Sunsets in Seville [Travel Tuesday]

Last Spring, I studied abroad in Seville, Spain. I love Seville and miss it almost everyday. It was the liveliest, most beautiful city I have ever been to. Aside from the Cathedral, the Alcazar, barrio Santa Cruz, one of the most stunning things about the city were the sunsets over the Guadalquivir river. On my way home from central Seville, I would find myself standing in awe on the bridge as the sky consumed me in its delicate clouds and charming colors. I was so humbled by such a magnificent creation.  

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Sangria in Sevilla {Travel Tuesday}

To be honest, I had no idea what sangria was until I went to Spain. I didn't know the difference between fruit punch and sangria. (Yes, I know I lived under a rock.) Nothing was better than going out for a drink in the middle of the day (Spanish time= around 5 or 6p.m.) with my 3 best friends (pictured below: Amanda, Kassi, and Hannah). The streets were crowded with families, laughing and hand gesturing at one another outside their usual tapas bar. Their children were swooning in strollers or playing soccer around tables and chairs, pretending to be Cristiano Ronaldo. I fell in love with watching the people. It was almost a hobby, eavesdropping on Spanish conversations and sneakily taking pictures of them, while I was abroad.

The four of us would meet up in central Sevilla to hang out and enjoy local culture. We found out very quickly how tourist it was to drink Sangria. It was not something the locals drank. They prefer Cruzcampo -beer- or a glass of red wine from the Andalusian region. Or, young people, they drink what is called, tinto de verano, it is red wine with Fanta. After finding out how touristy sangria was, I casually switched to tinto. But I still have a love for sangria, especially because you can make a virgin version of it (I'm only 20). Check out my recipe below and try it for yourself!

My last day in Sevilla with my amigas along the River.

My First Sangria Recipe

Ingredients:

4 cups of Cranberry-Grape Juice

1 cup of Orange Juice

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon Juice

1 apple 

1 pear

1 orange

Lemon-lime soda

Directions: 

1// Peel and thinly slice the apple, pear, and orange and place in the bottom of the pitcher

2// Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice into the pitcher

3// Pour cranberry-grape juice and orange juice into the pitcher

4// Stir mixture

5// Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours

6// Pour into a glass mixed with lemon-lime soda and enjoy! 

Cheers!

There are so many different Sangria recipes. I still want to try Virgin Watermelon Sangria (here). Do you have any favorites? 

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Monkeying Around in Gibraltar {Travel Tuesday}

Before I left for Spain, my dad told me I needed to visit the Straight of Gibraltar, an English territory in southern Spain. I had no clue what it was, its significance, or why I should visit, but it always stuck in the back of my mind. About a few weeks into being abroad, I found a website offering an extremely cheap day-trip to Gibraltar. I do not remember exactly how much it was (I think around 28 euro) it included a 2 hour bus ride there and back, tour guides, a visit to St. Michael's Cave, time to hang out with the apes, free time, and a bus tour around the rock of Gibraltar.

We left early on a Saturday morning and the day was perfect. I adore blue skies with fluffy clouds and, that day, the sky did not disappoint. Our bus took us to the coast to an impressive view of the Mediterranean Sea, the Straight of Gibraltar, the Atlantic Ocean, Africa, and Spain.

The view was incredible, but my favorite part of the day was hanging out with apes. At first, it was terrifying being around a bunch of apes. I wanted to touch one so bad, but the thought of one eating my face off hindered that hope. We hung around the apes for a good 30 minutes before I started to feel a little more comfortable around them. As we stood next to a fence watching the apes play, they started climbing on the fence, getting closer and closer to us. I stepped back a little afraid, but then nudged myself closer to the ape to see if it would reach for me. And that's when it happened, the ape jumped onto my shoulder, practically hugging my head as it started threading my hair through its teeth like floss.

You can write about one of your favorite travel adventures too. Just link up with Travel Tuesday on A Compass Rose or Found Love. Now What? 

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My Spanish Family Vacation {Travel Tuesday}

Last spring, I studied abroad in Seville, Spain. Lucky for me, I had the sweetest host parents ever. They, Carmen and Miguel, took great care of my roommate, Kate, and I. In the beginning, I was terrified to talk to them and they certainly knew that. They know only a few words of English such as fish, good night, and how are you. The first night, my host mom said good night in English to me to help ease me. Eventually, I took the time to speak to them in Spanish and more and more I came to know them very well. I still communicate with them and plan to visit them as soon as possible.

Carmen and Miguel have a second house in Sanlucar de la Barrameda. Carmen was born and raised in the coastal city. The weekend before I headed home to America, my host parents took me there. Carmen and Miguel took me on a tour around the city, to meet their friends, eat paella and tapas, and to see the Mediterranean Sea. It was a quaint wine town with incredibly kind people, tasty tapas, and beautiful views. I felt like it was a family vacation, my Spanish family vacation. I appreciate everything they did for me and the memories we made together. I love them dearly and miss them regularly.