Friday, February 22, 2013

Necessities


If you plan on ever living in Spain, especially in a home stay, you will need a pair of slippers.  This sounds strange, because if you know me, you'd know that I hate wearing slippers.  However, from my experience most buildings aren't heated consistently here, and therefore the floors are very cold.  The host mothers also get mad if you don't wear slippers around the house.  They see wearing slippers as a way to keep your socks cleaner.  The last student who stayed here left these slippers, knowing that American students generally don't think to bring them.  I feel kind of bad, because I have larger feet than she did, and so I've effectively half destroyed them already.  I may just have to buy a pair to replace them and take these ones home...

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Sevilla



Catedral de Sevilla. Below, the tomb of Christopher Columbus.  One of them, anyway. 





La Giralda, and the view of the city from the top. 



I've wanted to go to Sevilla for years, ever since a high school spanish teacher showed our class pictures from there from when she was studying there. (Hey, Sra Byrne!) Unfortunately  it was a very cloudy day, and we ended up leaving a little earlier than planned to avoid rain.  The city was still pretty, but it would have been gorgeous with some sunshine.  I also probably would have enjoyed it more had I not been feeling carsick all day.  Oh well!


Monday, February 18, 2013

Cordoba


This weekend we took a class trip to Andalucía, the southern region of Spain.  We stayed in Córdoba, and spent a day in Sevilla.  For the most part it was a cloudy weekend, and I didn't think ahead enough to write down the names of any of the places that we went to.  These pictures are from our first day in Córdoba.  










Horse drawn carriages have license plates.  



There were orange trees everywhere.








Friday, February 15, 2013

Carnival in Segovia


Carnival is a big deal in Spain.  Kids get off of school for the week, and spend a lot of time running around outside in costumes.  Tuesday night is when the adults all dress up.  We went to watch the parade through town; people dress up in groups and walk the parade route together, with mini bands dispersed throughout the line.  From what I heard, the real festivities are Wednesday night, but I was working and couldn't go to that one.  However, Tuesday's parade was a lot of fun.  



Yup, that's a clown playing the trombone. 



A line of people dressed as flower pots, holding hands and running around.



This group is a political group that's protesting cuts to education and healthcare.  We've seen them protesting around town before.