Spanish life lessons 1

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There is a reason why teachers are caffeine addicts...it's a replacement for all the alcohol they wish they were drinking instead!

La Plaza de Toros: The Bull Ring!

Like it or loath it, the bull ring is a Spanish institution. Dating back hundreds of years, millions of Spaniards have taken part, in one way or another, in the time honoured tradition of the la corrida (bull fight).

Plaza de toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla (bit of a mouthful eh?)

Some Seville Plaza de Toros facts:

• Its is the oldest working bull ring in the world and the build took 120 years to complete.
• It is one of only 4 private bull rings in Spain.
• The ring itself is not completely circular and its stands as the only oval bullring in the world.

As my tour guide Lauren is helpfully pointing out, there a five gates in to the ring itself and each one serves its own purpose. 

1. The first gate is the one from which the matador enters the ring. 
2. Gate two is where the bull enters the ring. 
3. Gate three is the infirmary, which, at best, is rarely used.
4.  Gate four is where the bull is dragged to exit the ring after the fight. 
5. Gate five is the Prince's Gate, situated under the Royal Box, through which a matador with three trophies or more can enter. The 'trophies' that are presented after a successful fight are either the ears or the tails of the conquered bull.

The Royal Box is reserved exclusively for members of the Spanish Royal Family. Either side are small balconies, at one side sit members of the Bull Ring committee and at the other the president of Spain if he chooses to visit. A vet is present at all fights.

Seat prices can vary from 120€ for a top price ticket to 25€ for the cheapest tier. The prices don't just depend on how far away from the ring you are sat but also if you are sat in the shade or the glare of the sun - it is a very precise art!

Once you've left the ring, there are various small exhibits to look at. The first being of art of  la corrida (bull fight), where you can see various colourful representations of the long celebrated tradition. The statue below is the artists model for its larger counterpart which stands imposingly at the front of the bullring. The numbers indicated how to put together the pieces of the statue itself when it was erected piece by piece in its current home.

The next room shows a plotted history of la corrida, with many of the exhibition pieces relating directly to the bull ring in Seville. The uniform below is that of the owner of the bull ring and is still in use today. It gives a real sense of the pomp and ceremony of the fights even today.

 As a controversial sport, la corrida has always had its opponents. One of the French kings notoriously tried to encourage the Spanish to give up bull fighting in favour of these interesting medieval games:

The cavalry were challenged to get a lance through the loop held by the bird. 

 False heads were also used for lance target practice.

Although these games proved to be popular war training apparatus and were used many times in the square in front of Seville's fame cathedral, the tradition of la corrida lived on. Sorry Mr French Guy!

This is one of the most revered stars of La Corrida (who's name currently escapes me!). He started training with real bulls when he was only 9 years old and turned professional aged 14. Unfortunately, he came to his untimely end aged 25 in the Plaza de Toros of Toledo.

Of all the impressive finery in the cabinets of the museum, this traje de luz (the real name for the costumes of the matadors) is by far the youngest at only 2 years old. It graces the collection to mark a first in the Plaza de Toros of Seville: the first and only time a bull has won a fight. On rare occasions, the life of the bull can be saved by the committee if they decide that it has shown particular bravery or that it shows aptitude for ring fighting. Said bull now resides peacefully back at the ranch, never to face the ring again.

These beautiful capes are those that the matador uses in the ring. The famed symbol of la corrida! The embellished one at the top is used only for presentation and the more plain one folded below is used for the fight itself. It is a common myth that bulls are enraged by the colour red as they are, in fact, colour blind (you heard it here first!). It is the movement of the cape itself that winds them up!

Though there are many bulls heads mounted on the walls as you wander the halls of the museum, there is only one cow's head and that is of this lovely lady, Islera. Islera was the mother of the bull who killed Spain's most famous matador. As a very superstitious community, the breeders thought it best to sacrifice her to ensure that she bred no more killer sons!

As well as being a suspicious lot, the bull fighting community is deeply religious, none more so than the matadors themselves. There is an on-site chapel containing a beautiful icon of the patron saint of bull fighters( La Macarena), to whom the matadors pray before each and every fight.

One of the most famous and important rooms in the bull ring is the contaduria where the matadors get paid their fees for the fight. There are only two rules: that pay is cash in hand and that it is received before the fight takes place. The one at the plaza de toros in Seville is no longer in use.

My visit to the Plaza de Toros was by far my favourite part of  last week's Seville Saturday. Our guide, Lauren, was very informative and the visit taught me a lot about a subject that I previously knew very little about. 

La Plaza de Toros

Paseo de Cristóbal Colón 12

41001 Sevilla

Spain

Visits are guided only.

Tours run approximately every 20 minutes in various languages including English and French.

Entrance fee: Adults 7€

Concessions: 4€

Children aged 7 -11: 3€

Under 7's go free.

Una vuelta: Citysightseeing Seville

I will confess something to you...my blog tag line is a sham. 'The art of wandering' she says! Up until this point I have been quite adept at wandering...it's how I find my way through this little adventure we call life - that is until now (or last Wednesday to be more precise!). 

I had just finished my day of home tuition in and around Seville and it was the first time I had been left to my own devices in my new city.  Armed with my memory map of where my boss, Eva, had walked me, I set of in search of tapas and the cathedral by night. 

After wandering, in completely the wrong direction, I managed to find my way after a kindly old man out strolling gave me directions. 

A good time was had by all (and by all I mean me, little loner!).

Then the problems started...

I wanted to get the bus station but wandering led me astray. Everyone I asked for directions pointed me in the opposite direction to the person before them. The streets were getting narrower, less crowded, darker and everything looked so ominous... I had a little cry. 

When I finally found my way to the bus station, the departure boards were broken. There was no way of knowing when the bus was going or even if there was a bus at all. No one seemed to know anything despite asking two members of staff...luckily a woman catching my bus overheard my desperate questioning and pointed me in the right direction. I had another little cry.

Determined to learn from Wednesdays alien experience, the first stop on Seville Saturday had to be the tourist office.

City map in hand, I made my way to the biro circle which marked the nearest tour bus stop! After getting so ferociously lost, I thought Citysightseeing Seville would be the best way to connect the dots - where had I been, where should I have gone and where should I go in the future (both direction wise and sighseeing wise!).

The route was pretty extensive and covered all major districts of the city (all that had things to see obviously!). The route itself takes 1hour and half if you don't take advantage of the various stops on offer. As I got on the bus pretty late, around 5, I thought it best to stay on board so as not to finish the tour in fading light! Besides, with 5 months still to go, who needs to do everything in one day?!

Your ticket includes entry to a number of normally payable attractions, gives you discounts and freebies at a number of shops and eateries and enables you to join walking tour groups across the city. Bonus: the ticket is valid for 48 hours so you can cram in everything it has to offer! Unfortunately, many of the attractions included close before 6pm whilst the buses run til gone 8pm so make sure you hop on early if you want to make the most of the free entry element.

All in all the tour was interesting and gave a general overview of many different aspects of the city enabling you to see which attractions attract you most! My only bug bear is that the bus spent a lot of time waiting at the stops. Only 5 minutes in to the tour, the bus stopped to 'adjust to the timetable' and waited for 15 minutes! YOU'VE ONLY JUST SET OFF, HOW CAN YOU NEED TO ADJUST ALREADY?!

The tour helped me to:

• get my bearings and see how the city was laid out,
• get a bit of background information about my new home,
• compile a list of sights to visit at a later date.

I wish that I had purchased the ticket when I had a spare day the following day so I could have joined one of the walking tours and visited some of the free attractions (which I will now have to fork out for!). 

I don't think the tour itself is worth the 15€ student price I paid for it, but if you take advantage of all the other elements included then it is truly great value! Something I will probably recommend to my family when I'm busy with the kids at work.

The route starts on the

Paseo de Colon, near the Toro del Oro (the Gold Tower)

from 10am - buses run every 20 to 30 minutes. 

Prices: Adult 17€

Child 7€

Student/concessions 15€

Seville Street Art

Street art never ceases to amaze me. For someone who manages to draw a stick man disproportionately with a pen, it literally blows my mind to think these artists,who have had one shot to get it right, manage to create such masterpieces with a spray can. Unlike your standard graffiti of tags and obscenities, the term street art implies actual artistic merit. Although it's technically still vandalism, I can't help but marvel at how beautiful some pieces are. 

These colourful examples are what grace the walls of the bus station at the Plaza de Armas, Seville.

I love that the famous symbol of the city, the orange, has made an appearance.

Street art can be seen all over Seville and even creeps its way up the hill in to Camas, the town en route to the local villages like Valencina where I live. 

As time goes on, I hope to capture more street art scenes like these...I guess I'll have to spend some time wandering to scouting some out!

What do you think of street art? a good way to use otherwise blank space or an eye sore?

52 Lists: List the things that make you happy you're alive

Being consciously grateful for the things you have is something that easily missed. Often time runs away with us, life gets in the way and the things that bring a smile to our lips are often the least prominent in our memory when the day is done. This week's list is one to remind us what we're here for and when all is said and done what makes this crazy roller-coaster we call life worth the ride. 

• After a hearty dinner, sitting in the living room surrounded by family for collective wine and tele time.
• Craziness with my sister - be it animal attacks via what's app, blanket sofa snuggles or random ramblings and sing-alongs. 

• Being able to pick up the phone any time of day or night, from anywhere in the world and knowing there will always be a friend ready to celebrate or commiserate at the other end of the line.
• Catching myself smiling when I think about Rich, how I love that boy...

• When little puppy Max is in a cuddly mood rather than zipping about like a mad thing making a mess!

• When they both decide that life is a bit too much and collectively nap on top of me.

• Knowing that whatever crazy things I decide to do with my life, I have the best people in the world to support me on my way. 
• The wonderful experiences I have whilst living abroad - the people I meet, the cultures I am welcomed in to, the sights I am lucky enough to visit.
• The opportunity to learn everyday - skills through university and things about yourself through the university of life!
• Writing almost every day.
• Tea time (preferably in Lady Grey in vintage china, with or without a tea-for-one sized teapot!)
• Always planning the next adventure...

The 52 lists project is organised by Ema over at Made in Hunters. See her list here

Exploring...

I find myself thinking back 3 years to when I was living in Majorca working as a holiday advisor.

My wonderful team.

It was a pretty full on job and the very little time I had off, I spent lazing around - sleeping in, swimming in the cove by my hotel, round the pool.

My little slice of the island, Camp de Mar, Southern Majorca

Though I encouraged the customers to get out and about and see the island, outside of my training period of freebie trips I did so very little myself. In my team of five, two of my colleagues were lucky enough to have a day off together. They were always off doing something and their day of exploring was dubbed Tourist Tuesday.

Living just a stones throw away from a beautiful city like Seville, I have vowed not to make the same mistake twice...and so Seville Saturday is born!

Seville Cathedral/Giralda

With such a jam packed timetable during the week, I also have very little time to blog so my Seville Saturday antics will be available in segments for your reading pleasure throughout the following week.

This week you can look forward to:

• Una vuelta: Citysightseeing Sevilla
• La Plaza de Toros: The Bull Ring
• Seville Street Art

La Vida Andaluz: Week One

Gatwick's newly refurbished South Terminal departure lounge: 6.45am aka silly o'clock. I prioritise spending 45 minutes staring at the board over shopping - my zombie-like morning self can do little else. I spend the two hour and twenty minute flight sandwiched between two fairly burly guys doing all I can not to snuggle on to one of their shoulders during my plane nap.

Arriving at Seville airport, I am waved through security (my passport didn't leave my hand!) and find myself, bags in hand, in arrivals with no idea who is collecting me or from where - the epitome of Spanish organisation! I find myself scanning the expectant faces of those waiting - what if both parties are standing in arrivals, not knowing what the other looks like? I send the mandatory: 'I've arrived, I have a pink bag with flowers on it' text and see who gets out their phone but no one does. Turns out she's running late and we've landed 20 minutes ahead of schedule.

My boss Eva arrives and spends the car journey chatting away. I reply in nods, ahems and occasionally in an completely indecipherable Russian/Spanish hybrid language. Guess all those months in the Motherland paid off. 

We arrive at a white wash chalet in Valencina de la Concepcion (8km from Seville) and I haul my suitcase (spot on the 20 kilo limit) inside. Eva shows me my room and bathroom and invites me to unpack - I happily oblige.

 

Surprisingly, a week later it still looks fairly similar...those who know me will tell you that either I'm lying or some kind of miracle has occurred. I can assure you its the latter!

Almost as soon as my suitcase was stowed away in the wardrobe, I was taken out for a tapas lunch in nearby Gines. El Tinterillo de Gines is something to be seen indeed. A sun drenched patio surrounded by orange trees, the chatter of families and couples alike sharing the days news and suddenly out from the restaurant doors pour waiters laden with plates flogging their wares like market traders, shouting what delights are coming from the kitchen. You have to be pretty quick with your shouted replies as dishes are snapped up pretty quickly.

Credit: restaurant facebook page

The blogger in me was itching to get out the camera but politeness told me that it wasn't the time. Look out for a future post on this unique restaurant...

With my first day drawing to a close, I wondered how I would find the week ahead. Filled with new faces, new places and new experiences. 

On Sunday, I received my timetable, a stack of Cambridge course books and the page numbers covered thus far - away I went to plan Monday's lessons. Getting thrown in at the deep end much? Not that I don't have experience enough to handle it... :)

The week in general has been a blur of little faces looking up at me, getting lost in and under piles of files and teachers books and getting a taster of what la vida andaluz is going to be like for little old me.

I guess I could get used to lunches in the sun and this little guy greeting me when I open my window in the morning.

Until next time!