Coming into this trip, I did not realize how much I would miss it before it was even over. Our second full day was filled with excitement, exploration, and endless joyful moments. The day started off early at around 9 AM, when I went to visit a local café just around the corner from our stay at the API Student Sevilla Center, where I enjoyed a café con leche and one of the local favorites, tostadas con jamon y queso), starting off the morning just right.
Next up was a cooking lesson with our man of the hour, Luis! Shortly after arriving at the API center, our group got to learn about the vast history of Spanish cuisine. Luis demonstrated great knowledge, teaching us about the different aspects of the culture of Spain, and how cultures from many parts of the world slowly became integrated into the country’s foods. It was so interesting seeing all the different concepts and techniques that came together to create such complex and diverse dishes.
After our lecture, we got to put our newfound knowledge to some good use. Luis introduced us to some brand-new foods including Albornia, Torrijos, and Garbanzos con Bacalao. My favorite for sure was definitely the Garbanzos con Bacalao, a rich Moorish-originated dish including Garbanzo beans, Spinach, hard-boiled egg, and salted preserved cod fish. Some of the students in our groups were definitely put to work, integrating their amazing cooking skills to create our lunch for the day.
After our lesson, it was time to head over to the Catedral de Sevilla, Seville’s very own famous cathedral. By far one of the most amazing experiences, and for sure is a must for me to visit once more before the end of our trip. After meeting up with our tour guide Pilar, we got to explore the deep history of the Cathedral, seeing all of the amazing architecture in its glory. The vast intricacy within every single corner of the Cathedral was truly remarkable, and although we did a quick wrap-around, discovering and appreciating every small aspect of the Cathedral could have genuinely taken hours and hours on end. We got to also walk up the tower of Giralda, which by the way has 32 levels. Were most of us out of breath? Yes. Was it worth it? 1,000%
After our visit was over, some of us visited a local gelato place, where we sat down and enjoyed the views of the cathedral while conversing about plans for the rest of the day. After deciding, most of our group made reservations to visit La Setas (“The Mushrooms”) De Sevilla. Before heading there we walked along the northern part of Sevilla, visiting some local tourist shops and gathering up souvenirs to take back to our loved ones. Ended up with my 3rd tote bag of the trip!
Next up? La Setas. After seeing a quick short film inside of the main part of the building, we headed up to the top where we got to see the full view of the city. As the sun set, it got super quiet and then I realized that all of us were just taking in the view. From the lit-up churches to the view of the cathedral, and the streets filled with people, words cannot describe the beauty of Sevilla. Amazing photo opportunities there for sure, we took some really great ones.
The next stop was dinner. Visiting Seville’s oldest tapas bar, El Rinconcillo, was genuinely an experience. Super-fast-paced, where you could truly feel the energy of the locals and tourists combined together. Ending the night, we got to ride the scooters around the town to head back to the dorms. The scooters have become my favorite mode of transportation, even though it took a bit of time getting used to it for most of us. Every time anyone wants to go somewhere my first instinct is to recommend taking the scooters! After arriving at LIV, we all headed back up and called it a night around 11pm.
As someone who has never been out of the country before, I can’t even begin to explain how happy I am that I can have this experience in Sevilla. The city is alive, having something new to do and try around every corner. Although we have only spent about 2 full days in Seville, I have genuinely enjoyed spending time with everyone in the group, and being able to experience this with them is truly incredible. I can’t wait to see what is in store for us for the rest of the week.
