Sorry for my lack of blogging. I honestly don't know where time has gone lately. Oh wait, I remember - 3 midterms, 3 research papers and projects, internship, class, oh yeah and GRANADA! I had an absolutely incredible time in Granada this weekend with IES. Here's a quick recap.
FRIDAY
Our flight was at 7:10 am, so we met with IES staff and other students at 5:30 am. We were all sleep deprived, fell asleep around 12 pm and woke up at 4 am. The flight was decent, nothing too special. But my friend Alysse and I had a not so great experience with this awful check in attendant through SpanAir. I've taken my Bosch bag on wheels as carry on FOR YEARS and on various airlines, yet he insisted I check it in. He was extremely rude. Alysse and I dubbed him "Richard" since we wanted to complain but didn't bother to get his name. oh well. He was the only downside to the trip fortunately. We arrived to the teeny tiny Granada airport around 8:45/9 am.
Breakfast & Checking out IES Granada
We had a late breakfast at a local hotel off a small side street. I can't remember the name but the food was certainly memorable since I took a picture of it.
Mmm.. jamon con queso y tomate!
Place where we ate our late breakfast
My breakfast and *few sips* of coffee.. what can I say, I'm British and tea is definitely more my thing!
With our tummies full , we walked off the breakfast by checking out the main square and the IES Granada Program. The program has about half as many students as the IES Barcelona Program (we have about 250 students and they have 120). We also checked out the incredible views from their rooftop...and like usual, took tons of pictures (I am no exception to this as you already know)
Alysse and I at IES Granada's rooftop terrace
Bianca and I's first roomie picture
The main plaza in Granada
A Soak at the Arab Baths (aka Hammams)
Since everyone was sleep deprived, the itinerary was very relaxed. We checked into the Hotel Carmel/Carmen (4stars.. thanks, IES!), had breakfast at a local restaurant, and then went to the Arab Baths. The Arab Baths consisted of various pools (either hot, warm, or freezing cold) and you essentially go pool-jumping. The whole point is to boost your circulation and also relax. The bath was about 2 hours total, including a massage ;) Since the trip consisted of 21 girls and 1 boy, we giggled, ooh-ed, aah-ed, and just soaked in (no pun intended) the tranquil and relaxing environment. There was even a steam room! If you're ever in Southern Spain, I HIGHLY recommend doing a trip to an Arab Bath.
Hammam Sign
Picture of bathrooms .. I snuck this one
Entrance to the actual baths
Morroccan Tea & Treats
To relax us even MORE, IES paid for a delightful afternoon tea/late lunch at at the Kesbah Teteria Restaurant. We indulged in Pakistani Tea (similar to horchata, a milky drink), Moroccan Tea (brewed green tea with fresh mint and sugar), and heavenly pastries. The pastries were so good I didn't even have enough time to take out my camera before my friends and I gobbled them down. So delicious!
Me, Bonnie, and Bianca getting ready for our sweet treats!
Kasbah Teteria Restaurant
The *heavenly* sweets and Moroccan tea served
Trip to Cathedral
After being properly pampered, we toured the Cathedral of Granada, belonging to Isabel and Ferdinand. Unfortunately, they didn't let us take pictures. But it was certainly fascinating!
Gorgeous Interior
We had the rest of the evening to ourselves and the girls and had a little bit of retail therapy. Overall it was a really lovely and relaxing day. Great way to start our trip in Granada.
Alysse (my roommate and future housemate) ready for bed and lookin' gorgeous!
SATURDAY
The Alhambra
The entire day was dedicated to exploring the Alhambra, a Muslim palace and fortress constructed in the 14th century. It was honestly too beautiful for words. I can't even think of how to describe it. Stunning architecture, gorgeous gardens, fascinating history...what else can I say?! I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.Oh, and it also rained half way through the day (which explains the sea of red, blue, and yellow ponchos)
View of Granada from the Alhambra
One of the many fountains
Beautiful rose with the view of Granada in the background
Gardens in the Alhambra
More garden shots
Me in the gardens
Amongst the hedges in the garden
More beautiful flowers
The rain didn't stop us from our tour
And my battery died about an hour into the trip... so *thankfully* my smartphone came to the rescue and helped me out with my photo-taking obsession.
Soccer Game with IES Granada
To end our Saturday (we didn't return from the Alhambra till 5 pm ) we had a friendly soccer match with the IES Granada program. I didn't play because I didn't bring the right clothes to play in but it was certainly fun to watch!
Chocolate con Churros!
With it being rainy in the afternoon, I teamed up with Alysse, Lily, and Jessica to satisfy our craving for chocolate con churros! It was DELICIOUS!
Rainy Saturday in Granada
Alhambra restaurant..where we feasted on Chocolate con Churros.
SUNDAY
We woke up to more rain, so our itinerary was flipped around. They let us have the morning free to do what we pleased, so we went shopping again! I bought some beautiful Arabic pillow cases as a little souvenir and gorgeous fleece gloves (it got quite chilly in the evenings) with little bows on the wrist.
My First Flamenco Show
Then, we had a fabulous walk through the Sacramonte neighborhood. The sun soon came out (perfect for pictures!) and we were no longer soaked from head to toe. We were in for a real treat when we found out that we were having lunch at a Flamenco restaurant. The woman who did flamenco was INCREDIBLE... so talented and so much energy. I was exhausted just watching her dance! Take a look!
A Stroll through Granada's Albacine neighborhood
To top off our splendid weekend in Granada, we walked through the Albacine neighborhoods and soaked up the rest of Southern Spain's culture. Again, the pictures speak for themselves... quaint streets, clothes on the line drying over balconies, Granadinos meeting for coffee, and spectacular views of the city.
Romantic message <3
Nick's Street in Granada!
View of the Alhambra
Me soaking in the sun's last rays as it sets on Granada
A TEA- riffic farewell
To bid farewell to Granda, Bianca (not my roommate, another student at IES Barcelona who's from Illinois) and Jessica (again, another Jessica who also happens to be from Illinois) had our last cup of Moroccan tea at a local tea house.
View from our table (2nd floor)
Me, Jessica and Bianca enjoying our last cup of Moroccan tea
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i went to Madrid this weekend with Bonnie, Bianca, Jessica, and Lauren. Post coming soon!
Just wanted to let you know I'll be in Granada this weekend with IES. I'm SUPER excited. I'm all packed, my camera's memory card is empty, and I'm psyched for everything we're going to explore!
Our flight is at 7:10 am and we have to meet IES staff at 5:30 am...which means our taxi picks us up at 4:45 AM. Tomorrow's going to be a LONG day. But fortunately, our itinerary is quite flexible tomorrow to accommodate for such an early start and we're staying in a 4 star hotel (can't wait!!!!)
Granada, Spain
Granada, Spain
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Can't wait to tell you all about it.
Sorry for not posting in such a long time. I have been very busy with my internship and my classes are demanding much more of my time. I'm working on my weekend post but haven't had a chance to upload pictures yet. Don't worry - you'll see that post on Thursday. As I've mentioned before, my schedule is super busy Mondays - Wednesdays because I do my internship and class, so my posts are generally later in the week since I'm exhausted by the end of the weekend. I just thought I'd do a short post to let you all know I'm still alive :D
Change of Season
Yay for no more hot days in Barcelona! This is the first time it's cooled down since I've arrived and it's so refreshing! I think because all the trips I've done this year have been to very warm places (e.g. Austin, Costa Rica, Nicaragua) and I'm just ready to bundle up and put on some sweaters! I wore my new sweater cardigan (post on my shopping bargains coming soon!) from El Corte Ingles today and it kept me oh so cozy and warm. Just watch...in a few weeks I'll be complaining about the cold...typical California girl (I can't help that I'm used to waking up to a sunny Christmas!)
Classes
My classes are going very well. I just took a midterm and field trip quiz for my Mediterranean Oceanography class. I think the midterm went very well (20 Multiple Choice), but I also studied like crazy for that test. It's my favorite class so far because a) the professor's excellent, super smart, and animated and b) the material is interesting and very different from what I'm used to. I actually just found out from my friend that she and I are his favorites because we ask a lot of questions in class and we're the most awake! haha! A lot of students are on their smart phones, struggling to stay awake, or just don't show up. It's nice to know he appreciates our enthusiasm for the subject matter!
I am also taking two econ classes at IES - European Regional Economies and Spain's Economic Development and the European Union. Both classes have a lot of material overlap to the point where some sessions are identical - it's like going to the same class back to back! But the professors are very different.
For Regional Economies, my professor always shows up 5 - 10 minutes late (a few sessions before he was 15 minutes late!), is frazzle and disorganized, and is not prompt about e-mailing me back. I find it very hard to take the class seriously but it is my major, so I need to do well. I have that midterm on Thursday and I'm a bit nervous for that one considering the professor just lectures the entire time and doesn't interact much with students.
For Spain's Economic Development, my professor is very young (late 20's), very intelligent, and makes the class interesting. Towards the end of most sessions, she goes off on some really interesting Econ tangents that make me want to ask her if we can have coffee sometime and I can ask her all my Econ questions on her opinion about the EU, Spain's current situation, Spanish culture, etc. In fact, I feel I've learned most about Spanish culture with her. For instance, she was explaining how it's very common for Spanish families to live close together and the elderly to co-raise their grandchildren. At most child cares, about 60 to 70% of adults waiting outside to pick up the children are grandmas and grandpas interestingly enough.
Anyways, I'm going to get ready for bed because my eyes burn and I'm just ready for a cup of tea!
SATURDAY - MONTSERRAT
From 9 am - 5:30 pm, I went with a group of IES staff and students to Montserrat (meaning "Serrated Mountain"). Montserrat is a stunning Benedictine Monk retreat that offers spectacular mountain views of Catalunya, the Pyrenees and Mediterranean Sea. The history is quite fascinating, so I suggest you check out this link if you're interested. The legend in particular is unique and it won't make sense if you read the rest of this post and don't know the background. It's a short summary...I promise!
After meeting in Placa Catalunya (in front of the Hard Rock Cafe) at 9 am, we were off to Montserrat. It was a 45 minute bus ride but (if you plan on coming to Barcelona) you can take public transportation and it's about an 1 hour north on train.
Morning Hike We took a tram up the mountain to embark on our morning hike. The views were fantastic, but this little puppy made the tram ride super fun...her name was Ohna and she was only 3 months old! The family who brought the dog had no problem with me petting her the whole way up (a lot of people here aren't as open to letting strangers pet their dogs)
Ohna, the 3 month old puppy...aww!
Once I said goodbye to Ohna, we took a lovely hike through the mountains. We learned about the local legend, how the mountains were formed, the history of hermits living there, and the various plants and animals inhabiting the area. It was so fascinating! Check out the incredible views
I think this is a nice way to summarize how many Catalanes feel about Spain
Jess and I with Montserrat in the background!
Montserrat Monastery
Lunch, Exploring and Montserrat Museum
After our morning hike, IES provided us a lunch of 2 bocadillos (or baguette sandwiches), an apple, and water. Jessica and I sat down on a nearby bench and munched on our lunch. Then, we checked out the basilica and saw the famous Virgin Sanctuary of Montserrat. The line was incredibly long but definitely worth the wait to learn more about this historical Catalan gem.
Line for entering the basilica
Basilica from outside
Inside the basilica
View of Montserrat mountains and main plaza
Inside Montserrat Basilica
Inside Montserrat Basilica
Catalan Tradition: Kissing Virgin Statue of Montserrat's hand
View of Montserrat mountains from the Basilica
We finished off our day trip in Monserrat by visiting the Montserrat Museum. Not a lot of visitors are aware of the incredible treasures that this museum holds, so it was a real treat for the group! We saw works by Picasso, Dali and Caravaggio nestled amongst less well-known artists. There are over 1300 pieces housed in this museum (the earliest exhibit is an Egyptian sarcophagus from 13th century BC and the most recent exhibit is a sculpture from 2001 by Josep M Subirachs!)
Upon return to Barcelona, Jess and I's sugar blood level was quite low from all the hiking, walking, and exploring. So, she had a coffee and I a hot chocolate at Farggi's (popular cafe found ALL over Barcelona). I was so wiped out from the day, I went straight home, put on my jammies, relaxed and had a good night's sleep!
SUNDAY Lazy Sunday Morning Considering I was so productive Saturday exploring Montserrat, I took it easy Sunday morning. I slept in, took a nice hot shower, and just mosied about the house for a while. Bianca was away with friends at a weekend long rave, so I had the room (and bathroom) all to myself. I caught up on some of my cooking, sewing, and econ blogs, which I find extremely relaxing
Picasso Museum Visit Right in the heart of the El Born District in Barcelona (my favorite part of the city thus far) is the Picasso Museum. It has an extensive collection of the artist's works, particularly those from his early years. I noticed on the museum website that after 3 pm on Sundays, admission is free (typically 10 euros), so I got there about half an hour early and waited in the queue. Not as many people as I expected but fortunately, I brought a book to keep me busy.
Outside the Picasso Museum
Once inside, I paid 3 euros for the audio tour and it was very worthwhile! I've never really considered myself an art connoisseur, so having the audio guide is very helpful for learning about the pieces, knowing what to look for/appreciate, and overall learn more about the artists himself through his work. Unfortunately, the museum did not allow me to take any pictures even though I would have gladly taken several. So, no pictures from this trip, everyone.
My first Piadini
After a 2 hour visit to the Picasso Museum (the line was out the door and around the corner by the time I left), I felt rather hungry so I explored the local area to find something before dinner. Dinner at Isabel's is at 9 and since it's Sunday, a lot of places are closed, so my selection was limited. On Carrer de la Princessa, I found an Italian Piadini restaurant (think of it as a Mexican Quesadilla sandwich if that makes any sense). I was the waiter's first customer for the evening (restaurants typically close at 2 pm then reopen at 5pm). Since it was my first time having a piadini, I asked him for what he recommended and we started talking about Spain, Barcelona, Catalan culture, etc. His name was Jose Luis and turns out he is from Asturias, where my great great great (? don't know how many greats) was from. The piadini was delicious and Jose Luis insisted I try some wine they have. I thought it'd be a super small glass but he brought out an actual water glass but filled it with wine instead. I don't drink but I also didn't want to be rude, so I drank about half. For my first *official* 1/4 glass of wine it wasn't bad. He said it was some Italian wine, carbonated and not so dry. I wouldn't say I'd order it again but it wasn't awful. Lets just say I prefer Italian soda.
Well that's about it for my weekend. It was mostly quiet but productive! Stay tuned..this Saturday I'm going to the Ebro Delta with my Mediterranean Oceanography class!
