

Enjoy a beer and a tapa of espinacas in El Rinconcillo, located near Plaza de Los Terceros. This is Sevilla's oldest bar, founded in 1670. There are plenty of traditional tapas to go along with the very typical atmosphere. The collection of antique liquor bottles are so rare that companies who still produce the brands have tried to purchase them back from the bar - but no luck!. And if you feel like a meal there's a new restaurant above the bar.

Rent a four-wheeled tandem bike in Parque Maria Luisa to take a quick tour of the gardens. They come in varieties for two of four riders and are a good way to see all of the park if you don't have much time. While they tell you not to take it off the paved streets you'll miss out on half the fun if you don't! Just make sure you've mastered the hand break before you start your trip. And keep an eye out for horse carriages and joggers, as well as the occasional fat and lazy pigeon.
http://www.exploreseville.com/images/todo/paruqe-bike.jpg

Order a tapa of boquerones en adobo in Bar Blanco Cerillo, located off Calle Tetuan in the central shopping district. If you get a chance to sit outside there is little doubt that Emilio will be your waiter. He's been there for about 13 years. One tapa and a cold cruzcampo and you'll be in heaven. To find it follow your nose - when you smell something delicious on calle Tetuan look for a little side street with some tables outside.
http://www.exploreseville.com/images/todo/blancocerillo.jpg

Order a pitcher of Agua de Sevilla, best with a few friends as it packs a punch: four kinds of liquor, champagne, pineapple juice and cream. Not every place serves up this concoction, but you will have some luck in Santa Cruz and calle Betis. La Carboneria is one place in Santa Cruz where you can always order it. Wherever you may find it there's all the right ingredients to get the night moving, maybe too quickly. Seriously, this can end your night as quick as it begins if you don't measure your intake!

Visit the Animal market on Sunday morning along the river and Avenida Torneo to check out the dogs, cats, birds and more. You can even bring home a duck! While this is still fun, I miss the days of the market in Plaza Alfalfa right in the center of the city. Like other markets it was moved further out, in this case during the bird flu scare around 2004 or 2005. Now it's harder to get my weekly puppy fix.

Buy sweets at a local convent - certainly a different experience than a bakery. In many you have an interesting exchange at first. Ring the bell and wait until you hear the nun say "Ave Maria Purisima". You'll likely want to respond by saying "Sin pecado concebido". Now you're ready to ask for what you want, place your money on a turnstile and spin it around for the nun on the other side. Then wait for something delicious to be spun back to you. One of my favorites: San Leandro (famous for their yemas).

Take a quick look at what remains of a 14th century funerary chapel in the Iglesia Salvador. This small chapel was discovered just off of the patio and was one of many discoveries during the recent renovation and excavation work. The private chapel (Capilla de los Pineda) features Gothic and Islamic styles and belonged to the Pineda family. Current rehabilitation work is being done on some of the tiles which remained intact and should (at some point) be on display.

Take in a free exhibit, of sorts, at theSunday market in Plaza del Museo next to the Museo de Bellas Artes. Here you'll find paintings and sketches by local artists for sale in a range of styles and prices. Beware, if you're not in Sevilla for good then you may need to figure out a way to bring it back on the plane. Better to choose something small! There is now also a new art market in Triana along the Paseo de la "O", also on Sunday mornings.

Check out an exhibit at one of the manyprivate galleries in town. Galería Rafael Ortiz, located on calle Marmoles in Santa Cruz, is one of my preferred. The venue is a renovated house with high ceilings and has some of the best works of the private galleries in town. There are around 15 - 20 galleries in the city center and the exhibits generally change a few times per month.

Watch a bullfight in the Plaza de Toros, one of the best venues in the world for a corrida. The bullring is famous and the museum itself is worth a visit. Or if you can't stand the idea of a bullfight then try picketing outside and be prepared for a lot of arguments. At least it will make for an interesting story in the local paper. If no events are scheduled, try a visit to the Museum.

Eat an ice cream at Rayas, the best place for ice cream in Sevilla if not all of Europe. On a hot summer night the crowds overwhelm the place as people spill into the street. You can choose from about 30 flavors which change seasonally and even get a to go container to bring it back home. If it's winter try their chocolate shop next door. You'll find Rayas just a block up from the Iglesia San Pedro on Calle Imagen, or their new location at the edge of Calle Zaragoza and Reyes Catolicos.

Head to Parque del Alamillo on Monday, Wednesday or Friday afternoons to see the young and aspiring toreros practice against a pair of horns on two bicycle wheels (pushed by another). This is where it all begins (and ends) for many wishing to try their luck in the "big leagues". The park is one of the largest in Sevilla and a popular spot for jogging or taking in a little nature by the river.

Catch a flamenco show at Casa de la Memoria or Auditorio Alvarez Quintero, where the price is cheaper than the tablaos but the show better than the average bar. Casa de la Memoria is an interesting venue: an 18th century patio in Santa Cruz which has very limited seating. Auditorio Alvarez Quintero is located just 2 blocks from the Cathedral and includes a small art gallery above the stage.

Visit the three roman columns hidden away behind a building on calle Marmoles in Santa Cruz. You may even catch a glimpse of the cat family living there. Just like in Rome! There were more columns at one point, but some were taken to the Alameda and are now propping up statues at either end of the Plaza. This was a temple dedicated to Hercules. The street (Marmoles, or marble) comes from the location of the columns. The Alameda de Hercules takes it's name from the original site of the temple.

Take a tour of the El Salvador church now that it is finished.. The church was closed for about 5 years after a stone fell out of the ceiling. During the works they discovered the ruins of the original, main mosque of Seville as well as tombs from Christian times. The church would be considered a Cathedral in many other cities and the restoration work is impressive. One hint: buy your ticket at the Cathedral first, which gives you free entrance to El Salvador. Otherwise you have to pay 3 Euros.

Take a photo of the house where the painter Velázquez was born. You'll find this hidden down a little alley between Plaza Alfalfa and Plaza de San Pedro (Cristo de Burgos). It's often overlooked only because it is hard to see from the main streets. The house is now the business offices of the famous designers Victorio & Lucchino.

Eat pescaito frito with a view of the old City Wall.  With a prime location along the newly illuminated old city wall in the Macarena, there is no place quite like Freiduria La Pastora to enjoy freshly fried fish. With plenty of outdoor seating, you can order drinks at the bar and take a number once the fry stand starts up to order your fish! Inside you'll find cold tapas and plenty of shellfish. This is a recommended night activity, when the view of the city wall is at its best.

Broma: **Are you visiting Seville with that special someone? Perhaps the one you plan to spend the rest of your life with? Drag that someone down to the Ayuntamiento and pass under the arch which joins Plaza San Francisco and Plaza Nueva. Local legend says you will marry the person with which you pass under the arch. If you decide you've made a mistake then find yourself a broom and sweep the feet of that person. An old saying in these parts is if your feet are "swept" then you won't marry.**

Rent a "city bike" from Sevici - get a day or week pass and try out Seville’s network of bicycle lanes which have become more and more popular with locals and visitors.  You can consult the routes here (link), or just hop on and see how far it can take you.  All of the rental machines have an English option which makes things easier if you don’t speak Spanish! Just make sure you select a bike in good condition.

Enjoy a glass of sweet orange wine at Bar La Goleta on calle Mateos Gago. This dark, sweet wine might be considered an acquired taste but it's the perfect way to start the night with a drink before some tapas. The bar is owned and operated by Alvaro Peregil, the son of Pepe Peregil, a well known flamenco singer Seville who also happens to own a few bars around the Santa Catalina and Alflafa neighborhoods.

Sevilla!

My friends and I are renting a car and going to Sevilla (Seville) next weekend! Will keep the blog updated!

Market Next to my House

List Contd

9. The door knobs here are in the middle of the door, and you don´t turn them--you just pull them! And you have to turn the key/lock at least four times to open/lock a door.

10. People don´t clean up after their dogs here...watch your step. And--very few of the dogs are on leashes!

List, contd

8. Resumes here: Yesterday I learned that on a resume here, you have to put the following:
-Age (!)
-Marital status, and if you have children (!!)
-A photo of yourself (!!!)
-Your nationality (!)

Can you even imagnie the lawsuits if someone asked for all of that information before a job interview?

Spanish "Culture Shock"

Before we came to Spain, all of the Study Abroad professors and staff told us to be prepared for extreme culture shock. Thus far, I feel that nothing is really shocking--just different. This is especially true coming from New York City. Here are some things, the bad and the good together in a list that is objectively obscure about which is bad and which is good, that are different:

1. It is incredibly rude not to wear shoes at the dinner table

2. The Spanish Schedule:
7-8am: Wake up and breakfast (continental style, with toast, coffee, cereal, etc)
9am: Go to work
11am: Leave work for a coffee/slice of tortilla (eggy/potato thing)
12pm: Back to work
2pm: Everything closes down, except for restaraunts thank heavens, for "siesta". This is frustratingly easy to forget. Lunch time!
5pm: Go back to work
8pm: Leave work
10pm: Dinner

3. All of the train stations have escalators--it is divine.

4. When someone is sick, Cordelia and I are sharing a cold, the way they cheer you up is to make jokes about killing you. For example, after you sneeze, they will say something along the lines of "Kill the sick one before she gets to us" etc with a smile on their faces

5. The older women here are fabulous. They are always dressed past the 9´s in fur coats, pearls, diamonds, huge sunglasses, and their hair perfectly coiffed. I aspire to be like them some day.

6. There are no dryers! Our clothes hang outside of our windows and we pulley them in.

7. When you cross the street at a crosswalk, the cars have to stop for you! It is very empowering.

I will keep adding to the list as they come my way!

Flamenco

Last night I had one of the best Spanish experiences I have had yet-- Flamenco. It wasn't the stereotypical "woman in red fluffy dress, rose in teeth, castanets", but two male dancers and several singers and guitarists who improvised together to make two hours of some of the most beautiful, passionate and intense dancing I have ever seen! I know that sounds corny but unfortunately when something is so good, it almost becomes jokingly corny.

We went to a place my Sra recommened,

www.casapatas.com

We got there and our seats were kind of in the back, but not horrible, but then 5 minutes before the show one of the waiters said that if we wanted to we could move up to the second row! It was amazing. I wish I could have taken pictures/videos of the performance we saw. Everything here starts later than in the states: Dinner at 9 (home dinner, going to a restaurant happens at 10/11), the show started at 12am and ended at 2. It was beyond belief.

Segovia!

Hola!

Yesterday we went as an NYU group to Segovia! It is a really quick bus ride, only about an hour. It is situated in the mountains so the drive was very, very pretty. There were all sorts of insanely quaint, "is this stuff real?" little towns and crosses on mountainsides.

We arrived and separated into groups. I had the great fortune of having this fabulous, older, "blonde", sassy  Spanish woman who it turns out will be my teacher for my Prado museum class!

We toured the castle, Alcazar:

Which was one of the inspiration castles for the Disney Cinderella one. The inside was cool: 

We went into the room where Isabella and Ferdinand gave Christopher Colombus the "go ahead" to go to the New World!

Then we went to the cathedral: 

And to me the coolest part was the Roman aquaduct, that has been providing Segovia's water (it literally still pumps the water to the whole city) for 2010 years. Two thousand and ten years. It is gorgeous and old and insanely well made, duh. They didn't use cement or mortar, but precisely cut rocks and key stones. 

And then we had lunch, my Sra packed me a sandwich (adorable), and I bought one of the traditional Segovian desserts, "Ponche": 

It is basically different consistencies of sugar stacked on top of each other. Insanely, crazily, unfortunately sweet! 

This is the Plaza Mayor, the downtown, of Segovia: 

And here is one of the gorgeous views:

Patricia Mateo

Patricia Mateo is my divine, sweet, intelligent, wonderful host Señora. She paints, and here is her website: 


www.estudiomateo.es

Day 4: Museum

Hola!

Today we all got tours of the Reina Sofia Museum which is 19th and 20th century Spanish art. We saw Guernica! It was massive. And there are all sorts of small sketched in details that you can't see in the reproductions. It was very cool. We also had learned alot about Dali and his issues with women and his sense of identity.

Tomorrow we go on an NYU-sponsored day trip to Segovia, which has one of the castles that inspired the Disney Cinderella/Princess castle!

Typical Spanish Things I have Eaten Thus Far

Hello! I like food, and the stuff here is wild. Thus far I have witnessed cured meat sawed off of a pig leg (situated right next to my head, and put onto my plate), street vendors selling roasted chestnuts and corn all over the place, and tons of fried-stuffed-things that I have promptly consumed.

Here are some of them (not my pictures, but I got the closest looking things on google)

Croquetas: Fritters stuffed with some kind of bizarre and magnificent cheese that is melty like mozarella, but has a stronger flavor like goat cheese, but sweeter. When we asked our Sra what kind of cheese it was she just kept saying "Queso".

In the photo the croquetas have ham in them too

Tortilla Española: A heavy omelette/casserole type dish filled with potatoes (patatas) and onions, mixed/cooked in/with eggs

Pig Leg = Jamon: literally ham shaved off of a pig's leg. Right in front of you. Hoof and all.

The plate on the left is our Jamon. The toast on the right is a tapa with cheese and jamon. All of these things are free when you have a glass of wine! (this is actually a picture I took)

Paella: Actually not traditionally served in Madrid, but more of a Spain tourist trap. Still very good

Homestay

My walk from the subway home at night...

My room, and some of my Sra's art:

and the long awaited Museo de Jamon!

Day 3--Falling in Love

Today I fell in love with Spain. 

This morning we woke up and kind of had to rush through breakfast, corn flakes and coffee and these delicious corn muffins! Then we rushed to school, which took a long time because the train route we took today had lots of stops and a big transfer. For orientation day 2 we had a beginning "To Do and Not To Do" in your home stay. They are very, very electricity conscious here (apparently this year the rates went up 10% after last years 7%) so the lights in our house are off all the time. We have to turn off every light in every room we don't use, even just to go to the bathroom. Also, Spaniards think it is very strange/gross to not wear shoes in the house, especially when you're interacting with them. So socks/slippers/shoes are a must. 

Then we broke off into "language groups" that felt just like a Spanish class, "Where were you born, etc etc" and got a tour of the school. NYU Madrid consists of two houses connected by a courtyard--tiny little class rooms. After the language groups we had a bizarre "Spanish History" class where we learned about Spain and the Moors and all of that jazz--they gave us a "test" afterwards--I assume for listening comprehension/etc because the lecture was in Spanish. 

Then we had a stressful, freshman year/welcome-week experience when everyone got out of class and was looking for a group to go eat/wander with. But I split off with a great group, Kirstin-Emily-Maria-Abigail, and we went to some strange restaurant that seemed like it was an old man's club, but we ate there anyway. I had an empanada (with tuna and some kind of sweet stuff in it), a "tortilla espanola" which at this place was basically an egg and potato omlette over a piece of toast, and a "croqueta" which is a deep fried bubble of cheese and ham. Yum. 

Then we all decided to do some serious exploring, it was sunny and warm today, and went to the Palacio Real--the palace. It was amazing. 

We were all talking about how French it looked, like a strange Versailles type structure. Then Emily had the idea to read the guide book and it was modeled after Versailles! Then we wandered around looking at gorgeous, insanely picturesque streets until we stumbled into La Plaza Mayor, which is actually very close to my house. I then spent some time alone in the Plaza de Sol, which is my subway stop, and had a real "Oh my. I'm in love." moment, much like those had daily in New York. 

Here is my subway stop, where I fell in love: 

Day 2

Hello!

Today was my first morning to wake up in Madrid. I took a lovely shower, though a quick--we aren't supposed to use the water for very long and are really not supposed to leave lights on when we aren't in a room. We had a breakfast, prepared by our very nice Sr, of corn flakes and coffee.

Then we took the 15 minute walk to one of the two trains near our house. The Metro here is clean and lovely and I have yet to see one homeless man doing anything vulgar. We were almost late to school because once we got off the train we had no idea where to go. We asked several people for directions basically each block until we made it. The school is made up of two little buildings separated by a courtyard.

This first day of orientation was basically just "how to buy cell phones" and "how not to get pick-pocketed". After another dinky walking tour (why have both been so dinky?) we all went to a restaurant (in a mall) and got paella ("on" NYU). After that, a friend of mine named Maria and I wandered around literally for hours looking for cheap champu (all of the farmacias were charing $15 for little, tiny bottles). We finally found some, then bought phones (easiest process of the day) and then searched for more hours for an outlet/electricity converter.

More tomorrow!

Arrival and first day!

Hello!

Today NYU's group flight arrived at Madrid-Barajas airport at 10:15 am. The flight had a lot of turbulence, and our captain lost our confidence when he made three announcements in this order:

"Your flight will be 30 minutes early"
"Sorry, wrong data. Your flight will actually be an hour and a half late"
"Sorry, was reading the right data incorrectly. Your flight will be 30 minutes early"

We arrived right on schedule.

In the airport we had a long haul from the terminal to el equipaje, going up and down ramps and escalators and taking a train. All of us NYU'ers stuck together in what must have been a disgusting American blob to the natives, but a comforting bubble of warmth for those of us inside of it.

With the baggage we went outside and waited on a bus for an hour until all of the NYU'ers were in tow. Then we drove to a taxi stand downtown and took taxi's to our homestays.

Cordelia, Kim, and I made it to the house but realized we didn't know what the apartment number was. We used our top-notch reasoning skills to logic out that "bajo izquierda" could have been represented on the doorbells as "BI" and finally figured out which bell to ring. We then fumbled down some steps into what turned out to be a gorgeous, huge, $800,000-in manhattan, apartment. Our windows look out into an airshaft but they are huge and give off lots of light and let us see our neighbors laundry flapping in the breeze!

We then blobbed until it was time for the walking tour--which was weird and uneventful. Then we tried to get cell phones but needed our passports to buy them. By this point Cordelia and I were separated from Kim so we decided to "Rough it" and walk home. We had a pleasant, but still kind of lost, experience getting back home, and I took these pretty pictures:

A teaser for the next blog: Pictures of my home stay house and "El Museo De Jamon"

Departure

Today is the day! At 9:05pm EST I will be strapped in to this seat,

for 7 hours and 10 minutes. I arrive in Madrid at 10:15am on Sunday.


Unfortunately I won't be in this one...

It begins.