WOW!
That is all I have to say about Granada. WOW! I just got back to Alicante literally 2 hours ago and the first thing I had to do was update this blog and upload my pictures because I just cannot wait to share this experience with you! So here goes:
Granada is located in the region of Andalucia in southern Spain. It was also the last Muslim kingdom to be conquered by Isabel and Ferdinand during the Reconquest in 1492. So the city is full of Muslim-Moorish influences as well as Christian, after they took over. The main attraction in Granada is by far the Alhambra. The Alhambra was so called because of its reddish walls as you will see in the pictures. It was constructed in the 13th century (or 12th I can´t quite remember). Boabdil was the last Moorish king and in 1492 he surrendered to Ferdinand within the very walls of Alhambra. Also when Isabel gave Columbus the ¨okay¨ to go sail the ocean blue, they were in the Alhambra. Very historic. However, the Alhambra went through a period where it was practically forgotten. In the 1800s Washington Irving had a stay at the Alhambra for about six months and there he wrote Tales of the Alhambra. And now the Alhambra sees millions of visitors a year!
Anyways before we left we were all really worried about the weather. It was supposed to be ¨freezing cold¨ and snowing-raining. However, it was beautiful weather! Still a little chilly but I definitely can´t complain (I know you all are in the States literally freezing!). The Lord really blessed our weekend weather! When we got there in the afternoon on Friday we took a little walking tour around Granada and went to La Plaza Nueva where there is a perfect view of Alhambra from afar. Took tons and tons and tons of pictures!! Later that night, we went back to take some nighttime photos. During the walk a few of us bought dates, which were delicious. On the way back to the hotel, we walked through the ¨tea¨ district - where there were tons of tea shops and places to smoke hookah. We also wandered around an area called Little India and looked at tons of small shops with jewelry, tapestries etc. Because of Granada´s rich Muslim history, there is a lot of Muslim influence in the buildings and the people there.
Friday night a few of us wanted to watch flamenco so we went to a restaurant where you could order dinner and watch flamenco. What an experience! There was a man who played the guitar and a woman who sang - she had the most unique voice. The two flamenco dances were amazing! I had never seen flamenco and to be right there while eating dinner was quite an experience! After we went to a tea place to drink tea and smoke hookah. The tea was absolutely amazing! I bought some the next day to take home to the States!
Saturday was the big day - the Alhambra day. We spent at least 4 hours touring the Alhambra. There is a fortress, palaces, summer home/lodge, and magnificent gardens. Granada has a great location because it has access to water all the time - from its rivers and the sierra nevada mountains. Therefore, the Alhambra has many, many fountains all over the grounds. Honestly, I am unable to describe what I saw there and how cool it was... and my pictures definitely will not do it justice. But it was the coolest experience yet! (And that says a lot!) But everything was decorated so beautifully and everything has intricate carvings. There is tile everywhere and carved wood and domed windows everywhere... The tower has a great view of all of Granada and the sierra nevadas as you will see if you check out the photos.
Anyways, after the Alhambra visit we explored Granada some more and even caught the end of a Catholic wedding in one of the main Cathedrals in Granada. As foreign tourists, we felt it was our duty to stand outside with the rest of the guests and wait for the groom and bride to come out, so there are pictures of that! But it was so interesting because all the guests were dressed very fashionably and like they were going to prom!! After that we went back to the hotel to hang out and relax... and Carly, Melissa, and I thought it would be fun to put on a little ¨show¨. So Melissa drew faces on Carly and I´s chins (to make our chins look like heads... with our mouths... you know? kinda difficult to explain but there are videos to prove this). Anyways so Melissa recorded Carly and I´s chins singing and having hilarious conversations! Some of the others came and watched too. We were laughing so hard we had tears running down our faces! After the ¨show¨ we went to a restaurant where we had beer and tapas. Tapas actually orginated in Granada so everywhere you go if you order an alocholic beverage they give you a FREE tapas! An amazing deal so we decided to jump at that chance! It was a blast to hang out, socialize, and eat great food while sharing stories about our lives and experiences! Then, of course, we got helado (ice cream) - what a way to end a fantastic weekend at Granada!
It is so difficult to even grasp how bless I am. I am so thankful for these amazing opportunities and experiences. Also for the amazing friends I have made! Talking with other students about our host families has also made me realize that I am so blessed by the family I was put with. Many people have had some bad experiences and difficult situations and I am just so lucky to not have had to deal with that! Anyways it is time to go have lunch with the fam... kinda missed them while I was gone :)
Un beso,
Sarah
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