Hola de España!

Hola from Sevilla, España. I'm spending approximately five weeks here teaching Texas Tech students and taking a graduate level course. The trip has been great so far, complete with excursions to Roman and Arab ruins and even a bull-fight thrown in on top. I find myself constantly comparing Spain to Mexico (much to the chagrin of my roommate Erin), but it's been so interesting to see its similarities and differences. Every now and then I also have to pinch myself as a reminder that I'm currently in Europe. How surreal.

I thought I'd add some pictures of highlights of the trip so far. Enjoy!


This is the large tower of the Cathedral. It's called the "Giralda" which comes from the Spanish verb girar which means "to turn." If you look closely, you can see the weather vane on top which turns because of the wind.


These are the ancient ruins of Madinat al-Zahra just outside of the city of Córdoba. We got to learn about how the Arab people lived and even got to see the remains of their mosque and palace!


This is La Mezquita, which is Spanish for "The Mosque." It was created in the 9th century and is an architectural gem, especially when it comes to mosques. I remember studying it my freshman year at Notre Dame in my art history class. On the excursion, we learned about the geometric shapes and floral patterns that the Arabs used. Unfortunately, the center of the mosque now has a cathedral in the middle of it, so it kinda ruins the whole effect. But it reinforces even more how one culture built itself on another here in Spain.

In high school Spanish class, we learned a poem by Federico García Lorca called "Canción del Jinete." It talks all about the city of Córdoba, so it was a real treat to visit the city.

This is an altarpiece that remains in the Alcalzar (or palace) here in Sevilla. It's a painting of Our Lady of the Navegators. Not surprisingly, Christopher Columbus was a fan of this particular work. He's also buried in the nearby cathedral.


The palace has beautiful gardens. There are a diverse array of flowers, pea cocks, fountains, ponds, and even a maze (kinda like the corn maze!). It's a completely different world in those gardens compared to the urban life that's right outside its walls.

Yesterday we got to see a bull fight. While I'm not particularly a big fan of seeing bulls die, it was definitely an interesting cultural experience. The matadors' dramatic gestures, the "ole!"s from the crowd, the elegant clothing, and the band playing music all created this captivating environment. Plus, all the meat from the bulls that were killed went to an orphanage.

I'm sure more adventures lie in store. This up-coming weekend we're traveling to Granada, so look for more updates soon!