Love From Sevilla: Familia y Futbol

After a busy week of exams, I was excited to have a weekend in Sevilla. And since I was going to be staying in town I wanted to experience some true Sevilla culture by spending time with my family and by going to a futbol game.

Friday afternoon my little sister Rocio (13 yrs.) had a skating competition. When I first met her she told me she went to practice everyday for figure skating. I assumed that this meant she skated on ice, but I was wrong. She is on a team of girls and they roller skate. It's a mix of figure skating, drill team, and roller skating, and it's awesome. They get all dressed up and do a routine in a big gym. All their friends and family come to watch and cheer them on. So, on Friday afternoon Emma, Kelly, her grandparents, her mom and sisters, her aunt, her cousins, and I went to watch her competition..

The whole gang ready to cheer on Rocio.

Emma, me, and Kelly with Rocio and her friends after she got done performing.

It was really fun to be able to watch Rocio with the whole family. I love having little sisters and being able to go to their stuff. I absolutely LOVE living with a big family. They make me feel right at home and like I really am one of their sisters.

After skating we headed off to the Sevilla vs. Real Club Deportivo La Coruna. We had a group of six girls and we successfully navigated the metro system here to get to the stadium. We were wearing Sevilla jerseys and quite a few people started singing the Sevilla futbol club song when they saw us. It's really fun to see the rivalry here between the two big teams in Sevilla. Now, after going to sporting events with my family all of my life, and with John's family for the last year, I have learned that being on time to a game means being there at least an hour early. So, we got there an hour early and went into the stadium to find...about twenty people. :) But, we had a great time walking around close to the field and taking pictures. Once it got close to 9:30 the stadium got really full and the crowd starting cheering and yelling. Sevilla scored in the first five minutes and ended up winning 3-1. It was a really fun game with a great atmosphere. I'm so glad I got the chance to watch a Spanish futbol team while I am studying in Sevilla! It is a huge part of their culture and it was AWESOME to be in the stadium and cheering for the team!