Some Resolutions

Dublin :)

Hola all! So December is wrapping up (hoho, christmas present pun? maybe) (was hoho also a pun? yes) and we're closing in on 2013. I'm enjoying my time at home, catching up with friends and very busy eating my weight in... whatever food I can get my hands on but I think I should write up a few resolutions for the new year in Seville and the remaining 6 months I'll be living in Spain.

Kane and non-Kanes not in Spain. I've missed these guys.

You see, if I was only on Erasmus for one term and was therefore only going back after Christmas for studying and exams and then leaving in February, I'd be feeling a bit regretful about how I've spent my time in Seville. Although I have a great feel for the city now, there are so many places not that far away that I haven't seen. Rather than think about flying to Germany or Paris to see how other people are enjoying their Erasmus times I think it's important to actually enjoy Andalucia while I have the opportunity. So here's my first resolution:

Travel More

There are a number of places only a bus ride away from Seville that I simply haven't been organized enough to get to. It's shocking how many weekends I have wasted mooching around. Off the top of my head, in the new year I want to visit Córdoba, Cadiz, Gibraltar, Málaga, and Ronda. It's just a matter of getting on a bus and going there. Morocco is obviously something that everyone does when they're on Erasmus in the south of Spain but to be honest I wouldn't mind missing it if I saw the cities around me. I have friends in Salamanca, but that's awfully complicated to get to. I would like to see them, perhaps meeting in Madrid seeing as December's trip didn't happen. So yes, it's all about not being so bloody laid back that I get nothing done.

Eat Actual Food

Crisps is not dinner. Nor is a plate of broccoli. Nor even is some scrambled eggs. I haven't been eating terribly unhealthily in Spain considering it's my first attempt at fending for myself and could easily go mad on the freedom and eat nothing but sweets, but I haven't been eating proper meals and to be honest it's down to laziness and not planning ahead. So, in 2013 I will pretend to be a normal human being and feed myself accordingly. I've had my mother force feeding me to the point of sickness for the past week because apparently I look drawn... hopefully paying attention to what I'm eating will help me not keel over :)

Get Out More

During my first few months I was homesick and then I was actually sick and then I was just sick of the place and ready to go home for Christmas. As a result I haven't been doing things as much as I'd like. There are so many people here to be friends with and what with Erasmus being such an intensely social experience I should probably embrace that. It's fine to not like going out when you're at home, but in another country it's either get up and go or spend a lot of time alone... at the risk of going a bit mad I think I'll go for the former :)

Speak The Language I Was Sent Here To Learn

My Spanish has improved over the last few months, no question, and while it is difficult to track progress in language learning (you don't wake up one morning and realise you know 50 more words than you did a week ago) I know it hasn't improved as much as it could have. Just living day to day in the country isn't enough to make you fluent; negotiating public transport, grocery shopping and paying your rent involve using the same vocabulary over and over. So my big goal for the remaining 6 months of Erasmus is to Speak Spanish, improve my grammar and basically to come home feeling like I achieved what I set out to do. The fact that English is the universal language among Erasmus students makes this difficult sometimes, but with a bit of discipline and effort it can be done.

The actual food thing starts when I go back to Spain

Those are the big four, other than that I'd like to aim for sleeping before 2am when I have a nine o clock class, not failing my exams and being better about keeping in touch with friends at home. Hope everyone had a nice Christmas and has a happy New Year :)

Navidad 3: El Nacimiento

Spain is into the Nativity in a big way. You can't move for nativities. Stables everywhere. Wise men roaming the streets, confused because the sky at night here is never dark enough to show the stars. Shepherds, just shepherds. It's becoming a problem.

at the corte ingles

Not really. And I guess a lot of people could say that it's good that they are keeping the Christ in Christmas and all that jazz but to be honest it mostly seems out of tradition/habit (whichever is least offensive) that shops and businesses have nativity scenes on display. Sometimes it's just shoehorned in to the side of the window. In a launderette's window I saw a manger scene displayed inside a washing machine drum. The world says why, Sevilla says why not.

at the city council buildings

  It's a tradition in southern Europe to not just show the manger and the holy family, but the entire town of Bethlehem. It makes for some impressive and busy nativity scenes.

One of the most interesting things I've seen in the run up to Christmas here are the nativity markets around the Cathedral. They appeared before the lights and really showed me just how important the nativity is to Spanish people in their Christmas traditions. I was reminded of a huge Legoland-esque model of what seemed to be the entirety of Bethlehem I saw in Lanzarote a few years ago, I can only imagine that these stalls have councils and businesses in mind with some of their products, I'd be shocked if people went to this much trouble in their own homes and gardens. You never know I suppose. While I was waiting to buy something (a present) the other day a couple spent €60 on a set of figures and a stable.

This pooing figure is often hidden in a nativity scene. It's a Catalan tradition you can read about here

There were 8 baby penguins present at the birth of Jesus Christ. Hashtag accuracy.

The attention to detail is unreal, it's like shopping to furnish a giant religious doll's house. (the house is religious, the doll whose house it is doesn't necessarily have to be religious). There are a number of cribs that have electric lights and a few water features like wells and streams, just so your Bethlehem is better than your neighbours'.

Well amigos, that's all of my Christmassy posts done. Now all I have to do is finish wrapping presents, iron my wet clothes until they're dry enough to pack, eat all the food in my fridge and it's home to Ireland mañana. *squeals excitedly and skips away*

falalalala lalalala

Navidad 2: Mercados de Navidad

In less than 48 hours I will be in Ireland. Madness. Anyhoo...

Remember I showed you the empty market stalls around the Mushrooms a few posts back? Well they've been up and running for the last week or so so I thought I'd show you around. This small market has stalls selling things reminiscent of the Fiesta de Naciones; jewellery and scarves and gifts, things like that. There is also a plant stall where up until today I saw cacti dressed as Santa Claus, guess they sold out of them. 

The stalls facing the road are selling sweets and cakes and breads, they were probably the most tempting of the lot. There’s a somewhat lacklustre live nativity scene where you can have a photo taken with Mary and Joseph which seemed to draw a crowd, for the kids mainly, and of course there is a festive train. Because why not.

The donkey appeared to be trying to tunnel his way out.

I don't know where it goes.

come to me

I had higher expectations for the larger artisan market in the Plaza Nueva but I was a little let down. Rather than being Christmassy at all, it just reminded me of the craft sections of farmer’s markets. Handmade jewellery, artwork, notebooks and leather goods seem to be the most popular things on display. Perfect if you have someone in their mid 40s and you can’t think of a present, but out of my price range mostly and not what I was hoping for at all.

they weren't getting much business to be honest

There is another market down near the river but I haven’t made it there yet, and I might not before I head home. I don’t know what I was looking for… maybe a more German kind of Christmas market? With hot chocolate and mulled wine? I was hoping to find some nice decorations to bring home. I suppose Sevilla is a summer city, they do sunshine and outdoors well, so to ask them to be as good at Christmas as they are at that would be a bit much. To have a look at some more traditional (to my mind anyway) Christmas markets in France look here.

So my search for some proper Christmas markets came to nothing, oh well. The beautiful red poinsettias and other decorations around the place are keeping up my Christmas cheer in Sevilla :)

festive

 Hasta pronto x

Navidad 1: Luces de colores

Positives since we last spoke: Had an amazing Christmas dinner party with friends to say goodbye until after the holidays, we ate way too much and it was glorious. Also, I woke up at 8.50 for a 9am class and managed to get up, get dressed, put on make up and make it to the class before the lecturer had started talking. I live 15 minutes from the university, I don't know how it happened. Finally, today I bought my train ticket to Malaga, which is the first step of the journey home on Friday. Otherwise, it has been a tiring week, my friends. Let's look at some of the pretty lights from around Sevilla and think about Christmas.

Alameda de Hercules

Plaza de la Encarnación

Corte Ingles (Plaza del Duque)

Calle San Eloy

Calle Tetuan

Calle Mendez Nunez

Plaza Nueva

... Also Plaza Nueva

Avenida de la Constitución being photobombed by the cathedral

light show against the city council buildings

... see it changes colour

irrelevant but PUPPIES

Ah. I feel better now. The puppies were a good choice. Hasta manana. x

Viaje a Granada

This weekend some friends and I took a trip to Granada, 3 hours east of Sevilla. And what a difference those 3 hours make! Granada has a completely different look and feel to it than Seville, it's actually hard to say which I prefer. It's a smaller city first of all, with more of a hippy, relaxed vibe. Also, its location at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains (I saw snow!) makes you feel far closer to the countryside. Seville can just feel like a sprawling urban area so it was nice to get a look at some natural beauty.

cathedral pretty

On our first day we had a wander around and visited the Cathedral and Royal Chapel. I loved the Cathedral (what is it with me and cathedrals seriously) because it felt so light and airy. The usual gaudy gold stuff was offset by the white walls. The Royal Chapel or Capilla Real is where two of Spain's most famous and important monarchs are buried; Ferdinand and Isabella. Short history lesson here: These two not only bankrolled Columbus and his voyage which led to the European discovery of the Americas, they are also known as the "Reyes Católicos" or Catholic Monarchs and their marriage and rule is largely considered the cause for the unification of Spain. Under their rule Catholicism reclaimed power in the Iberian peninsula, but that whole process would take too long to explain here. Basically, they are very important in Spanish history, and Granada is significant here because it was the last Muslim kingdom to fall during the Catholic reconquest.

Ok phew now that's over we can relax.

calm down and look at this cat

The weather improved for our second day which meant we could enjoy our visit to the Alhambra fortress, former seat of Muslim rule in Granada. The beautiful palaces and gardens contained within the Alhambra's walls are among the most visited attractions in Spain and the number of visitors is strictly controlled. My top tip? Bring food. We were all deliriously hungry and grumpy by the end of our 5 hour visit.

Speaking of food, Granada is an amazing place if you're hungry. They still have the old tradition of giving a free tapa with every round of drinks which can mean you never actually have to order food separately. However, the food is so cheap and so good you should do so anyway. The alcohol is also very cheap. We won't go into that. The Moorish influence in Granada is also visible in the large amounts of tea and shisha houses, which make you feel like you're stepping onto the set of Aladdin.

ooh, Arabian

Overall Granada is a beautiful city with a laid back feel and I'd recommend a trip. I'm not sure if I'll make it back because of the distance and the amount of other places I want to visit in the new year, but never say never.

on the road again, just can't wait to get on the road again...

Happy Puente! Also: Art!

Hola a todos, happy Wednesday! I had a productive rent-paying internet-organising bus-ticket-buying class-going kind of day today, and this Wednesday is the beginning of a very Spanish type of weekend. A 4 day weekend. When a public holiday falls on a Thursday, often the Friday is taken off too, forming a lovely long weekend for everyone, and the name given to this is a Puente, which is Spanish for bridge. Doesn't it all make sense? This weekend from Friday to Sunday I'll be enjoying my puente with a last minute trip to Granada with some friends, so hopefully I'll have lots to show and tell you when I get back. In the meantime enjoy this photo collage (phone camera, fairly grim quality I apologise) of pictures I took during a trip to the Museo de las Bellas Artes today in Seville. It's free in with an EU passport, and as I had mine on me when I passed by this afternoon on the way back from the bus station I figured why not go in as I hadn't actually seen inside yet. It was a nice way to spend 45 minutes, I'm not a big fan of religious art, which is what a lot of the collection is made up of (I find it very repetitive) but there are some nice Baroque era portraits and works by Sevillan artists from the 18th and 19th centuries.  Considering that it's free and doesn't take too much time to go around, I'd say it's very worth a visit. I'm looking forward to going back and spending more time there. I like going to art galleries on my own, to quote Mr. Bean in his film "I... sit in the corner... and look at the paintings". They're very calming places to be... unless they're a modern art gallery in which case they can be scary and tiring.  Hasta luego x

Las Navidades se acercan...

One of two advent calendars my mam sent in the post. She gets me.

I know, 2 posts in one day! It's a Sunday and I'm avoiding college work, what can I say. Christmas is coming. Holidays are coming. Good things are coming :) I am big into Christmas. I love it. I'm like Buddy the Elf at this time of year and while it's making me a little bit homesick that I'm not there for the run up to the celebrations (getting ready is all part of the fun) I will be home in a little under 3 weeks and until then I'm seeing a new way of celebrating the season! I'm planning on doing a few posts on Christmas in Seville in the next few weeks, mostly so that I can include photos in each one. If I only did one big post at the end of the month there'd be about 50 pictures in it :) These photos are really of the setting up stage.

I hope these are full soon :)

So these wooden sheds look very traditional Christmas market to me, so I'm excited about them to see what they're like in the coming weeks. These are around the Mushrooms, where there also seems to be a little fair being set up. I didn't think Christmas markets were a thing in Spain but I suppose they've really spread in the last few years, they're not tradition in the UK either but they have lots. Or maybe they are a tradition here, haha we'll soon find out. This would be a good place for shopping for presents.

even the orange trees are getting involved

I haven't been along the main shopping streets at night yet to see the lights all lit up but I'm hoping to this week. These trees are along the Plaza Nueva, where there's also a book fair taking place at the moment, remind me to go back.

And here we have an actual photo of the Kane in Spain, accompanied by two non Kanes in Spain. These lights seem to be the most colourful and impressive in the city, probably because they're in the busy tourist area of the Avenida de la Constitución beside the Cathedral, comparable to O' Connell street in Dublin in terms of foot traffic, but there are less junkies and more gypsies. It won't be total Christmas overload here I promise, but I'm looking forward to seeing how crazy the Spaniards get in comparison to the Irish. Hasta luego x

Being a Tourist: Casa de Pilatos

Yet another one of these posts! The way I see it, the touristy ones are like me giving you a guided tour around Seville if you can't visit me. Also I haven't been up to much else lately so this is going back in time a bit. These photos were taken in September and October on the two occasions I visited Casa de Pilatos, my nearest tourist attraction. It's literally across the road from me, it's the building you in the view from my window :)

Casa de Pilatos, or "Pilate's House" is sort of a mini palace, obviously not on the same scale as the Alhambra in Granada or Seville's own Alcázar, but it doesn't take long to get around and it is very pretty. Now, as always I'm fuzzy on the history of this place, but I do know it is/was the residence of the Dukes of Medinaceli, is a few hundred years old and has been a national monument in Spain since 1931. I also know that you should go on a Wednesday where access to the ground floor and gardens is free for EU citizens. To be honest, that's all you need. There are some lovely rooms and paintings to see on the first floor, but you must go as a part of a guided tour which only lasts about 10 minutes so sadly you don't have the time to take everything in. 

pretty

So basically if you like arches and statues and fountains (and tiles! There are some lovely tiles!) Casa de Pilatos is for you. Google map it though, at this stage I have helped over a dozen tourists find it, no one seems to know where it is at all. Also worth a visit is the woman who stands outside selling nuts. They are some very nice nuts. Almonds I think. 

Hasta pronto amigos x