Week 1
Hotel Las Palmeras
I spent my first week in Spain in a local hotel while I waited to find an apartment with my roommate-to-be, Kiya, once she arrived on the 25th. The hotel is located in La Plaza Grande, the center of town where most of the shopping and restaurants are located. Although none of the staff spoke English, I got very good at placing my coffee order with the concierge every morning and learning my way around a Spanish breakfast bar.
Around Town
Zafra is a small town of only about 17,000 inhabitants; however, it is the center of life for the dozens of even smaller towns in the area. Tucked away in the folds of nearby mountains, Zafra is a quiet town with quaint little rows of traditional Spanish houses nestled between bumpy stone streets (roughly the side of a small alleyway in the US). It's a strange landscape--not one I've ever really encountered before--full of fruit trees (olives, oranges, pomegranates), colorful local stone, dry tall grasses, and orange, rust-colored soil. It's arid and hot here and I am exceedingly grateful that air conditioning is more common here than it is in France and the UK.
 |
| From the bus to Zafra |
 |
| Tile work in el Museo Medico |
 |
| El Torre de San Francisco |
 |
| Castillo Zafra |
 |
| Museo Santa Clara |
 |
| La Catedral de La Candelaria |
 |
| El Arco del Cubo |
 |
| cir. 1700s painting depicting many of Zafra's most notable buildings mentioned above |
Week 2
The Apartment- 20A Calle La Cruz
Kiya and I (pictured below, another Aux from the Philippians) were offered this two-bedroom apartment close to our schools through a former Aux named Tabitha who's in-laws own a spare apartment for this exact purpose. Although the apartment is a little lived-in and needed a few repairs (hence the ladder in the living room) we decided to take it for its location and price (rent is about 200E a month each). We have slowly begun to settle in--although it still doesn't quite feel like our space yet.
 |
| My room |
 |
| The living room |
 |
| The bathroom |
 |
| Terrace 1 and Laundry |
 |
| Kiya and I |
Apartment Views
Week 5- Sevilla
I took a weekend solo trip down to Sevilla (about 2 hours from Zafra by bus). While there, I stayed in a hostel in the Triana district of the city and saw a great number of really wonderful sights. I had a wonderful time--although I imagine I walked something like 10 miles over the two days I was there and my feet paid for my adventures dearly.
The Hostel
My first stop on Saturday morning was at the Sevilla Mushrooms--the largest wooden structure in the world built over top preserved Roman ruins from the 1st-5th centuries. The structure provided beautiful views of the city and the ruins below absolutely stunned me.
Catedral de Santa María de la Sede
Afterwards, I walked to the city's cathedral--the largest Gothic church in the world, and the fourth largest overall. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and location of a 300-foot Islamic Minaret known as The Giralda. I climbed to the top of the tower and toured the massive church which is surprisingly still used as a place of worship today.
Walking Sights
Ceramics Museum
Triana is known for its long history as a ceramics manufacturing district. I stopped into a museum commemorating this industry and the works that have been found in this area dating as far back as the middle-ages.
The Aquarium
One of my last visits was to the city's aquarium. It was a lovely calm space; I enjoyed the cool air and people watching the aquarium provided for my afternoon.
Comments
Post a Comment