Sorry I´ve been a bit lazy to blog...this whole eat really late culture is majorly throwing me off (the Conklin family grew up eating at 6 pm on the dot...3 hours later than the Spanish tend to start eating). But it may be worth it for the tapas and dos cañas each night!
When we first started planning this trip, the region of Andalucia seemed like an important addition before heading to Morocco because not only did I want to see Spain (and Courtney wanted to go back), but we assumed that it would be a good starting point for a trip to predominantly Muslim countries. As a soon-to-be cultural psychology student, I am interested in the area because it has long been known as a crossroads of many cultures. As Lonely Planet puts it, "Andalucia stands where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean and Europe gives way to Africa." Due to its proximity to Africa, Andalucia played host to various conquerors, the most notable of which were the Moors who brought Islam and their distinct architecture with them. Interestingly, a lot of this architecture remains in this region mixed together with that of a very Catholic Spain.
Thus, we planned our trip to hit the "big three" cities of Andalucia: Seville, Cordoba, and Granada. We chose the biggest, Seville, as our starting point. After getting off the train from Madrid on Tuesday afternoon, the difference between the two cities was very obvious! Madrid was colorful but still regal, while Seville is even more colorful and fun, with more varied architecture and beautiful tile work. We´re staying in the Barrio de Santa Cruz which is in the old Juderia (Jewish quarter), the formerly Jewish area. It reminds me of Venice with all its winding streets and how easy it is to get lost, until you find a landmark you know and realize where you are.
We wandered around a lot last night, but what was the highlight? This dog (well more like horse)! He kept running back and forth past us, collecting oranges from one plaza and running by us to where we assumed his owner was located. Where did we find his owner? In yet another park full of oranges. I guess he was picky.
When we first started planning this trip, the region of Andalucia seemed like an important addition before heading to Morocco because not only did I want to see Spain (and Courtney wanted to go back), but we assumed that it would be a good starting point for a trip to predominantly Muslim countries. As a soon-to-be cultural psychology student, I am interested in the area because it has long been known as a crossroads of many cultures. As Lonely Planet puts it, "Andalucia stands where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean and Europe gives way to Africa." Due to its proximity to Africa, Andalucia played host to various conquerors, the most notable of which were the Moors who brought Islam and their distinct architecture with them. Interestingly, a lot of this architecture remains in this region mixed together with that of a very Catholic Spain.
Thus, we planned our trip to hit the "big three" cities of Andalucia: Seville, Cordoba, and Granada. We chose the biggest, Seville, as our starting point. After getting off the train from Madrid on Tuesday afternoon, the difference between the two cities was very obvious! Madrid was colorful but still regal, while Seville is even more colorful and fun, with more varied architecture and beautiful tile work. We´re staying in the Barrio de Santa Cruz which is in the old Juderia (Jewish quarter), the formerly Jewish area. It reminds me of Venice with all its winding streets and how easy it is to get lost, until you find a landmark you know and realize where you are.
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| Multicultural--Spanish, Arabic, Hebrew! |
We wandered around a lot last night, but what was the highlight? This dog (well more like horse)! He kept running back and forth past us, collecting oranges from one plaza and running by us to where we assumed his owner was located. Where did we find his owner? In yet another park full of oranges. I guess he was picky.
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