I've just returned from an amazing weekend in Spain! My roommate, Laura, and I arrived in Seville on Thursday evening. We checked into our hotel and then ventured into the city to explore. Since our hotel was a little bit outside the city, we had to take a bus to get to the city center. On Thursday evening we walked around the main parts of the city and got our first glimpse of Seville Cathedral. The Cathedral is amazing, both for it's size and beauty. It's one of the biggest cathedrals in the world and the architecture is amazing! We wandered for a few hours and grabbed a late dinner before finding our way back to the hotel.

On Friday morning, we got an early start into the city to enjoy the cooler part of the day. In the morning we visited the Reales Alcazares and their gorgeous gardens. These royal palaces were built by the Arabs in the 10th century and were reconstructed throughout the years. The interior walls, ceilings, and floors were covered in decorative Arab tiles, which were really cool. The gardens of the palaces were absolutely beautiful, with plants (lots of palm tress!) & fountains. After eating lunch, we toured the cathedral. The vaulted ceilings, stained glass, and statues inside the cathedral were beautiful. We climbed the tower (la Giralda) for a great view of the city. Rather than stairs, there was a sloping ramp winding up the tower. There were windows throughout the climb to catch a view, but the best view was at the top. The tower was situated so we could look down on the majority of the cathedral from the top, which was really neat. Following our tour of the cathedral, we relaxed and ate some ice cream at a café. After cooling off, we walked towards the Rio Guadalquivir to see the river and the Torre del Oro. Then we walked in the Parque de Maria Luisa, which had more gorgeous gardens! We finished the day with the Plaza de Espana, which once housed the Spanish Pavilion. Hot and sweaty from the 85 degree day, we headed back to the hotel for showers and a relaxing dinner!

On Saturday, we caught a train to Cadiz for the day to see the coast. Cadiz is a major port in Spain, but is also known for its gorgeous beaches. We enjoyed exploring the city, walking on the beach, and touring another cathedral. We walked around the outskirts of the city on the fortress walls, which were built to protect the city. It was so nice to see the coast and dip my feet in the ocean, even if we didn't get to swim- the water was freezing anyway! After returning to Seville, we had a relaxing evening at our hotel before waking up to catch our flight Sunday morning.

After spending the weekend in the 80 degree sunshine, it's a little depressing to return to cloudy London. There's only two weeks left before I return home, which I will definitely make the most of. Tomorrow evening I'll be seeing 'Woman in Black' (horror/suspense play) with my theatre class. It's not my choice of entertainment, but hopefully it won't be too creepy! Just two more days of internship and three days of