Rivers and Plazas

(Written 9/3)

Today was only my second full day in Spain, but it already feels like an eternity. I’m thinking in Spanish almost always, and I’m making a huge effort not to get frustrated by the slower pace—it’s hard! There are three separate trains of thought for this blog, so read whatever interests you:

Part I:
I have fallen in love with the river, el Río Guadalquivir. As I am crazy lucky in terms of the location of my homestay, I am just 2-3 blocks away from the river and the gorgeous boardwalk that runs parallel to it. I look forward to many hours of reading on the benches, and many walks both by myself and with others!

Alex and me in front of the bridge:

Part II:
This morning, I had plans to meet people at La Gran Plaza. I was planning to walk there, but jet lag kept me in bed a bit too late, so I took the metro. (I happen to live less than a block away from one). The good news is that Gran Plaza is also a metro stop, which seems particularly lucky when you consider the lack of a metro: there is only one line in all of Sevilla! Anyways, I had no idea how to buy the kind of ticket I needed, so I just chose one, paid, and left. As it turns out (of course), I bought the very wrong one. I paid 2.80 Euro when it would have cost me 82 cents if I’d managed to buy the right thing! It was worth it, however, to explore the market-type street and to chat with Adriana over 7-Up and orange soda. I have now successfully purchased the right kind of ticket!

Part III:
This afternoon, I had much time to kill. Since Adriana lent me a book, I decided it would be a good time to go to Parque María Luisa to find a nice, comfy bench. Unfortunately, the bench was feeling a bit too comfy, so I ended up going to Plaza de España. Annelise (who is from Haverford and recommended I visit this plaza) was totally and completely right—it’s absolutely gorgeous. I have every intention to spend some serious time there, especially with friends!

Plaza de España:

Spanish word of the day: cardena = necklace (because I wear mine every day)

peace,
elizabeth

P.S. I’m going to put all the pictures on Facebook, so check there if you’re interested!