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After Sevilla, I then headed north to the country’s capital Madrid to officially begin my year abroad and seven weeks as an au pair/English teacher to an 8 year old boy. The reality of this both daunting and exciting prospect hit me on the plane. Yet when I met Pablo and his parents at the […]
It begins…
So off to Spain. First stop – Sevilla with my linguistically incompetent father for a quick city break before the move to Madrid. This city is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful that I have ever visited. I definitely advise going at some point. Not like us however in the 40+ degree weather at the end of June/beginning of July. Sweating like a pig on a spit fire would be an accurate description of myself during that week.
And taking up our roles as the typical guiri (the Spanish word for a (stereotypically English) tourist), we were of course impressed with the quantity of wines and tinto del verano (like sangria) everywhere. The chain Cervecería 100 Montaditos, native to Andalucía, is also heaven for any guiri. And why? One litre of tinto de verano or cruzcampo for one euro. Far from being a mere tourist hotspot though, the majority were Spanish lending these bars a great atmosphere. Supermarkets are again heaven in Spain where you can find an array of genuinely nice wines for under 2 euros. Needless to say, we found ourselves on the verge of alcoholism by the end of the week.
My favourite of all the tourist destinations was undoubtedly the Parque Maria Luisa. These gardens are gorgeous and perfect for finding a relaxing spot in the afternoon. I also enjoyed visiting the gardens of the Alcazár (the Moorish royal palace). Yet I found the amount of information about the palaces themselves a tad limited. It just felt like a mere collection of empty rooms that used to be interesting. The city itself is completely spectacular though and perfect for a relaxing city break.
The only problem with Sevilla is the amount of homeless people. I warn you: they are not ashamed to interrupt your dinner to beg for money. This may even be accompanied by a terrible accordion version of Edith Piaf’s La vie en rose (please note: destroying one of my favourite songs is not the way to get the contents of my purse). I suppose that this is the major issue with Spain’s street culture. The inability to avoid awful buskers. All in all though, a wonderful start to my stay in Spain.
I’ve added a gallery on the tab ‘Sevilla’ if anyone wants to check out some pictures of the gorgeous city.
L. x
Lucy Whitehead – out on parole from the jailhouse of French and Spanish literature degree. After two years of the neverending story of tutorials and essay crisis, I finally depart the shores of England for a year ‘lost in translation’ in la France and España. As I face the impending lack of essays (and thus lack of opportunities for procrastination), I must find another way of wasting my life. I begin this blog then with the intention of avoiding doing anything useful. Instead I will chronicle my ridiculous life and misunderstood cultural references. The misunderstood cultural references already occur in England so prepare yourself for an endless stream of ridiculously awkward moments.
At this point, I suppose the majority of y’all reading (most likely just myself) this post are thinking:
or maybe you’re thinking this:
If there is just one person out there who however has genuinely enjoyed reading this piece of merde, get ready. It’s only just begun..
L. x
Coming soon: Sevilla and my au pairing experience
Mon Fabuleux Destin 