Weekend Trip to Sevilla and Ronda

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Hi Everyone!

This weekend was amazing! Our school took at trip to two other cities in southern Spain, Sevilla and Ronda. First, we drove to Ronda, which is a much smaller town than Granada. It was very charming. We got to visit the ruins of Arabic baths, and wander the city...my pictures should explain it all.

Sevilla was fantastic! It is a much bigger city than Granada, and has a much different feel; I think that Granada and Ronda both have a very old-timey feel to them, but Sevilla is very metropolitan, and closer to what I think of as the prototypical "city." We went out for dinner the night we arrived, which was underwhelming, but still very fun! Food here is much blander than food in the states, which I like. It is still exciting food, but usually delicate flavors...

The next day, we visited a palace in Sevilla, and the Cathedral of Sevilla. The palace is still used by the royal family when they visit the city. The photos, again, should speak for themselves. The cathedral was breathtaking. I couldn't stop wondering how people so many hundreds of years ago actually managed to make such an incredible building. Our tour guides, who also happen to be our teachers, taught us a lot about the history of the buildings, and of the city itself.

That evening we saw flamenco dancers perform. It was a very intimate performance, with a male and female dancer, and a singer and a guitar player. I was surprised at how evocative the dancing truly was.

The next day in Sevilla was spent relaxing. It is still very hot over here, so my friends and I sat at the hotel pool and chilled out. Our school is really putting us through a workout; we walk more here than I have ever walked in my life! The hotel we stayed at was so nice! A lot like the one in Malaga we stayed at. I saw a sign in my room that said that each room costs 250 euros a night, or something like that...pretty darn swanky.

I got sick for my first time here. Today is the first day of classes. I just had my first flamenco dancing class, which was very fun. I am in an advanced Spanish class, which I am headed off to now!

Miss you all!
Love,
Amy

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Photos

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This bridge fell apart a long time ago...it was rebuilt to include a jail (the little window you can see on the front of the bridge). The only way out of the jail is to jump down the canyon!

The Drop!
It is a bit more visible here...