Deprecated: Function WP_Dependencies->add_data() was called with an argument that is deprecated since version 6.9.0! IE conditional comments are ignored by all supported browsers. in /chroot/home/a1e0f025/dab19c68f8.nxcli.io/html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6131
Deprecated: Function WP_Dependencies->add_data() was called with an argument that is deprecated since version 6.9.0! IE conditional comments are ignored by all supported browsers. in /chroot/home/a1e0f025/dab19c68f8.nxcli.io/html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6131
Take courses in Spanish specifically designed for study abroad students. Attend classes with other international students studying Spanish language, culture, history, business, education, social sciences, and more. Spanish Studies Abroad on-site resident directors and local professors teach a cultural reflection course to help you understand and integrate with the culture.
Seville is the centerpiece of your experience, a beautiful and ancient city with a temperate climate and a rich cultural life. The setting of operas Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro, and Carmen; birthplace of painters Velázquez and Murillo; Moorish palaces and Renaissance gardens; paintings, statues, and world-famous ceramic tiles. At the same time, Seville is very cosmopolitan. The bustling commercial center is filled with traditional business and trade activities, and an efficient public transportation system links the various neighborhoods and attractions. The sevillanos are a gracious and social people – welcoming to visitors and eager to introduce them to the life and culture of their city.
I have been going on a lot of adventures and day trips to religious sites, and wanted to share some of my experiences.
First, I went on a guided tour of the Cathedral of Sevilla, where we took an hour guided tour on the ground floor and then had some free time to explore and climb the Giralda (tower). The first photo is of the tower from the courtyard inside the cathedral, and the second is a view from the top of the tower.
Giralda of the Cathedral of Sevilla
Instead of having stairs to climb the tower, there was a ramp that spiraled up about 40 floors to get to the top, which was a 15 minute climb. The climb was so worth it though, for the view of the city!
From the top of the Giralda
The next day, we went on a day trip to Córdoba, which was about an hour and a half bus ride from Sevilla. The architecture inside the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba was very unique and pretty.
Inside the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba
Then we also viewed the Synagogue of Córdoba, where nearby was this outside garden spot with a pretty flower wall in a classic Andalusian courtyard.
Flower wall in Córdoba
After our tour, we walked back through the streets of Córdoba, where we had two hours of free time to eat lunch. Erica and I grabbed coffee from a little shop and then sat on a stone wall outside the Cathedral-Mosque to eat lunch.
Walking through an alley in Córdoba
On the way back from the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, we passed a medieval style castle right before the stone bridge we crossed to return to our bus.
This week I discovered a new coffee shop, it’s called Jester Coffee, and it is about one block away from my apartment. I got a mocha and chocolate banana bread, and Erica got an iced mocha and a nutella croissant. We both loved everything, and will definitely be going back!
Jester coffee and chocolate chip banana bread
For my history class we went to the Centro Nao Victoria and had a tour of the museum, and then afterwards climbed onto a replica of the Nao Victoria, which was the first successful ship to circumnavigate the world, captained by Magellan. The Nao Victoria replica sat right on the River Guadalquivir, and demonstrated how traveling on a ship as a sailor would have been in that time period.
Nao Victoria on the Guadalquivir River
The third photo is an example of one of my meals from my homestay, it was a panini with salami, ham and cheese. I have had a wide variety of meals here so far, from tortilla de patata to croquetas to salads to omelets and more, and I have enjoyed almost every meal. We usually have a baguette or picos (little bread chips) with every meal.
A typical dinner in the homestay
The last photo is a crazy spontaneous decision Erica and I made- getting tattoos! Last time I was in Spain last spring, I got a spontaneous tattoo so I had to keep the tradition going. Erica got a stamp of a fan on the back of her arm, we both got matching tattoos on the back of our arm, and then I also got forget me not flowers on my ribs for my grandmother who passed away last year. I’m so grateful to be here enjoying this experience and have been wanting to get something to remember her by 🙂
Hello everyone! A little update on my study abroad experience in Spain over the past couple weeks!
I found my favorite coffee spot! It is called Ozik and is a little Japanese coffee shop about a block away from where I have all of my classes. Since coffee is cheaper here, I go there way too often, to the point where the barista knows my order already when I walk in. I usually stop by after my first class of the day on Mondays and Wednesdays to do my homework during my break.
A coffee-study break at Ozik after class
We took a trip to the Royal Alcázar of Sevilla, which is a historic royal palace from the 10th century. We went on a two hour guided tour, approx., of the Alcázar, the building was gorgeous and it was a beautiful sunny day as well!
The garden of the Royal AlcázarAnother garden view of the Royal Alcázar
I have also been trying a lot of different restaurants. My friend Erica and I found this Italian restaurant called Bachio. We tried this meat pizza there and it was so tasty, and also the perfect amount to split between two people for dinner.
Pizza Carnosa from Bachio
We also discovered our favorite ice cream shop, which I have been to 3 or 4 times now. It is called Gelateria Mito, and they have a couple locations across the city. I always order the nutella ice cream, which in my opinion is to die for.
Ice cream from Gelateria Mito
This last photo is from when Erica and I explored the riverside of the Rio Guadalquivir one night after getting ice cream. It was a beautiful night and we sat along the river for a bit since it was on the way back to both of our apartments.
What a great first week it’s been! The first couple of days I was settling in, with a couple orientations and then I started classes. The first photo is of my walk to school- where you can see the Torre de Oro on the right, a monument from the 13th century. El Centro, where I am talking my classes, is about a 20 minute walk from my host family’s apartment, and on the way I cross the Guadalquivir River.
View of La Torre de Oro on my walk to school
Tuesday night we went for a paseo (a little walking tour) and saw the Plaza de España. I didn’t realize until I was there that I have actually already been to the Plaza de España- almost 8 years ago now! They filmed some of Star Wars there. Also, while we were walking through the Parque de María Luisa, which is right next to the Plaza de España, they were filming the newest Walking Dead.
La Plaza de España
Thursday night we had our first session of intercambios. This is an exchange between the local university students and the students in our program, where we speak with them in both spanish in english so that we both improve our speaking skills. Afterwards, some friends and I explored Seville with one of the students from the University of Seville and ate dinner at a local Spanish restaurant, El Cairo. We tried paella de mariscos (seafood), which we enjoyed a lot.
Dinner on Thursday night- seafood paella
Finally, on Friday we went on a day trip to Itálica, which is just 15 minutes outside of Seville and explored some Roman ruins. This day trip is one of many included in the Seville program, and we were guided by SSA professors who shared insight into the background and evolution of this historic site.
Hi, I’m Sofia and I will be studying abroad in Spain this coming spring. I am very excited and a little anxious to go. My mom majored in Spanish and studied abroad in Spain when she was in college, so she has sparked my love for the language and drive to go to Spain this spring.
A little bit about me: I love the beach, playing soccer, surfing, listening to music, going on adventures, and drinking coffee. I can’t wait to go and I am excited to blog all of my experiences!
We woke up early in the morning to catch the bus to Valencia, Spain. This city is known to be modern man in technology and science. It has two major museums that show the different and unique projects created by Spanish scientists. We arrived early in the morning and talked around this beautiful park where you could do lots of activities, such as riding water scooters, canoes and water balls. The park was full of life with families enjoying a picnic and live music with food stands and souvenirs.
As we walked by the park and all these beautiful stands, we got to see a particular movie theater. It was round like the moon and it looked similar to a spaceship. People were able to go in and watch some movies and the experience was totally different from a typical theater in the United States.
After exploring the park, we headed to the old town of Valencia where we got to walk the small streets full of life, food, music and people. We learn about the history of Valencia during the conquest of the Catholic kings Isabel and Fernando. Also, we were able to see one of the most beautiful and visited churches in Spain. It was magical. It had so many rooms and historical objects, for instance – gold cups, music books, bibles, clothes and gold crowns. Being able to see all these rooms and artifacts was incredibly impressive because you heard the history while you saw it with your own eyes. It is a magical and unforgettable experience.
This trip was full of different eras from the modern part of Valencia where we were able to see more technology and science, along with the older part of the city with so much history and beautiful places. To end the trip, we enjoyed an ice cream and some tapas just like everyday in Spain!
It was a sunny Saturday on the last day of September when we went to the closest island in Alicante. Island Tabarca is full of sun and good food. We woke up around 8am to start heading over to the meeting point to depart from the deck to the island. Is about a 45 minute ride if the sea waves are calm. We arrived around 11am to the island and we explored the small streets of the island. They were so unreal and beautiful, the different colors made the streets look like Greece. The group called it a small Greece because the similarities were really close.
As we walked down the streets we saw different restaurants with typical Spanish dishes and drinks. People enjoy drinks and buy souvenirs. After walking in the small town of Tabarba we headed to the main beach where the view was extremely beautiful, the sun was out and hot and the water was crystal clear, it looked like a pool. The water was cold at first but once you were deep enough the water felt warm and comfortable to swim in. After spending two hours on the main beach we hiked to the other side of the island. We found a small island where people were jumping off a cliff. On this side of the island, the water was blue and green – the color mix was unreal. It felt like a fantasy movie. At the end of the day, we headed back to Alicante around 7pm on the last ferry. Watching the sunset from the ferry was absolutely a moment I will never forget. The colors of the sky were perfect and it matched all the good times we had at the island. Here are some pictures to illustrate the trip
My first two weeks in Alicante have been full of emotions. Today my host mom took me to see her house outside the city. She lives in a beautiful village just about 30 minutes outside Alicante. As she drove to the house, we passed many small towns where I saw a slat factory and a goose farm where geese were placed in large ponds to grow and then release them by the shore or for commercial purposes.
Seeing her home brought me almost into tears, because it looked just like my grandpa’s house full of fruit trees, a beautiful view of a lake and a quiet place to be at peace. Seeing the house was one of my best experiences so far. It made me feel connected more to the family knowing they have a house that has similarities to a place I loved as a child and still do as an adult. The house is small and very traditional. It has old Spanish architecture, the furniture is classic and in fact, she has a radio that is over 100 years old from when the radio was first created in Spain.
After picking some fruit from the trees, we drove down to the market where we could find many delicious items. The drive to the market was very nice, as we could see every stand from the road. It had bars, clothes, food stands, fruits, veggies, shoes, bags and other commercial items. The market was full of people from all around the world. I did not expect it to be such a touristy place, since it is in the middle of nowhere. However my host mom told me that “Guardamar,” the town where the house is located, has patriotic parties which means their saint is being celebrated with a carnival and little celebrations.
Seeing so many people at the market reminded me of how I would go to these markets with my mom when I was a child. I also bought a purse in the stands. It was so affordable and beautiful! I loved the experience of witnessing a market so similar to those at home in Mexico, but yet different.
Here are some pictures. Alondra
Bag I purchased
The patio of the house
The market
The front Patio of the house The salt dunes from the factory
My arrival at Alicante has been quite a journey. I arrived on Saturday September 2nd in the city. As the taxi drove to my homestay I was looking at the different landscapes Spain has from Oregon, it is so rocky and dry. Once I met my family they received me with hot coffee, which surprised me because the weather is hot and humid. Although the weather was hot I loved the coffee she made me. She calls it “cafe con bombon” and it is so yummy! Is basically coffee with condensed milk.
My first time out of the house was to have our nails done. My host mom is really sweet and fashionable. She took me to her favorite spot where the prices are very reasonable. That was so nice of her. Also she told me that everything about beauty is inexpensive here in Alicante so in the future we will be having more girls dates.
After the nail salon we headed to the supermarket where I got to see real Spanish ham. The pig legs were hanging out in the store and people could ask for the different types of hams. My mom got a bag of the best ham to make some alicantinas. Alicantinas are bread with tomato sauce and ham on top. They have been my favorite dish so far. My first days were full of emotions of sadness, anxiety and confusion. However, getting to talk to my classmates and my family help a lot to feel comfortable in my surroundings. Here are some pictures of my first days at the most humid, lovely and wonderful city of Alicante.
Thursday December 16th, 2021, 12:26PM EST, JFK Airport NYC
I missed my flight back to the US.
Well, I guess study abroad wasn’t quite ready to get rid of me yet. And I did say I wanted to stay in Spain longer…
But really? Did it have to be THIS big of a CURVEBALL?
The day began yesterday at 5am Spanish time. I got up, said bye to my host family, and hailed a cab to the Alicante airport.
An early morning photo shoot with my Argentinian host brother, right, and my Japanese flatmate, left. I had no idea what the next 50+ hours would have in store for me…
Our plane in Alicante arrived 15 minutes late, which is why I’m still not home with my family in Salem. From Alicante, we flew to Madrid, where we only had 40 minutes to run through passport control and to our gate.
The problem is that the airport in Madrid is huge, so by the time we got to the gate it was already closed. A woman even got on right before me, which just added to my frustration.
Two Linfield students managed to board the plane, so I was stuck with a classmate from New York and another Wildcat. We called our wonderful program director in Alicante and she told us what to do.
So, what did we do? We walked to help desks, waited in long lines, called our families, and contacted Linfield IPO. Thankfully, we managed to change our flight from Chicago to New York City. This meant that we didn’t have to worry about staying in Madrid and getting another COVID test.
We got our new flight tickets an hour before the scheduled departure. Plus, our gate was nearby so we were feeling pretty optimistic as we speed-walked.
And then we got to passport control. The line for non-EU residents was ridiculous. People were crammed in and pleading with airport employees to speed up the line. Some people were crying, others were cutting in line, and lots of boos and jeers were hurled towards the cutters. All of this unfolded as we watched the time tick past our scheduled flight time…
Defeated and discouraged, we made it through passport control five minutes after our flight was supposed to leave. The three of us sprinted to the gate in hopes that there was some kind of delay…
And there WAS a delay!!! Apparently 20 other passengers hadn’t yet boarded the plane, causing the delay. We boarded the plane breathing heavy sighs of relief because we knew that we would be back in the US that night.
Minutes after we boarded our plane in Madrid to NYC. We thought we were going to miss this flight too, so when we boarded we were literally sweating and shaking. What a relief.
Upon arriving at JFK airport, we sorted out our situation. Linfield IPO reserved and paid for a hotel, dinner, and transportation for me and my fellow Wildcat (super grateful). And we hugged our friend from New York goodbye. We were glad to see her make it home that night, even if we didn’t.
We ended up taking a taxi to our hotel, which was only a couple miles from the airport. Exhausted and hungry, we collapsed on our beds and put in an order for delivery pizza.
New York City is a strange place. Our pizza was arriving late, so we called to check the status of our order. The guy who answered had a really thick New York accent, which made it hard to understand him. Honestly, I would have understood him better had he been speaking Spanish, but I did catch the words “in a few minutes.”
We ate our pizzas and slept, although it was hard to sleep because of the noise from the heater and the street. This morning we got up, ate our leftovers, and called a cab. After 15 minutes of waiting for the cab we called a Lyft, which arrived 2 minutes later to take us back to JFK airport.
After some navigating around, we arrived at the terminal to get our boarding passes. The line was hectic and after waiting around, we were told by an airline worker that it was too early to get our boarding passes.
Where I wrote this part of my post in JFK airport. Yes, on the floor…
And that leads us to where we are now, on the floor of the JFK NYC airport. Airline bureaucracy has been a pain but in spite of our challenges, I’m reminded of how lucky I am. I have a wonderful support system (Linfield IPO, Spanish Studies Abroad, and my family and friends) and there are nice airline workers and fellow passengers willing to help out.
I’m coming home, Oregon! With patience and time. More updates to come.
**********************
Sunday December 19th, 2021, 1:57AM PST, Home in Salem!!!
After over 50 hours of intense international traveling, I arrived at my house in Salem, Oregon on Friday morning. Things went smoothly on Thursday, but I had to do a lot of waiting: waiting eight hours to board the flight, waiting seven hours on the plane, waiting to file a claim for my luggage (stuck in Madrid for some reason), waiting an hour for the car ride with my parents to end at our home…
But hey, I made it!!! At 1:30AM Friday…in Salem. Home.
There was no better feeling than returning home to the kisses of my beloved dog, Comet.
I’d never imagined that my study abroad experience would end on such a hectic note. I thought that if anything, there might be a problem with COVID.
However, I think that my study abroad experience has been one of those “expect the unexpected” kind of deals. COVID delayed my study abroad twice. A volcano on the Canary Islands erupted on my third day. I got stitches for the first time. Missing buses and trains. The Omicron variant. And then, my flight.
One could say that the unexpected has been a curse to my study abroad experience. And while I could dwell on the occasional (or frequent) misfortune, I’m choosing not to. I had a WONDERFUL experience: made lots of friends from all over the world, improved my Spanish, gained a lot of intercultural knowledge, and traveled.
In short, the curveballs were a test in resilience, moral fortitude, and compassion. It was easy to get overwhelmed by mishaps, but I managed to pull through. And I’ve got to admit, I feel pretty proud of myself for doing so. Before studying abroad, I didn’t know that I was capable of solving such complex real-world problems.
So here I’ll say it: studying abroad is a GREAT experience. Not just when things go well, but also when the dookie hits the fan and you’re left trying to clean up the mess. It’s all just about learning and growing, living and loving, smiling and laughing…
Well, it’s 2AM now. My sleep cycle is messed up, but at least I’m home. I’d hate to end my blog on such a bummer note, so I’m going to get some rest and do a post about my last month in Spain (excluding flight stuff).
The market 
The front Patio of the house
The salt dunes from the factory 
