Hello Everyone.
It's been a while since my last entry. Partly because I have been sick for the last two weeks (don't worry, I went to the medico today) and also due to the fact that I've been traveling around the South of Spain, enjoying Semana Santa (Easter Week). So let me begin with the beginning of my week-long break from school. Instead of being outside, enjoying the spring weather and amazing feeling that comes from knowing school is out for the whole week, I was in my bed terribly sick, sleeping in hopes that I would feel better in time for Gabe and Lexie's arrivals. I didn't feel 100% when they arrived on Sunday Morning but I felt better because they were also feeli

ng sick. Anyways, I showed them around the area I live, we got some breakfast, and then I dropped some off to take a nap. That night we got our first taste of SEMANA SANTA. (Warning: Tis picture isn't what you think, although I was aware of this tradition, it didn't take away from the tinge of fright when I saw the procession walking towards me).

After we were caught in about 5 different processions (they are going on all over the city all night for one week), we met Joana and Felipe, my Brazilian cousin and her husband who are currently living in London as students. It's very cool to be able to meet family that have grown up in a another part of the world. We had some tapas in the plaza and then went home cause everyone was pretty tired from their travels. The next day we woke up to the do the tourist bit Santa Cruz, Cathedral, ice-cream, ect. They got right into the Spanish eating habits- we didn't eat lunch until 4pm and dinner at around 11pm. That night I took them to see a Flamenco show that night and I think they enjoyed it. The next morning we headed out for Cordoba. Joana and Felipe rented a car so we got to take some backroads and visit some small towns on the way. We stopped in one town, I can't even remember the name- it was very small, I think it was Ejica. It seemed dead. Then we headed off to Cordoba- we found this really cute hotel in a perfect location to la mezquita. I had been to Cordoba with CEA and I didn't get the best impression of it. It seemed very touristy and plain. But we had only seem the small square that surrounded the mosque- we explored rather than that and had some really great food. As normal, the food on this trip was delicious. We followed Joana's Michellein guide, which gave us the best suggestions. We enjoyed cafe con leche and tostada in the morning, and tapas for dinner and lunch.
So Cordoba proved to be so much better than I thought and I'm very glad no one listened to me when I said it would be a place we could skip on the road trip. We spent one night in Cordoba and set out for Granada. On the way to Granada we made some stops along beautiful high ways in the mountains. We stopped in a small university town Baeza. It was wonderful. A small Renasiisance city known for it's production of olive oil. Of course, we arrived at 2:00pm and EVERYTHING in the city was closed. We took a walk around the city and saw some great views:


After our walking worked us up an appetite, we stopped at the supermarket to buy goods for a picnic. We couldn't find any parks around so we pulled over on the high way and ate lunch right in the middle of a olive field! it was so spontaneous and so delicious! We finally made it to Granada after some traffic and trouble finding a hotel. I really loved Granada the first time I was there so I was super excited to go back. I really enjoyed it again... we stayed pretty close to where I was the first time so I knew the ropes. We went to the Arab section, had some great teas, got caught in the rain and were stranded in the teteria for 2 hours. We finally ran the 10 minutes home and were cold and soaking wet. We slept for 4 hours during the rain! It was so uncharacteristic of me but I guess I really needed it since I had been so sick. We woke up and found this great little Italian restaurant (everyone was in need for a change form the tapas menus- if they were tired of it after 4 days just IMAGINEEEE how I feel). The Italian place was GREAT! Afterwards on our walk home we came across some little Irish pub, we went in and ended up staying for hours- they had karoeke!!!!! It was a great night.
The next day we attempted to go to the Alhambra but it was sold out! Everyone was disappointed, and I was disappointed for them- but I was okay with it, cause I had already done the two hour walking tour of the place...haha sorry, that may have been too honest. We took the time we lost to take some longer routes on our way to Malaga. We took a tip from the Michelein guide and found the most beautiful, windy roads. They were sooo windy that I almost got sick. Me and my weak stomach. We were so high up int he mountains we were actually driving through the clouds. Check it out:

After the mountains we somehow arrived at the coast-- to see the Mediterranean SEAAA!! It was great, i realized the last time I had seen a large body of water since last summer. We stopped in Nerja, a small beach town a little less touristy than Malaga and went down to the beach. We got a soccer ball, played around, relaxed and grabbed some great fish tapas for lunch. We drove to Malaga, where we found a hotel and said goodbye to Joana, Felipe and our car, Capucha (Capucha means hood in Spanish- as in the hoods that the Semana Santa men wear). Gabe, Lexie, and I were on our own in Malaga- we found some cool places to go. The city was CRAZY. I loved it but it was especially crazy because Friday night is the most intense night of Semana Santa. Everyone was out until all hours of the morning, the streets were packed with people and food vendors. Malaga was a little more touristy- very big beach town among the fair-haired Brits but it was still very cool, with ltos of different restaurants. They even had a Dunkin Donuts! Why can't Sevilla have a dunkin donuts?! Picasso comes from Malaga so there is a very cool Picasso museum there. Across the street is a great little tea house where we had lunch and I bought some tea to take back to Sevilla- even though I won't be able to make it in my house... haha
We got a train back to Sevilla on Saturday afternoon. On the ride back I was sitting next to this young guy reading a magazine in English. I began to rudely read over his shoulder and he asked me in a great British accent, "Would you like to read it? It's actually rubbish." We laughed and started talking. HE told me he is moving to Sevilla to take a class to teach his how to teach English. I asked him where and he said a school named CLIC. CLIC just happens to be where my senora, Carmen teaches. He is only one year older than me, graduated university last year and isn't really sure what he wants to do with hsi life and figured teaching English is a good place to start. When we continue talking we look at a map to see where he is living, it turns out he is living around the corner from me. WHAT A SMALL WORLDDD! I love little coincidences like this. It was great for him too because he doesn't know a soul in the city. Anyways, it's nice to be back in Sevilla. I went to the doctor this morning because I still have a pretty bad cold so he just gave me some heavy duty decongestants. Hopefully it will knock it all out of my body. I hope you've all enjoyed thsi super long entry. Until next time...
Emily