A couple of weeks back, actually at one of the first auxiliar meet-ups I attended, I met two very sweet girls — Maddie and Kimberly — who were spending the weekend in Sevilla to escape their slow-paced pueblo of Osuna to the East. Not even a couple hours had passed before they mentioned to me the possibility of swapping places on of the coming weekends. As Osuna was already on my list of places I wanted to visit this year, I wanted to get a jump on the opportunity as soon as I could!
So, earlier last week I messaged Maddie about a swap! Even though they already had plans for the weekend at the beach, they opened up their place just for us. Luckily, we met up with them at our Auxiliar Orientation the day before and they gave us a set of keys right then and there.
October 11 - A couple of Queens in Osuna
Jennie wanted a quiet weekend in the apartment to relax, so Kim and I headed out for some much needed time to finally catch up. After a trip to the bank and a quick ice cream break, we hopped on our train at San Bernardo Station near our apartment and started our journey to Osuna! The landscape between Sevilla and Osua was bare to the bone. However, olive tree groves broke up the desert here and there. Around an hour-and-twenty later, we found ourselves in front of our lodging for the weekend. The walk to the apartment wasn't too exciting, but the moment we entered the front door we knew that we were in for a great time. Their apartment was huge with marble seemingly covering every surface -- we already felt like queens!
Kim and I settled in pretty quick and then set about exploring the town on foot. Taking our host’s advice, we walked towards the center stopping by the tourist office for maps, hours, and a few other recommendations during our stay. The pueblo of Osuna is located around the base of a large hill overlooking the valley below. As it was nearing sunset, we took our guide’s advice and trekked up the hill to a rooftop bar. From our view at the bar, we were able to scope out many of the places we hoped to visit in the following days — the Plaza de los Toros, La Colegiata, the Coto de las Canteras, and a few other churches along the way.
The sun was setting, but Kim and I found ourselves hungry for some good food. It wasn’t long before we took to the streets in search of a meal. On our way we stopped inside of a small, but very ornate, church which contained a very different statue of the Virgin holding the grown, lifeless body of Christ in her lap. Kim says there is a very similar work in Florence called the Pietá by Michaelangelo.
After our pitstop at the church and another at an irresistible bar, we found the perfect spot for dinner. Kim, still pretty new to Sevilla, had yet to try many of my favorite traditional dishes Spain has to offer, so it was my goal to do so that very night! We started off with chicken croquettes, then goat cheese with iberian ham, and finally a delicious plate of braised pork cheeks, all washed down with a couple glasses of white. To my continued surprise, Osuna did not disappoint! Everything we tried had us wanting more.
We finished our night in Osuna by watching a movie back in the apartment. Kim and I had planned out our next couple days, and I can say for the both of us that we were both eager to the next day to come!
October 12 - Roman Graves & Bullfights
Taking yet another recommendation from our hosts, Kim and I started our day by walking around the corner from our apartment to a small family-owned cafe for breakfast. For only 3 euros each, we had a fest of tostada con jamón, tomate, y aceite, and a large cup of café con leche.
Stuffed and beyond satisfied with our meal, we began our walk up the hill to our first stop of the day La Colegiata. As it turned out, this three floored church is the second largest in Andalusia right below the Catedral de Sevilla. The panoramic view of the city outside were just as impressive as what we were able to see inside. Our guide took us through the entirety of the church -- each being more interesting and dynamic than the last. We saw the crypts of the old Dukes and Duchesses of Osuna and many famous works of art the city’s royalty had collected and donated to the church. A wedding was also taking place later in the day, so the main hall was decorated with flowers. Our guide was very informative and gave us a good starting place to begin to understand Osuna ́s past.
Since we were already near the top of the hill, when our tour ended, we decided to continue our walk up and away from the city to reach the Coto de las Canteras -- the old quarry. Although the walk was short, it was still uphill and in the hot sun. However, we were disappointed upon our arrive to learn that the quarry was closed for the same wedding’s reception later in the day. It was so beautifully designed and exotic, Kim and I were lucky it was open the next day so we could see it at a later point.
Nevertheless, we still had some exploring to do. On our way back down the hill we saw another sign pointing out of the city to a Roman Necropolis. Unsure of exactly where or how long it would take for us to reach it -- but also with nothing to lose -- we started into the desert. Following a few signs and loosely interpreting a map, we fortunately found ourselves at an ancient Roman burial site within no time! Right off the side of the road, shallow graves were carved into the rock floor of shallow caves built into the hillside. Kim and I stooped a bit to get a better look inside and were able to see a few birds carved on the far walls. A totally unexpected, but awesome, stop for the day!
Being that our plans had to be rearranged because of the wedding, we decided to visit the town’s Bullring. We stopped for a quick drink and snack along the way, but made it on time for the final tour of the morning before siesta. Having opened in 1904, Osuna’s Bullring only just became a widely sought after tourist attraction, due to the fact it was featured in the 5th season of Game of Thrones — it was the arena where “the masters” tried to assassinate Daenerys. Kim and I additionally just so happened to meet a few other English teachers from Sevilla while we were on the tour. Sadly, we never caught up with them after the fact, but they were a fun group during the tour. While Bullfighting is very much a revered sport here in Spain, it is also quite controversial. I think Kim and I share a similar stance on our beliefs when it comes to bullfighting — tradition vs cruelty —, but we also both hope to see a show at some point of our time living here in Spain. Nevertheless, the tour was a great way to continue the debate.
Since siesta shuts down pretty much everything and everyone in the pueblo between 2 and 6pm, we picked up some lunch provisions from the supermarket and returned to the apartment to, well, siesta!
That evening, Kim and I returned to our favorite sunset bar and chatted until the street lights flickered on. We got a late dinner across from the restaurant from the night before. Again, all of the food was really tasty, but our eyes got the best of our stomachs that night! We settled our plans for tomorrow between courses, and then returned to our place for face masks, a movie, and ice cream. What more could a couple of girls want?
October 13 - Bears in Osuna?
Luckily, Kim and I were able to sleep in on our Sunday in Osuna. Before making yet another hike up the hill to the Coto de las Canteras, we found a new place for breakfast in the center with just as yummy tostada y café. When we arrived at El Coto de las Canteras a large tour bus was just leaving — perfect timing! The outside of the old quarry was designed with replicas of old visigoth motifs surrounded by a picturesque desert garden. As a place for a wedding reception, it was probably one of the coolest locations I had come across -- I would even argue that it could be used for both celebrations! Kim and I actually ended up getting our very own private tour of the place. Inside of the quarry — which acted as a type of cave — we were able to see where the workers had cut the stone for their own houses and great buildings around the area such as the Colegiata and the bullring. We were also able to see the markings of when the “cave” was used as a silo for storing grain — mounds up to 3 stories high!
However, my favorite part of the tour was our guide’s explanation of how Osuna got its name and symbol. Below is the symbol of the town:
Osuna, originally named “Urso” before the Romans, is actually a name drawn from confusion. To the Romans the name Urso sounds a lot like the lating word for bear, “ursa”. So, when they arrived to the Iberian Peninsula, they assumed bears used to inhabit the area — hence the town’s symbol — and therefore changed the town’s name to Osuna — “Oso” meaning bear in Spanish. A small mistake in language developed the strange “bear ridden” identity for the town. After our tour ended, we again took our guide’s advice — it never seemed to fail us before — and continued up to the top of the hill for the best view of the city. Once again, they did not disappoint!
After getting our fill of the view, Kim and I walked back to the apartment to tidy up and relax. As it turned out, we were lucky to arrive earlier than we had expected, because the BlaBlaCar we booked changed the meeting time to half-an-hour earlier and the location to twice as far across town! By far one of the fastest power walks of my life, we thankfully made it to our ride back to Sevilla calves burning and sweating, but on time. What a weekend!
First of all, Kim and I were so lucky to have made friends with Maddie and Kimberly and for them to open up their home to us for the entire weekend. I knew even before we had the opportunity to stay for free that I wanted to visit Osuna at some point this year. All I have to say is that Osuna did not disappoint! Kim and I had so much fun in this dynamic pueblo out in the desert and we were able to find exciting things around every corner. The food was amazing — and cheap — and the people were so kind and helpful. I think I can easily say that my time in Osuna has been one of my favorite trips in Spain so far. Additionally, having my best friend by my side to share it all just added to the magic! I can’t wait to continue exploring local pueblos around Spain all the while making more friendships and memories along the way.
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