Me Visitan Mis Padres

The long awaited visit from my parents has come and gone.  It was so amazing to see them; I missed them more than I had thought.  It was a lot of fun to show my mom and dad around Seville and I was happy they could experience the Spanish life.  The night before they arrived felt like Christmas Eve, I couldn’t wait for them to get here.  When we met up at the airport I was so excited to see them, I couldn’t stop smiling.  We took the shuttle to the Macarena, an area in Seville just outside of the center where my parents had rented out a piso (“apartment”).  After they were settled in, we ventured out to a restaurant near Las Setas and my parents tried their first tapas!  They fell in love with the food (and the beer) immediately.

As a welcoming surprise, I took my parents to a flamenco show across from the University of Seville.  We ordered tapas throughout the night and tried a good variety of different dishes.  Spanish food and Spanish music was a great way to welcome my parents to Seville (not to mention, we had front row seats!).

I was my parents’ tour guide all week, showing them the different sites in Seville and telling them a little bit about each one.  I was so proud to show them the city I have been living in for the past four months and the beauty that it holds.

Plaza de España

Real Alcazar

Las Setas

Dad enjoying the tapas at Bar Alfalfa

We also spent a lot of time exploring the different restaurants, in search of the strangest, tastiest tapa in the city.  My dad enjoys trying new foods, and Seville definitely has a lot.  My parents’ favorite tapas bar, by far, was Bar Alfalfa, which also happens to be my favorite!  I am convinced that there are no better olives in all of Seville than the ones that are served at Bar Alfalfa. 

We also loved Rinconcillo, the oldest tapas bar in Seville and rumored to have created the idea of the “tapa”.  A dish that we loved was the pigs’ cheeks.  Believe me when I say it tastes better than it looks.

However, the best food we ate all week was at my home.  Charo invited my parents to have lunch at my homestay so that they could get to know each other.  The food was absolutely delicious and I was proud to show my parents our house.  I am so happy that everyone got along well, and enjoyed each other’s company!

On Tuesday we went to a bull fight, something my Dad had been looking forward to ever since they bought their plane tickets.  I had been looking forward to going to the bullfight too, because I hadn’t been to one all semester.  We brought my friend Jackie with us and although the bullfight was very striking and graphic, I am glad I was able to experience it.

Thursday morning we went to the market on Calle Feria which conveniently was just next to the street where my parents were staying.  I had not been to the market before and I was glad to finally be going.  The market was like a big giant yard sale, filled with an endless amount of knickknacks from colorful beaded jewelry to old antique Spanish artwork.  Since it was the Thursday before Feria, there were many flamenco skirts are dresses for sale and Jackie and I were able to buy skirts that fit the both of us very well and only cost a couple of euros!  We were so excited to have outfits for the Feria!

There is also a food market on Calle Feria that we went to a few times to buy fresh meat and vegetables.  I hadn't known about the market before, and am so glad to have found out about it with time left in the semester to go back!

My parents and I took a day trip to Ronda, a gorgeous city in the province of Málaga, and brought my friend Leah along with us.  Ronda is a gorgeous mountain city, filled with white roofed houses and fields of olive trees.  We spent the day exploring the city, touring a few of the famous buildings and churches, and taking heaps of pictures.  At the end of the day, we stumbled upon a wine tour and spent our last hour taste testing the native red wines and learning about the wine making process.

Since my mom had to return to work, and couldn’t stay with my dad to celebrate the Feria, her last day in Seville was Sunday.  We spent the afternoon walking around the Feria grounds, watching the Spaniards set up for the weeklong festival about to arrive.  Afterwards, we had a relaxing dinner by the river.  We ended the night with a horse-drawn carriage ride around the city, a great send-off for my mom.  My dad and I were sad to say goodbye to my mom, but I am so grateful she was able to visit me in Seville.