Texas Tech University

Cosas de Sevilla #3

30 January 2020

Dear Friends and Family of The Texas Tech Center in Sevilla,

Welcome to the third edition of this semester's newsletter. Things have been quite calm here lately with classes moving right along and no scheduled excursions, but there is still so much to talk about some previous activities that I will go right into it!
Last 17 January we had a visit to the Real Alcázar in Sevilla, roughly translated as the Royal Palace of Sevilla. A large part of the palace was built in mudejar style, meaning mainly Muslim workers living under Christian rule constructed it and therefore providing a combination of Moorish and Gothic elements. Since the 14th century the building serves as a Royal Palace, so we found quite an interesting mix of things inside, including a room of enormous tapestries, elegant tile work, and an impressive art collection. The Real Alcázar was also the site where Christopher Columbus met with Isabella concerning his second voyage to America. We also enjoyed the immense gardens of the Alcazar, complete with maze and all.
Any Game of Thrones fans out there? The Real Alcázar became the kingdom of Dorne during the fifth season of this HBO's TV show. Game of Thrones was filmed in four parts of the Seville Alcazar: The Ambassadors' Hall, Mercury's Pool, the Baths of Maria de Padilla, and the gardens.
As the oldest European royal palace still in use – the Spanish monarchs stay in the upper floor when visiting the city – the Real Alcázar is one of the city's most beloved and visited monuments.

Back on this week, Dr. Sara Guengerich's upper level students had some interesting cultural activities. They could enjoy a "Noche de tapas" in Sevilla. "Tapas", the most characteristic plate of Spanish gastronomy, consist of small plates of different kinds of seafood, meats, or delicious vegetables. The main idea is trying several different dishes while having a pleasant conversation, so going out for tapas has become an important culinary and social experience in Spain. Dr. Guengerich also took her students on a night tour where they could get amazing night views of the city. I'm including some nice photos of these activities. You can also find pictures of the Internship in Spanish group and the stududents in the Medical Shadowing Program.

That's all for now. More news in next week's edition of Cosas de Sevilla.

¡Hasta pronto!

Myriam.

Alcazar
Alcazar
Medical Shadowing
Alcazar
Alcazar
Internship in Spanish
Noche de Tapas
Noche De Tapas
Night Tour
Alcazar-6
Alcazar-7
Alcazar-8
Alcazar