New Dessert Idea

By: Enely Hiciano

   

While visiting Seville, I got to visit a plantation of olive oil trees and learn the history of how this family was able to build such a legacy. During the tour, I got an inside look into the process of preparing the olive trees for the season, how they squeeze the oil from the olives, and how they pick the olives off of the tree once the olives are ripe enough. The gentleman who owns the plantation, showed us how to detect fresh, healthy olive oil from olive oil that is spoiled. Healthy, virgin oil should smell like either fresh cut grass, tomatoes, almonds, banana peels, or apple peels. Oil that has had chemicals added would smell, vinegary, musty, humid, burnt, or rancid. I found the role of the government in this process interesting. The government visits periodically and examines whether the oil is extra virgin, virgin, or needs to be sent away. This process starts by pouring each type of oil into a blue glass jar and then tasting it one by one. They make observations such as the smell or taste of the oil to decide how virgin the oil is. If the oil smelled, vinegary, musty, humid, burnt, or rancid then it would be taken to a factory where it would be mixed with chemicals to make it better. I learned the importance of how to store olive oil, it should be stored in a dark container that contains the oxygen inside of the bottle. This is to keep the freshness of the olive oil preserved and to allow all the benefits and pleasures of the oil to be preserved as well. After learning this, I was privileged to try olive oil by itself for the first time. I also got to experience how they test out the quality of the oil for myself and why the jar being tinted blue was an important attribute to oil testing. The jar being blue is to preserve seeing the color of the oil because by seeing the color, you would be able to have an idea of how virgin the oil you were testing was. The testers from the government take a sip of the oil and suck their teeth while swishing the oil in their mouth. The sucking of the teeth is so that you can taste the oil without your saliva being mixed in, therefore giving you the full and best effect of what you’re tasting. While visiting the Spanish olive oil farm, I tried a new dessert that is now one of my favorites. At first, I was hesitant to taste it but it ended up being one of my favorite desserts that I tried while exploring Spain. The dessert is a mixture of citrus infused oil mixed with creamy chocolate ice cream. Sounds nasty I know but it truly left me wanting more, it’s the perfect mix of chocolate and citrus, it’s creamy and chocolate rich and let’s be honest who doesn’t love that combination.

Tapas, Flamenco, and Soul: The Social Fabric of Granada

By: Christ J. Desruisseaux

From the moment we arrived in Granada, it was clear that this principality was unlike any other region in Spain. Whether it was the unmatched generosity of its people, the passion of flamenco in the Sacromonte caves, or the historical weight of the Alhambra, Granada offered a cultural experience that felt deeply rooted and beautifully unique.

First, the kindness of the people in Granada stood out more than anywhere else we visited. I have to say, Granadans are some of the most generous people in Spain. One of the most surprising cultural practices we encountered was the tradition of offering free tapas with drinks. When Sonia first mentioned it, I thought she was exaggerating, but to my amazement, it was real. With just the purchase of a drink, you’re served a small plate of food at no extra cost. This custom makes dining out both affordable and communal, and it’s a tradition you won’t find in any other Spanish city.

Second, the flamenco dancing in the Sacromonte caves is a cultural treasure unique to Granada. These performances are not just shows; they are emotional, immersive experiences where singers, dancers, and musicians work in harmony. The level of passion, precision, and storytelling through rhythm and movement is awe-inspiring. It’s no wonder that this particular flamenco tradition has attracted global dignitaries and celebrities alike to come and witness it live and in person. Some notable figures would be Former President Barack Obama, the British Royal Family, and the Clintons.


Lastly, Granada’s architectural heritage, especially the Alhambra, showcases its cultural depth. A stunning fusion of Moorish, Spanish Renaissance, and Baroque influences, the Alhambra stands as a one-of-a-kind monument, telling centuries of history through intricate design, lush gardens, and symbolic artistry.

                                   

Street Etiquette in Spain

By: Enely Hiciano

A social practice that I encountered while traveling in Spain was the mannerisms of people walking on the street and how their body language would communicate with you while they’re walking by you. We frequently talked about this in the beginning of the trip because it was a culture shock for most of us. I realized that most Spaniards would much rather slightly shove you out the way rather than saying, “excuse me”. I encountered this more frequently when we walked together as a large group and there were either one or two individuals that were trying to get by us because they could clearly tell we were tourists and they just wanted to get to their destination rather than pacing behind slow tourists stopping for pictures. I noticed that Spaniards tend to walk much faster and I personally am not a fast walker so many times people would cut me off and walk in front of me, clearly annoyed. However, if they didn’t cut you off because there were too many people around and they couldn’t squeeze by, they would tailgate you in hopes that you would walk faster or you’d get annoyed and pull over to the side so that they could cross over you. I thought this was rude at first because I don’t see this behavior much here in Connecticut and I especially thought it was impolite to not say “excuse me” or “I’m sorry I pushed you.” However, after a couple days into my trip, I picked up my pace and tried to blend in and I believe it worked because the mean mugging and tailgating nearly stopped. In Connecticut specifically most people drive so walking everywhere was different compared to Spain. In crowded settings, I never heard a single “excuse me” which validates my point of view on social practices in Spain regarding walking etiquette and mannerisms.

Chocolate Ice Cream and Spanish Olive Oil

By: Enely Hiciano

    Walking through the endless rows of olive trees in Seville, the cultural significance of the Spanish olive cannot be missed. I admired the dedication, the effort, and the thought process behind olive oil making. The Spanish olive oil is versatile, it can be used for cooking or cosmetics. Prior to visiting the Spanish olive oil farm, olive oil did not hold a special meaning to me, but after seeing the owner of this beautiful farm be effortlessly passionate about something that he essentially created, it began to hold a special meaning to me. I never realized the effort that went into the cultural products we use everyday, I admired the effort that he put and the time that he dedicated into making such a beautiful craft. Although olive oil could be found anywhere else in the world, physically seeing the process of how the oil is made, and having conversations with the mastermind behind the farm was something special to me. The owner closely monitors each olive tree in order to get the best quality products, the farm owner and his workers use different techniques to pick the olives from the trees, the olives then go into a machine and are smashed in order to get the most oil from the olive. I found it impressive how much knowledge the owner held about the origin of Spanish olive oil and the best technique to pick the olives so they don’t damage before being put into the machine, what season is best for growing the olive trees, and how to operate the machines in order to get as much oil as possible and keep it as fresh and virgin as possible. Before leaving the farm, I bought a couple items from the farm owner's store. My personal favorite item is the face moisturizer and just in the week that we’ve been back from Spain I have noticed a difference in my skin and the ingredients are natural as well. I also bought the oils that we tasted and I have fallen in love with chocolate ice cream and orange flavored oil. I also found it impressive the variety of oils and what each oil would work best with. After this experience, olive oil holds a special place in my heart, especially when I see it at the grocery store and I can think back to the time when I was on the farm and was able to truly see where olive oil is made, how it’s made and the people who make it happen. 

Fulfilling My Purpose

By: Enely Hiciano

Ending my first study abroad program in Madrid was the cherry on top of everything I had gotten to explore and learn while in Spain. I’ve always dreamt of studying abroad and challenging myself to be away from my family in order to learn something new about myself. Finally being able to do what I dreamt of despite the struggles I faced prior to leaving, made it all worth it when I got to Madrid. Sunday was my last day in the city and fortunately we had a full day of independent exploration and I instantly knew I wanted to reflect on my trip, go thrifting, try chocolate crepes and enjoy a dinner full of laughter with my friends. Before embarking on my full day of adventure, I stopped at a local Starbucks that was placed across from a mall that happened to have a playground outside. I noticed tons of families shopping, watching their children play, and teenagers sitting in the coffee shop spending time together in their soccer uniforms. An observation I made was how trusting parents were with their children. Most parents were watching their children play from the coffee shop, this stood out to me because I’m used to parents in the U.S. watching their children like hawks when they’re at the playground, for valid reasons. As I was leaving Starbucks, I called an Uber and I noticed that a street was blocked. Not knowing what this was all about, my friends and I walked over to the street that was closed to find that it was shut down because locals were watching a soccer game. Talk about a culture shock! I don’t believe the U.S. would shut streets down in order for locals to stand outside and watch a soccer game. I played soccer competitively for ten years growing up and seeing this community of soccer fans gave my inner child a sense of comfort. As much as soccer was my passion growing up, working in hospitals and interacting with sick patients became a passion for me as an adult.

The last hotel we stayed in was right across from a maternity hospital. Seeing that made me feel like a door of opportunity could be opening. I always thought it would be different to do my residency or medical school somewhere aside from the U.S. but I always stopped myself because in the back of my mind, I always thought, how could I do that. Then on my last stop in Spain, I looked over and I saw this maternity hospital and being in school to become an Ob/Gyn this was golden to me. I also fell in love with the area, which was quiet, filled with coffee shops, convenient stores, and thrift shops. While I’m having these thoughts on my future and thinking about wanting to live in Spain, seeing the hospital was almost reassuring that if I can take the leap of faith and move to Madrid. Seeing the maternity hospital was a sign of possibilities for everything I’ve thought about pursuing when it came to my future and studying.

Out of every city we visited throughout our journey in Spain, the city I felt most at home or could see myself temporarily living in was Madrid. I believe a part of the reassurance I had was because I was able to spend a full day to myself enjoying what I wanted to do. It helped because throughout the trip there were so many things that I saw in each city and as I saw it, I wrote it down and told myself I wanted to come back and explore it. However in Madrid, I actually got to do it right then and there and I feel like that made me connect and completely fall in love with the city. The most fascinating moment of my visit in Madrid was the thrift stores and the bookstore. As someone who loves both, I was in awe. I had never seen a bookstore look so full and picture worthy before. The gentleman that helped us was so kind and patient. Around the thrift stores I visited, there were people walking around with a fashion sense that I admired. I felt drawn to the fashion aspect of Spain. In Madrid specifically most fashion loving locals wore streetwear, but it was funky, and if they ever came to the U.S. they would most definitely stand out in the best way possible. Their sense of style was inspiring, and as I was shopping, I came across a ton of good finds. It definitely made me want to go back to Madrid to thrift some more, but this time I will bring my own empty luggage so I don’t have to pay for one while I’m there. If I could go back and stay in any city, it would be Madrid and since being back, I truly feel like a part of me was left there.

A Dish of Love

By: Stephanie Santos  

During my visit to Valencia, I had the incredible opportunity to experience a family recipe for chicken paella on a charming farm surrounded by sprawling fields and bushy trees. The sun was setting, casting a warm golden glow over the landscape, which made the atmosphere even more inviting. As I sat at a rustic wooden table, the aroma of saffron and simmering chicken filled the air, promising a delightful culinary adventure. I was able to enjoy this amazing dish at a local farm in Valencia called L’ Alqueria de Boro.This traditional Spanish dish is famous for its vibrant colors and rich flavors. The paella was made with saffron-infused rice, which gave it a beautiful golden hue. It was loaded with chicken and fresh vegetables. The presentation was stunning, served in a large, shallow pan that

showcased the colorful ingredients. The aroma was incredible, filling the air with a mix of spices. As I took my first bite, the flavors burst in my mouth. The rice was perfectly cooked, slightly crispy on the bottom, while the chicken was tender and flavorful. The combination of saffron and spices created a warm, comforting taste that was unlike anything I had experienced before. Eating paella at L’alqueria de Boro added to the experience, as the farm setting was peaceful and beautiful, surrounded by nature. It felt special to enjoy such a traditional dish in a place that celebrated local ingredients and Spanish culture. This paella reminded me of my mom’s Dominican recipe of “Locrio de pollo” a mix of rice and chicken just minus all the fresh vegetables. The flavors were very distinct, and it was a very memorable experience that I will cherish.