Un Fin de Semana (Weekend) en España

This past weekend was jam-packed. I spent lots of time studying for the 2 exams that I had yesterday and yet still found tiempo libre to:

Take a walk through Granada with "the group," led by our wonderful tour guide, Alfonso. We went to La Capilla Real, a church in which the Catholic Kings (Los Reyes Católicos) are buried. There is also a monument built within the church honoring them. We weren’t able to take pictures inside of La Capilla Real, unfortunately.  There were so many works of art from the renaissance, it was incredible to walk through and see them. The crown and staff of Queen Isabel the Catholic were on display, as well as some of the royal garb. I wish we were given more time to spend there, but we had places to go and things to see.

(Outside of La Capilla Real)

(Picture of the Catholic Kings monument)

The Cathedral of Granada. WOW! So grand, immense, beautiful, and mind-boggling. How was something so incredibly intricate and enormous constructed so perfectly? I cannot wrap my mind around it. The pictures I took can do a better job of trying to explain its beauty… but still cannot compare to witnessing it. I wish I could tell you how tall it was, how incredibly massive the columns were, or describe for you the distinct “cathedral” smell. The alter was simple, with a stunning domed ceiling above, decorated with stars, representing God’s dwelling place in the heavens.  I loved the stained glass windows and was fascinated by their complexity (and again, wondering how in the world they were able to place them as they did). Here are some pictures, but keep in mind, they do the cathedral no justice…

(That's me, the columns are HUGE)

Something completely unrelated to the ancient museums/architecture/churches/cathedral is… bullfighting. Yep, Annie and I this past Sunday witnessed our first ever “Corrida de Toros” here in Granada. We learned about bullfights in our culture class: the 3 different parts, the symbolism of the bull and the matador, which areas of Spain are more accepting of this type of entertainment, and why it is a highly controversial event. I’m glad we’d learned about it a little before hand, to have a better idea of what we were signing ourselves up for.

A normal bullfight consists of 3 matadors and 6 bulls (2 per matador).  All 6 bulls are normally killed, but occasionally some are spared and are sent back to pasture. The second bullfight was the most interesting to watch. The bull was putting up a good fight and the matador was skilled with his capote (cape). At one point during the fight, the matador tripped and fell on the ground. The bull attacked him, goring him in the inner thigh. He got up and walked to the side of the arena. They put a tourniquet around his thigh, just like a large rubberband, and he went back out to fight. Incredible. The fight ended, and the matador walked away with an ear of the bull. If the matador does a good job, he is awarded trophies (one ear, two ears, or two ears and the tail for a completely perfect fight). The crowd during the fight waves white handkerchiefs to show its approval and whistles to show its disapproval. Overall, it was an interesting experience. The music, decorative suits that the matadors wore, and the crowd yelling, “OLAY!” as the bull passes through the cape, were my favorite parts. People have asked if I would go to another bullfight and I’m not really sure.  I think I would much rather see the “encierro” or running of the bulls and the big celebration of Sanfermines in Pamplona, Spain.

(Me before the bullfight started)

(Matadors)

(Winner, the one that got gored in the leg. He's holding the ear of the bull)

Things at home here have been going really well. I’ve found a church to attend that is only 20 minutes walking from my “piso” (house/apartment).  They are very welcoming and they have a youth group that meets on Saturday evenings.  It’s so neat worshipping and listening to sermons in another language, knowing that God knows and understands all.

Our host mom is still amazing! I love sitting at the table after lunch or dinner.. and just talking with her. At times I’m not able to formulate the correct words and Annie jumps in to help- or just looks at me with a confused face wondering what in the world I’m trying to say. Haha. It’s comical at times.

We start our new classes on October 7^th, after we come back from the Basque Country (San Sebastian, in northern Spain). We’ll be taking a politics class, art history class, grammar class, as well as the same culture class that we’ve been taking.

I’m excited for what these upcoming weeks bring!

Here’s where I’ll be:

Oct 1-6: San Sebastian

Oct 7-8: Granada, for the start of classes

Oct 9-12: Valencia

Hope that all is well where you are…

Mi amor y Un abrazo muy fuerte,

Libby

so much Spain

So much has happened in the last few days. Golly, where do I start?

         Last Saturday, our group took a bus to Cordoba (2 ½ NW of Granada). The weather couldn’t have been better.  There we visited the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos: A castle constructed in the 14^th century, in which the Christian kings lived during their stays in Cordoba and planned many important undertakings: discovery of America, conquest of Granada. The ancient building itself was amazing, decorated with mosaics, sculptures, and intricate woodwork.  The history behind the Alcazar and the Christian Kings, is incredible, however, I found myself drawn to the gardens that were designed and planted many, many years later. 

There were huge ponds with lilies and fish, many fountains, tall trees, flowers of every color, and the smells of Jasmine flowers, basil and oregano within these gardens. They were exquisite. Unlike anything I’ve seen- in real life.

         Cathedral of Cordoba (Ancient Mezquita), our next stop. “Salvador” a professor from the University of Granada was our guide. A very funny and nice older gentleman who thankfully annunciated his words and spoke slow enough for us to catch most of what he was saying. Having learned about Arabic architecture a little in our culture class made me value seeing this amazing cathedral that much more. A forest of marble columns each intricately designed at the (capital) with semicircular arches branching off the top. It’s not possible to write about all that was seen in the sanctuary: stained glass windows, the tallest ceilings ever, with really neat patterns and pictures engraved/molded into them, and many religious statues and paintings. They sure don’t make things like they use to. 

         Hopefully some of the pictures I post will speak for themselves- it’s so hard to explain in words what we saw.

         Our next stop, Los Banos Arabes. This wasn’t just a tour through the ancient and decomposing buildings… we actually got to experience what it might have been like back in the day.  There were two hot tubs, two super cold tubs, a sauna, and a large luke-warm pool.  We spent two hours there relaxing in the quiet, candle lit rooms, moving from bath to bath, drinking the most delicious mint tea and each of us received a fifteen-minute massage. It smelled of massage oils throughout- rosemary, lemon, and jasmine. What a peaceful and enjoyable way to end our day in Cordoba.

         Sunday, we took a 20 minute trip up to the Alhambra here in Granada. We learned that it is the most visited place in all of Spain; approximately 3 million people visit each year. Incredible! An Arabic Castle, built in the 14th century. It was it’s own city back in the day and thousands of people lived within its walls. Towers, columns, arches, engraved/molded walls, mosaics, ceramic tile, Arabic lettering, gardens, fountains, and the most amazing view overlooking the city of Granada--- My words alone cannot do this place justice in the least bit. Once again, I think.. and hope the pictures will speak for themselves…

         Today is Wednesday and yesterday I had my 1^st of 8 flamenco dance lessons. A few friends and I from class decided it would be fun to learn the most popular style of dance in Spain. I’m sure after these 8 classes we will be pros!...haha. We learned hand movements and a few steps, we clapped to the rhythm of the music and learned from our teacher “Ana” a little of the history of Flamenco and the significance of the moves within the dance. Hopefully I’ll have some proof when I return that I took Flamenco lessons.. we’ll see 

         Besides all the fun adventuresome things I’ve been doing- I’m still living a normal studentous (yep, just made that word up) life. Usually have homework everyday (worksheets, reading, questions to answer, news articles to find and share, etc). I’ve got 2 tests coming up this Tuesday (one for intensivo and the other for my culture/civilization class).  I should probably take more time to study :/ But it’s SO hard, especially when there is so much to see and do… and eat. Hehe.

         This coming Saturday we’ll be visiting the Cathedral here in Granada and on Sunday, Annie and I bought tickets to go to a bullfight at “La Plaza del Toros” here in Granada.  Not sure if I’m totally ready for it, but I think it will be a neat cultural experience.

         From Oct 1-6, we have “tiempo libre.” Classes begin on October 7^th.  For our free time, a group of 4 girls and myself will be traveling by bus and train to Pais Vasco (The Basque Country). We’ll be staying in San Sebastian, a town in the very northern part of Spain, almost at the border between Spain and France. I can’t believe we’ll be traveling across the country in about a week. Time is flying!

More to come.. 

Un abrazo

Casi un mes..

Hello again.. from Spain!
Time is flying like it's never flown before. I can't believe we've already begun our 4th week here in Granada.

Last week we took a walk with our group into the old Albaycin neighborhood here in Granada. I don't think I could retrace where we walked- all of the winding, narrow streets can easily complicate things. The scenery was beautiful: ivy and flowers growing from balconies, trees blowing in the wind, families out for an evening stroll, people enjoying food and drinks, old arabic architecture, and my favorite part... the most amazing view of the Alhambra from the San Nicolas Church

This last Sunday a group of ten of us decided to go to the Sierra Nevadas to hike.  Within 15 minutes of reaching our destination, our bus decided to break down. Since it would be another hour or so before another bus came to get us, and it was way to steep to walk to where we needed to go, we decided we'd get off the bus and enjoy the scenery. We entertained ourselves by playing some silly games.  It turned out really great- we met some spanish kids about our age and they played with us. The time passed quickly and we were soon hiking our way up the mountain. A 4 hour hike it was and it included: dirt, rocks, people with sweet accents, awesome views, laughter, bocadillos, freezing cold weather near the top, our first Spanish rain.. and hail.
With our shorts, t-shirts, and light jackets, we painfully endured the cold. Everyone that was coming down from the mountain looked at us as though we were crazy. ha. We were! We kept walking, and finally, after thinking we should have reached the summit, we asked those coming down how much further to the top.  20 min. 1 hour. 30 min. We continued for awhile, the end was nowhere in sight. We called the place where we were at, "the top," and headed our way back down the ginormous hill. Imagining myself swimming in the mediterranean, somewhere warm, seemed to help a little... but it definitely didn't take away from the fact that my fingers were frozen stiff and my pearly white legs were turning beat red. I shouldn't be complaining too much though; the view on the way down was incredible, despite the overcast sky. Neat winding roads, green fields, a really neat old fence, etc. Once we reached civilization, I enjoyed a toasty and delicious cup of cafe con leche. MMM! Warmed me right up! The majority of us slept on the way home or listened to music and just relaxed. We were pooped!

(Very neat statue of Jesus and Mary)

(Before it got cold)

(Clouds rolling in...)

We spent a few hours at home, ate dinner, got cleaned up, etc, and went out for ice cream to celebrate Annie's birthday! A great way to end the day.

This Sunday, our group is going to Cordoba, a city a few hours NW of Granada. There we will be going to various museums, walking around the city, and visiting once again "Los Baños Árabes"- however, this time, we actually get to go in them. I guess there is a room with a cool bath and  one with a hot water bath.. you go from one to the other. Then, I believe I heard something about a free massage??? I like the sounds of that! Maybe that was a time when my spanish listening skills weren't working, haha.. I guess I'll find out!

More to come...

To the Mediterranean we go!

Hello again!

On Saturday, this past weekend, my and some of my friends took a trip to Nerja.. A small town on the Mediterranean Sea. We got off the bus and we were instantly surprised by the sticky and moist air that clung to our bodies- much different from the very hot and pretty dry air of Granada.  Our first mission once we got off the bus- find the beach! We could see it... but the question was, which of the small winding cobblestone streets do we take?

We followed a group of other students for awhile... but ended up splitting off on our own :/  With Rick Steve's Book in hand we tried our best to orientate ourselves and GO! It was only after we realized we had gone the opposite direction than we should have and after asking 2 different people for directions that we finally were able to make it to the beach.. located under the "Balcony of Europe." It was stunning! The beach was pretty crowded, but we weren't about to go searching for another.

After making a spot for ourselves in the sand, and lathering up with sunscreen, we were ready to go in!  The sand was scorching our feet so it was necessary to make a super dooper quick trip into the water.  It was quite chilly at first, but so refreshing.  The salt in the water glistened with the sun.. and was incredible to look at. We spent hours in the water.. jumping with waves.. floating on our backs let the waves carry us. The water was so blue and the waves were perfect.  However, tide came in a little more and they got a tad bit wilder. One caught me by surprise and knocked me on my behind in the water.. wave crashing over me.. the real deal. It wouldn't have been a big deal.. but I can't really remember the last time I consciously went under water (because of my ears).. but I was totally fine. My eyes burnt for awhile from the salt.. But after a few deep breaths.. I was back and ready for more :)

Walking into the water, the ground changes from small, smooth pebbles to the finest and most delicate sand. I could've stayed in the water all day. What an immense and beautiful creation. How amazing is our God! Nothing else can explain such an incredible sight.

For lunch, Annie and I had bocadillos - sandwiches that Ana prepared and packed for us to take. Goodness she is so sweet. We feel so blessed to be living with her and learning from her.

For a snack after our long day at the beach, we tried to find a tapas place in Nerja, recommended by the infamous Rick Steves. We followed the right streets, made it to the seemingly right location according the map in the book, but "La Puntilla" was no where to be found. Possible because my book is from 2008? We don't know. Hungry and tired we wandered some more until we found Cafe 7.. the last thing we were able to see for awhile. No one else was in there.. but we were desperate haha. The waiter was English I believe.. as many people in that little city are (love the accents).  He was very friendly too. I had a smoothie as did some of the girls, and we all had ham, egg and cheese sandwiches! Yummy. We hung out for awhile there.. then spent half an hour exploring the small streets of Nerja until it was time to catch the bus.  Home we went and had dinner with Ana. Fried Fish, salad, melon.. and of course, pan! Deliciosa, as usual!

We went to bed with the sound of people and cars on the street below. There was a strong breeze that came in every now and again.

We're settling in quite well as it seems.. lots more to see, do and explore.

More to come..
Un abrazo

Let the learning begin!

Hola! It's only been a few days since I last posted.. but I thought I'd comment on a few things that have occurred.. here it goes.

(Museo)

Yesterday, our group of 40 or so students, took another "walk" with our guide Alfonso. We walked to the Archeological Museum here in Granada and looked at some of some of the ancient Roman pottery, jewelry, statues, weaponry, etc. Pretty incredible. My favorite part was definitely the pottery.

After our short time at the museum, Alfonso took us on to the "Bañuelo Arabe".. translated Arab bath/bathroom. It wasn't really a "bathroom" as we know it.. but a large brick building, with many rooms, held up by intricately engraved pillars. It was a place where many people gathered to relax and converse with one another. Hmm.. interesting idea. The most fascinating thing about the whole place to me was just the simple star-shaped cut out in the ceiling.. allowing the light in. haha

After those 2 short stops, we walked for about 30 minutes to Sacromonte, un barrio/neighborhood within Granada. Although it was super hot, and we were walking up hill. The view was definitely worth it. We came close to the Alhambra, a huge castle/palace that was constructed in the 14th century (on the 21st of September we'll be taking a trip with the group to visit it and walk around inside).

(Alhambra)

(Kitty on bike, with Alhambra in the background)

(Neat Graffiti)

Things have been going great at home. I know I've already said it.. but Ana, our host mom is simply amazing.  Annie and I were studying in our rooms one afternoon and she came in with chocolate for the two of us :) Deliciosa! She's just always wanting to help us, talk with us, teach us about life here in Granada.
We had the privilege of meeting her daughter, and 2 grandchildren. The sweetest things ever. Her granddaughter Sole is 3 years old and Juan Antonio is 6.  Sole spent the night the other night, but while Ana was cooking she spent time in Annie's and my room coloring and talking to us. There were many times where Annie and I would look at each other, not having a clue what Sole just said. We'd say "¿que?" and she'd explain a little.. in more toddler spanish we didn't understand haha. Cutest thing I've seen though.. and the smallest little voice.

Food. Ah, the food. So yummy. Ana is a wonderful cook. I wish that I could write out all the kinds of foods she has made.. but I didn't have her write them down. But mostly various soups, papas fritas con juevos, jamon y queso, ensalada, pizza and of course... PAN (bread). Bread is served with every meal.. not some, every! And for breakfast... pan con aceite y miel (olive oil and honey) for me! :) May sound a bit strange.. but very appetizing indeed! I don't think I'll every get tired of this whole bread thing.. or at least I hope not.

So today was the beginning of "intensivo." A 4 hour/day.. 5 day/week class solely intended to improve our spanish writing/speaking skills. Pretty cool! I have two Maestros.. Antxón y Fermin.  They are great! We started class just by getting to know the other students. There were only 2 others that I knew so it was a great opportunity to meet more! I unfortunately was the first to get called on to talk about myself.. but it turned out okay. However, after other people started introducing themselves, I realized how boring "I am from Eugene, Oregon. I am studying nursing and spanish. I work at an ice cream store, etc." must have sounded. haha. Oh well. There are plenty more days for me to hopefully say more interesting things :)

Tomorrow Annie and I are going out for tapas with some newly-made friends.. A la Bella y la Bestia (Beauty and the Beast). Then, saturday we are taking a bus to Nerja.. a city on the Mediterranean Coast.. about 3 hours away! We've heard from many people that it is beautiful.. and it is one of Ana's most favorite places.

I hope that things are going well for you! I'm thinking of home, family and friends often.
I'll be sure to post more when I can..
Un abrazo..