24. October 2017 | Von Judith Grünewald
The cultural potpourri with 3000 hours of sun
Halftime! It’s been six weeks since I arrived in sunny Seville. But let’s start at the beginning; my journey to Seville.
Halftime! It’s been six weeks since I arrived in sunny Seville. But let’s start at the beginning; my journey to Seville.
As Macromedia-Students, we had the great opportunity to meet the head of the International Office, Verena, beforehand. During her visit to our campus in Cologne, we were able to ask her questions about everything – which she was happy to answer.
One of the most important questions was where we would want to live. And trust me, you have many options. There are halls of residence, host families, AirBnB or, which I chose for myself, companies like Aluni.
Aluni offers flats or houses to international students – a great housing alternative to get to know people from different countries and unite various cultures under one roof!
I live in a big house with six other people from Italy, Belgium, Nicaragua, France and Spain – which creates a life full of cultural exchange, parties and laughter – for only 370€ a month.
I decided to rent a room in „El Porvenir“ – the part of the city which the university is also located in. It is a calm, authentic area with bars, restaurants, supermarkets, cafés and shops. I never feel unsafe in my neighborhood – neither during the day or the night, which applies to all of Seville. Of course, there is no such city with no crime, but to me, Seville is one of the safest cities I’ve ever been to. One exception are typical crimes we know from touristic cities – pickpockets. But if you look after your stuff while you are strolling through the historic parts of town or shopping allies filled with tourists, there is no need to worry.
Seville, alleged found by the greek hero Herakles, has a unique vibe that you can’t withdraw from. Its beautiful architecture, small streets, hidden gardens and great bars create an environment that will never stop surprising you with its beauty.
It is no coincidence that HBO decided to film some scenes of the famous Game Of Thrones series in one of the most famous sides in Seville – the Alcazar.
But there is one main rule of the sevillan lifestyle: Go outside!
With Its great temperature throughout the year and the 3000 hours of sun, the Sevillanos don’t spend a lot of time inside.
You have thousand options of bars, restaurants and cafés you can choose from to grab a tapa or drink a beer. All for an unbeatable price!
If you want to continue your night at a nightclub, there are plenty of parties and events organized by Erasmus – the entrance as a foreign student is free.
Some great nightclubs are Hoyo 19, Bilindo, Casino, Bandalai or Líbano.
Almost every neighborhood of Seville is worth a visit, but my favorite places to pass my time during the day is the barrio Santa Cruz or in general the old city center of Seville – one of the biggest old towns in whole Europe. A part of the town where you could get lost in for hours!
And if you feel like having a few minutes by yourself in a quite environment – go check out the „Museo de Bellas Artes“ in Seville. It’s completely free for european citizens and located by the city center.
But I’m not here to write an advertising article about Seville, so let’s face some negative facts.
The public transportation system is not what I was used to in Cologne. There is only one metro, one tram line and a bunch of busses in the whole city. Making a 30 minute journey out of a 3 kilometer long distance. Of course, Seville tries to fill this gap. The Sevici bikes are a system of rental bikes that are stationed in public places. For 35 € a year, you can use every bike at every station – if there is one. In some places and at special times of the day, It can be tough finding a station with a bike.
In addition, It is better for students to speak and understand at least a basic level of Spanish. As English is not that common to be taught in spanish schools, your local shop owner or waiter at a restaurant is not likely to speak or understand English.
During my stay I am studying at EUSA University, a campus of the University of Seville. I, as Mediamanagement student, have three determinate classes, one big project (Lehrprojekt 1) and a course that I could choose myself.
If you are interested in learning Spanish, you can either start an extensive course before Uni starts – which you would have to pay. Or attend a free Spanish-course during your stay which offers you four hours of Spanish in a week.
Although attendance during classes is mandatory – we don’t have classes on Fridays, which gives us more time to travel.
Above all that, the International Office is always helpful and has an 24 hrs emergency number; So If you get arrested – Verena will translate you why.
Seville is not only a great city itself but is really useful as a travel base. I already visited seven more cities and places, including Lisbon, the beaches of Algarve and other spanish cities like Málaga. Everything is easily reached by train, bus or, what I suggest the most, blablacar. Even Madrid is only a five hour drive away.
Therefore I am more than excited for the last two months full of traveling, eating, drinking and enjoying the sunniest winter of my life!
I also made a short video about Córdoba, If you want to check out whether the journey to this city pays off!
