We Went to Córdoba! – Joanne

¡Hola, amigos! The title says it all: WE WENT TO CORDOBA! Man oh man, what a great day trip.

We began the day a little earlier than usual with a bus ride at 7:45AM to the train station in Pedroches.

From there, we took a 20 minute train ride to Córdoba where the fiesta beGAN. When we walked out of the train station, I felt so ALIVE. Even in the early morning, everybody was hustlin’ and bustlin’ in their own ways and I just LOVED the energy. I was also very excited to see the familiar sites of Burger King and Starbucks (you BET I got some Starbucks, woo)!

Before our Córdoba tourist adventures could begin, we decided to grab some grub at a local cafe not too far from the Judería (Jewish Quarters).

I would just like to say: everything in Spain is so yummy. For example, I had a croissant with ham and cheese and it was the best croissant with ham and cheese I ever had in my life. And of course, our breakfast staple, a round of café con leche. Now, THIS is something I will be adding to my diet in America.

From breakfast, we walked towards the Judería where we explored some of the local gift shops and started a day taking loooooots of pictures. 

We also explored the Synagogue a little bit since our supervisor, Lucy, told us that it was one of the three original synagogues remaining in Spain. Honestly, it was a little funny to see because it was like an 8 by 8 room with like nothing in it except a few artifacts and some Hebrew writing on the stone wall. But it was 0.30 Euros for #culture. So 0.30 Euros well spent!

From the Judería, we ventured towards the Alcazar of the Christian Monarchs. While we were in line for our tickets, my friend Anna saw a group of high schoolers from her hometown. Little did we know that we could run into her HIGH SCHOOL SPANISH TEACHER while exploring the medieval fortress! It truly is a small world. Anyways, the Alcazar was BEAUTIFUL, holy moly:

We spent a good solid hour here before heading off to the Mezquita; but before we walked over we HAD to grab some tapas and sangria for the #culture. We were STOKED about the sangria.

Our last touristy-adventure was to the Mezquita! That was also very cool and we nerded out and spent an hour and half exploring the Mosque-Cathedral.

After the Mezquita we were SUPPOSED to go to Goiko Grill, a famous burger place in Córdoba, but they were closed until 8PM and if we had gone, we wouldn’t have been able to catch our train SO WE MADE THE BEST DECISION EVER AND WENT TO A PLACE CALLED “Breakfast Club & Co.”

Throughout this entire trip, I’ve been craving two things: salads and burgers. ON THAT DAY, I HAD THE BEST BURGER IN THE ENTIRE WORLD AND I WAS A VERY HAPPY GIRL. We ended up talking with the owner for a little bit and we found out he used to live in Chicago and New York City. We love America.

Post-happy lunch, my friends and I walked around and explored the city a little bit more.

We popped into this one store called “Natura” and wow, everything was very pretty and very eco-friendly. 10/10 recommend. I ended up purchasing a cute pair of earbuds with zero-waste packaging. AND the bag that they gave it to me in had instructions on how to HULA DANCE. HOW COOL IS THAT. IT’S SO FUNNY. 

Our day came to a blissful end at a park 5 minutes away from the train station. We grabbed frozen lemonades and hung out around a playground. I think we low-key scared the Spanish children but we had fun!

Man oh man, I loved this trip. I got to bond with the homies and immerse myself in #culture and drink iced coffee. Swooooon. 

This weekend, we’ll be going to Seville for our next adventure. GET HYPE!

‘Till then,

Joanne aka Juani

Week One is Done! – Anna

I arrived here in Villanueva exactly a week ago and the time has flown by! Since being here I have been speaking so much Spanish and meeting lots of people. Yesterday I was invited to my host brother’s girlfriends’s house in the country for lunch and swimming. When I got there I realized it was more of a party than a lunch. I was overwhelmed at first but it ended up being really fun. We ate tortilla española with spinach and pasta and lounged by the pool. It was hot outside and the pool felt so good!  Later on that day I tried caracoles for the first time and they were pretty good! Although they may be a bit of an acquired taste they are really fun to eat! My host mom told me that they’re best while they’re hot so you have to eat them really fast. Everyone here seems to love them. I also saw the procession of Corpus Christi with my host mom, Rafi, and her friends. I really enjoyed listening to the band that was playing. It was a lovely way to end the day!

Outside of Villanueva, I went to Córdoba on Saturday with the other interns. My favorite part was the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos. It only cost 2.50 euros to get in with my international student card and from the top you could see most of Córdoba. I really liked how the gardens were full of bushes shaped like pottery and castles. When we were standing in line to get into the Alcazar, I saw someone wearing a t-shirt from my high school and then Vivian, one of the other interns, yelled “Colorado” to get there attention. Turns out, a tour group from my high school was in Spain for their Spanish class! I even saw Sra. Bouchta, my old Spanish teacher from high school. I gave her a big hug and we talked for a little while. It was such a coincidence! After the Alcazar, we went to the Mezquita and I spent an hour and a half walking around and looking at all the tiny details in the architecture. It was the second time I had visited the Mezquita and it was even more beautiful than I remember.

After spending a week here, I am looking forward to starting teaching classes next week and to continue practicing my Spanish. I feel so excited and grateful to be here and I can already tell that this time is going to go by really fast! 

¡Hasta luego!

Anna

Spain and Futbol! – Lissette

My first days in the academia and Villanueva have been wonderful! Introducing myself and getting to know all the students was a great experience but most of all fun. Through my introduction I was able to let everyone know how much I enjoyed watching futbol. I was also excited to hear that Cordoba would be playing in El Arcangel for the copa d’oro. Only having been in Spain for a week, I was able to immerse myself into the culture and attended the game. Cordoba’s opponent was Alcorcon. Cordoba had been off to a good start this season and was at a higher standing compared to Alcorcon. Winning this game was really important for the Cordobeses because it meant they would move up to quarter semi finals. In other words, if Cordoba were to win this match they would have the possibility to go against better known teams like Real Madrid. Imagine Real Madrid playing in Cordoba at the Arcangel stadium? Everyone would definitely go see that game!

futbolThe stadium was somewhat full but there was definitely a lot of energy. The crowd consisted of people from all age groups. Not only were the adults commenting on the game but also their children. Everyone was chanting songs and the team player’s name. Cordoba was able to score in the first half, which made the crowd go wild. We went into the second half still in the lead and ready to win. To our surprise, Alcorcon scored twice during the second half. At the end of the match Cordoba lost with a final score of 2-1.Even though we had lost I still had a fun time experiencing watching a live fubol game in Spain. Futbol is definitely a huge part of the culture here. Ultimately, I am glad that I was able to experience this part of the culture with some friends.

Field trip to Córdoba – Lucy

Last weekend Meike and I visited Córdoba, the city in which she studied abroad for a year! Meike being one of my closest friends, I was excited to finally see the place she had spent so much time in and enjoyed so thoroughly.

Just a short 20 minute train ride from Villanueva, Córdoba is very different. Instead of short, white houses lining the streets, there are tall shops and chains like Llaollao and Bershka. Despite the immediate visual differences, there is a certain sense of similarity in the beautiful rustic architecture and the abundance of vibrant flowers hanging over balconies and growing freely among the paths. Although I do not like to make generalizations, I feel I can say that the South of Spain shares a wealth of natural beauty, manifesting particularly in the scorching sun and clear blue sky.

I loved my visit to Córdoba. After going to Meike’s favorite cafe, Omundo de Alicia, we went to the famous Mezquita. I had wanted to see it since my time abroad a year ago and I was not disappointed. Although it reminded me of a painful period in history, it was fascinating to see both the marriage and contrast between the Catholic artwork and the Islamic structure. The mosque is a living representation of many questions we ask today regarding religions and their intersections, as well as their impact on our lives.

Besides the mosque, I also experienced a little bit of the “hipster” culture of Córdoba at La Bicicleta, a small restaurant with phenomenal hummus and fresh fruits. All in all, it was gratifying to see the city through Meike’s eyes and get further insight into her recent life, while simultaneously deepening my understanding of this province of Spain.