After several weeks exploring connections between course material and experienced history, culture, and language in their “home region” of Castilla y León, Proctor en Segovia students traveled south to Córdoba and Sevilla. There they experienced firsthand the history, culture, and architecture of the region of Andalucía.
Córdoba - Henry ‘24, Natalie ‘23
On Thursday, we woke up ready to start the day. We were going to go to Córdoba, Spain. Our first stop was to see the Mezquita-Catedral, a cathedral inside a mosque. We talked about how we felt it should be classified. People debated whether it was either a Mezquita or a Cathedral. Inside, there were hundreds of pillars and arches, with a beautiful Christian cathedral in the center. Between the pillars and along the walls were rooms and displays full of religious imagery. There were paintings, statues, and artifacts. Afterward, we went to look for a place to eat. We ended up at a nice restaurant near where we started the day's journey. Most of us got burgers or salad, with Luis and Laura ordering more Spanish dishes. After that, we all headed back home. That night Luis fired up the barbecue, and we put on some beef chops, chicken, peppers, and onions. We all had a nice sit down dinner with one another, and all helped clean up after. The boys jumped in the pool late at night to cool off from the long day.
View from inside the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba
The next day, we left the house at 11:45 and arrived in town. We all split up, with some of us going to the modern part of town and others going their own way. After about an hour and a half, we all met for lunch. We got an assortment of food, both Spanish and American. After lunch, we all decided to return to the house because it was very hot. Laura had decided to stay in Córdoba, so we all piled into Luis's van. As the boys jumped in the pool, the girls remained in their rooms doing homework and relaxing. After about 3 hours, we hopped back in the car, and Luis drove us to the mall in Córdoba. We looked around while we waited for him to park the car. We all walked up to town, seeking out food before the flamenco show. Before we went, we talked about how it isn’t like modern dance but is a type of traditional Spanish dance. It’s very fast-paced, with most of the rhythm supplied by the singer clapping and the stomping of the dancers' shoes against the floor. The show started at 9, and ended at 10:30. We had a lot of fun, but we were all tired by the end of the night. We didn’t get back to the house until a bit after 11. We had to either start packing up that night or wake up early the next day to pack and clean up.
Sevilla - Mia ’23, Lane ’23, Willem ’24
Proctor en Segovia headed on an hour and a half car ride from Posadas, Spain to Sevilla. We arrived in the city to the underground parking lot only to find it was full so we drove through the narrow streets in search of a new parking spot. We found one and walked toward the Alcazar. When arriving at the Alcazar we scanned our passes to find that the tickets had been bought for the wrong day. The line for normal entry was expanding by the minute and the stress was setting in. We went around the corner to another long stretched line to buy tickets for that day. We were able to get tickets for the afternoon, so we adapted to the new plan. We all went our separate ways for lunch. Presley and Mia headed to buy a much needed venti Starbucks coffee to satisfy their cravings for ice coffee. Afterward, they went to find a restaurant and discovered an Italian restaurant by the river to indulge in lots of salad and bread. Lane, Henry, and Willem had been talking about Mexican food all week before Andalucía and finally went to get Mexican food at a restaurant nearby. It was very good; they got guacamole with crispy pork as well as chicken, rice and salsa verde steak and this tortilla-wrapped substance that they didn’t really understand, but it was still amazing. After Mexican food, they went to get gelato which led them right into a main street full of people and vibrant, colorful buildings surrounding them.
Later We grouped back together at 2:30 to head inside the Alcazar. The tiles in the architecture show attention to detail. When we walked into the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, the very first thing noticed when walking through the enormous doors were the small and precisely placed tiles on the walls. Walking through the Alcazar, we saw the extreme detail in every little corner and wall of each room. The courtyard is what really stood out to us as a group. We stumbled upon large grassy areas with vines covering the walls up above. We walked around, noticing more tiny details made by the architects. We were walking by this huge vibrant green bush when we saw a peacock emerge from the bush. Immediately we stopped in our tracks and waited in silence for the peacock to slowly move around us. Then we heard more rustling…4 more peacocks came out, and we were all so astonished that there were so many. We had a great experience walking through the Alcazar.
Back in Segovia, Proctor en Segovia students learn metal arts (engraving) with renowned local artisan Jesús!
¡Hasta la próxima!
