La Vista de Oviedo: Journey to the South: Sevilla!

The landscape slowly changes as I lazily stare out the window in a surprisingly comfortable bus. Having just awoken from a long nap and probably about to take another as soon as I finish writing this, I have that wonderful contented sleepy feeling that comes only when you feel no pressure to be doing anything constructive.

I am returning to Oviedo after having spent the last four days visiting my friends in Sevilla. A beautiful city with a river running right through it, Sevilla is the “typical” Spain; it boasts flamenco shows, bull-fighting rinks, Arabic architecture, palm trees, and lots and lots of tourists. The city is a sight to see, but it would have been worth the trip just to be with my friends from UNC- Steph and Delaney. It was so special to see them in Spain; almost like the collision of two worlds, but such a happy collision at that. The first night I was there we savored the different Spanish food at the cheap and delicious Montaditos, the sweets at the pastelaria, and the banana milkshakes at an Arabic tetería. I woke up early the next morning to do some exploring on my own; my tourist self was made painfully obvious as I clutched my camera taking pictures of everything. I met Steph and Delaney at Starbucks (yes, there is Starbucks in Sevilla! Proof that it is much more Americanized than Oviedo). We walked around together, exploring different tourist shops selling all kinds of Sevilla paraphernalia. Steph and Delaney then introduced me to Rayas, their favorite gelato place; I will admit that Sevilla does have better gelato than Oviedo, and I sampled as much as possible while I was there. That night we went to a flamenco show; the dancer was overflowing with attitude and hissed at the audience every time we were too loud.

The next morning we woke up early to go to a Spanish church; the church had so many people it was overflowing. Most of the songs were popular American songs translated into Spanish; sometimes Spanish has such a better command of the language than English. After church we headed over to Steph and Delaney’s apartment for a delicious meal of paella, croquetas, tomatos, and strawberry tart prepared by their Spanish host mother. As soon as we were finished eating we headed back to the hostel to welcome Paige and Liz who were flying in from UNC to spend their spring break. We stayed up for two hours that night talking about everything that we’d missed out on in each other’s lives for the past 3 months. They brought peanut butter, chocolate chips, brownie mix, and gum for each of us! Such a happy day.

The next day was bright and sunny, and we packed it full of the most touristy stops. We went the Alcazar, a Spanish palace complete with elaborate stonework, marble columns, and beautiful gardens. When hunger overcame us, we headed over the enormous Parque Maria Luisa and enjoyed a picnic in the sun. We then took a horse-drawn carriage through the city. The setting sun bathed everything in a soft orange glow, and we talked and laughed the whole way. A delicious tapa restaurant and another pastelaria finished off the day in high style.

My last morning I woke up early enough to eat breakfast with Steph and Delaney before they went to school, and then I ate a second breakfast of strawberries and chocolate with Paige and Liz before I headed over to the bus station. So here I am on the bus, reminiscing about the past four days; I enjoyed every minute of my time and I am so glad that I went, but I’m also excited to be going home. I want to get into my apartment, sleep in my own bed, see all of my friends, go running, cook for myself, etc. It’s always nice to come home, and I feel like Oviedo is my home now. I love it there- the people, the buildings, the familiar paths and shops, my apartment. Well, after writing all of this I’m no longer tired. Maybe I’ll listen to music or just sit here and think as the countryside rolls by.