Weekend Warriors, part 1

Well, I successfully made it through my first weekend warrior trip!

On Thursday, I packed my bags and prepared for a weekend in the mountains with my friends Michelle and Erin. I actually had to take my bag to my last class on Thursday so I would be safe on time from class to the train station. Erin met me outside FCEYE (the business school if you don't remember), and we lugged our suitcases to the station. Because Michelle had class at night, she decided it would be best if she arrived early Friday morning. After waiting for only a little bit, Erin and I boarded our train-- destination: Granada. This was Erin's first ever train ride so it was fun to see her experience it all for the first time. Americans in general tend to have a certain stereotype of trains, possibly from all of the old westerns on TV, or the fact that taking a train in the US is typically impractical. But trains in Spain (without rain in the plain), are efficient and a common way to travel.

The train ride was about 3 hours long (this was not the high speed AVE),  but it allowed me to do some of the homework that I had for the weekend. When Erin and I arrived in Granada, it was about 9:30pm and dark so we went straight to the hostel to check-in. This particular hostel was recommended by Rick Steves in his guide book for Spain (I recommend his recommendations). The room was great, we had 3 beds, and our own bath, all for a very reasonable price. Erin and I quickly decided that we needed a good meal, so we went to La Castellana, to get a pizza. In Granada, they have a tradition of giving free tapas when you order drinks. Naturally, we embraced this and had an amazing meal! Also, I am all for this tradition spreading to the rest of Spain. After watching the end of the Seville F.C. (soccer) game on the TV in the restaurant, we decided to call it a night. We knew the next day was going to be pretty full of sightseeing and activities.

In the morning around 10, Michelle got to the hostel and we headed out for café and pastries. The only proper way to start a morning! The weather in Granada was rather brisk, probably around 55 degrees for most of the weekend, but at least it was sunny on Friday! After our breakfast, we attempted to walk up to the Alhambra, which is on the top of a hillside. Although the hike up was beautiful and scenic, we soon realized that it was going to take a little longer than expected, so we hopped on the Alhambra bus and went on a very scenic tour of the entire town of Granada for only 1.20 euros! We were dropped off at the top of the hill, collected our tickets to go inside (although we couldn't enter until 2pm), and went on another walk to the top of the hillside. The view from the top was incredible. It was very Sound of Music-esc. Flowers in a field, with trees and a beautiful terrace to overlook the city. And  let's not forget that you could see the snow covered mountains so clearly from the top. It only made me want to go skiing, but alas, I will have to wait until my next visit to Granada to go skiing. We took the views in and took pictures to show the gem of the spot we found.

After we left the hilltop, we had lunch (where I finished my first ever beer.... an Alhambra beer, just to be as cliché as possible), and headed to the Alhambra. For those of you who do not know, the Alhambra is the last home and fort of the moors of Spain before they were kicked out in 1492 (easy to remember because that's when Columbus sailed the ocean blue.) The tour was fantastic. I regret not buying an audio-guide to listen to as I walked through because there were not any signs describing what each place was. Lucky for me, I've been there before with my family, so I remembered bits and pieces. Plus, Michelle, Erin, and I somewhat tagged on to a tour to hear what they had to say. After the tour of the palaces, we headed to the gardens, which weren't in bloom but still were beautiful. The detail in every aspect of the Alhambra, from the architecture and the wall designs, to the gardens, to the water that was everywhere (water was very important to the moors), was amazing. By the time we left the Alhambra, it was about 6pm, and we headed back down the hill (thanks to the Alhambra bus again).

We decided it was time to enjoy a nice Spanish siesta, so we took naps for a little, and then went out for tapas afterwards. After tapas in a very authentic Spanish restaurant, we met up with a guy who is also in our program in Sevilla for a couple drinks at a local bar. The atmosphere in the bar was a mix to two cultures: the American college students, and random Spanish groups of friends, including a bachelorette party. It was definitely a fun place to be for the night.

The next day, we shot out of bed at the crack of 10am. Saturday we had planned to be very low key with the only major sightseeing excursion to be at the cathedral. After our café and breakfast, we (as girls) walked around the town, looking for good shopping deals... since it's the last week of the holiday rebajas (discounts) in Spain. For the most part, it was a lot of window shopping, but it was fun to see the people of Granada out and about during their Saturday. We had lunch, and then headed to the cathedral. The cathedral in Granada is the second largest cathedral in Spain, behind the one in Sevilla. In short, it was gigantic, and beautiful. One of the most interesting tidbits was that the cathedral was painted with lime around the 18th century for hygienic reasons since it was during a time of diseases. Visiting cathedrals always reminds me how much power and money the church had/has. Regardless, it's always nice to see beauty that makes you speechless.

Michelle had heard from someone else in our program who had gone to Granada already for a weekend, that there was a cool viewpoint on the opposing hilltop from the Alhambra. So, before sunset, we hiked up the hillside to the viewpoint, which ended up being packed with onlookers as well, since the best time to be there is at sunset. Once the sun had set, the "show" began, and the lights started turning on at the Alhambra, which was truly beautiful with the mountains in the background and the city below. It was also very cool to see the lights slowly turn on like a wave across the city. We could even see the lights turn on on the mountains for all of the ski slopes (which made me jealous I wasn't there, again.) We took it all in, and then eventually headed back down the hill.

After yet another siesta, we got all dressed up in anticipation of going out after dinner. After dinner, around 12:30am, the "hot" discoteca in Granada opened its doors, and we walked in and got our  free drinks that came with the cover charge. There, we met up with a few other girls from our program that were also in Granada for the weekend, and started to get in the mood to dance! The discoteca was in an old theater building that was very sizable and had a very cool atmosphere. After some mingling with other people in the discoteca (good practice of Spanish!) and lots of dancing, we ran back to our hostel around 3:30am in the rain. (At that point the rain didn't matter because we had managed to look fabulous while still inside!) Chances are, we would have stayed out longer had it not been for the fact that we had to catch our train back to Sevilla in a matter of 8 hours.

Our morning included our final cafés in Granada, and we packed our bags, ready to head back home. Although Granada was gorgeous, and had breathtaking views that only made me want to move to Boulder, Colorado when I'm done with school, I missed Sevilla. I've truly become emotionally attached to Sevilla, and I love it.

I entitled this blog Weekend Warriors, pt. 1, because part 2 is coming up this weekend in Madrid. Part 3 follows the following weekend in Barcelona. But first, school and homework!!!

 The terrace at the top of the hill that overlooks the city of Granada.

Enjoying the terrace, view, and weather!

 A view at the Alhambra on the opposite hill, from the gardens. And the hillside of Granada on yet another opposing hill!

Inside the Alhambra. One of the many uses of water.

Intricate architecture designs (and also renovations).

 Some gardens inside the Alhambra.

A look at the hillside of Granada from the Alhambra.

More wonderful views!

Enjoying the history that I'm walking in! Also enjoying the fact that I'm wearing flip-flops in February!

Michelle, Erin, and I at the Alhambra.

 Inside Spain's second largest cathedral. Very beautiful.

Granada at sunset.

After climbing the hillside, I got to enjoy this gorgeous view!

The Alhambra at night.

Notice the snow-capped mountains in the background. Perfect.

I love city lights!

Personal Victory

Vale (Okay)

Not that anything especially amazing has happened in the last 4 days, but I have finally figured out what and who is my host family consists of! I felt like this merited a blog post! I mean, sure I've been living with these wonderful people for an entire month, but better late than never, right? So, I have two parents: Miguel and Isabel. And they have four kids, and now I have met all of them. I was wrong before when I thought the son who is married with 2 kids is the 22 year old. Sergio (the oldest who is married and has 2 boys Adrian and David-- both totally adorable). I do not know how old Sergio, but I'm going to guess low 30s. Then there is Patricia, who lives at home and is 29. This is not uncommon in Spain. Many children do not move out until they are married. Then there is Guillermo, who is 22 and doesn't live at home, but is not married (I don't think). Then the youngest is Miguel, who is 19 and also lives at home. So glad I could clear that up for myself!

This weekend I am headed to Granada with a couple of friends. The only activity we have planned is visiting the Alhambra, which we already have reserved tickets for and everything. I'm excited to venture out of Sevilla for the first time for a whole weekend. At the same time I'm a bit nervous just because Sevilla is now my comfort zone. I'll be just fine, and I plan to make you all very jealous of my weekend travels with any fabulous pictures I take. Although, the past few days I know it has been nicer back in the States than here. My only goal for the past 3 days has been to stay dry. I have yet to accomplish this. My shoes are soaked, as are my clothes. It's been raining the past 3 days inconsistently, but it's as if when I walk outside, mother nature decides to have a torrential downpour. Let's hope none of that happens this weekend!

Beaches in February

Yes, you read right. Beaches in February. This weekend was (until today) a glorious, relaxing weekend. I only say until today because it is now raining, but I'm sure after you see pictures of my weekend I won't be getting any sympathy from you. It's OK though.  :)

I finished my first week of classes, which thanks to this program, always ends on Thursdays. They thought that four days of classes is enough for us, and I appreciate and agree with that thought. Always having at least a 3 day weekend is rather fabulous! I spent Thursday night walking around el Centro with Erin, and we enjoyed café con leches (which are becoming really addicting) and shopping to get the weekend started. Friday I slept in, did a little homework, took a nap, and met up with friends to do some more shopping. It's a lot of fun to just walk around a beautiful town with friends and talk and window shop. I did try on a jumpsuit outfit at H&M.... not that I'd ever get it, but why not have a few laughs, right?! Erin and I later enjoyed a night just watching movies and having a girls' night. Much needed.

Early Saturday morning I woke up to meet up with the vast majority of the Business program to take a day trip to Cádiz. Cádiz is best known for the carnival that it hosts every year, which is the third largest carnival in the world (or something crazy like that!) The bus ride was only about an hour and a half. It's great to know I live so close to a beach! We all went on a required tour with the program, which was very informative and allowed us to see more of the town.  The weather there was absolutely amazing! It was about 72 degrees and a clear blue sky. Absolute perfection. Personally, I've always loved the beach and being near an ocean so hearing the waves and smelling salt water was complete heaven. On our tour we went to a market that had plenty of seafood as well as fresh fruit and vegetables. My friends got some cherries, strawberries, and bread, and I got some olives. Spanish olives are the best! After seeing breathtaking views from the top of the cathedral, and eating our packed lunches complements of our Señoras, my friends and I went straight to the beach. For two hours we just soaked up the sun and enjoyed the fresh fruit from the market. Complete bliss.

 Some of my friends and em, enjoying the beautiful day and the beach! I can say that I touched the water. Give me another month to actually submerge though.

 Delicious. Some of the views from the market.

Also looking tasty.

 The cathedral in Cádiz. I climbed to the top (like any good Myers) to get the best view of the town!

The benefits of climbing to the top! So beautiful! 

                                           Proof that I sat on a beach for 2 hours.

Once we headed home from the amazing town of Cádiz, I went home to relax for a little bit and eat dinner until I left again to go spend some time with my friends Maria and Michelle. And now, finally after being here for 4 whole weeks, I can say that I've had ice cream-- and man was it good! I don't think there is a better way to end a perfect, beautiful day in February on a beach, than with some coffee ice cream. (See, this whole café con leche addiction is spreading into other foods now, too.)

Now, I need to prepare for my second week of classes. The next month is going to be rather hectic, but truly amazing all at the same time! My next four weekends as of right now will be spent in: Granada, Barcelona, Madrid, and Sevilla/Cordoba/Cádiz. I can't wait, but I have so much to do still!

Another couple pictures from my day in Cádiz. I can't wait to go back!

Alright then.

Alright then, I think I might finally be settled into Spain. Who's to really say though. At this point I've gotten lost more times than I can count, I've gone out with new friends, left Sevilla (tell you more about that one in a minute), started my real classes, and already freaked out about the course load (also tell you about this!). I feel that all of that translates into me officially being settled.

So last weekend on Saturday, I signed up to go on a hike with the CIEE group. Most students left for the weekend, going to Granada, Cádiz, Madrid, etc. So a group of about 30 of us got on a charter bus for about an hour and a half and headed north from Sevilla into el Sierra Norte de Sevilla. We stopped in a small town named Cazalla de la Sierra. Some kids started the hike with shots of a "specialty drink" from the area: vodka and water. Apparently it is what the miners from the area drink before going to work. At only 11am, I stuck to café con leche. The hike itself was not very difficult. It was just very scenic and nice to be out in the nature. So far I've only seen the cities of Madrid and Sevilla, so this was an excellent change of pace! The pictures below can tell the beauty of the hike for me.

The rest of the weekend was rather low-key as well. On Sunday I had to run around Sevilla and take picture of ads for my Intensive Session class. We got extra credit if we took pictures (to either show the difference between in U.S. and Spain or similarities in advertising), so I wasn't going to pass that up! On my walk around town I made a visit to the Parque de Maria Luisa, which had families and friends walking around or taking carriage rides to see the gardens and relax. Next to the park is the Plaza de España, which is beyond words. It's just breathtaking how large the plaza is, and the utter beauty of it. I will try to let my pictures speak for themselves, but it's so large that I couldn't fit it all in one picture.

The rest of my weekend was spent around the apartment. At one point over the weekend, while asking Isabel how to turn off one of the lights (couldn't find the light switch), Isabel called me "precious" and hugged me. Probably with my attempt to make a joke and sounding seriously raro (awkward), but it was still nice.

Now, after having taken all of my classes once, I have a better handle on how much work I'm in for this semester. The classes I (think) I'll enjoy are: my required Spanish Business Writing class, International Marketing, Flamenco in Andalusia.  Classes I'm really not sure I'm going to overly enjoy: Managing Cultural Diversity, and International Trade and Finance. The Spanish Business Writing class is the class I'm required to take because my Spanish skills are lacking, and I think I might be most excited about this class out of all of them. First of all, the class isn't that much writing, it's more of a general improving Spanish abilities class. Also, the professor is teaching us everyday words that are helpful, and some of the bad ones too, which always makes the class a little more fun. :) I still don't have a complete grasp on my International Marketing class, but I just feel like the topics will be pretty interesting anyway. My Flamenco in Andalusia class does NOT have any dancing in it. Although this is a bit disappointing, I'm still looking forward to the class. I know I really enjoyed my music history class from last semester, and I think that this class might be similar except it's only focusing on Flamenco. Anyone who knows me, know I love music, and if there's dancing involved then great! My Managing Cultural Diversity class I just don't have a handle on as well, so I cannot for sure say I will not like this class. I need another couple classes before I make any sure statements. And lastly, My International Trade and Finance class I do not think I will like. After one class it seems like it will be more finance than trade, and I'm more interested in the trade aspect. Finance is hard enough in English, so I've already freaked out about how hard this class could be. Let's see after this week if I'm still going to take it.

On the bright side, I bought some new fashionable tennis shoes to walk around in. So success on that front. Still need to find some other things. Apparently I'm a pretty picky shopper!

So, I still need to get a handle on these classes. But things are still going well with my family here, and I'm finding great friends here, so it all balances out.

 Pictures from the hike in la Sierra Norte de Sevilla.

Erin and me enjoying the scenery!

 

The town of Cazalla de la Sierra

Back in Sevilla at twilight

El Parque de Maria Luisa

In the park with La Plaza de España in the background.

La Plaza de España

My walk home, seeing La Giralda from the cathedral in the distance.