If there is one thing the Spanish LOVE to do, it is eat, drink and be merry. Walking up and down my street daily, it is quite difficult to resist the smells of the croissanteria or panaderia (bakeries). For every meal I've had so far with my host family, I have more than eaten my weight in delicious baguettes. But besides the bread obsession, the Spanish are passionate about their cooking and the freshness of their food. We have salad with every meal as well as an option of fruit, fresh mandarins, pears or apples. In Spain, the meals have a different emphasis--breakfast is very small, for Meagan and me, it entails Maria cookies, sweet muffins and bread as well as sumo, or juice, like pineapple/grape and peach/grape. Lunch is the MOST IMPORTANT meal and is usually eaten between the hours of 2 pm to 5 pm. So far, we have had several soups, empanandas and mini sandwiches (bocadillos). The one thing that has been hard to get used to is the change in dinner. In the States, I am used to eating around 6 pm, however here, we usually eat around 9:30 pm. Sometimes the food is similar to that of lunch--but we have also had chicken breast and broccoli, the most American meal yet. Overall, there are a few differences, especially since everything is cooked in/with olive oil. That's the Mediterranean influence for you! I will say that I have probably eaten a baguette a day for since I've been here--at least I am walking everywhere so far!
Which is another thing that real defines Sevilla--walking everywhere in the street! Our street is always bustling with people especially in the mornings and after the designated siesta time (2 until 5 pm, I'll get to that later). They sure love to walk, but it really is great since the weather here is lovely and the city has so many sites. Our barrio is kind of far from school and El Centro, so it has been a little difficult to always meet up to do stuff when we are out of the way. But once we get our bikes, that will definitely change. Speaking of bikes, the service here is FANTASTIC. Such a genius idea! It's called Sevici and basically there are little bike stations all over the city. You apply for a membership (25 euro/year, I already did) and then receive a card that you swipe, check out a bike and ride it to another station to check it back in. The rides are free for 30 min, and basically everywhere in the city is reachable in half an hour! So excited to start doing this. In the meantime, we probably need to figure out the bus and metro system--on rainy days it will be nice to have a backup transportation system. So much still to learn!
In the next couple posts I am going to try to discuss some more Spanish culture that is very prominent, but there is so much to try to take in! Ultimately the lifestyle is very favorable, its a place where time is partially irrelevant, the streets are the ideal place to be, and the more vibrant the culture the better. And I'm off to continue soaking it all in!
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