I´m in love...

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Hey guys! Well, I´m here in Granada and I´m in love. I think it is either the first or second most beautiful place I have ever been (Ronda in southern spain is up there too). I just LOVE southern Spain. I really feel like I am in Spain when I am in southern Spain. Theres tons of shops all around with flamenco and bull fighting items, tons of beautiful tiles and scarves and fake pasminas, its just so bright and colorful. I absolutely love it. It´s also soooo hot here. About 85 to 90 deg and i only have boots and jeans with me! I was going to buy some shoes today that i could wear with skirts, but i forgot that all the clothing shops in spain shut down on sundays. Granada is a much more exciting place to be than Avila on a Sunday.

I visited La Alhambra yesterday and it was AMAZING! I was soooo excited to visit it and it is probably one of the neatest monuments that I have visited here. I can´t explain exactly what it is...part of it is a castle, part of it is HUGE and BEAUTIFUL gardens. There were beautiful roses all over the place of so many different colors. Not only roses, but all sorts of flowers. I took tons of pics, but I won´t be able to upload them till I get back to the states on June 6. The views from La Alhambra were absolutely gorgeous. The Sierra Nevada surrounds Granada. It was so neat to see palm trees, roses, all kinds of flowers, tall skinny pine trees, and mountains in one view. I loved it. It was also neat to see snow capped mountains when it was 85 deg out where I was. I´ll elaborate more on La Alhambra and Granada when I post pics.

Today I have been walking around and being a tourist. I´ve bought some things that I´m excited about (earrings, flamenco postcards, etc). I´m being very touristy! I´m thinking about taking a bus up to one part of town to get a good view of the town, and then I´m going to go to a few churches and cathedrals.

I´ve talked with a few different people here since I´ve been here. I tried to find La Alhambra with some British women that offered to take me to Cordoba with them tomorrow, I walked around La Alhambra for a bit with an Irish girl, and I met some girls from the south (yeah!) in a store last night. I head the southern accent and had to find out where she was from. She goes to Auburn and so we talked about that for a bit since I´m a little familiar with Auburn and Alabama!

I´ve definitely enjoyed my time here. I´m really glad to be done with teaching in Avila. I had a good last few days at my school, but I was ready to be done. Now I am officially done with college! It´s a good feeling to have that accomplished. My students gave me all sorts of gifts and cards on Friday. Lots of ugly teacher gifts, but its the thought that counts and I loved it all. I felt very appreciated. One of my classes gave me a Spanish book and a pretty large stuffed, adorable cow. I was excited about it, but also was thinking ´great, how am i going to stuff this in with all my other stuff?´ I managed to do it though! One group of 5th grade girls gave me a card that had a picture of a bride on the front and the words written in Spanish ¨will you invite us to your wedding?¨Either there was a miscommunication or they just want me to make sure that I get in touch with them when I do get married. I thought this card was so funny and so random. You expect cards from your students to say, You´re a great teacher! or Thank you for all you´ve done! Things like that! Haha!

I´ll be going back to Avila in just about 5 or 6 days with Matt, Beth, and Ryan for a day. I´m really looking forward to showing them around Avila and showing them where I´ve lived and places that I enjoy in Avila. Then we´re off to visit more of Spain!

Write more soon! Adios!

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Photos

Granada
Inside La Alhambra

Granada
looking out of La Alhambra onto white houses in Granada

Granada
One of the many gardens in La Alhambra

Granada
Me with La Alhambra in the background

Comments

[Granma]

Hi
Sounds like you are having a great time. Bill said that he would arrange a tour of the winery there but hasn't heard from you. I had a great Mother's Day celebration on Sat. with your mom, Emily, Jennifer, Kelly, and Katie Beth coming for the Mother/Daughter/Friend luncheon. I took Mrs. Frizzell too. Great food and fellowship. Wish you could have been there too. Take care. I love you.