It is hard to believe that we are almost done with our Andalusian program. On Friday, July 29 we left out hearts in Cádiz. Abbey Road participants say good bye to their host moms. Of course there were tears and many, many hugs, and our students gave flowers, chocolates and small tokens of appreciation to their host mom. By now these beautiful families who opened their homes to our students have become part of our students’ lives and international families. Homestay provides a unique experience to our students who forge long lasting relationships with their host families. After leaving Cadiz we spent a day in Córdoba. Córdoba is the site of the only Cathedral Mosque in the world, which was declared by the UNESCO a world heritage center. Cordoba's beauty derives from the 8th century architectural grandeur that could be seen in Constantinople, Damascus and Baghdad. In the 13th century, under Ferdinand III, the Saint, Cordoba's Great Mosque was turned into a cathedral and new structures were built to support the arches and massive towers of the church. On Saturday, July 30th we arrived at Seville, and visited the Cathedral de Santa María de la Sede. This cathedral is the largest cathedral in the world, with Nave width: 15 meters (49 ft), Width: 100 meters (330 ft), Length: 135 meters (443 ft), Spire height: 105 meters (344 ft). This Cathedral was also named a World Heritage site by the UNESCO, along with the Alcázar palace complex and the General Archive of the Indies.
Today our students braved the 104 ◦ Fahrenheit to visit the Alcázar, the royal palace, in which the royal family still spend their vacations. This palace was built by the Moorish rulers who occupied the peninsula beginning on the 8th century. It is considered to be one of the most outstanding examples of mudéjar art that exist today. Our students learned how the different kings and queens’ religions and taste are reflected in the architecture of the palace. They also visited the amazing gardens and interior patios that evoke millenarian love stories. Some of these gardens were built in as a labyrinth, where you can get lost in the beauty of tall trees and bushes, as some of our students did. Tomorrow, our students will go back to the USA, carrying much more than suitcases and souvenirs: beautiful memories of Spain, a ton of new vocabulary in Spanish, and a deeper knowledge of what it mean to be an inhabitant of this planet and stablishing human connections. Of course, I would be remiss if I don’t say that they also have a deeper understanding of the very important concept of the “siesta”. ¡HASTA PRONTO, ANDALUCÍA!
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As you walked the narrow but picturesque streets of Cadiz, and look up to the balconies with beautiful flowers and an amazingly blue sky, you would never imagine that there is a whole sub world of bones, war artifacts, and escape routes under the city. The existence of this sub world has been known for centuries of course, and yet as the city “modernizes” its buildings or builds new ones, more and more structures are discovered underground. Abbey Road Cadiz students took a trip to thousands of years back, and visited some of these structures.
The beauty: Cadiz has the second longest Roman aqueduct in the world, 83 KM. Balbus the Elder, born in Cadiz, ordered an aqueduct to be built to supply water to the Neapoli or new city that was built in the 1st century B.C. Our students started their journey at “La casa del pirata”, a 3 story hacienda with a huge underground well (Aljibe) as this was the only way for mainly well to do families to have water. Then they proceeded to el beatario (Beatus). The University of Cadiz is making a tremendous effort on uncovering and preserving these architectural findings. The beast: “La casa del pirata” has many ghost stories. It is said that the man who owned that house was originally very poor and sailed out to make money to be able to marry the woman he loved. Unknown to his lover was that he became a pirate to make the money. His lady built this hacienda with ocean like elements that resemble waves and birds to please her husband. It is said that when she died, he buried her in gold in that hacienda and her spirit roams the house. Of course, nobody has been able to find the gold. In the beatario there are many little niches that held the bodies of the beati who resided there. When the students went down to one of the secret rooms, they realized that they were leaning against what used to hold human remains. This really scared them. Also in the beatario, people used to hide from the “Pacos” (the snipers of the civil war), and several war artifacts, like the grenade shown in the picture by one of our students, have been found while excavating. widthWhat better way to start a day than by succumbing to the demands of your belly and your brain, without a worry in the world? That is exactly how the Cadiz participants started their day today. The students sat down at a “terraza”, and each ordered an overflowing plate of hot- crunchy- scrumptiously delicious-melt in your mouth churros! But wait, there is more. To accompany this tower of goodness you have to have what the Aztecs called “la bebida de los reyes”, chocolate. I wish you could taste and smell this deliciousness. I will make sure you can next year, when you come with Abbey Road to Cadiz. It is said that flavonoids in chocolate stimulates the blood flow to the brain, and that its tryptophan is a neuro transmitter of happiness and positive mood. We took advantage of these effects, and embarked our participants in an adventure inside an escape room. I can attest to both of the statements made about chocolate above are true, because some of our participants almost reached the record time in escaping the room. They were able to escape in 49 minutes and the record is 45 minutes. So, go on and eat all the churros con chocolate you can. Don’t let your waist width keep you from developing your brain.
Want to have an unforgettable weekend? Come with Abbey Road to Tarifa and visit the cetaceans in their natural environment, and then sit down and enjoy some of the best "cante hondo" singer and flamenco dancers. This is some way to spend a Saturday. Tarifa is a municipality of the province of Cadiz, and its coast opening into the Gibraltar strait makes it a very important area for huge merchant ships to duck. It also makes it incredibly windy, and therefore much sought after by surfers. However, the biggest attraction are the inhabitants of the strait: dolphins, whales, porpoises, and cachalots. Abbey Road Cadiz’ participants were able to see several species up close, but the one that really play around the ship and wanted to be in our company were the “calderones” (globicephala melas) that can measure up to 6 meters and weigh up to 3.5 tons. Entre families of calderones were showing off their majestic polished black colors and sharing with us their family time. The students also learned how important the environmental efforts of Tarifa are in protecting these animals. Even though many ferries and smaller boats carry many people into the strait every day to see cetaceans, throughout the trip, the captain emphasizes the importance of being respectful and protecting the natural balance. They even learned that some of these calderones have been tagged and have a GPS to study their habits and keep track of their activities. Because we want our students to experience every single aspect of the Andalusian culture, at night, for a total change of pace, the students were treated to a “cante hondo” and flamenco performed by professionals. The students were mesmerized by how fast the dancers could move their feet while snapping their fingers in perfect synchronism. Cante hondo together with the dancing is a spiritual experience, for the singers entered a dialogue with the dancers that give movement to what the singer is feeling.
The last two days have been filled with adventure and opportunities to show physical strength, and careful understanding of the Spanish language. After a morning of classes and social interactions with the local we headed to “Entre ramas” (Among Branches) a zip line theme park in Roche, about 45 minutes outside of Cádiz. This park was built without disturbing the natural surroundings or cutting the trees. It has 4 circuits of increasing difficulties from blue to black. The students practiced listening to important instructions given in Spanish; of course there was the incentive of not being able to do any of the circuits unless they understood everything and were able to mimic all of the security steps, like using the lifeline cords, the harness, the pulley, etc.; Needless to say that there were quite a few excitement screams, and plenty of nervous laughter. The following day our participants continue with the show of strength and careful listening, this time in the ocean. They went to port of Santa María, to the Valdelagrana beach to get a taste of kayaking and paddle surf. A few decided to do both kayaking and paddle surf, others stuck with one in an attempt to dominate both, the ocean and the boat.
Abbey Road’s students in Cádiz visited today the Teatro Romano. This Roman theater was found while digging to build an apartment building. The thing is that here in Andalucía, practically wherever you dig you find remains of antique civilizations, especially Roman. The students were able to see how a country can be respectful of the culture and heritage, even when it means losing money or a big investment. Instead of flattening the remains of the Roman Theater the city of Cadiz built a museum around them. To help visitors fully appreciate the original grandeur, the visitors walk on several glass circles that let you see below them the remains of columns and walls of what was the center stage of the theater. The students walked through a tunnel that let out into what is left of the circle shaped theater, and the stands. The next afternoon, our students learned that a theater could be anything, and anywhere, even the waters of Playa Cortadura. And they performed beautifully, fighting the forces of nature, and becoming one with the sea. Okay, okay, they became more one with the foam and the sand, but hey, nobody’s perfect. Especially when it is you first time trying to surf.
Today Abbey Road students visited Ronda y Arcos. Ronda might not be the first thing that pops up when you research Andalucía, but Ronda is the third most visited city in the region. It seems that after people visit it they share with their friends and family how amazing this city is. It was declared a city in the late IV century A.D. (or D.C. –después de Cristo- en español) by Julius Cesar. Our students were immersed in antiquity visiting Roman ruins, and all of the sudden, they are in the presence of the oldest bullfighting ring in the entire country. Abbey Road students visited the museum where they could see the first matador costumes and artifacts related to the art, and about the importance and the earlier cultural value of bullfighting.
After Ronda, Abbey Road students visited Arcos, one of the most stunning ancient white cities in Andalusia. This city was built at the top and on a side of a cliff. Besides conquering the challenges of walking on a very steep terrain, our students also learn the art of “owl whispering”. AS you can see in the pictures they seemed very comfortable around these enigmatic creatures (cue Rocky’s music). Today Abbey Road students learned about the language of the locals, el gaditano. Of course is not an official language but it is the way the citizens of Cádiz, the gaditanos, speak. To test their knowledge of the gaditano, the students walked the streets of downtown Cádiz and asked the local questions about the history of the city, where to find certain monuments and some more personal questions about what gaditanos like to do. The students really engaged with the locals and pounded the pavement trying to find the key to the heart of the gaditana culture. Below you will see some of the students talking to the locals. After this hard work, the students were treated to an evening of exotic teas. We gathered at an authentic “tetería”, a place where you can find and drink all kinds of tea, and tea concoctions. The teas are served in Moroccan style tea pots, cups and glasses.
r Today the second group of students went for a taste of the flamenco dances. They were taught by a flamenco dancer with 29 years of experience who have participated in many international dance festivals, in many different countries. In spite of the heat and the difficulty of the flamenco dance, the students gave it their all and really impressed everyone, including the teacher. To dance flamenco and other Spanish dances you need to have "salero", the spice that you have inside that makes you feel and live the music, and that pushes your body to move to the rhythm of the beat. The students definitely have salero. They were able to follow the instructor very well, and were not afraid or embarrassed to try The first group to learn flamenco this time visit "Torre de la Tavera" and just as the second group, they were impressed by how tower control uses Mr. Tavera spyglass to see all of the city, live. In the images projected on the concave screen one could pretend to pick people on the streets with our hands, and even build a passage way with a piece of cardboard and see the image of people on the actual street go over it. Today, our Abbey Road Cádiz participants were the official lookouts to warn the citizens of Cádiz of the arrival of pirates into mainland. From Torre Tavira, they stood guard for a couple of hours. At 45 meters above sea level, Torre Tavira is the highest point of the city, and it was built to be the official lookout point for the Puerto de Cádiz. Don Antonio Tavira was the tower guard. Through his spyglass Mr. Tavira was able to spot the merchant ships that were coming from the Americas loaded with treasures that were a magnet for pirates. By 1777 there were 160 lookout towers in Cádiz, with approximately 126 still operating. Later in the XVIII the towers became more of an architectural feature, built even in private homes. Our students were able to see the city through what used to be Mr. Tavira’s spyglass. While a group was watching over our safety another group was learning how to dance flamenco, a somewhat less dangerous endeavor, but that requires the same passion for the defense of the traditions and customs of a country. Below you will see some of our students playing their roles in an Oscar deserving fashion.
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