Submitted by Janine Burdette on the 2016 winter session program in Granada, Spain sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures…
A group of us decided to go to the Granada vs. Valencia soccer game! I have never watched any kind of soccer game in my life before, so I had no idea what to expect. We were able to get cheap tickets and figured that the seats were not very close to the field. We wandered around trying to find an entrance and walked into a section that had a bunch of open seats, but was very close to the field.The crowd sang lots of chants that we were able to pick up on and follow for the most part! I ended up getting really into the game and I loved the atmosphere because it was way more exciting that any Delaware sporting event I had ever attended. Even though Granada lost and the stadium wasn’t completely packed, I had a great evening and the game really peaked my interest in the sport! It’s amazing how much fútbol means to Spain, just as America loves football.
As a group, we were also able to plan a trip to Sevilla for the weekend completely on our own! It was my first time buying a bus ticket to another city and making a hotel reservation completely by myself. On Saturday morning, we visited the Plaza de España which was enormous and beautiful. It was originally built to show off Spain’s technology, but now consists mainly of government buildings. Along the wall by the canal that runs through the plaza are 48 tile benches – one for each province in Spain. I was also very excited because a scene from the movie Star Wars was filmed right in the Plaza. While some of the group went to see a Sevilla soccer game, I went to see the Metropol Parasol, which is an enormous wooden structure (that looks like a mushroom) in the old part of Sevilla. It is thought to be the largest wooden structure in the world, and the view from the top is absolutely incredible because I could see the entire city of Sevilla!
We also were able to visit the Real Alcázar, which is a royal palace, originally built for Moorish Muslim kings, and the amount of detail in the tiles and tapestries was very intriguing to me. The palace grounds were extensive; lots of fountains, gardens, hidden benches and peaceful spots. It was also really interesting to take a tour of the Plaza de Toros, which is the arena that hosts bull fighting in the spring and early fall seasons. I enjoyed seeing the original matador costumes in their museum, as well as learning about the customs within a bull fight.
Our final destination was the Catedral de Sevilla and La Giralda, which is a giant bell tower within the cathedral. The tower has over 25 floors which we all climbed to see the view at the top!