This Week!

Hello! I know many of my past posts have all been travel logs, so this post is just a quick update about the past week!  While school has been super helpful and awesome, the workload is pretty intense! So many people talk about study abroad in the sense that the classes are easier or they are not taking that many, but that is not the same with summer programs!  I'm just taking 7 credit hours this summer, but I am in class for 20 hours each week, so that takes more time than expected.  Good preparation for my 21 credit hours in the fall! That being said, I love my classes! My composition class only has 5 students, and the teacher is amazing, so we are quite a close group and I am really learning a lot! I'm going to have so much vocabulary to practice when I come home in July! My art history class has been fun too! I couldn't take pictures this week at the museums, but we went to the Museo de Bellas Artes by the Alhambra Palace on Thursday and it was gorgeous! It is always very exciting to think about how many people have looked at the same 14th and 15th Century sculptures and paintings that you are looking at! Crazy!

In my literature class, we just finished poetry and are moving on to theater! Also, yesterday's class was really fun because since most of the class had a field trip for their Islam class, our teacher took the four of us around Granada to show us the Corral del Cárbon and got us ice cream! So that was a special treat!

For a funny story, last night I accidentally locked myself outside on the terrace/balcony of my señora's (Carmen) house.  I had been skyping a friend and was trying to describe how the plazas are set up and what the buildings look like, but then I thought, why don't I just show her!! So, I open up the door to the terrace and shut it without thinking.  Then, when I tried to open it, it wouldn't open. And then I realized that of course it would lock from the inside for security reasons. I had my computer, so I emailed two of my friends, asking them if they could possibly call Carmen, just to let her know I was out there so I didn't scare her.My friend Elle responded and called Carmen, who came home soon after, but she misunderstood Elle, so she thought I lost my keys and couldn't get in to the building. I had left the light on, something I would never do, so she was confused.  And she was still startled when she opened the door to the terrace and saw me out there.  But we definitely both laughed about it afterwards. Carmen just makes me really really happy, and it has made the overall study abroad experience that much better! I literally feel like I am related to her, and there are so many days that my smile muscles really hurt after hanging out with her, or talking to her during dinner! I am definitely very lucky!

That is my current update! I am off to Ronda, Spain for two days this weekend and am soooo excited!! Have a lovely weekend and I will talk to you later!

Hiking in Las Alpujarras

Hello! I am finally starting to get caught up again! This past weekend, I participated in the weekend trip to the Alpujarras mountains, which was provided by our study abroad program. The Alpujarras are about an hour bus ride away, and included 12 hours of hiking over the course of two days! I have never actually climbed a mountain before, so it was quite exciting, and definitely a great workout! We ended up hiking about 15 miles total, although a lot of that was very steep.  My pictures only reflect the parts where we were stopped or on stable ground, since there was no way I was going to take out my camera in the midst of the steep cliffs and narrow pathways!

 This is a picture of our pueblo we stayed at overnight.

 This was the second pueblo we stopped at during our hike! I loved the flowers!

I just loved this funny cat, with a shoutout to one of my favorite quotes/inside jokes of all time.  "But no, the cat had to be on the table." 

Dinner (and dessert) was included in the trip, so Kelley and I were very strategic! She ordered the crepe de chocolate and I ordered the house special sampler platter of desserts, and we shared!!  One of the best decisions of the day!

 Now we are moving into day 2, which has more pictures since the slopes were a little less steep!

 This is one of the other pueblos we hiked to.

 Lizzie, this one's for you!

 On the top of the mountain!!

 Kelley looking epic. She is more adventurous than I am, so I was not about to climb over a bunch of rocks.

 Just pondering life's big questions.

Kelley, me, and Elle!

 This is Rusty, who lives near where we had our picnic lunch! He happily helped with the leftovers!

 I have never seen a sign that prohibited ice cream, but not other kinds of food.

My favorite picture from the ride home!

My Alpujarras adventure was definitely a lot of fun! It was a nice change of pace to be out on the open land with lots of plants, rather than the city center of Granada! Have a lovely day! More updates are on the way!

Córdoba: Part 2

If you have not yet read Part 1 of my time in Córdoba, you can read it here

After we were done with the Mezquita and grabbed some tortilla española, it was time to do more exploring!  First stop: the famous Puente Romano (Roman Bridge)!

 A nearby fountain that had to be included! This was near Miguelito's, which was a restaurant/tapas bar my señora recommended and it was delish! Kelley, Jennifer and I shared a salad, revueltos con papas y queso (scrambled eggs with potatoes and cheese), and croquetas (varies, but usually fried cheese with veggies or ham).  Yum! And, it was perfect because we left just as the sun was setting!  So, we took LOTS of photos by the Puente Romano again!!

 Elma, Elle, Daria, me, Kelley, and Jennifer!

The next day we woke up super early to attend a mass service at the Mezquita since it was free and would be a unique cultural opportunity since it is such an old building and with a rich history!  Once we left, we began walking around the city!

 Nom nom nom... breakfast!!

The next stop was the Córdoba Alcazar, with lots of gorgeous gardens and a beautiful palace!

There are many more pictures from Day 2 of Córdoba! Click "read more" to view them!

Father's Day

I'm going to take a quick break from my Granada posts to share some love for Father's Day! As I said earlier in my Mother's Day post, I really think holidays like this should be celebrated every single day, and not just a time when people feel obligated to get a gift or send a card. Nevertheless, I subscribe to the MissRepresentation2 youtube channel, and today they uploaded this wonderful video! It is just a 2 minute video, so please watch it! :)  I have honestly already watched this 6 times today, and basically teared up every single time!  If you like it, I also urge you to share it with your father, father figure, or anyone who you love and are close to.

Dad, I want to use this as an opportunity to truly thank you for everything you have done for me so far in my life and for how hard you work! You have taught me so much and I know you are always there for me.  So much of what you have taught me has really shaped who I am today! You may be outnumbered by us four girls (including Katie!), but you have always been so committed to us.  I love how you and mom are such an awesome team, how you are such a good sport, how you can be a rascal, how you end Skype conversations with a peace sign, and how you always remind me to remember the "big 3"!  I always love it when you jokingly repeat some of the funny phrases I use often in a high-pitched voice, like "friends" and "this is the best day ever"!   While we may not always agree with everything, I have so much respect for you and think you are awesome.  Thank you for everything!  I'm not sure I say this enough, but Dad, I love you so much and am so appreciative to have you in my life!

Córdoba: Part 1

Hello!!  So, today I find myself a little bit behind on posts since life in Spain is so busy!  Currently, I am aware I still need to talk about Córdoba, which I will do in this post, but also last week, my weekend trip to Las Alpujarras (a mountain range we hiked in for over 12 hours), and then earlier today when I went to the Parque de las Ciencias in Granada!!  So, there is much to cover, and I will start now!

My weekend travels from last weekend left off with our train ride to Córdoba from Sevilla.  These are some of the pretty things we saw along the way!

 I love all of the open land!

 Elle and I on the train!

Once we arrived in Córdoba, we fell in love with this fountain near the train station (and played in it!)

On our way to our hostel!

Our first stop in Córdoba was the Mezquita!  This gorgeous mosque was completed in 987 (over 1,000 years ago!!)  At first we were a little confused, since we could only see signs for the Catedral, but it turns out that the building has been converted to a church.  My señora told me that when the Christians took over control of the Mosque, starting in the 1500s, they destroyed much of the original decorations and architecture, and replaced it with Christian decoration and art.  Therefore, much of the interior is not as old.  Also, this Catedral offers mass services every morning, but unfortunately does not allow any Muslims to worship here. 

 Some of the following are very ornate side rooms outside the main cathedral part that it is famous for.

 This is part of the outside of the Mezquita!  It was huge!

As I may have mentioned before, my señora is actually from Córdoba, so she and her son had lots to recommend to us! One of which was this place that makes giant Tortilla Españolas! Basically, this is a delicious dish made out of eggs, potatoes, and onion! We all had slices and ate them along the side of the Mezquita!

A real moat! Just no more water...

The rest will come in Córdoba: Part 2, which will be written later tonight!