October is always the best...

Hola amigos!

(see--I’m already so incredibly bilingual! ;) )

Best news first: Sevilla has officially started cooling down! I even got out a blanket a few nights ago! I lovingly placed it on the edge of my bed in hopes that I would actually need more than just a sheet’s worth of warmth at night. Alas, no such luck yet, but the blanket isn’t in the top of the closet anymore, at least.

It’s actually supposed to rain this week, which might cool it down even more. Hoorah! Rain in Sevilla is pretty entertaining though—the city shuts down like Birmingham with a slight threat of ice. People don’t walk in the rain, even with umbrellas. They just huddle at the nearest store or café and gawk at those of us who persist. Last time it rained, Ellie and I’s sanity (more or less) was questioned by an elderly lady outside of the grocery store we visited. And for clarity’s sake, it wasn’t the hardest rain I’ve ever experienced, to put it mildly. So this week should be fascinating!

Luckily for you, this post really will be about more than the weather, as original of a topic as that is. ;) I wanted to share a bit about my birthday festivities last week. We started with a delightful stroll by the Guadalquivir River at sundown. We got to briefly visit Los Jardines del Guadalquivir, which was a park built for the world expo of 1992. It has a hedge maze, some interesting sculptures, and some fountains that I’m sure were magnificent in their day, though now they are not running. After the park closed, we headed to a delicious pizza and pasta restaurant, as well as a new candy store in town, where Ellie treated me to my very own picks. This candy store, Wonkandy, operates like all of our yogurt places in the U.S. do—they have an overwhelming amount of choices (a wall of chocolate and a wall of gummies) and you get to pick as much or as little as you’d like of any.You pay by the weight, get a cute little bag sealed by a sticker, and you’re on your way.

When we returned to our flat, we all made some hot tea and went up to the roof where we hang our laundry. And it just so happened that the moon was gorgeous! In fact, on of our roomies, Sara, exclaimed, “OH MY GOODNESS, that is my favorite moon! For ever and always.” It was indeed lovely, and we enjoyed watching the clouds make art of the moonlight sky for a time. I also got wonderful cards in the mail, gifts from my roomies, and I got to skype with my parents (who of course sang to me!). In all, it was a simply lovely day, and I will have wonderful memories from it for years to come!

Now the most interesting part: pictures! :D

Pictures of new roomies at last: me, Sandra, and Sara!

Me with the precious Wonkandy cargo: a gummy converse shoe and a chocolate frog. :)

Me and Ellie at a little detour of the evening--in front of Sevilla Woman--a store name that just cracks me up. I've been wanting to document this store since we arrived in Seville, and Ellie was nice enough to play along with me. So there we are--Sevilla Women. Chuckle. ;)