Andalucía!

This past weekend, I went on an excursion with the rest of the students to the region of Andalucía, where we visited two cities, Córdoba and Sevilla. I enjoyed the experience immensely because we visited all the main monuments with the history professor who explained the significance of the monuments and I feel like I learned a lot more than I would have if I had gone by my lonesome. However, we also had free time to explore the cities without the professors which was wonderful. Traveling to Andalucía seemed almost like going to another country. As we rode in the bus, the dark clouds of autumn disappeared and the sun shone furiously bright. We also started seeing cacti along the road, and in Córdoba, I was shocked to see palm trees around the city. The two regions are surprisingly distinct.

La Mezquita de Córdoba

La Catedral in the mosque

After a five hour drive to Córdoba, we started out excursion by visiting la Mezquita, a mosque that was constructed starting around the 7th century and additions were made to it over the course of many years. When the city was retaken by a Christian king, the mosque was partially destroyed and a cathedral was built in the center. I almost can't describe what it is like walking through the mosque and encountering a cathedral in the center. Surrounding the cathedral remains the arcs built originally, which seem to go on for miles. It's hard to believe these two photos come from the same building.

Los Reales Alcázares

The next day, we traveled to Sevilla, where we visited the Los Reales Alcázares, a mass of castles of the Christian kings. The castle features work that can only be described by the Spanish word mudejar, which means work done by the hands of Muslims for use by Christians. In this case, the Christian kings commissioned the palace to be built by workers from the Arabic world, which is apparent in the incredible decorations of the castle. It is said that the work demonstrates a "horror vacui" which in Latin means fear of emptiness; every inch of the castle is covered with intricate geometric designs.

Plaza de España

Plaza de España

In Sevilla, we also visited the Plaza de España, an impressive plaza that represents the relationship between Spain and the Americas. It is enormous, beautiful, and unhurried. Also, I'm told it is where a scene from Star Wars: Attack of the Clones was filmed.

Flamenco

In Córdoba, where we spent both nights, a few of the other students and I sought out a flamenco bar. Flamenco (the dance and music) originated in Andalucía, so I had my heart set on seeing flamenco while I was there. We finally found this bar, and although all the tables had been reserved, we were able to watch the performance standing. Just being in that bar, sipping on Spanish wine, and listening to the music and watching the dance made me feel truly Spanish. The dancers were amazingly talented and the guitarist was almost surreal; watching his fingers was like watching a movie fast-forwarded.

Of course, I have to mention the food we ate. For breakfast, we had a typical Andalucián dish, which was bread toasted and drizzled with olive oil, topped with tomato puree, and sprinkled with salt. I also tried pescaítos, little fried fish, which are famous of the region, and the favorite dish of both my professor and host brother. We also had the signature dessert of Córdoba (it seems like most cities have a signature dessert), which was a pastry (like a pie) filled with angel hair pasta and a sweet filling.

Signature dessert of Córdoba

Pescaítos

Andalucían breakfast

I had an incredible time in Andalucía. I would very much like to go back one day; it is an enchanting place. There is something about Andalucía that is very unique, and it has a charm that I have not yet found anywhere else.