Hola todos! So like I said I have been having technical difficulties with my blog, but you can consider this entry part 1 of 2. Yesterday I went on my first run in Granada and it was AMAZING! For once I actually didn't want to stop running. We ran next to the river the entire way in a park called Paseo de Granada and toward the Sierra Nevadas with beautiful houses and villas on each side of us. You won't believe it until you see it... I will take pictures next time! There was also outdoor exercise equipment along the way. Things for lifting, ellipticals, hurdles, etc... I used the monkey bars and had a random guy on the street told me how impressed he was that I was so strong! Anyway I have been doing a lot the past week, so writing about everything would make this entry a novel. Instead I will make it like a picture book! Who doesn't like to look at pictures? Alright, here we go:
So as you all know, I am a history major and I find a lot of stuff interesting that the rest of you may not, but I'm gong to tell you about it anyway. (After all, it is my blog) So this is a picture of the bridge that used to connect the palace of the Islamic kings to the Alhambra. The Alhambra, in times past, only was used for as a military defense during wars. I took this picture as we began our walk through the Albacin. The Albacin is a specific part of Granada, kind of like a neighborhood I guess. It had extreme Arab influence and is where the Arab bathes are, which I cannot wait to go to.
This is a picture inside of a "Carmen". Many street signs for address include the word carmen, but it isn't a representation of a name or anything like that. It actually means a summer home. Anyone who had money in Granada would have a second home where they could stay outside all day in the garden, grow flowers and veggies, etc.
This is Victoria and I in the carmen with an awesome view of the Alhambra behind us. The Albacin is pretty much a neighborhood built into the side of a hill, so you have the best view of Granada from the very top. It was amazing to witness...and we got there just at sunset!
This is the inside of our school...how cool is that?? I think I am really going to like taking classes here! Between classes the common area is full of students, usually taking a coffee break.
On Saturday we went hiking in the Sierra Nevadas near a little town called Monachil. It was completely different from any hiking I have ever done. Instead of being surround by trees the whole time and emerging to see an incredible view, it was wide open. You could see for miles at every point on the hike. We hiked up rock and through snow. It was an experience I will never forget because we even saw wild horses! Not to mention the goats, sheep, and cows that were everywhere too. As you can see, the cliffs were HUGE and made me feel somewhat insignificant.
During our hike we also followed a river and went into caves! There were rock climbing routes inside the cave as well as everywhere else on the hike. Three other people in our group and I have already signed up for a rock climbing excursion through our school in February. I cannot wait!
We also went over so many cool bridges. This one was the longest and we were only allowed to have 5 people cross it at once for safety reasons. A little bit scary, but so much fun.
Finally, how else to end a day of hiking but with hydrating? Well not really... yes, that is us drinking beers, at noon, after hiking. Our guide told us we were just in time for cervezas and tapas. One of the stranger things I have experienced, but hey, who is to complain? When in Spain, right?
After hiking we all went back to our houses for lunch and siesta, then round two started. That night we went to see a play by Federico Garcia Lorca called "Bodas de Sangre" (Blood Wedding). It was really well done, extremely dramatic, and I think I understood 10% of it! I guess it is a start! After that it was only about 11pm, which obviously means it was early. So a bunch of us headed out to the bars, but guess what... no one was at them! We were still too early. People didn't really start showing up until 12:30 or 1am. Lesson learned about Spanish night life.
Part 2 of what I have been up to is soon to follow... I will try to update you before I leave for Madrid. I suppose I will have time since the entire city shuts down from 2pm to 5pm for siesta!
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