¡Feliz Día de Andalucía!

Yesterday I had a much needed day off from class. It was perfect for catching up on the sleep that I didn't get in Africa this past weekend. The day was perfecto, and it encompassed a lot of what the Andalucían culture is about. 

I had class on Monday, despite the rest of the students in the city having the day off. The Día de Andalucía fell on a Tuesday this year, so naturally the Spaniards took Monday off too and called it "Puente" which means bridge. On Monday and Tuesday the city was buzzing with people and children all over the streets. The weather is really starting to pick up here---it no longer dips into the thirties at night! So, the sun was out, and so were the people. On monday night, just about every plaza was filled with people drinking vino and cervezas and simply enjoying the company of their friends. 

I had the "piso" or apartment to myself, because my señora went to the "campo" or countryside with her family. She spent the night on Monday and was gone all day Tuesday. But don't worry, she left me more food than I could have possible needed. But I ate it anyways while chatting with Grace on skype! It was after spin class and I was starving! It was so much fun to start planning my trip with Grace, which is now official! So look out Europa, the Janssen girls are taking over in May! No school to worry about, and many adventures to be had! 

So with a whirlwind of plans on my mind, it was nice to take a day off to relax---just what the Andalucians know best! All the stores were closed for the Día de Andalucía, but of course all the bars and cafés were open! The Spaniards love to day drink, and I wanted to join in with the culture. I went with a couple of friends to the river with some wine to "tomar el sol." It was such a nice feeling sitting under the warm sun while Minnesota is getting hit with their first big snowfall of the year! We ran into our guide from orientation along the shore, so we got to spend the day with a bunch of Spaniards too. 

This was my view all afternoon. 

Along with my new favorite drink "Tinto de Verano" I was sitting pretty! 

With some of mis amigas and Fran for our day by the river

Sitting under the sun really took a lot of energy...NOT! But everyone in my apartment was in bed by 10 which is unheard of in Spain! My señora was in bed by nine! We usually don't eat dinner until later than that! But after my day I feel refreshed and ready for the weekend! I will first be heading to Málaga to hike with my interest group, and on Saturday I'm going to Cádiz, one of the oldest cities in Europe! 

In spanish, Lent is called "Cuaresma" and in Spain, they have special "dulces" or sweets that people eat during the season. In my food class today we got to try two of the more common types and they were delicious! 

First we tried "Torrijas" which are kind of like french toast. They are a recipe that came to Spain with the muslim culture. They are pieces of special bread dipped in egg and white wine. Then they are fried in a pan of olive oil. To finish, they are dipped in honey! Honey is another thing I didn't know I liked until I came to Spain. Yum, my favorite of the two treats we tried today. Also a fun recipe that I will be brining back to the States.

Here is a foto of torrijas. 

The ones I tried are like the middle pieces. 

You can also substitute milk for wine and sugar for honey

in the recipe, like the pieces on the bottom.

Our second treat is called "Pestiños" and they are also a recipe from Al-Andalus, or muslim Spain. These are harder to describe, but it is kind of like a fried croissant, or that is what the texture of the bread is. They are little and have a spice called anís, which is kind of like black licorice, but it is a subtle taste in the pestiño. And like torrijas, they are also dipped in honey or "miel." Honey is super popular in the pastries that you can find all of Sevilla.

Here are some pestiños

Even throughout the year, there are pastries very similar to 

pestiños in the bakeries. Some are also covered in sugar. 

I loved both dulces, but preferred the torrijas. I was also once again fascinated by the fact that the most popular desserts for the catholic lenten season are Muslim recipes! Just another example of how intertwined the cultures are in Spain. 

You can tell the city is starting to get ready for Semana Santa, which is famous in Sevilla. I am looking forward to getting to appreciate Easter this year. We have the entire week off from class, and there are religious celebrations going on all over the city!

Leap year gives us one more day in February, but I still can't believe how fast the month passed. My friend said she counted that we had been in Spain for around fifty days, and we have about seventy left...I knew the time would fly during my semester abroad but I hoped it wouldn't be this fast!