Granada and The Hardest Hike of My Life Pictures

View of Granada from St. Nicolas at sunset--see what I mean?! La Alhambra (hidden in the trees) with the Sierra Nevadas covered in snow in the background. Sunset over Granada from the Albaycin (currently my desktop background). Wind turbines--another reason why Spain is great! Catedral Santa Ana--across the street from where I go to school everyday (no big deal).

First lookout point that took me awhile to enjoy because I couldn't breathe for awhile due to thin air, steep hills, and a nice wheeze.

Can't deny the beauty of the Sierra Nevada.

One of the little towns we walked through in the mountains.

See the tiny people? They are waiting to cross a river on a log. I did that. A mere minutes before. It's true. I'm also one of the few that almost fell.

Val and I nearing the end of the 7 mile trek--exhausted, but surviving!


xoxo

Vivo en Espana!

We know this program is off to a great start when my mind started thinking in Spanish about what I wanted to write here. I have already spoken so much Spanish in the past five days and understood even more, I am anxious to continue improving. Pienso que la lengua es tan facil para hablar y aprender cuando los estudiantes en mi programa queremos hablar y entender espanol tambien. (Had to show the parents I'm being productive--freetranslation.com should help with the previous sentence)

Where to start?! Well, the first two and a half days in Malaga were less than stellar. The city is definitely not the most beautiful destination in Spain, especially when it is raining--every. day. In fairness, I was battling jet lag, multiple emotions regarding the beginning my trip, and the daunting task of moving 3 suitcases around the city (I'm such a master now). Moving forward.

I knew I was going to fall in love while I was staring out the window the entire bus trip from Malaga to Granada. I've said this to a few people, but I truly believe that Andalucia (the southern province of Spain) is the Spain that I have loved in my mind for so long. There is no need for huge cities here; Andaluces love their country, their language, their smaller cities so much that it is impossible not be inspired and interested by those same things. The inspiration has only grown since being in Granada and I cannot wait for it to continue. More on my love for Granada in a bit.

Let's talk about the home life. I live in a beautiful apartment with mi senora, Juana (or Juanie as we are supposed to call her), my wonderful roommate Val, and for right now, Juanie's daughter Nuvia. The apartment is a 20 minute walk from my school and is near a lot of other students in my program. It is incredible how quiet it is considering it is still very much in the city and I am excited that it is already beginning to feel comfortable and welcoming. Juanie is divorced and has two other children, both married and living in Madrid. Her "nuevo amor" (new love) is her grandson Manuel who is 3 years old and the most adorable toddler ever (as seen in pictures). She works in a school/care center for immigrant children, mostly from Morocco. When discussing immigration, Spain's relationship to Morocco is equivalent to the United States' relationship with Mexico. Obviously there are differences, but there are a lot of issues especially in this area regarding immigrants and their ability to lead a productive and beneficial life in Spain. Juanie's school helps to place these children on the right track before they are adopted by providing them with schooling, health services (gotta love public health care), and a place that they are able to feel comfortable in. She is perfect for the job because she cares so much, even for these two American college girls that have just stumbled into her life. She doesn't speak English and speaks extremely fast with a strong accent. I am understanding her more and more and helping Val who is having some difficulty understanding the accent. In general, the Granada accent is the hardest to understand in all of Spain, providing for some interesting interactions on the street and some laughs shared by Spaniards and Americans alike.

Most importantly--Juanie's food. I'm already dreading the States. Just a few hours ago for comida (lunch) we had fresh salmon with potatoes, peppers and onions (seemingly baked), and broccoli with olive oil and garlic. Val and I race home everyday for siesta anticipating the wonderful food that will be waiting. And even more importantly, it is so healthy and we walk so much, none of it can possibly be going to my hips (or so I tell myself). It is an extremely different eating schedule, but slowly but surely I am becoming accustomed to the late hours. More on food and such in another post!

Yesterday we started orientation in Granada which goes until Feb. 8th. Each morning we walk to the IES Center and have Spanish language/culture class from 9am-2pm everyday. It is fun, a little boring, but overall helpful in providing the necessary vocabulary and customs to move easily around the city. Our language classes are our orientation (AIDE) groups so I have gotten close with a few of the members. Ironically, two Brandeis girls are in my group (Alina and Sarah) and thus I have them as a support which is great. There are extremely obvious differences between Spanish and American cultures as well as more subtle differences, but most have already exposed themselves and I have begun to get used to them. I'll save that for another post as well.

Yesterday, we walked into the Albacyin, the oldest neighborhood in Granada. We watched the sun set over the entire city (inculding La Alhambra and Sierra Nevada) at St. Nicolas and San Cristobal (both amazing lookouts) and the idea that I am living HERE in this amazing place truly started my love affair with this city. The streets are constantly buzzing with excitement and the opportunity to spend another day in this city that adores its media manana coffee, a tapas after work, and a dinner that lasts late into the night creates that excitement for me as well. I have not found one thing that I do not love about this city and am itching to explore more.

Speaking of exploring, I did get a tad lost with a few friends last night for approximately 2 hours in the freezing cold. It ended up being a lot of fun even if we can't retrace our steps and we were able to practice our direction asking to find the main street (well, really my friend Andrew got to practice his direction skills). We ended up in a cafeteria for some coffee and eventually (around 11) four of us went to a tapas bar to celebrate a Andrew's 21st birthday and lost track of time in conversation, laughter, and 2 pitchers of sangria. Overall, it was a great first real night in Granada and I am looking forward to so many more.

Today we went up to the Alhambra for a little bit which was incredible, but definitely deserves another more in depth visit throughout my time here. Right now, its 5:40pm and Val and I are getting ready to go for a walk around the neighborhood to get to know it a little better. Later, there is a soccer game with Spanish students where I will be happily sitting on the sidelines doing the least damage possible. Tomorrow morning, we are going to La Alpujarra for a 7 mile walk up into the mountains which is supposed to be incredible, and cold. I'll post pictures from the hike and the lookout points soon, so keep an eye on your email!

With the persuasion of my dad, I am going to close out each post with a brief list/description of the best food I've eaten since the last post. As we know food is incredibly important to me and so I might as well share it all with you! Entonces, here is the list and enjoy. Hasta luego!

Fresh roasted red peppers in a basic vinegar
Patatas bravas (hashbrown-style potatoes smothered in Russian dressing)
Tortilla espanola! (potato quiche-like)
some soup that is made with broccoli and zucchini and cheese
Pasta carbonara (light cream sauce with bacon pieces over spaghetti)

The Set-Up

So here we are. A mere four days before take-off. I believe this is where I tell you about myself and what I will be doing for the next four months. Well, alright, fine, I'll tell you. I have the amazing opportunity to live in Granada, Spain for the next four glorious months. I will be exploring the city, the amazing country of Spain, and the incredible continent of Europe that every American college student hopes to get lost in for a few months.

In Granada, I will be taking classes at both the IES Center (IES is the company that is sponsoring my trip) as well as the Universidad de Granada. Five classes in total, four in Spanish (one being an actual Spanish class). As much as I would love to say that it will be all fun and games, there will definitely be some, hopefully minimal (sorry Mom and Dad), work. For me, classes are there to make friends with those on my trip as well as Spanish students in my Universidad de Granada class.

I will be living with a family in Granada with another American student, a girl named Valerie. After much anxiety, I have FINALLY received my housing assignment. I will be living with Senora Juana Castilla Torres in an apartment that is supposedly very close to the city center. I don't know much more about where I am living and who I am living with (I don't know if Senora is married or has kids) except that she loves to watch movies and read and--most importantly--is a GREAT COOK! To no one's surprise, the fact that I am going to have good, homemade Spanish food brings the biggest smile to my face. I am really excited to get there and explore my neighborhood and make it my own!

Now you ask: Allison, what is so great about Granada? Why did you pick Granada out of every other city in Spain? Well, my close friend Wikipedia can tell you most of the general information that makes Granada so great (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granada). The general idea is this: Granada is different, off the beaten path. With over 240,000 residents and 88,000 students enrolled at Universidad de Granada, the city provides an opportunity for me to truly be a part of a college town--in Spain. Also, with lack of tourists and snobby Catalonians (or so I hear), I will be forced to utilize my Spanish language skills and become fluent in the language that I have studied for a decade. Overall, I'm hoping that a small program, there are only 73 of us, in a close knit community will provide for me an experience that is truly Spanish and simply incredible.

The history aspect is also extremely appealing. As the last capital for the Arabs (Moors) in Europe, Granada is home to the Alhambra, a palace built for the Moorish King and his court and was then later used by Christian rulers as well. Located in the heart of Granada, it is literally my backdrop while in class. This fact, plus the many other glorious artifacts found around the city, speak to what the city once was and how the modern city has created a strong relationship with its past. The ability to study the old while exploring the new is what makes Granada so extremely exciting and unique. This incredible opportunity was one that I simply could not pass up and I am more than looking forward to this amazing journey ahead of me. I have studied this culture and society for too long to be treated as a tourist for four months and thus, Granada awaits.

So, with the final countdown in place I leave you to finish up my To Do list and consider starting to pack before I take a leave of absence from the States for awhile. I hope to write on this blog every week and post pictures from my travels. If I slack off, feel free to tell me that you miss me and my humorless banter and I will try to do it as soon as I have time.

Next time we speak, I will be in ESPANA!