The trip to Portugal was very fun! We first stopped in Lagos to take some pictures of the beautiful cliffs and water scene! I have never seen anything like this in my life, it was awesome! While we were in Lagos, we got to eat in a restaurant right on the beach! Of course I couldn't pass up tuna while we were sitting right next to an ocean. After lunch, three of us went on a boat (a very tiny boat) ride in the ocean around to different caves in the cliffs. It was a very cool experience and definitely worth the 10 Euro! We relaxed on the beach awhile but we did not have much time in Lagos cause we headed to the city we were staying in, Portimao!

In Portimao, we checked into our hotel, which was right on the beach, and we had free time! We laid out on the beach and went out for some dinner! On Saturday was free time again, so we just laid around the beach and pool and walked along the boardwalk! The boardwalk had some neat places, one of them being a Casino! We stopped in there because I think you only have to be sixteen to get in Casinos in Portugal. We were only there for a little and I only lost a 1.04 Euro! We had a good time in Portugal but it is nice to be back in Sevilla!

Hope you all enjoy the pictures!

Headed to Portugal!

Tomorrow we are headed to Portiamo, Portugal for a two day visit! It should be very fun and we will return Saturday and I will have pictures then!

A couple weeks back we went to a town near Sevilla called Italica. We went for school so it was not too exciting, but we did get to know some things about the old city. It was the Romans city back in 206 A.C. The city has a lot of ruins from the time, but a lot of the statues and interesting things are in the museum. We did get to see the amphitheater which was very cool. Below are some pictures of that area!

Bullfight

On Sunday night we went to the bullfight. It was an interesting thing to go to, but I am not the biggest fan of it. I do respect that it is part of their culture. For those of you who don't know how it goes, it is a very drawn out process. To make it short, first the bull comes out and then the matadores on feet with their flag things. The color of the flag is not really significant because the bull is blind but they are usually pink. The movement of the flag is what makes the bull charge it. They go through a series of performances then the picadores come out on the protected horses. I am not exactly sure why but the bulls like to attack the horses and while this is happening the picador on the horse weakens the bull with its lance. Then they leave and three men come out with banderillas (barbed sticks) and try to place them in the bulls shoulders. Whether they are successful or not, the next step is when the main matador comes out by himself with his red flag and a sword. This is the final stage and the goal is for the man to win. Although, I did see one of the matadores miss the bull and the bull charged him, but he got back up!

Hope you all enjoyed a little information about bullfighting!

-Kaitlyn

Ronda y Marbella!

Yesterday we traveled to Ronda and Marbella. Ronda was about two hours away from Seville. When we got there, we explored the city a little bit. We saw the New Bridge that was built; it is one of the pictures below. It is the largest of the three bridges spanning the canyon. The Guadalevin River runs through the middle of the New Bridge. It was a site to see! Also, Ronda has one of the oldest bullrings in Spain but we did not get to see it. We did not get to stay long there because we had to head to Marbella.
Marbella is on the beach. It was one of the nicest beaches I have seen. It was really beautiful and the waves were huge! The city also has a huge marina. Marbella is a very rich town that celebrities go to visit. I have never seen so many Mercedes, Ferraris, and Lamborghinis in my life! They had a lot of very high end stores too! Don't worry mom I got you something from Dolce & Gabbana... just kidding :) Needless to say, we did not do much shopping, just looking!

The day was an all around fun day and it was nice to experience the towns! We do not get to do too much during the week now that school has started! You can imagine the amount of homework with two classes and only a month! Hope all is well back home!

-Kaitlyn

Three cities in two days! It has been a very busy weekend! Sunday we took a day trip with the CEA group to Jerez and Conil. We went to a winery in Jerez. Jerez is one of the most popular places in Spain for wine. It has a great geographical location and chalky soil to produce the unique product known as sherry for the world! Here are a few pictures from our visit.

On our visit to Conil we were able to enjoy a few hours on the amazing beach! It was a beautiful few and is a popular beach to visit in Spain!

On Monday, since it is a holiday here in Sevilla also, we had a free day! We rode a train to Cordoba and spent the day exploring the city. We went to La Mezquita. It is the Mosque in Cordoba and it very beautiful. The architecture is amazing! We ate at a place that had very good tapas! These are like small appetizers. We are trying to find our favorite tapa since there are so many different kinds! This is a picture of La Mezquita!

Hasta luego!

Aventuras!

Buenas noches!

Well it is night for me here! Over the past two days we have had so many adventures around the city! Yesterday (May 29), my roommate, Taylor, and I walked around the city and several different sites.
This was my favorite place yesterday. It is the Plaza de España. It is so beautiful. It has water around the plaza where you can row boats and enjoy the beauty. This is where the 1929 Exhibition was held and this plaza is also in one of the Star Wars movies! Can you guess which one?
We also visited the Alcazar yesterday. This is where the royal family stays when they come to visit. It is full of beautiful Moorish archways and patios and also has a huge garden area!

Today we visited the Cathedral and the Giralda. The two are connected. The Cathedral is one of the world's largest and it is so amazing words can't really describe it. The architecture is jaw-dropping. The Giralda is a tower made of all brick. You have to walk 35 ramps and 17 stairs to get to the top to see the amazing view! Below is a picture of the Giralda at night and myself at the top!I hope you enjoy the information and the pictures! It is a great experience! Hasta luego!

-Kaitlyn

Estámos en Sevilla!

After three long flights and little sleep, we are in Sevilla! We arrived around 11 today and went straight to our host family! I am staying in a neighborhood called Los Remedios. It is a very well-known neighborhood in Sevilla and it is one of the oldest! Today we had time to explore around the town before we had to be back for our first meal from our host mom! Pictures are soon to come if I can get them uploaded! We are headed into town to meet with the CEA staff for dinner tonight and the orientation is tomorrow so we will be keeping busy! The first day of school is May 31st because the 30th is a holiday here in Sevilla! Hasta luego!

-Kaitlyn