The welcoming people, delicious food, and beautiful sights make Seville a highly attractive study abroad destination. I have spent my Fall 2019 semester here and I am in love with it. Here are a few things you should know about Seville that you probably won’t find online.
Seville is a great city to experience Spanish culture
Seville is known for its rich culture and diversity. This is one of the main reasons I chose to study here. It is a melting pot of three religious groups: Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Each has contributed and shaped the way the city is today. Their impact is reflected in the food, architecture, and art. Among another unique things, Seville is a more traditional city which means they practice many Spanish customs. For example, closing during siesta hour or all businesses being closed on Sunday. Which leads me to my next point.
EVERYTHING is closed on Sunday
No, really. Everything. As a traditionally Catholic country, Spain observes Sunday as the holy day. Due to this, almost everything is closed on Sunday. I heard about this when reading up on Seville, but didn’t think it would be true. Don’t make that same mistake, because it is -- even supermarkets! However, it does make Sunday a great day to catch up on sleep, crank out that paper, or just explore the streets of Seville. Having that one free day to not be distracted really made a difference for me. It allowed me to recuperate after the week, spend time with my host family, or get ready for the next week ahead. It’s especially beneficial with all the traveling you’ll be doing!
How to Tapear
If you are in Seville, you are most definitely going to eat tapas. It is common to hop from tapas bar to tapas bar, hence the Spanish verb tapear. The group usually decides on a few tapas to split. Then once you finish your tapas and drink it’s onto the next bar. Some great Sevillian tapas I recommend are salmorejo, chiporones, espinacas con garbanzos, and patatas bravas. My favorite place to tapear was in my neighborhood, Los Remedios. It allowed me to connect with locals and learn more about the culture.
Like I said earlier, studying abroad in Seville has been a dream. I truly could not speak any more highly of it. Seville’s rich Spanish culture makes it a great place to immerse yourself and learn. I hope these three things helped you learn a little bit more about Seville. If you find yourself living or visiting here, feel free to reach out and contact me for more information or recommendations. Hasta luego!
Marley Lucas is a CEA CAPA Fall 2019 Content Contributor and studied abroad in Seville, Spain. She is currently a student at the College of Charleston.