Sevilla: Historia y Más

Cheers to completing my first full week in Sevilla! While that may not seem like much, it is. I was warned time and time again about the heat in Sevilla, especially from the residents of Alicante. They told me I should just stay there and enjoy Spain while I can. Of course, I didn't listen to that advice and I still hauled my life to Sevilla, where I now reside for the next three weeks. And let me tell you, they were not lying.

Sevilla is the hottest city I have ever been to. Like, hotter than any city in the U.S., hotter than any city in Europe, hotter than any city ever. It's unbearably hot here. To make matters worse, we are subjected to exploring the city on foot in the strong southern Spain sun. What I have found here is basically this: you can leave your house between the hours of 11 P.M. and 10 A.M.
Any other time, during the day, stay inside. Seriously, don't go outside.

But really, Sevilla is not as bad as it sounds. While the heat is a lot to handle, it is still an incredibly beautiful city, with so much history. As one of the last Arab cities in Spain, it is really interesting to learn about all of the different buildings and their history, from the original Iberians to the Roman conquerors, to the Arab kings and the conquest of Ferdinand and Isabella, who can be thanked for all the Catholic people in Spain today. Since I'm a history guru, you can imagine just how interesting it is for me to explore the city and find so many historic landmarks, older than any of the buildings or places in the United States.

Arcos de la Frontera

I am also taking a class here called "Art and Architecture in Sevilla," which is basically exactly as it sounds. We learn all about the art and architecture along with the history of Sevilla, and we get to visit lots of historic sites as well as museums in and around Sevilla. While art isn't exactly my forte, it is actually kind of cool to learn about something that is very relevant in the city I am living in.

This weekend was our first trip outside of Sevilla. We were supposed to go to the city of Córdoba, however, there was some type of religious mix-up and all of the buildings were closed there. So instead, we went to Arcos de la Frontera, which is a little white town south of Sevilla. When I say white town, that's what I mean: all of the buildings are white. It was an extremely beautiful and hilly town, and we got to explore inside the church and see all of the views. After exploring for a couple of hours, we headed to La Puerta de Santa Maria, a little beach town on the Atlantic Ocean near the city of Cádiz. We spent a few hours on the beach, however it was really difficult with all of the heat. Because of this, we basically stayed in the water the entire time. The other complication was the winds, because it was so windy that all of the sand blew everywhere and was extremely uncomfortable. Despite these complications, though, it ended up being a good trip.

Real Alcázar

Today is a really hot day here, with temperatures up in the 100s. Earlier this morning we went to the Real Alcázar of Sevilla, which was the palace of the Muslim kings in Sevilla. It was incredibly beautiful, especially outside in the gardens. People were also freaking out because apparently an episode of Game of Thrones was filmed there. I would probably freak out too if I watched Game of Thrones.

Anyway, despite the heat, I have survived my first week here in Sevilla and gotten a chance to see and learn about some parts of the beautiful and historic city. I already know when I leave I will want to come back and visit, however I will try to make that trip in the winter when it isn't 115 degrees outside.

¡Hasta Luego!