Semana Santa

Happy Easter! So Semana Santa is over. They don't really celebrate Easter here which is strange in my opinion. Actually, most Spaniards are sad on Easter because Semana Santa is over. I, on the other hand, am very grateful that it is over. Don't get me wrong, it was a great experience and I am very glad that I got to take part in it, but there are some things about Semana Santa that I just do not like. For one, all the people. Let me tell you, it is pure madness. EVERYONE comes to Sevilla for Semana Santa which means the streets are incredibly crowded and tourists are everywhere. Well, I guess that's the only thing I don't really like about Semana Santa, but it's enough to keep me away. It's the kind of thing you only really need to experience once. For example, we wanted to find a place to eat one night and everywhere was full and we couldn't cross certain streets because of the processions. It was very overwhelming. I really did like all the processions this week, though. They were very interesting and I loved seeing all the different pasos and I really loved the music they played in the processions. There were lots of processions every day and the best ones to see are the ones you just stumble across while walking through the street.
What was very cool about this week was that I got to experience Semana Santa in both Sevilla and Madrid. Lindsay and I went to Madrid for less than 24 hours to meet Lindsay's friend Kimmie for some sight-seeing before she came to Sevilla for a few days. After dinner Wednesday night we walked outside of the restaurant and there was a procession going by. It was a lot like the ones in Sevilla. There were Nazarenos (the people in the KKK-like uniforms) a band and a paso of Jesus carrying the cross. We were right in the front row because 1) they don't really make such a big deal out of Semana Santa in Madrid as they do in Sevilla and 2) there is more space in the streets. Also, it was FREEZING in Madrid. I don't blame people for not going out for the processions, it felt like winter again!
While in Madrid I went to el Prado!!!! I was sooooo excited because I studied a lot of Spanish artists back in Spanish IV in high school and it was so cool to see the paintings I had studied in real life! I saw Las Meninas by Velazquez, some paintings by El Greco and La boda and El quitasol by Goya. There is just so much great art in el Prado and I'm very excited that I get to go back as part of my trip to Madrid with my interest group in 2 weeks!
I really don't want to have to go back to class tomorrow. I have really enjoyed just relaxing and reading in the sun. The weather has been absolutely gorgeous here and it really feels like summer :) I love it! But the crazy thing is that I only have 6 weeks left here! It is just flying by! Part of me is getting ready to go home and part of me just wants to stay here forever! Rosa (my senora) keeps telling me she doesn't want me to leave. She wants me to come back after I'm done studying at Gordon and work here in Sevilla and live with her! She's so sweet and I'm really going to miss her. Sometimes I seriously think I could live here for the rest of my life. But the more rational side of me realizes I couldn't ever be that far away from my family and friends. So for those of you who are concerned that I will never come back, no worries. I will definitely return to the U.S. :)