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Published: July 25th 2009
Cantante al Jondo
The ladies dressed up for the amazing Flamenco Ballet in the Generalife.A busy couple of days
My past couple of days have been hectic! On top of that, I have been sick. One of the girls in my class was sick, and lucky me my immune system wanted to jump on that! It is nothing, just a head cold. You guys know me. When I haven´t been doing pre-planned excursions I have been sleeping. Since I am doing nothing tonight I actually have time to get on here! Beware, there is a lot...
So, you might be asking what it is i have been doing since the Alhambra day...
Well,
Wednesday I wasn´t feeling so hot, but I had already bought tickets for this show at night. Though I wasn´t feeling great I am so very glad that I still went to the show! Frederico Garcia Lorca is a famous author here, and in Spain. He was one of the first group of people killed by the Franco supporters at the start of the Civil War in 1933. He is probably one of my favorite Spanish Authors, and part of the reason I chose to come to school here in Granada as opposed to Salamanca or Madrid. He
Carmen
The garden of a Carmen is the central focus. There is always water. When the Muslims lived here they had vegetable gardens as well. When the Christians started here, it was just a nice garden. died in 1933, but listen to his life before. He had a heart for the marginal people of society (women, gypsies, etc.) Many of his works discuss these issues. He was influential in the society here and actually wrote poems encouraging Flamenco singers to sing and put to dance.
That being said, as I show up to Granada I see signs for this Flamenco show in the Alhambra Generalife! So for a measely 10€ I was able to see a two hour show based off a set of poems by Lorca! It was incredible knowing the poems and seeing them portrayed flamenco style. Many of the poems deal with heartache and how the marginal people were treated, and flamenco music is the same in how the singers sing. Every summer they portray a different work via flamenco. If you come to Granada in the summer it is a must do. You can buy tickets in the Corte Ingles (essentially a Macy´s). It is well worth it!
Thursday I was feeling better, but it was now all in my nose. I had class and it was interesting. We had different teachers. The first teacher didn´t breathe for two hours
Carmen
The good carmens you could see the Alhambra. They were the closet ones to the once river. she was talking so fast, the second teacher was so tranquil you could have just fallen asleep right there.
That afternoon we toured the Albaicin. I have already posted a bunch of picture from before. The history of the Albaicin is this: Orginially it was the city of Granada. It is where the Muslims lived. There is another part of the city that was the Jewish section. The Albaicin used to be settled near a river that ran between it and the Alhambra itself. The river has since dried up and is now
Calle de los Reyes Catolicos a main road here. The Albaicin then evolved into the neighborhood of Carmens (summer homes). These Carmens were focused on the yard. The homes themselves are not impressive, but the yards were. They were meant to be calming and cool. There is typically running water and lots of shade.
We walked past the original ¨palace¨before the sultan moved the palace to the Alhambra. When the catholics came and took over it was turned into a home for nuns (i am forgetting a lot of my English and cannot for the life of me remember where nuns stay...) For some reason
Carmen
Loren and I cheesing it in the garden I didn´t get a picture of it. Will try to remember when I take mom on the tour.
The Albaicin is really the only place I have come across in Spain that you really do need to be careful and not travel alone. Stick where there are other tourists and try not to look like a tourist (hats, shorts, camera ready). If you pretend you know exactly what you are doing and you are with people you can put off the façade that you are from the area. There are a lot of foreigners that live/school here. Our guide was really audible about that point, and I had even read it in the Lonely Planet guide. It is BEAUTIFUL. You are walking back in time, you just need to be smart. 😱
Friday I went to class, came back and relaxed trying to get better because I already had plans to go out dancing with some of the masters class students. I woke up from my nap and really did feel amazing! I went out for a bit with them and then we headed to
Mae West discoteca. I have to say, if you are with a group
Carmen
It is all about peace in a carmen. Most of the time people even slept out here, and barely used the house. it is an interesting experience at least once. Remember, it doesnt even get dark until about 10pm, and that is when most peole eat dinner, so...if you take about 4-5 hours off the times I am about to tell you it is actually the same in the US.
Around 10 we headed out to
tapear and ate some decent ones. Then around 1230 we took a taxi to
Mae West discoteca and danced until at 4AM i said i was ready to go home! And would you believe some people were JUST showing up?!?! Incredible. But I guess it would essentially be like people showing up to dance places around 12 at home...I did dance a little with some of the people from the classes. There were about 25 of us, dancing merengue and salsa. It was actually a lot of fun. I got a compliment actually...¨you know, I think I have found the dancer of the group!¨ Yeah...that is my merengue skills! Go me, go me...go me.. 😊
Saturday, meaning today...after only a few hours sleep I headed up to an excursion in the Alpujarras, the mountains that surround Granada. We stopped in two little towns..Lanjaron (where
Mulberry Tree
Granada´s first source of income was being the first and only silk producer in the west. Silk worms ate these mulberry trees, they are all over. they make the bottled water), and Alpujarras (known for its textiles and curing of ham). They were cute little mountain towns. Typically the Granadians (?) go here for hiking-camping-the works to get out of town. It is a WINDY road and a few people were sick. I was forwarned and had dramamine and kept my eyes shut the entire time! I was fine, not so much the others.
The towns were cute to be in, but really that was it. It is worth seeing if you are in Granada for a while, but it doesn´t have the rich history I enjoy. It is more of a place to escape to, in fact Steven Spielberg and one of the U2 guys have homes here (Kyle, don´t jump on a plane until you talk to your mom...) It was a nice day trip, but I was ready to get home and go to sleep...
That brings us to now...when I finally have caught up. I am feeling better. My nose is bothering me a little, but my plan is to rest tonight and tomorrow. Most people are heading to Cordoba tomorrow, and I was going to go by myself because
Carmen
just no stopping the beauty! there were no more tickets through the school, but God knows best, and I am looking forward to a day of rest!
Plans for this week: Monday - Lorca House/museum, Wednesday - Sacromonte, and Friday.....MAMA COMES! I should be healthy and keep you updated more often than the past few days. Love you all!!
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Jessica
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Amazing Amazing Amazing! I am jealous!