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Published: October 17th 2011
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This weekend I went to Granada to learn more about the history of Spain and to visit some friends studying in Granada. I travelled with my friend Dana Schrodder to southern Spain early on Friday morning. She was a great travel buddy because she was very knowledgeable in her Spanish history and was a walking encyclopedia during the tourist sites. When we boarded the plane for Granada, we were in disbelief to see that our plane was the David Guetta plane. David Guetta is a famous music artist known for his hip-hop songs. The plane was absolutely ridiculous; it featured the phrase “Ride Me, I’m Famous” on the outside of the plane, gold-colored seats, and red ambiance lighting along the windows stretching all the way down the plane. We turned to each other and laughed, wondering how we lucked-out to fly on this plane.
When we arrived in Granada we went straight to the Cathedral. The Cathedral featured a museum with the tombs of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, the famous Catholic monarchs of Castile and Aragon. It was very interesting to see these elaborately decorated tombs because I am learning about these rulers in my “Religion in Spain” class.
I was able to appreciate the site more deeply because I know the accomplishments of Isabella. Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures of their tombs because photos were not allowed in the museum. In some ways, this experience brought me back to my middle school history classes. While I was living in Massachusetts, I was also studying US history. I remember learning about important events in US history, such as the Salem Witch Trials, the Lowell Mills, and the American Revolution; and then going on field trips with my class to the places where these events occurred.
One thing that was really cool about Granada, and the province of Andalucia, is the free tapas in the cafes. I received a free plate of tapas whenever I ordered a two-Euro drink at a café. I ate some really good tapas in Granada, including squid, which was a new experience for me.
I checked into my hostel on Friday afternoon. I didn’t really know what to expect from staying in a hostel because it was the first time I ever stayed in a hostel. It felt like I was at a summer camp because of the bunk beds and basic
amenities. However, I was impressed with the cleanliness of the hostel and free breakfasts it offered. Staying in other hostels will be easier for me from now on because I’ll know what to expect.
The town of Granada was very quaint and much smaller than Barcelona. It was also a very clean city and reminded me of the cleanliness of Munich. I knew that there wasn’t a subway system before I arrived in Granada, but I was surprised that no one really used the bus system there either. Subways and buses are a staple to my everyday life in Barcelona, and I’ve gotten accustomed to expecting to use public transportation in cities. Walking around Granada can be quiet the challenge. There are practically no sidewalks except for the sidewalks on the few major streets. This makes it difficult to walk around the city, especially when I had to share the narrow roads with impatient taxi drivers and other cars.
Dana and I met up with our friend Julia later that day. Julia is studying in Sevilla and her parents were with us because they were visiting her. We introduced her parents to croquetes and tapas, which they seemed
to like a lot. I’m really excited to show my parents around Barcelona in November when they come to visit me.
That night all of the Santa Clara students and I went to a club called Cambodio in the Albaicin neighborhood. The club was absolutely spectacular because it was a cave built in the side of hill overlooking the Alhambra. It was really cool to see because the Alhambra was lit up and looked amazing at night. Cambodio was one of the few clubs that I have enjoyed so far because it wasn’t too big and the music wasn’t too deafening (I know, I sound like an old man, but it made for a more enjoyable night).
The next day I went to the Alhambra, the most-visited site in Granada. The Alhambra was an Islamic Palace created to resemble Heaven. The place was absolutely gorgeous: luscious gardens, breath-taking views over the city of Granada, and impressive Arabic architecture. The massive structure was also very cool because it featured signs of Arabic science, the most visible being the water system that flowed through the Alhambra. The Palaces of the Nazaries were astonishing palaces that featured beautiful water fountains and
incredibly impressive architecture. I was surprised to learn about the Catholic takeover of the Alhambra and the Catholic paintings that had an influence in the structure's history.
The Generalife garden was just as amazing as the Alhambra. Overlooking the Alhambra, the Generalife has a picturesque view of Granada. The garden featured a maze of greenery that canopied over us. The water fountains and ponds added to the beauty of the luscious Generalife. The grounds featured a waterfall of sorts, with a stream of water flowing down a staircase in the Generalife. Dana explained to me that the Generalife was designed by the Muslims to resemble Heaven, or paradise. She also said that the numerous palm trees in Granada were a symbol of paradise. The Generalife was definitely a very peaceful and breathtaking place to visit.
After I toured the Ahlambra and Generalife, I met up with my other friend Jackie, from Santa Clara. She was studying abroad in Granada this semester and knew all the cool places to visit in the city. She and I wandered through the Albaicin neighborhood of Granada, a quiet and labyrinth-resembling area that overlooks the city. It was sunset as we walked up
the streets of the neighborhood and she brought me to a few places that overlooked the city with the sunset in the distance. I was very impressed with her tour of the neighborhood, and the sunset added to the serenity of the evening. After the sun set, we went to a tapas bar next to a creek that ran alongside the Ahlambra. It was a really cool night and we got to catch up on some Santa Clara stories from our freshman and sophomore years. The Spanish have a word for an event like this, called tertulia, which translates to a relaxed and meaningful conversation one has with his or her friends at a bar, park, or other public place. I'm becoming a big fan of tertulias.
We eventually met up with our other friends from Santa Clara after tapa-hopping at different bars. I was introduced to a cool guy, named Lido, from SCU who was also studying there. He told me that he went to a bull fight earlier that month and recommended that I should try to see one this semester. I hope I can go with someone who knows the meaning behind the significance behind the
bull fight because I don't want to experience it as just a gory slaughtering of an animal. The Santa Clara gang bar-hopped with me that night. We ate squid as tapas at one bar which was an interesting experience. The squid was raw and rubbery but nonetheless tasted alright.
I ended the night at a bar called Hennigans. I was hanging out with my friends Brianna Britton and Emmy Quinn when the song "Don't Call My Name, Alejandro" started to play. I turned to Brianna and told her I was thinking of this song today when I was at the Alhambra. This song came to mind when I was at the Alhambra because the names "Ahlambra" and "Alejandro" sound similar. We joked around about that, and when the chorus of the song started to play, we would sing, "don't call my name, Alhambra." I went home early that night while most of the other Santa Clara people continued on to Cambodio, the club I went to on Friday night. (See mom and dad, I know how to have fun in moderation).
I went to bed that night, woke up the next morning and flew back to Barcelona. It
was a great weekend in Granada and I'm looking forward to the adventures soon to come in the other Spanish cities I am visiting.
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Gina Harney
non-member comment
Beautiful
That is a beautiful picture!