Granada

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Saturday

We arrived in Granada somewhere around noon and checked into Hotel Carmen and the professors took us down to the ‘shopping center’ and I literally spent two hours in a bohemian/gypsy-like area, very Arabic in influence (so much so that I now have my name written in Arabic). I don’t think I’ve done much bartering before, but I found that to work on this street. I may have a new tapestry and more jewelry…I think I can open a joyeria when I come back (jewelry shop). The best part about it is that the jewelry isn’t expensive! I will probably have to wear all of my bracelets on the next flight if I don’t send them home. Hah. On our way around town, there was a parade of…not really sure what, but women and girls dressed in flamenco-like, traditional Spanish dresses and men on horses—some of them Andalusian (and seeing that I’m in Andalucía, that’s pertinent). Pretty neat.

Afterward we headed back to the hotel for dinner which was a buffet and I think I tried one of everything. I don’t know what some of what I ate was, but no matter. What I learned was don’t eat the onions. They’re not strong and they are MUY FUERTE. Same goes for the olives. I love olives but NOT those ones!

Shortly after dinner, the bus drove us up to a lookout (that you can see in some of my Alhambra photos…not sure if I’ll include one in here…I took over 600 photos this weekend…grand total of approx. 2500 in two weeks). We watched the sun set on the Sierra Nevada Mountains and across the way was the Alhambra, a Muslim then Christian palace (13th – 15thC). The mountains and city of Granada were beautiful as the sun set. We then walked down the hill back to our hotel which was pretty cool around the labyrinth roads and stairs and streets so narrow that cars, much less buses should not go down! Pretty neat stuff. Again, the city is a maze because of the Arabic influence. The Arabs built cities around the places they settled as opposed to planning an organized city before building one as we saw in Itálica (uber-organized).

I went out with about a third of the group to a Tapas bar to meet a former student of Costello’s. I definitely declined the invitation to go to the Chupeteria and Discoteca because this week I’m not 100% well. Totally fine but not enough to be going out until 5am. Getting back to the hotel at a la una is late enough for me.


Sunday

The nice thing about getting to bed by 2am is that I can get up the next morning. Last night I inquired about Iglesias at the front desk. All three were Catholic (predominantly Catholic here) and the one had an 8am Mass and was about a 5 min walk from Hotel Carmen. Win. Of course I was thinking I wouldn’t have much time to get ready but the 6:30am alarm on the tv soon fixed that. I never really fell completely back to sleep after Katie and I were awakened by that on crazy loud volume. I even had ear plugs in. Anyway…this Church was AMAZING. I walked in and I don’t think I paid very good attention to Mass until the homily because I was in such awe of what was inside. I don’t think I could quite describe it. Imagines (idols?)…Mary, Jesus, Saints…I honestly don’t even know all of what was in there. It was just pretty awe-striking. Who would have known that was there!? I understood more of what went on in this mass because the priest spoke a little more slowly…last Sunday of Easter season and he spoke about Spiritu Sanctu a lot. I walked around and looked at everything after Mass since it was oh maybe 45 mins long (not quite) and I still had a good hour before breakfast. I attempted to get a Mocha but settled for a Cappuccino that I didn’t drink. Those are 50/50…this one wasn’t the 50% I wished it was.

Breakfast = lots of food and churros! I stuffed myself silly before we embarked on our trip to Alhambra. Alhambra was pretty much amazing…like everything else we’ve seen. Parts of it reminded me of Alcázar but it was unique in and of itself too. We climbed to the top of a couple of towers and the view was out of this world. I feel like the photos I have are more like a backdrop in a studio than the real thing. In addition to the Palace, there were SO many jardínes (gardens). I wish I could come up with more to say about the entire experience, but I’m so tired now and there was so much that I think the photos do a better job! Perhaps that’s why I like so many photos…they tell a story and I have lots to choose from. Only the best make the cut!

After Alhambra, we stuffed ourselves silly once more before hopping on the bus and heading home. Maybe just a little bit envious that the professors get to stay there a wee bit longer! The ride back to Sevilla took about 2.5 to 3 hours and it was full of mountains and sunflower fields. I definitely siesta’d on the way back, breaking my ipod out for the first time on this entire trip after finishing some tarea. After we got back, Katie, Patrick and I sat next to some of the rest of our group and had batidos (sp?)…basically little milkshakes. Eh…like the real thing better but I would take anything at that point. We walked a bit around Sevilla and encountered a procession that was similar to Cruz de Mayo…but it wasn’t as Jesus? was atop the platform and it was adorned with many flowers. I would be curious to know what it was as it was very similar.

Tomorrow we have tiempo libre after clases…IRAMOS DE COMPRAS!! (shopping)...followed by motaditos (little sandwiches) y después, Piratas del Caribe! Hopefully I won’t have too much tarea or that’ll put a damper on our tiempo “libre”…

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Photos

Stone
Many of the streets in the pueblos are made of stone.

Narrow Street
That cars AND BUSES literally drive down. I think this one was at least one way--not all of them are.