Opera Scouts in Seville!

Welcome to Opera Scouts Spain Blog!

Our trip began with an early morning at the San Francisco Airport. The scouts met up at 8:30, excited to begin our trip to Spain!

From there, we spent a total of 15 hours in the air, with layovers in New York and Paris. At each layover, groups headed out to explore for food. While chaotic and tiring, it made a great bonding experience for us all.

We landed in Seville at around 3:30 local time. At this point, everyone was exhausted. Still we persisted, and the adrenaline of making it to our destination helped us get through. As soon as we exited the airport, we met Bill, our tour guide, ho will be helping us throughout our trip.

Next came the bus ride. Bill gave us a brief history of Seville. He explained stories relating to its history surrounding religion, as well as an overview of what to expect in the next few days. Before we knew it, we had made it to our destination: Santa Cruz, Seville's former Jewish corridor.

There, we had a local guide, Jaime, who took us on a walking tour of the district. Something about Seville that particularly interested our group was its connection to, of course, opera. Some of the most well-known operas in the world, such as Carmen and The Marriage of Figaro, were based off events here. Each location was pointed out to us. We also learned about the Seville's orange trees. These trees are timed to bloom every year during Holy Week. The scent filled the air as we spent the late afternoon exploring these historical sites.

By the time we made it back to the bus, everyone was tired. It was only short drive to our hotel. There, we got a brief break before a buffet dinner. That combo lifted everyone's spirits. Now, as this blog is being written, everyone is heading off to bed, excited for our second day of exploring Spain.

The tobacco factory from Carmen Statue of Don Juan Rosina's balcony from The Barber of Seville