Blogs from Granada, Andalusia, Spain, Europe
May 16th 2012
Last week had a lot of ‘lasts’: last meeting, last dinner, last group trip. Last Tuesday we had our last intercultural meeting with Veronica. We talked about reentry back to the US and what we can expect to feel. I’ve already gone through the reentry process coming back from China, but this will still be different. Last time, I was only home for three weeks, so I didn’t really have enough time to readjust completely. And it was during the holidays, so I was rushing everywhere and seeing all these people. This time, it’s the summer, I’ll be starting work again, and things will (hopefully) be less hectic and crazy. I think it will be harder too though because my study abroad experience will be completely over. I’ll be back to real life, working and going ... read more
May 7th 2012
This weekend, I went to Portugal with a bunch of people from the program through Discover Granada. We got on a bus at six in the morning on Friday and drove to Sevilla, where we picked up the rest of the people going. The program was led by five or six guys a little older than all of us, so it wasn’t going to be a very strict weekend. Portugal was basically one big party. Well, for most of the people. I only went out the first night for the kickoff dance party. They had a sangria sailboat ride with unlimited sangria one day, but I chose to just stay on the beach and not get drunk. The weather was perfect every single day. The weather forecast said Friday and Saturday would be rainy, but it ... read more
May 3rd 2012
We went to a bull fight on Tuesday with the program. I had never seen a bull fight, but I was pretty sure I wouldn’t like it. It’s not like rodeos at home where the bull just bucks for eight seconds. They actually get killed. The seating was very crowded. I barely had room for my butt, and my knees were invading the space of the people in front of me. It was a very uncomfortable position to be perched in for three hours. This bull fight was a benefit for Down’s syndrome, so there were six toreros and six bulls. Usually there are three toreros with six bulls, two for every man. Toreros get paid for their work, but this time they were donating their time, and the bulls were donated as well. We had ... read more
May 1st 2012
Since we had a holiday on Monday and Tuesday, I took a trip to Barcelona with Cat and Malissa. We left on Saturday morning from the bus station to Malaga airport. Traveling by bus and plane has become so normal to me now. I’ve logged more hours in a plane this semester than the rest of my life combined. We got to the Barcelona airport and took a bus into the city center. We walked to our hostel, which was very close, and checked in. Well, Cat and Malissa checked in. I was not in the computer. What happened was, Cat found the hostel, so I told her to book it. She wanted us to meet to do it, but I couldn’t so I just told her to go ahead and do it. And it’s not ... read more
April 25th 2012
This last week and the week to come are the most eventful I’ve had here in Spain. My friend Lyanne plays the cello, and she joined a community orchestra here. She had a concert on Friday so I went to hear her play with some others from the program. It reminded me a lot of solo and ensemble contest from high school because the first performers were all soloists, with a piano accompaniment. Most of them were under sixteen, but man, could they play! There was a boy and a girl who were like little professionals. After all the solos, the orchestra played, and that was really beautiful. A string ensemble has to be one of my favorite sounds. After the concert me, Colin, and Megan went to a pizzeria for some dinner. I haven’t had ... read more
April 18th 2012
Not much was going on this week, except an impromptu trip to Toledo. I’ve been obsessing over this damasquino stuff, and Toledo is the place to buy it. No one else was really interested in going, so I ended up making the trip myself. I left Thursday afternoon after class. It’s unfortunate because there’s no direct bus from Granada to Toledo, so I had to take the five hour bus up to Madrid, go to a different bus station and then take the hour long bus ride to Toledo. I didn’t get there until eleven at night and had to walk to my hostel in the dark. It was a bit nerve racking for me, but I had a map and good directions, so I found it easily enough. The hostel is tucked in just inside ... read more
April 11th 2012
April 11, 2012- Last night, at the last minute, we booked ourselves into an Olive Oil Tour for today. We got up early, had breakfast, and were promptly picked up by Pablo, our driver. We were in a small mini bus, with 4 gentlemen from Saudi Arabia. We had a very short scenic drive to a small town just outside Grenada. Our drive was very picturesque as we drove very close to the Sierra Nevada Mountain range that is still covered in snow. Beatriz, our guide, met us in an olive grove just outside of town and explained to us the different kind of olives they grow here, the climate needed to grow olives, and the ancient communal irrigation system used by the town to water their olive fields. We hopped back in the van and ... read more
April 10th 2012
April 10, 2012- The Hotel Corona de Granada boasted a breakfast buffet and we were all eager to check it out this morning. The buffet was similar to other buffets we have enjoyed in Europe and we were happy to have access to it to start our day off with the most important meal of the day. Our tour guide picked us up at the hotel this morning for our tour of Alhambra. We were excited to be the first ones on an open top bus. We pretended that we were rock stars going thru town. Amy did her best Vince Vaughn impression (from the movie The Breakup). She shouted to the streets of Granada..."Say it like you mean, don' t make me say it twice... Are you ready to see Chicago? You might be ... read more
April 9th 2012
‘ello everyone. Well I just have to say that I loved London. It was definitely worth spending all that money to go see. We left Thursday morning at six to get to the bus station. We were planning on getting the 8:00 bus since our flight didn’t take off until noon, but the only bus available was at seven. The city buses don’t run that early, so we had to call a taxi to pick us up. At least we got to sleep on the two hour ride to Malaga, although I felt really sick and worried about throwing up the whole time. I never get car sick, so I don’t know what was going on. But we got to the Malaga airport and waited around for a few hours before we took off. We exchanged ... read more
April 9th 2012
Part fortress, part palace, part water garden, the Alhambra is a pinnacle of Moorish art that encapsulates Andalusian history and is one of the great architectural sights of Europe. The peach-coloured brick walls snake round al-Sabika hill above the city of Granada, an irresistible lure that has fascinated architects, writers, mathematicians and artists for centuries. Natasha Esdwards, The Telegraph, 15 March 2012 The Alhambra is the last of the great Moorish palaces and the main reason for most visitors to come to Granada. Work on the Alhmabra began in the 13th century and it was the seat of government for the ruling Moors until they were exiled in 1492. Later, the Alhambra was home to the Spanish Kings. As a result, European Christian features mingle with some of the finest examples of Moorish Islamic architecture. The ... read more
