Monday, April 29, 2013

Aforementioned photos

¡Hola!
Alright y'all, here are all the Córdoba-Granada photos I promised!

Córdoba was a pit stop of about 5 hours where we walked around a bit, relaxed in the shade and toured the Mezquita.

Chillin outside the Mezquita
Incredible detailing inside

Original ceilings, displayed outside
Seemed like a good idea at the time
Beautiful ceiling
Each pillar has a signature of the maker
La torre
 

Then we were off to Granada!

Unintentional jean jacket twins day


Tiling in the Alhambra

The famous view

Wall detail, absolutely breathtaking

Tiles on tiles

Main courtyard

Architecture mimicking stalactites/stalagmites

So beautiful

Again, incredible

The group listening intently to our tour guide

Generalife, the summer house at the Alhambra

Faves

On the way out, working it
Cerveza, eggplants and honey, garlic shrimp....

On our final day in Granada we explored a bit of the city and soaked up the wonderful Spanish sun.

Dubs up


Gelato at the shop Michelle Obama went to
Took the opportunity to get my zen on
View from the bus window on the way home to Cádiz
Spanish countryside

It was a quick trip, but a fun one.  I always enjoy going to bigger cities in Spain, seeing new landmarks, eating different foods, and experiencing another part of the country.

Expect a few London trip posts soon! In the meantime, ¡salud!




Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Real Quick: Córdoba/Granada

¡Hola folks!

This post will be short short short, because I have ten minutes before I have to leave for LONDON!!  London for the weekend, no big deal, such is the life of a study abroad student.

Anyhow, last weekend we had a program excursion to the Spanish cities of Córdoba and Granada, both northwest of Cádiz in the heart of Andalucía.

Córdoba was a five-hour pit stop, where we ate lunch and saw the third largest mosque in the world (the Mezquita.)  Very impressive.





Then we went on to the main destination, Granada, home of the famous Alhambra.  I can't tell you how many people asked me, "Are you going to the Alhambra?" when I told them I would be studying abroad in Spain.  Needless to say, I had some high expectations based on those questions, and it did not disappoint in the slightest.  Crazy-intricate detailing and just all-around spectacular, not to mention a killer hilltop location overlooking the city.




That's just a sneak peek, more photos to come later I promise.

And now, like I said, I'm off to the land of tea and crumpets!  Pip pip cheerio!!

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Two-Week Resumen

¡Hola!

After Semana Santa in Italy, I've spent two full weeks here in Cádiz.  It's been so nice and relaxing to not be on the road for a bit, AND the weather is finally turning around which makes this vitamin-D-deprived Seattle girl oh so happy.  Here's what I've been up to during the past two weeks:

Our Lengua IV professor was sick one week, which meant a 3-hour "recuperación" class on a Friday afternoon, which meant café con leche was an absolute necessity.

And this photo captures what was just a typical Saturday night in Cádiz.

On Sunday we said the first goodbye of the group to the lovely Rachel, who had to end her study abroad experience a bit earlier than expected due to a pulmonary embolism.  Sometimes life throws you a curve ball but this one was a nasty knuckle ball for sure.  We're all going to miss her, but let's face it, Spain's doctor's don't really compare to the ones in Seattle.
And what better way to say adios than with a gelato party?

On Wednesday, after pretending to work on a group project for a few hours, my partners William, Erica and I got some gelato (yes, again) and headed to the beach for a bit.
 Then I grew a mustache.

On Saturday, Becca came down to Cádiz from Sevilla with a few of her classmates to spend the day at the beach.  After playing tour guide for a while, we picked a spot on Playa Santa María and stayed there until the tide came in, relaxing, reading, listening to music, and getting more than a little sunburned.
Unfortunately though, there was no swimming, the red flags have been up at the beaches for a week or two which warns beachgoers of some sort of dangerous conditions.  In this case, it's the presence Portuguese Man-Of-War in the water.  Seriously.  So it was slightly disappointing to only be able to dip our feet in when all I wanted to do was swim in the waves crashing on the shore.  These jellyfish better be on their way soon, they're really starting to cramp my style.
This is photo documentation of Becca's first bomba francesa (translation: french bomb), a magical pastry that is definitely way too special to be classified as a doughnut, filled with something similar but even better than nutella.  The bombas had been sitting in the sun for a while, so things got a little messy, as they should when one eats a bomba properly.  If you ever visit Cádiz, you MUST get a bomba from Casa Hidalgo, a pastelería across from the Cathedral.

Before getting back on the train to Sevilla, we stopped at a café for some refreshing smoothies.  So fun to show everyone my Spanish home and enjoy the sun that's finally arrived!

And finally, on Sunday morning I watched the sunrise by the Port of Cádiz.  I was reminded of the first Spanish sunrise I saw, which was as we flew into Madrid a little over three months ago.  As fond as I am of sunsets I think I like sunrises even more.  You see the day begin before your eyes, the birds are singing, and you know that with the light that leaks in from the western sky comes your day, your future, and you can make what you want of it.  It was a nice moment to sit back and reflect on all of the experiences I've had, memories I've made, and friends I've found here.

 

So here's to all life's sunrises, experiences, and friends to share them with.

¡Salud!