Lionfish at the aquarium
One of our visits in the Monuments class
Wine and cheese!
I had another fun and eventful week in Sevilla! I have been keeping very busy between my classes, exploring, and spending time with my friends. I am soaking up every last minute that I have here! We took several interesting trips in my Artistic Monuments class (like always) which I always enjoy. That class has taught me so much and I am excited to teach other the information and show them around the city! I gave a Thanksgiving presentation and played some games with the students in the English class that I volunteer in, and we all had a great time. I was surprised to see how they know so much about the history of Thanksgiving and the colonies in the US, but not much about the modern traditions or what food we eat! After class on Tuesday I went to the aquarium. I have an annual pass there and it is only a 20 minute walk from my house so I go often! It is so relaxing to watch all of the animals, and I have also used it as an opportunity to learn the names of different ocean animals in Spanish.
On Wednesday we toured the neighborhood around Calle Feria, where they have their big Feria celebration every spring. I loved exploring the markets and seeing all the unique stores and restaurants in the area. Virginia told us they do flea markets on Thursdays so I made a plan to spend my Thursday there! I got up on Thursday and walked to that street, which is about a 50 minute walk from my house. I explored the flea markets and did not buy anything, but had a great time looking around. I also went into a few "vintage stores" which are the closest thing to a thrift store that I have found here, although the clothes are much more expensive. I found some cool sweaters and jackets but I did not get any. I am excited to get back to thrift shopping when I get back to the US!
On my way back home I decided to stop somewhere for a coffee, and I found a cute little cafe that had an empty seat. I ordered my drink and as I was waiting I heard the group sitting at the table next to me speaking English. When one sat down I asked where they were from, and they said the United States. They were from all over the US and taking a trip in Spain for a couple of weeks! We ended up chatting for a while before they had to leave to catch a train. Before they left we all got a picture together and we exchanged contact information. They came back to Sevilla on Sunday and we all got dinner and explored the city together. I have loved getting to meet such amazing people while being in Spain and now I have new friends all over the US! On Thursday night I got wine and cheese with the program director Samantha and we had a great time. All of the wines were local and I could relate the information to the origins that I have learned in class. The cheese was also fantastic and we got 5 different varieties to try. Overall it was a fun and eventful week!
Stained glass during visit
My new American friends from the cafe!
Dart frogs at the aquarium