My last official weekend with the other students on the program just came to a close and I would have to say we went out with Spanish style, for sure.
Saturday afternoon a few of my friends and I went to the Real Alcazar, the former royal palace of Sevilla. Wow, I wish I would have gone before just to be able to spend even more time there. It was absolutely beautiful, full of garden after garden, fountains...you could definitely get lost with a good book in there and be in your own secret garden.
Saturday night, we went to this famous Spanish bar in Barrio Santa Cruz to watch flamenco! The passion and emotion that this dance has is mind blowing, especially when you are watching it right before your eyes in a crowded Spanish bar at midnight on a Saturday night. I couldn't help but think to myself, 'what is my life?' Sometimes, I catch myself remembering how this really isn't normal life for me and how different it will be once I go back home and these type of amazing cultural things are no longer the norm.
Sunday evening finished off the weekend with a bang-una corrida ("bullfight!")! I couldn't live in Spain all this time without going to a bullfight, now could I? Especially when the bullfighting ring is literally a 5 minute walk from my school. It was quite the nerve-racking, fascinating, thrilling, and sad experience all at once! First of all, the very first bull that came out had me on edge because we were not all that far away from the ring itself and these men are literally escaping death with everything they were doing to get this humungous bull mad. And of course there's the blood that comes from stabbing a bull several times to tire him out and weaken him before he gets one final stab that must go perfectly into his spinal chord to cause death. Yep, it was gruesome and so sad to see 6 bulls die just like that from a sport. But it was also so fascinating once you get over the initial shock to see how much of an art form and prestige this sport holds to the Spanish people. I am so glad I went and was able to experience something like that that is so foreign to our American customs.
I promise, between all of these amazing cultural experiences I actually was studying for my 4 finals, 1 presentation, and finishing my 6 page paper I had due this week. I cannot believe I am already entering my final exams week here in Spain. And after that...more adventure awaits this traveling heart of mine! Another week in Sevilla, Madrid, London, Ireland, and Sweden await!
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