1. The orange trees are pretty, but don’t eat the fruit!
Sevillan Orange trees originated in Arabia and Sicily, eventually ending up in the south of Spain. From here they traveled to Florida where early settlers cultivated them. Sevillan Orange trees are used for their oil, but as my host mother has warned me, they taste like bitter lemon. It is common to see children throwing them at each other and left over orange insides throughout the city. In the spring they blossom white and the whole city is filled with the aroma of oranges.
2. Many things have been here since “before you were born”.
Such as the Cathedral de Sevilla down the street from my residencia, which has been standing since 1184 when it was used as a mosque. This cathedral is the largest gothic cathedral in the world standing 37m tall, 126m in length, and 83m in width. DNA testing confirms that this cathedral also holds Christopher Columbus and his son’s remains. Even with all this history the cathedral still holds mass for the public every single day.
3. Stray cats wander the city.
Just had to include this one because, well, I am a crazy cat lady. The only time I have gotten somewhat emotional this whole trip so far was when my mom let me say hello to my cat, Sugar, on skype. I’m thinking of leaving leftovers outside and hopefully making some el gato amigos!
4. Spaniards never look down upon a good siesta.
Everything is closed between 3-5 pm (besides many tapas bars) in order for everyone to enjoy a good sleep or drink. Just the other day my friend Allannah and I were wandering the city in the afternoon when we stumbled upon a bar right on the Guadalquivir River, called Club Havana. Even though it was an early Sunday afternoon the place was hopping! We ordered a Tinto Verano (type of wine cocktail) for only 2 Euro. Life is so hard…
5. Judaism, Christianity, and the Arab world all seem to collide into one beautiful masterpiece.
For example, the Jewish quarter called Santa Cruz is filled with small windy streets lined tightly with little white houses. If you look closely tiny Arab mosaics and designs can be seen. Christian statues stand in various locations and tiny pictures of saints are painted on many walls.
6. Plaza de Espana is the best place to catch some rays.
One can do this by sitting on the porcelain seats that line the building. In the afternoon the sun shines directly on any tourists sitting here. Live music is a common occurrence and the view of venders selling roasted chestnuts or pony rides is the perfect scene for any people watcher.
7. Sevilla is NOT a runner friendly city!
Apart from the crazy bikers and drivers who speed around corners one also has to deal with people who walk like no one else around them exists! The walk signal lasts for about half the time the ones in Boston do and only gives you about three seconds warning until traffic starts up again. Cobble stone pathways and areas that are randomly blocked off make for a confusing journey.
8. Getting lost is one of the greatest things you can do.
Today my friend and I were wandering around in search of a certain store. On the way there I decided to take a short cut, bad idea, right? Actually no, because we happened to stumble upon a little church in the middle of Santa Cruz that was made almost entirely of gold. Wandering is one of the greatest ways to get to know this little city.
9. No mater how much you eat here you will almost certainly never get fat.
Our host mother makes us our lunch and dinner both of which consist of a LOT of food. I have no idea why we haven’t gained any weight. Maybe it is because of the amount of walking we have done or the fact that this food is not as processed as American food, but regardless I am actually eating more and losing weight. I happen to love it.
10. Spaniards party hard.
Spain is notorious for starting serious party time around 1 or even 2 a.m. and finishing up the night around 7 a.m. Thank god for siestas and good friends to enjoy it with!
