Spain has world’s best pizza?
Now back in Seville, Sara and I got ready for our first week of classes. First stop was church, where we decided to go to mass in the Cathedral (for sure one of the coolest things we did!) I would absolutely recommend this—you get free entrance and an amazing cultural experience—even though I only understood like 60% of it. The next stop on our agenda was the gym (unsurprisingly hard to find one), where we signed up for a 1-month membership. In true Spain fashion, we somehow only had to pay €30 for a four-story gym with access to weight rooms, multiple studios, a spa, and three pools—the most useful of which was on the roof, where we could reach Spain’s perfect UV 12.
The next few weeks consisted of morning cafe runs before class, picnic lunches on the steps of the Cathedral, afternoon tanning and gym, and evenings exploring the town. We honestly had the perfect routine, and every night we couldn’t help but freak out about how excited we were for the next day. Besides the incredible sun and city, Seville also has some amazing food. We tried so many great places, but in the interest of keeping this short(ish), I’m gonna try to narrow down my list.
Not far from our apartment in Alfalfa is Salvador Square, where we sat ourselves outside for tapas. For those not familiar, tapas are essentially really tiny appetizers you order, so it’s more socially acceptable to go out for drinks every night. Okay, but in all seriousness, the Spanish (and Italian!) cultures might be the closest humans have come to perfection. Sleep in, work, afternoon siesta, maybe a little more work, then chat with friends and family late into the night over drinks and tapas. Most of the restaurants in Spain don’t even open until 8 or 8:30 (something that took a little getting used to for me, since I‘m usually getting ready for bed then). Without fail, every time Sara and I went out—due in part to habit, part to obsession—we’d order a “Tinto de Verano,” a beautifully refreshing red wine spritzer the locals all prefer to sangria. (Pro tip: do not order sangria… unless you want to be labeled a “tourist” and forced to tip). To go with out Tintos, we’d also order tapas, our favorites in Seville being salmorejo, croquetas, tortilla española, and zanahorias aliñadas.
While tapa culture makes up the majority of eating out in Spain, we also discovered some really great restaurants. La Escaloná had an incredible mushroom risotto and salmon plate I’d take a trip back for. Another night, we were craving pasta and tried an Italian tapas restaurant (super cool concept) that had single-serving pastas and flatbreads. It was great, but even better was the Italian food at Don Cammillo e Peppone across the bridge in Triana. We ordered a mushroom pasta and a veggie and meat pizza that we still haven’t stopped talking about, even weeks later. And I am very particular when it comes to recommending Italian food—after growing up with my Nonna’s cooking, not much else compares. But this pizza in Triana was worth every single penny (or, I guess, euro). I still haven’t figured out how to add pictures to these blog posts, but you can bet this pizza will be the first thing up when I do.
Additionally, we tried a few rooftop bars, La Terazza del EME coming out on top (get it?) The view of the cathedral lit up at night is impossible to beat, and the drinks weren’t too pricey (for rooftop bar standards). We learned if you ever want a semi-cheap drink that will always taste amazing to order a Cava: sparking wine right from within the country—you can’t go wrong.
Now, after the first week of classes, it was time for another day trip. Malaga, less than two hours by train, is an adorable beach town on the south coast of Spain. We arrived mid-Saturday morning to the perfect sunny but breezy ocean weather, something we’d been missing being away from southern California for so long. We started wandering the town, following palm tree-lined streets until we reached a cute mossy staircase in a park. We thought we’d explore for a bit, so started up the stairs. After a few minutes, we realized we were on a hike to a castle, so obviously had to go all the way up and see it for ourselves. It was the Gibralfaro Castle, with an epic view of the beautiful city and ocean. After walking through the whole thing and hiking back down to sea level, we stopped for lunch at Restaurante Apolo for some fresh seafood (SO good!) Then we headed to the beach, where we spent hours going between lying by the water and jumping in it. Around late afternoon, we did a little window shopping, grabbed a gelato, and headed back to the train—it was the perfect day.
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Meanwhile, between classes and the trip to Malaga, of course I was doing some reading, too. Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan is a deceivingly deep story marketed as a fluffy “summer romance.” Ali Morris’ life fell apart two years ago when her mother died, and then all over again exactly a year later when her husband left. Now a single mother, Ali’s been struggling to do more than wear pants with a zipper, let alone get her life back together. Until one morning, when she takes her dog out for a walk and meets Ethan, a guy who doesn’t look at her like she’s broken. What’s so wrong with a little summer romance while she tries to put the pieces of her world together again? I went into this book thinking it’d be exactly what the title detailed—and it was so much more. I enjoyed every conversation (it felt like actual adult communication!!), and no scene was too dragged out. Monaghan’s writing style has always felt different to me, and this book was no exception. She has a way with words, whether she’s writing witty banter or boring grocery store scenes. My only note with the book was that I felt like the end was trying to do a little too much, tying together every last loose thread. But all in all, 100% recommend this book to someone who wants to be caught off guard by an emotional and sweet summer-y read.
Books Read:
Summer Romance - 4/5
Spain Recommendations (in the summer!)
Malaga: full day, 8/10 rating
