Cordoba and Sevilla

So sorry I have totally been slacking on this... but on the weekend of March 11-12, my program took me and half of the other students with my program to Cordoba and Sevilla.

Cordoba was first, and it was like a 4 hour bus ride. No offense to Cordoba, but it has been my least favorite city in Europe so far. Don't get me wrong, the bridge was cool and the mosque/cathedral was really pretty, but there is not much to do in this city.

We got a walking tour of the city that took place in the rain, unfortunately. My favorite part was the street with all the flowers. We saw the university, which I'm pretty sure is the oldest university in Spain. Then we got a tour of the mosque/cathedral. I'm not totally sure how it can be both, maybe it used to be a mosque and now it's a cathedral? I really need to start listening more when the guides talk...but I was too busy trying to take pictures. That was not as easy as it sounds, the building was super dark.

After our lunch at like 4, we sat in a cafe and had coffee, and I hate coffee. But then finally it was time to get on the bus again and drive another 2 hours to Sevilla. I had been to Sevilla technically twice before, when I flew out of Sevilla to go to Rome and then back from Rome to Sevilla. It was gorgeous then and it still was a really beautiful city, but when we got there it was kinda rainy. We headed straight for the hotel.

The hotel was incredible. Lindsay and I shared a room. I could not wait to see what our room would look like!! First of all, there was a shower! Like a real hotel shower! Then there were 2 huge beds and a TV! And, wait for it, a closet! With full length mirrors for doors! It was so exciting! Now if this was a normal vacation, I would be like wait really? Why am I staying here? But considering the circumstances, I was so thrilled with the room. The real surprise came when I turned on the TV and NCIS was on!! Hello, could life get any better?

NCIS on TV!!

our room

Actually it could have. We went downstairs for a free dinner at the hotel buffet. It was Friday, I couldn't eat meat, so I tried spaghetti, salad, french fries, bread, and yogurt. Not gonna lie, the only things I liked were the bread and the yogurt. But whatever, we went back upstairs, watched Jersey Shore and Glee online, and then went to sleep.

The next day in Sevilla was bright and sunny. We did a bus tour of the city first, then we went to the Plaza. (It is apparently where they filmed one of the Star Wars movies.) It was a huge building with a big outdoor courtyard. There was a river and bridges and a fountain. We took lots of pictures and walked all around.

fountain

me on the bridge

Then it was back on the bus and we went to a garden, where we took more pictures.

photoshoot

with the palm trees

Then we saw the Palace. I guess royalty comes to visit sometimes... which makes sense, the place was gorgeous! We got to walk up into the palace and see the fountain and all the palm trees. Then we walked into this building that looked like a mini-Alhambra.

palace

mini-alhambra :)

We went to the cathedral after, where we learned that the 3 biggest cathedrals in the world are 1) The Vatican, been there 2) Sevilla, was there and 3) Granada, live there. I was so excited! We walked into the cathedral for free with our program and it led into a courtyard with more palm trees. Then we went inside and saw where some royal people can get married. Then in the back of the cathedral is a big stone box and inside is Christopher Columbus's bones. We didn't stay in the cathedral very long, and then Lindsay and left and headed for another very historic, very important monument in Sevilla that was one of the highlights of the trip. Yes, I am talking about Starbucks.

cathedral

they had just gotten married and were dancing outside the cathedral!!

I had a vanilla frapp and it tasted just like the ones in the US. It was so amazing because I missed Starbucks sooo much. I don't have it that much in Illinois, but just seeing it made me feel more at home. Plus we got to sit outside with our drinks in the sun. Then we went shopping! I bought a red shirt at H&M. Then we got back on the bus for a 3 hour ride home!!

It started raining on the way home, but that's okay, because we got to see a full double rainbow. I have never seen one of those before, and it was so beautiful. :)