(Post #17) Viva la Feria y Menorca!

(Sunday, May 1st) Good morning! I already knew feria week was in full swing because I was up until 5am at the fair and then slept until 11am as all Sevillanos do during this week. I got things done during the day but then it was not long until I got dressed in my traditonal feria outfit that I bought! Ladies wear a long flamenco dress with a “mantoncillo” shawl, flower on head, and large earrings. The outfit was a lot of fun to put together. Similar to the night before, we went out to the different casetas and rides and then spent time socializing with friends. I actually had a bad sinus infection this week so I went to bed early though.

(Monday, May 2nd) Hello again! The main thing I did today was go to a traditional bullfight which I will talk about in a second. The thing I want to mention before though is how much I appreciate the professors here and how personable they here. It was not until last minute that I learned I needed to print the bullfighting tickets, but the dilemma is that since my neighborhood is next to the fairgrounds, all businesses are closed. I messaged my professor who I know is my neighbor, and she let me come up to her house to print! I had errands to run so I could not stay, but she even invited me to a coffee which I just thought was so sweet.

Moving on to the fight though later on in the day in the pouring rain- I want to preface that beforehand, I only knew that the bulls would inevitably die. What I did not know though is how slow and torturous the death would be with getting stabbed so many different times and ways, and also that there would be six bulls total as each of the three matadors kills two.

I know there is a lot of controversy around the topic, and I now agree with everyone that is fighting to either ban or lessen the pain that these animals go through. I know that it is a very old tradition, but that only goes so far. I will never return to a bullfight and I hope that changes can be made. To all of my readers, I would first suggest to substitute a bullfight for a soccer game, but if you are considering going to a bullfight- at least do more research before you purchase tickets.

(Tuesday, May 3rd) I slept a total of 13 hours to feel better since I am still fighting off the sinus infection, but I made it out to la feria this night and it was such a nice surprise to see my second Spanish sister Noelia since I have not seen her since January! She looked so beautiful in her dress and I love having this connection to a few Spanish sisters.

(Wednesday, May 4th) Not only is today the day that everyone says, “may the 4th be with you” (Star Wars reference)- it is also the birthday of my dear Spanish sister Alicia! We got all dressed up again and headed on a boat that took us down the river to the Feria grounds! I then spent some time hanging with her friends and sister, and it is so refreshing to be around more Sevillanos. I met up with some other friends later as well, but it was not as late of a night out as I had expected as I needed to sleep a little more.

(Thursday, May 5th) Today was another travel day! But before I hopped on the plane to the Spanish island of Menorca with my friend Ellie, I first went back to the doctor to get some medication for my sinus infection since I was very scared of riding a plane with all the pressure in my head- but things went well and soon enough Ellie and I touched down in a very beautiful tropical location. We took a taxi to our resort called Mar de Menorca and it was already nighttime but so beautiful! The pools were all lit up and they guided us to our nice surprise of how big and beautiful our apartment was when we paid so little! We could have easily fit four people, but Ellie and I enjoyed our space and relaxing. We chatted and then went to sleep excited for the day to come!

(Friday, May 6th) Today was a jam-packed day and it was also absolutely a dreamy island vibe. Ellie and I woke up and went to the Canutells beach island inlet with the absolute most beautiful blue waters. We walked around and admired the scenery before laying on the beach and kicking back and relaxing. The one downside of this resort experience is that it is tricky to find food. The hotel has an expensive meal plan, and the only other option is one restaurant by the beach with very limited hours. We decided to go to the beach for lunch and it was delicious and expensive as it knows its demand in the area.

After the restaurant, Ellie and I went back to the beach to relax some more before finally finding a supermarket that ironically was attached to the hotel.

After fueling ourselves with some delicious treats that were not too healthy (you have to spoil yourself on vacation, right?) we headed to some beautiful cliffs that were a 10 minute walk away. As the sun was setting, I could not have picked a better place to pull out a book and read. It was truly one of those moments where you get lot in time looking out as the cliffs as you enjoy a good mood, and the memories are locked into my brain. I honestly do not read for leisure too much anymore, so it was very enjoyable to pull out a book and get 100 pages in very quickly.

Sadly though things like the sunset must come to an end so Ellie and I headed back. We ate at the hotel’s all you can eat dinner though and it was quite delicious! We stuffed our sunburned tummies and went back for a goodnight’s rest.

(Saturday, May 7th) After a quick hello to the beach again, Ellie and I opted to lay by the pool for a little bit today so we would be less sandy, and then we headed to the airport to fly home. As sad as I was to leave this beautiful island and the resort filled with British and German tourists, I was excited to see friends again and experience the last night of the fair. The best part about the closing of the fair is that there were huge fireworks at midnight! I enjoyed watching those and catching up with new and old friends.

(Sunday, May 8th) After lots of fun over the past week, today was the start of grind time as I cannot escape the truth that finals are coming up next week and the week after 🙁 I spent lots of time studying, but then it was also such a beautiful day that I went to the park again with a friend. Seville is officially in the 90 degree range of weather, and it is a little warm! I will embrace it though until I go home because I do not want to leave this place.