Day one- long long long flight and i was so tired and exhausted. when we landed at the madrid airport, we searched for some champagne to toast our arrival in spain. the lady at mcdonalds wanted us to pay 20 american dollars for 3 cups of orange juice, so we just had hi-c mimosas. After an 8 hour plane ride, 4 hour layover and one more hour long flight, i got to Granada and got to see the mountains for the first time. So cool because it was so warm in Granada but there was snow on the peaks. We moved into the hostal, napped, then explored a bit and got our first beers and tapas .
Day 2 –crosaint and jelly for breakfast & early orientation meetings. Then we got chineese food for lunch then went on a ‘survival tour’ of all the landmarks in Granada. The city looks a lot like chicago, with a lot of old and new combined. After the tour I walked around got gelato. There are so many neat stores and shops that I cant wait to explore. Then I went and napped, then explored for more tapas. We went to this one bar and ordered wine. The waiter then said something about us trying an assortment of dishes but we weren’t sure what he was saying. He grabbed one of the girls to show her a display of all sorts of fish and ham. We weren’t sure what we were agreeing to, but he kept bringing plate after plate of food. All weird to us and Spanish - like anchovies and tuna stuff. But we tried it. Then we realized that these weren’t the free tapas anymore that came wit h your drink so we asked him not to bring anymore, but he insisted one more. We got the check and each plate was at least $10! It wasn’t bad because there was a large group of us to split it but it was definitely an Spanish learning experience.
Day 3 – OVERSLEPT!! Luckily made it down to the orientation right on time. Didn’t get breakfast though, so I was hungry. After the meeting we went to the Spanish market! Everything there is super fresh – like animals killed that morning, fish caught that day (since we are 1 hour from the coast) bread baked that morning and fresh fruit. I got a few mandarin oranges and they were definitely the best I have ever had. Im not going to beabele to eat American oranges again haha! Afterwards I napped ate lunch, then got ready for our next tour. It was of an area called the albycin and sacramontes. Both of these areas are up higher than the main city. Lots of stairs and hills . the albycin is a neighborhood that still has a lot of the Arabic influence (Granada was the last city to be controlled by the muslims until the catholics reclaimed it, so there is a strong presence). The neighborhood is pretty, with lots of interesting mosques turned churches (once the city was reclaimed, the church changed all mosques into churches) and gardens, called carmens. Lots and lots of stairs, skinny streets, and pretty views. We stopped at a place called la plaza de san Nicolas (st nick’s plaza) were there is a beautiful mirador (place with an awesome view) since we had climbed high above the city we could see all of the center of Granada , the sierra Nevada mountains and the Alhambra (a castle thing built by the muslims that is beautiful, we have a visit ther on Sunday) we continued up more hills and stairs to an area called sacramontes. On our way we saw a boy riding a miniature horse out of no where. This area is known as an artistic/hippie/gypsy area. It is a long walk to the nearest shop of anykind, so it is kind of a rural life up there. The houses are cute and built into the caves and rock of the hills/mountains. 50 years ago, it wasnt a desirable area to live in, but now foreign artist have purchaced all the houses and are renevating them. After we finished our tour, we had about an hour until our official welcome meal. It was a traditional mediterannian meal with wine, bread, salad, a chicken and vegetable rice dish, a dessert and café con leche. It was good, but I am definitely going to have to get used to Spanish food. Later me and some girls went to a bar for a drink before heading back to the hostal. We stopped at a bar and had tintos veranos – a kind of summer wine that’s red wine mixed with pop/lemonade. It was good and we ran into some American guys who live in malaga spain and teach English. I went home and packed up all my stuff
Satuday- packed up my tiny little hostal room, had a last breakfast of crossaint and peach jelly and café con leche and got ready to meet my senora. Her daughter, charo, picked me up and we took a taxi to the apartment. I unpacked a little and then charo took me on a tour of the neighborhood. We went to this awesome park of a spanish poet, whose name i forgot, that I have a feeling I will be doing a lot of homework and running in. they even have some public exercise equipment. I am also very close to a lot of small shops, but also a corte ingles, kind of a carsons and a grocery story in one. Literally you can by eggs and prada perfume in the same place. We got some groceries and headed home to meet Rosario. She is a really nice lady and keeps telling me if I don’t like something to tell her. She told us that her son called and said he was coming over last minute for lunch. Him, his wife, his daughter about 9 and son who just turned 4 came over. We had some appetizers (I tried salmon, don’t like it) olives, salad, bread, then a rice dish similar to the one we had at the resturaunt the night before. Then we had a cake for juanito’s birthday. The family was nice but I didn’t understand a lot of the dinner conversation. After dinner I took a nap and when I woke up I watched a movie with charo and then heard a familiar tv show from the other room. Rosario was watching two and a half men, in Spanish! I had to watch with her and she loves the show. I watched tv with her until dinner. I was kind of nervous because even though I keep trying everything, I’m not in love with the Spanish food, but Rosario cooked me some French fries and slices of pork (im pretty sure it was pork, and i'll keep believing that haha, but it was good) and then I had an orange for lunch. I think she said we were having pizza tomorrow haha. Im not understanding everything but Rosario and charo are being very patient and I am catching on already, but I’m still shy.
Today we went to the Alhambra, and it was beautiful. pictures don't do it justice. we got churros con chocolate after and they were delicious. Now i am at an cafe near my senora's house with my neighbor and friend. I don't have internet at her house, so this place and cegri, the school, will be the main places i get internet. This cafe plays american music and is really modern, so it will be a nice place to visit when im missing home!
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