Asher Curnutte - Sevilla, Spain

A Journey through the Iberian Peninsula

Day 1 (June 10th)

On a beautiful summer day in June, Hamilton Garber, Chapman Malone, Cole Campbell, and I set off on an adventure that would take us through three major cities in Spain, to Portugal, to Gibraltar, and most of all would give each of us an unforgettable firsthand experience of Spain. We arrived in Madrid on the evening of June 11th, after a very long day of travelling. There we met with our two group leaders, Maria Jesus and Martin, along with the other students participating in the program.

Day 2

After a restful night, we began our tour of Madrid. We walked through ‘el centro’ and were able to see beautiful government buildings and experience the bustling city life. We also stopped at such artifacts as the tomb of the painter Velazquez. We then visited La Plaza Mayor and La Puerta Del Sol, two very famous plazas not only of Madrid but of all of Spain. We also took a tour of the Prado Museum, and saw the masterpieces of famous painters such as Velazquez’s “Las Meninas” and “Los Borrachos.” We also saw the works of Francisco de Goya and El Greco.  And we tried the calamari sandwich, which is characteristic food of Madrid.

La Plaza de España in Madrid

Day 3

On our third day we left early in the morning for the city of Toledo, which is about an hour or so south of Madrid. Toledo is an ancient city, first used as a fortress by the Romans because of its elevated positon and protection by the Tajo River which runs along three sides of the city. Here we took a tour through the skinny cobblestone streets, and saw a beautiful cathedral built years before the journey of Christopher Columbus. We also saw an extremely old synagogue that demonstrated the intersection of three religions in the city of Toledo, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, because it had been used by all three religious groups at some point in time and had been slightly altered to fit the religion. We also saw the second largest gothic style cathedral in the world, La Santa Maria.

View of Toledo

Day 4-9

After spending a day in Toledo, we had a long drive down to Seville in southern Spain, which would serve as our home base so-to-speak for the remainder of the trip. When we arrived in Seville, we met our host families. On that day I met Lola, the kindest host mom I could have asked for, and her daughter, Serena. I stayed with them in their apartment in the old neighborhood of Triana, which is full of great restaurants and fun night-life. During our first week in Seville, we focused on getting to know the city, which including seeing both the famous sites and the less famous ones which were equally intriguing. We also began our daily classes at the program’s office; we had two classes, one focused on grammar and the other on culture, but I learned a lot from both. We visited the major parks of the city, all of which were very pretty and very large. We also visited Las Setas, which is a large modern structure of mushroom shaped towers, made completely out of wood, making it the largest wooden structure in the world. We also saw La Alcazar, which means the fortress. La Alcazar was absolutely beautiful. Each room was decorated with intricate carvings and there was a massive garden in the middle of the fort with fountains, ponds, and there were even peacocks running freely throughout it.  And on Friday we saw the cathedral of Seville which is the largest gothic style cathedral in the world! And inside some of the remains of Christopher Columbus are buried. We also stopped in a restaurant and had ‘caracoles’ which is a tapa dish composed of snails! After my first adventure packed week in Seville, I was in love with the city and everything about it. And although the days were busy and I was tired, I could not have been happier about being in Spain.

Las Setas

Church in Seville

Day 10-11

After each week in Seville, we have excursions on the weekend, and our first one was to Gibraltar and Cadiz. We left very early Saturday and drove to Gibraltar which is a territory of England. We went to ‘El Punto Europa,’ which is the spot in Gibraltar form which you can look across the strait and see the mountains in northern Morocco. We then drove up a steep road which climbed up the rock of Gibraltar. There we saw the monkeys that live on the rock, and we also explored a cave. After eating a quick lunch in the city, we left for Cadiz, a beautiful beach town. As soon as we got checked in to our hotel, everyone went to the beach to relax and enjoy the day. On Sunday, after visiting a tower which gave us a wonderful view of the entire city, we went back to the beach to hang out before we had to return to Seville. Once we got back to Seville, we found that there was a bull fight about to start and so we bought the cheapest tickets and went to go see it. The bull fight, or ‘La Corrida de Los Toros’ in Spanish, was a fascinating experience. In one sense it was almost hard to watch because you were viewing the death of an animal, but in another sense it was amazing to watch the delicate movements of the matador, and the dance that is held between the tough and wild bull and the courageous matador.

              

                              

Day 12- 16

During my second week in Seville, I found that I had settled in quite well, and was enjoying myself thoroughly. The first highlight of the second week was a walk through the Jewish quarter of the city, which is known for its particularly skinny streets. All throughout the Jewish sector there were small gardens or fountains that added to the peaceful and quiet atmosphere. We also saw two Roman columns standing as the sole reminders of the great Roman feat of architecture that had once stood in the city. We also kayaked the Guadalquivir River which cut through the city of Seville. Towards the end of the week we played a few soccer games against each other one morning. We also watched Quique, one of the directors of the program, cook his very own version of Paella, a very typical dish of southern Spain, and we all got to eat it for lunch.

Paella from Seville

Day 17-18

For our second excursion we went to Lagos in Portugal. There, after checking into the hotel we all went to the docks, and boarded a sailboat which took us along the coast line where we could see the beautiful rock structures and secret coves that the relentless ocean waters had carved over thousands of years. We got to jump off the boat and swim in the cool, crisp water of the Atlantic. Later that evening I remember walking around the town and reading signs in Portuguese and I found that it was very similar to Spanish and that I could understand most of it, which was a pleasant surprise. That evening we went to Cape St. Vincent to watch the sunset. And it was honestly one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. As I sat on the rocks near the edge of a cliff which dropped down hundreds of feet to the crashing waves, I could look out and see nothing but the shimmering horizon and the glow of the setting sun. I see now why the world was thought to be flat so many years ago. The next day we set off to go surfing. We drove for a while out into what seemed like nowhere, yet eventually made it to a gravel parking lot full of cars full of surfers. The beach, the giant waves, and a small surf shop and restaurant were the only things visible for miles. After putting on wet suits and receiving a brief lesson on how to surf, we all attempted to surf. Although no one succeeded in surfing, everyone succeeded in having a good time. The excursion to Portugal was by far one of the main highlights of the trip, I enjoyed getting to travel to another country to which I had never been before and getting to see such a beautiful display of nature.

                        

Day 20-23

After returning from Portugal, everyone began to realize the trip had almost reached its end, yet no one wanted it to. For the final three days, most people were taking care of anything they had no yet done, but wanted to. We went to restaurants we had wanted to try, and we went to El Corte Ingles, which is a giant superstore, to buy gifts for our families back home. On one of the final nights, we went to a Flamenco show, and watched in awe as the dancer and the musician on the guitar interacted to create musical perfection. By the time the last week rolled around, I could hardly remember my time in Madrid the first few nights, and had settled so well into the city of Seville, I almost felt as if I had lived there my whole life. But I also was saddened by the looming return journey, I wished to remain in Spain longer.

Photo of La Plaza de España in Seville

Conclusion

Words and pictures can never truly do justice to the actual event. And so I am limited in expressing my deepest gratitude and thanks to the Wilson family for providing me with such an incredible opportunity. Not only did I grow as a Spanish student, as I learned the colloquialisms and the dialect of southern Spain, but I also grew as a man. Anytime you are faced with challenges and you can find a way to overcome them, there is growth. And being in a completely different country with different customs and traditions and having to speak almost exclusively in another language had its challenges, but overcoming those challenges and learning from my mistakes was part of what made the trip so special. Being faced with challenges and overcoming them is what makes travelling and learning so special, especially when the two are combined. Thank you to everyone who made my experience possible, from the generosity of the Wilson family to Sr. Paolicchi and Sr. Kamm. I had a wonderful trip that I will always remember and will always be thankful for.