Thursday night my friend Erin and I went to our second Spanish spin class! It felt just like Amanda's friday night spin to kick off the weekend. And by that I mean it felt incredible! I have been learning that while it is super important to experience new things and dip my toes into new ponds, it is so comforting to have even the most basic things from home here in Spain. It was hard to justify spending money on a gym membership when I am doing so much traveling, but I already know it was worth every penny! I'm sure I will be thinking the same thing when I am on the beach in Mallorca!
On Friday morning I had an activity for my group that is traveling to Mallorca. We went to some garden right outside the centro that used to be a garbage dump. Our visit started with an over eager tour guide that began her presentation by telling us that she loved the project so much, she had trouble keeping her talks short...well basically we sat for an hour and watched her talk, because she was way to all over the place to understand...even in English it would have been a chore! But eventually we had our breakfast and people started feeling better...well sort of. We were all expecting a nice breakfast in a garden. Instead, we brought our own bread, juice and coffee and ate on a picnic table with crappy knives that could barely spread the butter. Afterwards we toured the gardens and picked leaves to smell/taste. The mint leaves were pretty good! Or at least that is what I told myself to make good of an overall let-down of a morning. But not even a boring garden tour that went 2 hours longer than schedule could ruin my lovely weekend!
My friend Lindsey and I decided to venture away from Sevilla on our own for the first time this Saturday. We went to a small town called Aracena that is just an hour northwest of Sevilla. It was indescribable (but I'll try!). Small town nestled in the hills of Spain with nothing but white houses, an adorable plaza in the center with cafes and bars, and of course a castle! I don't know why, but before coming to Spain I had thought that castles really only existed in England or Great Britain, but the castles in Spain are so cool because they have more of an Arab influence, so it is reminiscent of Aladin! Aracena is also famous for their caves called "La Gruta de Maravilla" All in all, it was a perfect day, made complete by pastries from the cutest bakery every before boarding the bus to head back to Sevilla.
They told us we couldn't take pictures but I decided to be a rebel!
The tour lasted for about 1 hour, and it was like nothing I had ever seen before!
I laughed while walking around with the thought of my dad in the caves
He would have run out so fast before even reaching the bottom of the stairs!
At one point our guide told us we were below the castle that I eventually visited
This picture shows how CLEAR the water was!
Can you even see the water??? Seriously there wasn't even a reflection!
You could just see deep down to the bottom of the "lake"
Mother nature does some seriously cool things!
Legend has it that the caves were discovered by a local boy
who was looking for his lost pig...
The jamón (ham) in Aracena is to die for!
Here is the center of quintessential Aracena.
Everything looked so white and polished, also it made me feel happy just looking around
In the afternoon there were kids kicking a soccer ball around the plaza (typical Spain!).
It seemed like a quiet and beautiful place live, just 1 hour out of the city.
Here is a view of Aracena as were were climbing up the hill to the castle.
This shot captures what a typical Andalucian town looks like.
White houses, flower pots and rolling green hills! Also, the weather was perfect!
I really love this picture.
This is the arch we walked through to get to the church
The blue skies and white clouds made being outside so enjoyable
So the French took over Spain in 1808 (until 1814) from some sneaky plans of Napolean
When then conquered Aracena, they destroyed the majority of the castle,
but left the church alone. This red brick tower is part of the church.
It was understated and beautiful on the inside.
We were the only 2 people in the church, so we lit a candle.
I dedicated mine to my Papa Gena, and everyone who has helped me get to where I am today!
Because seriously, I can't get over how luck I am
to just get to spend the day on the Spanish countryside!
This quote says that the young people should seize the day
and look forward to the future.
Up on the hill, Lindsey and I seriously had the whole place to ourselves!
We got to climb up on the ruins and really get a feel of the castle!
The beauty was absolutely breathtaking.
Sitting on the hill was peaceful and provided good time for reflecting on my trip.
Off the beaten track in Andalucía there are so many beautiful towns.
I would recommend hopping around the Spanish southern coast to anyone!
After the weekend I feel refreshed and ready for my third week of class.
To wrap up our weekend, my friends and I were able to enjoy dinner with Erin's parents who are in town for the week. We went to a restaurant that we walk by every day on our way to and from class, that just smells so good it is hard to keep walking! And the food didn't disappoint. Nothing beats great food and great company.
This week is pretty routine. I have to give a presentation comparing the health care systems of Cuba and Spain (all in Spanish!!). So that should be interesting, considering I just learned about the systems while preparing this weekend, and there is so much new vocabulary! But I am excited for the challenge!
Since going to college, I have always had class on President's day weekend, which was one of my favorites of the year while in high school. Why? Because of Family Fest of course! It has been pretty crappy going to class while some of my favorite people are enjoying each other and teaching some pretty cool messages. This year it isn't as bad, because I am surrounded by one of the most beautiful cities in the world. But I will be praying for a successful camp and energy for all the counselors! Miss you guys, and funfetti cake! I promise to make some when I get back :)
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