El Barrio, Santa Cruz

Chica Chica Boom Boom Naranjas

   Another great day here in Sevilla. Weather-wise, it’s been a little crummy because there are big storms up north and we are getting some light rain with LOTS of wind yesterday. The streets here are lined with arboles con naranjas (orange blossoms) and so many have fallen that every tree looks like chica chica boom boom. Because there has been so much wind, there are lots of trees that have fallen, so all of the parks and a few smaller streets were closed down today. This changed our plans of visiting one of the coolest places in Sevilla, la Plaza de España. Instead, we explored one of the oldest areas in Seville called Santa Cruz. Este barrio originated after the Christian Crusades swept through Seville. The Christians wanted to occupy Santa Cruz because it is very close to Alcazar (an important place here and el río.

            This neighborhood is a small area with close houses, thin streets, white walls, and cobblestone streets. Our Spanish friend told us that the houses are built so closely together because in the hot summers, the wind can flow through the streets to cool things down; also why the houses are all white. Also, as the town was constructed, what started as square houses were added to as families grew, adding to the unique architecture of el barrio.

            Our Spanish friend also told us the story of Don Juan, or as many people might remember him from the opera, Don Giovanni. It is said that he grew up in Santa Cruz. The story goes that Don Juan and a friend made una apuesta (bet) one night at a bar about which could be with the most women in one year. They reunited a year later, where Don Juan upped the ante by saying he could seduce Doña Ana, the daughter of Don Gonzalo, and another woman in one night. A duel arises and Don Juan killed Don Gonzalo and the father of the other woman. The second part is more ficticious, as Don Juan brought the dead father up from the dead. There are many interpretations of the ending, but the story most told in Seville is that Don Gonzalo brings Don Juan back to el mundo de los muertos (the world of the dead) that night for los pecados (sins) he has committed. We saw both the statue of Don Juan, and the bar that the bets were made at. It was definitely cool to hear part of the culture of this small barrio.

El Bar that Don Juan made his bet at

            We walked around some more, running into an excavation site en el centro. Seville is a town with layers of history; one generation or rein is build upon the next, so this site was digging down from current day Seville to some ancient Roman ruins. ¡Qué guay! (How cool!) After that, I got my first helado (ice cream) here…VERY TASTY!

 Excavation Site

            I start my intensive grammar session mañana por la tarde y estoy poca nerviosa, pero estoy emocionada para tener una rutina diaria y un horario regular.

Hablaré contigo pronto,

Kelsey