206 BC: Italica

We took a field trip with UPO to the remains of the ancient Roman city of Italica, which is about 20 minutes outside Sevilla. The old city was founded in 206 BC, which is actually buried under the ground under the modern day city of Santiponce.

The “New City” has been unearthed and is open to the public. "New", however, actually means 1,900 years old. Walking through these ruins I found myself wondering what Fort Worth would look like in 2,000 years. It’s pretty mind boggling.

The highlight of the trip for me was the amphitheater, which at one time held over 25,000 spectators for gladiator-like events here. The picture shows only the inner structure of the amphitheater. It was originally covered completely in marble until locals began taking the marble to use in their homes.

The rest of the city was less preserved as only the foundations remain. But the city was a very wealthy one and the size and complexity of the houses was incredible. Additionally, Italica was the birthplace of Roman emperors Trajan and Adrian, who were the first emperors born outside of Rome. This is pretty significant because it shows how Spain influenced the Roman Empire.

This trip to Italica was extremely informative and interesting and I would recommend making it a quick day trip. If you don't catch the UPO field trip there is a bus that runs from the Plaza de Armas bus station at half hour intervals.

Above is a YouTube video I found with photos from Italica.

Sevici Bike Service

One of my favorite things so far about Sevilla has been the Sevici bike. My only regret is that I didn’t register for one sooner.

The Sevici bike program is a city-sponsored bike rental service that is both extremely convenient and easy to use. For a fee, you can pick up a bike from a Sevici station and ride it across town and park it at any other Sevici station in the city. After your initial subscription fee, the service is free for the first 30 minutes and then you pay a minimal fee for each additional hour after that. Bike pick-up and drop off points are located all over the city. I wish we saw more programs like this in the United States.

The best thing about the service is how inexpensive it is. This costs only 10€ while a seven-day pass costs 5€. It’s definitely worth your money to purchase the yearlong pass.

This service has literally cut off about 30 minutes of my daily commute. I can't stand (pun not intended) riding on the city buses because they're so stop and go it makes me nauseous. I wish the bus drivers here would learn to speed up and slow down a little more gradually. I always have trouble keeping my balance. It's kind of embarrassing. Anyway, now that I've discovered this bike service, I don't have to put up with the buses as much anymore.

Additionally, the city of Sevilla has recently spent a lot of time and money on the creation of bike lanes. I’ve found some great paths along the river and renting a Sevici has proved to be a great leisurely activity for a lazy afternoon.

I'm beginning to sound like a Sevici spokesperson. Thats all for now.

Brett

Website: http://en.sevici.es/ (in English)
Pick-up and drop-off locations: http://en.sevici.es/estaciones/mapa

Sevilla: The good, the bad, and the ugly

The good:

1. Siesta: I will never tire of this Spanish tradition. Unlike a lot of places in Spain, Sevilla actually still practices the siesta. Everything for the most part shuts down and its even considered rude to call someone’s house during siesta. It’s nice because you don’t feel guilty or lazy when you take a nap because there really isn’t much else to do between 2 and 5 pm.
2. Tapas: My favorite is called a croqueta. Essentially it’s a little ball of fried dough and ham or chicken. Incredible.
3. Running along the Guadalquivir river: It’s very scenic and cuts right through the middle of the city. It's also great to sit along the grassy park beside the river and relax after classes get out. I will definitely miss the river when I leave Sevilla.
   
4. Futbol:Everyone in this town is obsessed with soccer from elementary school kids to my fifty year old senora. There is a big rivalry between the two teams in Sevilla. Right now Sevilla FC is ranked third in the Spanish Premier League. I hope to go to a game before I leave.
5. Teaching English: I teach classes at a local elementary school here once a week and it has been an incredible experience. The kids are always so excited and I enjoy seeing language learning from another perspective.
   
6. Orange trees: These line the streets here and even in February they’re covered in bright orange fruit.
   

The bad:

1. Oranges from the orange trees: They taste sour and bad. Looks are so deceiving...
2. Short showers: The Spaniards are really conservative with their water here so I really miss a long hot shower to wake me up in the mornings.
3. Lack of central heating: It is so hard to get out of bed in the morning. The ice cold tile floors don’t help either.
4. Weird food: I’ve had enough bean or lentil soup in the last week to last me a lifetime. I’ve found that having a cold/runny nose has given me an advantage because my sense of taste isn’t too keen. A blessing in disguise perhaps? (update: Don't worry, I eventually got used to the food and my house mom has adapted her cooking to fit our taste)
   

The ugly:
Nothing.