The Perfume of Oranges that is the Smell of Sevilla

Casa de Pilatos

La Catedral Muslim Tower

Murillo Park 300+ Year Old Tree

I can hardly believe that the next semester is already starting. My Christmas break went by so quickly, and gave me a good dose of all that is good about the holiday season, before returning to Madrid to continue my adventures. After many complications with rescheduled planes, delays, a snow storm, and airport steps that didn't work, i arrived in Madrid one day and 4 hours late. I took a taxi from the airport, met my new host mom at the school and was soon napping in my room overlooking the Casa de Campo and other neighborhoods. That evening, i met my housemates, who had arrived the previous day, and I laughed till i cried while having dinner with my host mom and my housemates. I was not given much time to completely settle-in as this past weekend, Suffolk University took the entire school on a weekend orientation trip to Sevilla. There, we saw the Cathedral, part Gothic church, part Mosque, the Royal Palace, part Renaissance, Gothic, Moorish, and part Asian, and even saw the Virgin of the Macarena. We saw a working ranch, a horse show, flamenco show, Roman Ruins in Italica, and even learned to dance Flamenco. Even with all of these activities I still had time for my wandering. While in Sevilla, I stumbled upon a short reference in a guidebook mentioning a house called La Casa De Pilatos, a replica of the House of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem, built by an eccentric nobleman several hundred years ago. I couldn't possibly miss such an intriguing museum, so i found my way across the city to see for myself. The house is enormous with a grand facade which is a mix of Roman, Greek, Muslim, and Renaissance influences. The interior is predominately Moorish, imitating the Royal Palace with its tile work and grand dome, but on a much more approachable scale. The secondary courtyard is much more Renaissance, as its owner tried to house his ever-increasing collection of Renaissance and ancient Roman statuary. The winter palace, on the second floor, is not to be missed, though requires an additional small fee, which is well worth it. The evenings in Sevilla were filled with delicious food and intriguing night-life. The trip was over much too quick and I am anticipating my next trip to see the city. Sevilla is a charming city with winding cobblestone streets, the air crowded with the clove-like smell of its famous Holy Week incense and the perfect vision of its colorful orange trees ready to be harvested. Its people are friendly and each turn in the road opens onto previously unexplored plazas with fountains and orange trees, each view gently tugging at the wanderer to sit and rest, if only for a while.