Triana: Introduction

During my four week stay in Sevilla, I had the pleasure of living with a family in the barrio, or neighborhood, known as “Triana.” In the past, Triana was heavily populated with gitanos, or gypsies, and was thought of as inferior to the barrios on the other side of the river located near the center of Sevilla. Nowadays however, Triana is actually becoming a more popular place to live, and the cost of housing has also begun to rise with its popularity. With its abundance of shops, cervecerias, and heladerias, Triana is a wonderful location to socialize and window shop, and most definitely has a personality all its own, completely distinct from the other side of the river.

Triana: Parque de los Principes

In addition, another highlight of Triana was the “Parque de los Principes” which I visited on the Thursday of Corpus. The park was only about a 5 minute walk from the apartment I stayed in on calle Lopez de Gomara. When I first entered the park, I was struck by the beauty of the towering trees that lined the paths that criss-crossed throughout the park and showered the ground with purple petals creating a carpet of lavender. As I meandered towards the back portion of the park, I found a large pond teeming with turtles, catfish, and ducks, and I sat on a bench enjoying the sunshine. It was a very peaceful and cleansing experience considering the sereneness and tranquility of the park, and I wish I had discovered it earlier so I could have spent more time there while I was in Sevilla.

Triana: Cultural Differences

Although cultural differences between Boston and Sevilla were not solely present in Triana, I spent the majority of my time in Triana thus the distinctions between these two regions were very apparent to me in this barrio. While walking through the streets of Triana, sometimes I felt invisible. I’m a naturally fast walker, but this did not seem to phase slower walkers ahead of me. I would scuff my feet, cough, even politely beg “perdón” to pass by pedestrians, but nothing seemed to make a difference. Generally speaking, people just do not move out of the way to allow others to pass, which proved to be endlessly frustrating to me and my abnormally long legs.
In addition, fashion in Sevilla and especially in Triana was clearly of great importance to local residents. With a shoe store located at every corner, the extreme significance shoe fashion was especially conspicuous. Needless to say on my walk to school every day in my $2.50 Old Navy flip flops, I got a few stares from women as they gracefully strolled by me in stunning four inch heels.

Triana: Nightlife

The nightlife in Triana absolutely cannot be beat. If you walk along calle Betis, the street that runs along the Río Guadalquivir on the Triana side of the river, you can’t go more than a few feet before encountering a bar. One of our group’s favorite late-night hang out spots was “Fundición,” a small bar located off of calle Betis that offered delicious free sangria to ladies every Monday-Thursday night. We also frequented another bar called “Big Ben” which offered a variety of drinks at a very reasonable price. In addition, another fun bar called “Long Island” which is also located off of calle Betis had different chupitos (shots) for every state in the United States. Thus clearly, this area is very accustomed to American visitors and seemed rather touristy, but if you’re looking for a fun and inexpensive place to drink and socialize with friends, calle Betis in Triana is an excellent place to go.

Triana: El Rocio

One morning on my way to school, I had the incredible opportunity to view firsthand the very beginning of the religious pilgrimage known as “el Rocío” as crowds of animals and people lined calle San Jacinto in preparation for this special celebration. The women were each wearing beautiful dresses of vibrant colors, and each had a flower in her hair. Many of the men were on horseback, yanking on the reins of stunning Spanish steeds as they paced in circles, anxious with anticipation. The most amazing spectacle of all were the numerous covered wagons that lined the street, each of which was attached to a team of two oxen adorned with garish decorations on their heads. As I finally reached the bridge that connected Triana to the center of Sevilla, it began to fully sink in just how seriously Spaniards value religion and the lengths to which they go to maintain the values and customs of years ago.

Triana de My Point of View

I lived in Triana, the former barrio Gitano, during my stay in Sevilla. Initially I thought that being across the Guadalquivir equated to a completely different world – mainly because of the distance. However, as I learned, the walk wasn’t so bad, but it did have a completely different mentality. The people of Triana are muy orgulloso of their barrio, and seem to be an older population, and are therefore slightly more conservative.

Mis Sugerencias de Comida:

Las Golondrinas: Pienso que es el mejor restaurante de Sevilla – absolutely NOTHING is fried.

Mushrooms with green sauce, champinones, calabecin relleno

Restaurante Tipico Italiano: pasta and Italian cuisine – cheap and quality

Mascarpone: helado y café: barato, y sabores muy ricos: como African vanilla

Java Café: wifi gratis, cafes, copas, y cerveza

Tapas: camarones, big corns (inappropriate names), caracoles

When I went out for tapas with my Madre the first few times I wouldn't eat these things simply because I didn't know the right technique. So then, eventually, on my second to last day in Triana I finally asked Marga how to eat them the right way. So although I did make an ass out of myself it was so worth it. Don't be afraid to try things!

Opciones Gratises:

Explore the city, see the different parts. As soon as you walk away from San Jacinto Triana becomes more diverse, and you get a much better feel for the younger side of Triana. It's edgy, hip, and has a more exciting vibe.

Something I didn't do but totally wish I did: jump off of Puente Isabel, or Puente de Triana. It's not the safest thing, I'll admit, but there are less dangerous ways to do it. Some areas are less rocky than others... But I'd say that if you're trying for an adrenaline rush in Triana, jumping off the bridge and swimming through the Guadalquivir is probably your best bet.