Life in Sevilla

I love Sevilla. First of all, the city is very pedestrian friendly/bike friendly which I absolutely love. Whenever I walk around in the center or other neighborhoods near the center I always run into people I know.

Running in to friends during La Feria de Abril.

     I have heard multiple people say that Sevillanos live their social life in the streets and bars and I completely agree with them. As a study abroad student, I was able to take full advantage of this lifestyle. I lived with a family when I was an aupair in the North of Spain so when I was deciding on my living situation I chose to live in a shared apartment with other students so that I would be free to enjoy the culture of tapas without worrying about being home for dinner. This allowed me to enjoy Sevilla to the fullest. I loved being able to have several plans each day to have a tapa or a drink with friends. Often times I would run into friends while walking through the city, or would receive a call from someone who was wondering if I wanted to "tomar algo" with them, and of course the answer was yes because this was a semester of enjoying life in Sevilla to the fullest, without worrying about the fact that I hadn't been to my flat all day.

Eating with friends near the neighborhood of Los Remedios

     I enjoyed having countless tinto de verano's (which is wine mixed with some sort of fizzy drink, such as fanta) in Plaza del Salvador, having a coffee near San Bernado or the river, or just spending hours at the bars in Alemeda. My time in Sevilla was spent simply enjoying life while meeting new friends from Sevilla and other places. Being able to live in Sevilla allowed me to go beyond the tourist activities and live in Sevilla more or less like a local. Often times just venturing five or ten minutes from the tourist areas (around the cathedral, Avenida de Constitución and San Fernando) allowed me to find lively tapas bars with a friendly atmosphere and without the translated menus. For example, the tapas bars on calle Mateos Gago, the street that is located no more than five minutes from La Giralda, and surprisingly out of the touristy zone.