Day 1: Granada
Actually started with the 12-hour bus ride from Gijón to Sevilla that we started at 9 o'clock at night (arriving around 9 or 10 in the morning). We all tried to sleep but anyone who did only got a couple hours. I got none.
Here's one of our sketchier bathroom stops:
Anyone ever tried to pee in a glass stall? That's an experience.
They don't sell feminine hygiene products in the dispensers.... but no worries if
you have one of these particular emergencies!
As soon as we arrived in Granada, we toured the Alhambra - a Muslim palace. It was beautiful and HUGE. We walked around it for about 3 or 4 hours and the view from one of the corridors of Granada was amazing. The gardens were especially beautiful and lush. The tour was extra exhausting since we hadn't slept or eaten in a long time. We rushed to a bar for some tapas as soon as we got checked into the hostel.
We were told that we would be staying in a 2 star hostel but, after the one we stayed in in Madrid, this hostel looked amazing. They had a full shower even (my host family has a small one that consists of a small square platform and a shower-head on a cord, I'll have to take a picture sometime). We only had a short while to enjoy the hostel before we had to go to another tour.
I didn't take any pictures of the hostel itself but here's our lovely view.
Next, we toured the old cathedral where, it turns out, Queen Isabel I and King Ferdinand V (?) (the King and Queen who supported Columbus) are buried. Seeing their tomb was probably my favorite part. I don't know if that makes me morbid...
A group of gypsies were hanging out around the cathedral waiting to jump people with their rosemary. They would come after us saying it was a gift but as soon as it's in your hand, you own it and have to pay them. That or they'll grab your hand and try to read your palm. Some of us had to get pretty creative about avoiding them. I got overwhelmed coming out of the cathedral when a man posing as a statue started making noises at me and then a gypsy came towards me with rosemary. I ended up swerving away from the man and ducking under her arm at a full run.
There were a lot of vendors selling tea and spices too and it all smelled fantastic. I guess saffron is a big deal down South.
After that, me, Crystal, and Alex went back to our hostel room and passed out.
Day 2: Cordoba
Back on the bus. Our new home.
Cordoba was a beautiful city with a mix of Roman, Muslim, and Gothic architecture. We passed some Roman ruins on our way in and then toured the Mosque.
Actually, that bridge was reconstructed but, if you squint, you can
see the real ruins in the background.
The Mosque was really interesting because it had started out as a Muslim Mosque and then been re-conquered by the Christians who converted it into a cathedral. When you first walk in, you just see the usual pillars and elaborate designs of the Muslims but as you go further, you'll see crucifixes and biblical paintings mixed in.
Afterwards, we took a short tour of the city before taking a break. I joined a few of the other students at this point for some lunch at a restaurant. We didn't get to finish though because the bus was leaving. On the way back, I stopped for some coconut sorbet (best thing ever) and had to book it for the bus. On the way, Isabel had the bus driver stop by a vendor on the side of the road and bought a bunch of cherries for us to snack on. Oh my gosh, they tasted amazing!
We made one stop on our way back to Granada when our professor, Isabel, spotted what looked like an old castle. It turned out being the ruins of an old fortress and we all hiked up to check it out. That was probably one of the coolest things we saw. We could see the marks on the walls from the weapons and the little notches where archers would shoot their arrows. And the view was fantastic!
THAT NIGHT:
Some of us decided to visit the Gypsy caves in Granada (where we were still spending the night). It was a bit of a walk but well worth it. On our way, we could see the Alhambra from the outside and stopped to get a good look at it.
We stopped by a few of the caves to peak in at the Flamenco dancers. The caves are really interested because they look like a normal shop on the outside but as you walk further in, it delves into the cliff wall. They're not your typical caves full of stalagmites but perfectly carved tunnels that have been painted.
We hiked up the mountain a ways and hung out for a while before walking back down to catch a Flamenco show.
Flamenco was probably my favorite part of the whole trip. The music and dancing was beautiful in a very exotic way. The dancers would come out in rotations with the band and take turns dancing to the music. The music was really unique. The singer would chime in now and then with a few verses sung in a slow and rugged voice. The dancers would clap along and build a rhythm along with the drum before jumping to their feet to prepare for their number. The guitarist was crazy to watch because his fingers would fly across the strings in a blur.
When they danced, the whole room could feel this amazing passion. They didn't put on any fake smiles or make a big production out of it so it all seemed very natural. I guess I didn't know that much about Flamenco before watching but the stomping, clapping, and abrupt movements seemed to portray a lot of intense emotions. It was really fascinating. And we sat in a circle around the dancers so we felt like part of the action. Each dancer had a very distinct style. One danced really rapidly, another used clappers, one of the men snapped his fingers, and one woman danced slowly and sang.
We went to bed late but it was worth the sleep deprivation.
Day 3: Sevilla
Another long bus ride.
We arrived in Sevilla and went straight for the tour. We walked the streets for a while and the guide pointed out some of the more significant spots. Such as a street called "Banderas" where a scene from the opera, Carmen, takes place.
Um... that is honestly the only picture I took on that tour.
I am slightly embarrassed.
Then we toured the Giralda - another palace with Muslim architecture. This tour was a bit of a blur because, to be honest, I was burnt out on tours. But it was beautiful and had it's own cool little elements. Such as Queen Isabel's bedroom and the only still-functioning Hyrdo-powered organ.
The organ. It played this medieval-sounding song. Pretty sweet.
Next, we were given the rest of the day to do as we pleased. Me, Alex, Crystal, and a couple of the guys decided to check out the cathedral. It is the 3rd largest cathedral in the world and, if I heard right, the world's largest Gothic cathedral. It held a lot of amazing artwork by Goya and some old relics but I was most excited about the tower and Christopher Columbus' tomb.
Oh hey, Señor Columbus. (He's being carried by the four
kings of Spain).
According to the sign, these actually hold body parts
from some of the saints. You can actually see a bone
on the left.
We were lucky when we got up to the top of the tower because a few minutes later, the bells rang. Kind of cool to be right there.
After dinner, we wandered around with a few of the other students to see the bridge and the Torre de Oro (Gold Tower). We eventually found a plaza to sit in and hung out for an hour or so before heading back to the hostel. On the way, we spotted an artisan market going on in the street and checked out some of their goods.
The plaza... or palace... I don't even remember what it was called.
But this is where we hung out for most of the night, just talking and
soaking in the view.
The next day, we had another 12 hour bus ride back to Gijón. On the way, we stopped in Salamanca to see ANOTHER cathedral and visit some shops. I bought Maite some orange marmalade from the monastery shop.
A wedding procession possibly? They came marching through as soon as we arrived
in Salamanca.
After all the heat and exhaustion we'd experienced in Southern Spain, it was really nice to roll into our rainy little city again. I ate dinner with Maite and Ines, gave Maite her Marmalade (which I found out had rum in it after I told her it tasted funny) and then I slept like a rock.
That's it for Souther Spain. I promise I'll eventually get a hang of this blogging thing so I don't ramble on and plaster a bajillion photos every time.
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