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!
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