New Friends & Ecija Palaces

After I had been in Ecija for a while, I thought that I would like to meet some English speakers who would like to travel around with me on the weekends.  So I emailed the kids' English school and a girl named Gemma from New Castle, England wrote me back!  At the beginning of my 3rd week here, I went to an Intercambio group that Gemma invited me to.  Intercambio is a Spanish word that means to exchange, so every Thursday there is a big group (usually around 12 people) that get together to fellowship and practice their language skills.  The group is comprised of both native English & Spanish speakers which is so much fun!!  We always meet at the bar called Quitapenas which serves tapas (petite little dishes) for 1-2.50 Euros each.  Tapas in general are usually very cheap in Spain which makes it easier to branch out and try new food because if you don't like it, you've only "wasted" around $1.75!  It's so fun!  And since we meet there every Thursday, at the end of the night the waitress gives us all a free shot.  Everyone knows that I am not a big drinker, and especially not a big shot-taker.  So the first week I did not take one, but the second week that I went, we all received a little bit of honey rum with whipped cream and cinnamon on top.  The waitress took one with us this time and it looked good, so I tried it.  It was so sweet & tasted like a little dessert!

The next Saturday the 17, there was a tour of some of the palaces in Ecija!  Four other girls from the Intercambio group were going and invited me to come along with them!  Linda is a 41 year old civil engineer from Miami who is currently teaching English at a school in Ecija.  She is very sweet and has been unbelievably kind to me, even giving me her old phone to use while I am here!  Adele is a tall, curly haired, 24 year old from France.  She understands English but doesn't speak it very much because she is fluent in Spanish and even has a Spanish boyfriend.  The other two girls, Michelle and Stephanie, are also English teachers who are majoring in Spanish.  Michelle is a 21 year old girl from Scotland and her accent is so much fun!  I get the biggest kick out of hearing her talk!! Stephanie is a 22 year old brunet from Minnesota and we have really clicked!  She is so fun and sweet and our personalities really match! 

So the four of us set off on the palace tour of Ecija!  I really like living in Ecija (pronounced Eh-see-ha)!!  It has an unbelievable amount of history in this quaint little town.  Apparently it used to be a very rich area and there are so many elaborate houses and palaces here!!  The first one we saw has been converted into a museum that I went to the next week, so I will post more about that one in my next post.


The second palace had a beautiful garden courtyard and fountain!  There were orange trees and lemon trees everywhere that were adorned with little lights and lanterns.  It was absolutely enchanting!!!!

Stephanie & Me in the garden

Michelle, Adele, Linda, & Me

Most palaces are built in the shape of a square with a square courtyard in the middle.  They are so beautiful; and because of the layout there are windows in every room (which I absolutely love)!!  Here is the hallway of on of the palaces.  This one was really neat because there were so many old family photos everywhere, so we were able to see what the people looked like who lived inside.  All of the furniture is SO antique and elaborate!!

One of the bedrooms

Dining Room

The next palace we were only allowed to view from the outside

This palace was designed after the Alhambra in Granada, an absolutely magnificent Moorish palace that I am dying to see!  This photo is taken from the courtyard looking up.

The elaborate ceiling!

Here's a look inside another courtyard of a palace that has been converted into an expensive restaurant

The amazing ceiling!

Lovely Painting

After the tour, the girls and I went to the market to buy things for lunch.  Adele & Linda cooked spaghetti and we also had bread, salad, cheese, and red wine on top of their terrace.  It was such a lovely sunny day we just relaxed and basked in the warmth.  That night I went over to Stephanie & Michelle's apartment and watched "The Help."  All in all, it was a really fun and laid back day in Spain!



The following morning, on Sunday, I met up with Miriam, Stephanie, & Michelle for churros in for breakfast.  We bought them from a place right off the main square and the place was packed!  Churros are kind of like fried donought strings.  This particular kind did not have any sugar or cinnamon on them, and I didn't particularly care for them, but they were fun to try.   Then we went to a little tea shop that has just opened up in Ecija!  It is so cute inside and the elderly man who owns it is SO nice.  Miriam and I ended up trying the Pina Colada Green Tea (without alcohol of course).  It is very good!  Since then I have gone back for 3 more different types of teas!