I'll never leave you, dearest España

I must say, with a frown, that these blog posts are now winding down. Soon enough, I'll be back in Western Mass and my time in Spain will be of the past. Of course I'm overjoyed to see my family and friends, but I can't quite grasp that it's nearly the end. Writing that made my stomach writhe with doom...the last day's sure gonna hit me with gloom. I'm not sure why I'm writing in rhyme, but getting feelings out through rhymin' is always better than cryin'.

OK enough of THAT. It's just hard to imagine using cars to get to bars rather than walking everywhere on foot through a city where you see something dazzling everywhere you look. Or ordering drinks that DON'T come with a free plate of eggplants with honey, risotto with cheese, salmorejo with avocado, spiced garbanzo beans, etc. The Sierra Nevada will no longer be my backdrop when I go for runs. The Alhambra will no longer be my neighbor. If I could haul everyone I care about over to Spain and stay here forever, my life would be ideal. But unfortunately, some of them have jobs and other such commitments...so I guess I'll have to go back home and yearn for the day I can frolic in Andalucía once again.

I guess I'll stop feeling sorry for myself now--as there are worse problems in the world than having to go home from Europe--and update you on some events I recently partook in:

-Embarked on a two-day beach trip to Nerja last weekend with some of my lovely friends. We soaked up the sun (I managed to only get a few awkward sunburn patches in the inches of skin that escaped suncreen); went swimming (it was warm enough that my body didn't go instantly numb like the last time I tried to swim in Nerja); came upon a plaza where sat 20-something, seemingly ownerless cats (surreal to the max); ate Indian food and left artistic scenes of napkins enveloping sauces on the table to impress the waiters before we left (wish you'd been there, Natalya); dragged our curry-filled bodies through the streets in search of souvenirs (as luck would have it, we spotted multi-colored woven hats--complete with brims and pointed tops--which we put on and glared all passersby who's dare smirk at us).

Nerja aka Paradise

-Spent the week neglecting work and sleep in attempt to drain the last grain from my dwindling time in Spain. This involved consumption of many tapas, sangrias, mojitos, batidos, and gelato.

-Went to the program's farewell dinner, which seemed arbitrary, as there are still so many days left in Spain! (Five is a lot--don't tell me it's not). Proceeded from there to Plaza de Toros to attend Spain's Oktoberfest (Spaniards can't wait all the way until October to drink beers so they have it in May). It was boring as well as unpleasant (getting projectile vomited on isn't one of my favorite activities) but now I can at least say I've been in a bullfighting ring (and I didn't even have to see any bulls get killed! And, in fact, I'd rather get puked on than see bulls get killed) so I guess it was worth it? Plus, after getting fed up with catcalls from drunkards, my friends and I went around pretending to be men and yelling in low voices "Hola, guapo, que guapo eres" the same way they do to us. ("Guapo" means "good-looking" but we'd say it to everyone, no matter what they looked like, just to make them feel awkward...and it worked). So once we started doing that, the night got more amusing.

-Went to the beach in Salobreña yesterday, where we spent the first part of the day sitting in cafes and trying to avoid the wind. Once the wind became less violent, we proceeded back to the beach. My plan was to study on the beach, which I learned is an oxymoron.

-Now it's Sunday before exams, prime study day. Which is why I'm procrastinating with this blog. And now that this blog is done, I think I'll continue to procrastinate by going on a run.

Explorations Galore

I've been embarking on quite a few trips recently and have had quite a few cosas en mi plato en general (things on my plate in general...not sure if that's an actual Spanish expression but I've decided to make it one)...so that's my explanation for the negligence of this poor blog.

I'll tell you about the first trip first: on April 21, my program took the group on a day trip to la Alpujarra, a region of mountain villages on the southern side of the Sierra Nevada with charming, typical Berber architecture (small, white houses with flat clay roofs). First we ventured around the precious town of Capileira, then headed on a hike consisting of grand views of majestic mountaintops, as is to be expected in the Sierra Nevada, where the views are never too shabby. We eventually made it to Pampaneira, where I had my first eggplant with honey, which is a specialty of the region and quite tasty. We also found a store with a massive array of chocolate samples, so yeah...it was quite a nice day.

Next up: Switzerland! (April 26 to May 1). I don't even know where to begin to describe my love for this land of delicious cheese and fairytale views. Here are some highlights:
-The family Althea and I stayed with in Zurich (thanks to their connections to Julia and my dad) was extremely helpful in our trip-planning, brought us on numerous expeditions, and gave us great food, including a lunch of "Raclette," which consists of melting an enormous circle of cheese in front of the fire, scraping the melted part onto plates, and dipping potatoes and veggies into it...nothing gets better than that! Also, the three kids were adorable and gave me a chance to practice my incredibly rusty German.
-We visited the Kursthaus Museum in Zurich, where we got to see art by all the masters, including Picasso, Monet, Manet, Gauguin, Chagall, Munch, and Pissaro, as well as a pretty interesting Swiss artist, Alberto Giaconetti. My favorite part of the museum, however, was when we passed through the Renaissance room and heard shrill whines coming from the floor. Lo and behold, a tiny square of rug, maybe two by two inches, was cut away to display a screen with a bluish woman who seemed clearly agitated, although I couldn't understand what she was saying. (She might have been whining in French?) We peered at the pour soul for a while before a guard explained that it's part of an installation. We continued through the Renaissance art and on the the Impressionist pieces, but nowhere else did I find anything quite like that astonishing creature.
-The family brought us to Interlaken, where we took a tram-like device up to Harder Kulm, a smaller slope of the Alps. From there we had a fantastic view of the snow-capped portion of the Alps. They then took us to Bern, the capitol of Switzerland, where dwell the emblematic Bern bears. Houses from 800 years ago lie in the center, which is surrounded by water and little bridges. It was ranked among the top ten cities for best quality of life. I'm not exactly sure how one goes about measuring quality of life, but I don't doubt people live well there. It's unbelievably charming.
-We took a boat to a boulder next to the Rhinefalls, stood on top, and lounged in thire misty spray.
-Rappersville, with its castle and restaurants along the coast, was another highlight. Like Bern, it has houses that seem to spring right out of children's books. The photo below will explain what I mean:

-You can spend all day walking around Zuich (we did spend all of one day walking around it, as well as two other half-days). We got to see a church with windows created by Chagall and got to try fondue, which is decent, but doesn't compare to the slab of cheese melted by the fire.

Lastly, Cádiz, which was another program-sponsored adventure. We left on Friday and returned this evening. On the way there we stopped at El Torcal for a hike among the Jurassic age limestone. Although it had recently rained and it was a rough trek on the slippery mud, the view of the strangely-sculpted rocks was worth the pain. Plus, a fox followed us the whole way back, which was nice company to have (although she could well have had rabies) and a friendly herd of cows greeted us in the parking lot. Saturday morning through afternoon there was a torrential downpour that killed many umbrellas and made the tour of the city less-than-pleasant. But after returning to the hotel and taking a nap, it was like I awoke to a new day. Suddenly it was sunny and we could lounge and frolic at the beach, which was right outside our hotel. Today we had a spin around the ocean in a motorboat and then continued on our way to spend the rest of the day until our departure at the beach, where I soaked up the sun and went for a refreshing run along the water.

Now I'm back and have to face the real world (AKA homework I've been neglecting while being spoiled by these adventures).

Blueberries, cranberries, caffeine, and Sevilla

Another week has passed here in Granada. Here are a few recent observations:
-I've never associated hard, bitter cranberries with soft, sweet blueberries, but they share a word in Spanish (arándano), which makes no sense to me because they are completely different! But maybe if in English, blueberries and cranberries were both called "cranberries," and the emphasis on the blueness of blueberries was lifted off, they might be more linked in my mind. Strange how language can create or prevent associations between concepts.
-"Rum" is "ron" in Spanish. Thus, to Spaniards, "Ron Weasley" must sound like "Rum Weasley."
-"Manquito"means "one-armed" or "one-handed." "Tuerto" means "one-eyed." Are there more one-armed/one-handed/one-eyed people in Spanish-speaking countries than English-speaking countries, so that the existence of such words becomes necessary? The specificity of some Spanish words really impresses me. Spanish words tend to have more syllables than English words, and thus sentences tend to take longer to express, so I guess it makes sense and saves time to turn whole ideas into single words that can be uttered rapidly.
-When I listen to Spanish speakers and am overwhelmed by all the strange phrases they know, I start to realize that English also has its fair share of strange phrases. I tend to say them without second thought, but when I do put a second thought in, it occurs to me how confusing they must be to non-native speakers. For instance, how is it possible that "I'd be down for that" and "I'd be up for that" mean exactly the same thing? And why do we need to turn our alarm clocks off when they go off?
-Aside from language nuances, another aspect of Spain that never ceases to amaze me is the lack of pressure to hurry. I never realized how hurried Americans are until I came here. Every time my American friend and I hang out with our Spanish friends, we end up at the end of a block when they're still at the beginning of one. It's nearly impossible for us to remember to move as slowly as they do. For them, walking from one bar to the next is just as much part of the experience as being at the bars themselves. But we're Americans, so for us, it's always about what's next on the list. That said, I really do prefer walking quickly--I honestly find it easier.
-On the subject of the relaxed culture, Starbucks the one "American" café I've gone to here, was the only one that offered take-out coffee. And the small coffees at Starbucks are larger than the large coffees at all other cafés. At no other cafés would they understand the need to drink coffee on the go, rather than sitting and enjoying it, or the need for more than teacup's worth of caffeine to get through a day. I guess siestas here might be the alternative to caffeine.
-The weather is one thing that generally does seem to stress Spaniards more than Americans. On countless occasions, when the apartment has been perfectly well-heated, my host mother has insisted I'll get sick because I'm not wearing a sweater. And I get strange looks from everyone when I run in shorts and a T-shirt since it's April, rather than bundling up only to sweat all over my clothes. According to one of my professors, no one gets out their designated summer clothes until the end of May. All skin, regardless of the amount of heat, stays covered until then.
-Speaking of strange looks, here in Spain, everyone stares at everyone on the street. Apparently it's not considered rude, because everyone does it. No one, however smiles. In America, if you look at someone, you have to smile. If you aren't in the mood to smile, you look away and pretend not to see them. But in the majority of cases, you do want to look at people, because humans are interesting, but you don't want to always smile, because who wants to bare their teeth all day? So, my theory holds that Americans are generally less at ease with each other than Spaniards. Spaniards just stare and don't care. Nonetheless, I still smile because the necessity to do so is ingrained in me...and it would be nice if I received a smile in return every now and then.

Onto recent updates...since I last wrote, I visited the beach in Nerja again, where my special friend the adorable dog, who I bonded with last time, came running to me, amidst all the beach go-ers! It was a wonderful reunion and a wonderful day, warm enough to get in the water, but not warm enough to stay in for more than a split second. I'm surprised I was able to move my muscles enough to get myself out of the water because they went numb instantly.

On Tuesday, my friend Althea, the one I stayed with in Florence, and her mom, Shelley, spent a night in Granada. We saw a magnificent flamenco show that came with dinner and went to the Arab baths the next day, which weren't any less shabby than those in Córdoba. Again, I felt like a puffball afterwards. It was sad to say goodbye, but I'm going to Switzerland with her at the end of this month, so I can't complain too much.

The gardens of the Alcázar

Yesterday, I went to Sevilla with my roommate, Ally. Altogether we spent over six hours on the bus there and back, but it was well worth it between the sites we saw and the food we ate. First we saw the absolutely stunning cathedral and views of Sevilla from the Giralda Tower. Then we had lunch at Osteria L'Oca Giuliva, an Italian restaurant that I want to go back to every day for the rest of my time here (too bad it's three hours away). If any of you readers happen to go there, get the pasta with pears and Gorgonzola and/or the pizza with shrimp...scrumptious! We then went to the Alcázar, originally a Moorish fort, with upper levels that are to this day, residence of the royal family. The architecture is comparable to the Alhambra in terms of beauty, not to mention the lush gardens, home to a family of peacocks.


I just got back from a Spanish dubbed version of "The Vow" ("Todos los dias de mi vida") which was a decent chick flick, and I was glad I pretty much understood what was being said. Almost all the movies shown here are dubbed American movies. It's quite interesting seeing Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams speak in Spanish. I was planning to see the Titanic in 3D here in Spain, but I don't think I could handle strangeness of watching a Spanish Jack and Rose. It smells like dinner is on it's way. I'd best be off!

Semana Santa in Málaga and Córdoba

Friday: I woke up bright and early, super excited to see Dennis. Luckily, before I got on the bus to Málaga, it occurred to me that yes, Dennis might be leaving from New York Friday night, but that didn't mean I would see him Friday night in Spain. (In my excitement, I temporarily forgot about the six-hour time difference). So instead of seeing him that day, I spent two hours changing my bus tickets and moping around. (But I did get to see the Lorax in Spanish that night, so it was all good).

Saturday: Finally, the real day arrived to see Dennis. His uncle, Chuan and I met him at the Málaga airport, and Chaun drove us to his lovely neighborhood in Málaga, where we frolicked in the neighborhood park and then met Chuan's wife, Ni Jia and daughter, Xuan Xuan. Xuan Xuan is only eight but already is fluent in Chinese, Spanish, and English...which made me feel great about myself. Dennis' first dinner in Spain was at a Chinese restaurant. But the food was delicious and the fish was nice and fresh, since Málaga is on the coast, so I doubt he minded waiting to try Spanish food. (I know I'm in Spain and shouldn't say this, but Chinese food is better than Spanish food any day).

Sunday: We awoke bright and early for our bus ride to Córdoba. We had a bit of a scare when the guy at our hostel in Córdoba, Hostal la Fuente, told us we couldn't stay there unless we both could show passports (Dennis didn't have his) but after giving him lots of sad and confused looks, he let us in. The hostel was of the typical Córdoban style: white walls, lots of tiles, a large patio, and plants galore. Everywhere you look in Córdoba you see buildings like this. It's quite a fairytale land. The first thing we did, after eating a Spanish-style lunch, was see the Mezquita, a huge, breathtaking cathedral with a nice medley of Visigoth, Arab, and Christian influence. We wandered around the Jewish sector, payed homage to Maimonides, and visited the Synagogue, one of three in all of Spain, the other two being in Toledo. After a kebab dinner, we headed towards the hostel, but obviously the Semana Santa processions (parades honoring Christ that last the whole week and are especially popular in Andalusia) completely covered our street, and there was no way to get through. So we killed time at an overpriced but beautiful bar on a balcony overlooking the city.

La Mezquita

Monday: As I'd been confused about the timing of the trip due to my inability to grasp time differences, I'd booked us the wrong bus tickets back to Málaga, so we had to trek to the Córdoba station to get different tickets. On the way we saw some Roman columns and a mausoleum, both of which were kinda cool but maybe took more time to find than they were worth. We also explored the Calahorra Tower-Museum, which was interesting, but what I enjoyed even more than the museum was its location: it's situated on the Roman bridge overlooking the Guadalquivir river--quite a sight. After getting our new-and-improved bus tickets, we spent quite a chunk of time looking for the Palace of the Marqueses de Viana, but when we arrived it was closed. But it was OK because we had some nice sangrias at a nearby tapas place and then tried to just get lost in the city for a while, which wasn't that hard, considering we get lost even when we're not trying to. We stumbled on a middle school basketball game and pretended to be fans for a while, and when our stomachs started growling, we had some traditional Córdoban food.

Tuesday: The Castle of the Christian Monarchs greeted us in the morning, with its expanse of gardens and towers. It rained while we ate lunch and stopped raining right when we were done. The clouds were quite nice to us on the trip. We meandered around the  museum of Bellas Artes and Julio Romero de Torres (who's native to Córdoba) before having an early dinner of tapas (by early, I mean 7pm-- we definitely got some weird looks from the waiters for dining so "early"). Of course, the Semana Santa crowds decided again to congregate right in front of where we needed to be: the Hamman Arab Baths. This time, we pushed through with all our force because we had baths to get to! The toll that all the pushing took on our muscles was undone by the baths and massages. Afterwards I felt like a human cloud/cotton ball.

Wednesday: We trekked once again to the bus station to head back to Málaga, where we spent the afternoon with Chuan and Xuan Xuan at beaches in Maracas, Málaga, as well as an absolutely stunning park with plants and animals of all shapes and sizes, and then we headed to the port, which was a bit on the tacky side (very comparable to Virginia Beach).

Thursday: We went to Frigiliana, Málaga with Chuan and Xuan Xuan. I've decided I'm moving there. It's similar to Córdoba and parts of Granada with the Arab-influenced white houses, brightly-painted doors and windows, and potted plants. But what makes it especially special is that it's on a hill overlooking the sea. White cottages+seaside location=perfection.

Frigiliana!

Friday: Adios to Dennis, hola to Granada.

Saturday: Well, here I am blogging. Guess I'll go live my life now so I have more to blog about in the future. Buhbye.

Just another week in Granada!

Tomorrow I'm off to Málaga and then Córdoba for a week with my boyfriend, Dennis, so I guess I should provide a wee update before I go.

I normally would have three classes today, starting at 8:30 am, but there's a general strike all over Spain today against the conservative labor reforms made by the new president Mariano Rajoy...so no classes for me! I feel bad that people have to strike to try and get back basic labor rights, but I'm not complaining about sleeping in and having a lazy day. I'm planning to go for a walk after lunch, but I'm a little nervous because I haven't ventured outside yet and don't know what to expect.

I'll just go backwards in time from there...so last night, I went to a flamenco show. I was excited, but not dying to go or anything, because in my Civilization and Culture class we saw some clips of flamenco, and maybe they were bad quality or something, but they were kind of just people moving around to winy men singing. However, I was pleasantly surprised by last night's show. All the students in my program sat around a long, narrow room and were face-to-face with dancers, each more talented than the next. They move their feet so fast they basically become blurs of color. I can't even walk in heels, let alone move that fast in them, so I was quite impressed.

Over the weekend, I helped plant mini trees on a hill in Generalife near the Alhambra to help prevent erosion. It was fun at first, but my arms don't like to swing tools for extended periods of time, so it got a little tiring after a while. But it's motivated me to work my arms out more often so I can plant trees with ease in the future.

Friday, I went to Nerja, a beautiful beach in the province of Málaga. I loved it because the weather was perfect, there were palm trees, I bonded with an adorable dog, and a wave washed right over me and my iPod but my iPod somehow still works just fine. It was just kind of a magical day. Not to mention the gelato.

That's pretty much it...ciao.

River Run

I usually try and cover a bunch of topics all in one post, so for this one, I'll switch it up and just give you something I wrote this afternoon about running:

 

My classes are over. My lunch of lentils is digested. The sun is still out. It’s time for my afternoon river run. I’ve gone through all my clean running shorts, so I take some from the hamper and try not to notice yesterday’s sweat lingering on them. I run down the marble staircase of the apartment and am greeted by my own shadow as I open the door. It’s the time of day when the sun melts down and every street becomes cloaked in elongated shadows.

The workers tearing down the building next door whistle at me in that typical way for the second time today. When I catch one of them in the eyes and stare without smiling, he looks away and rubs the dirt off his hammer.

I run across the street to the beat of “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” in my ears and continue over the mosaics that make up the walkway Carrera de la Virgen, dodging  middle-schoolers on their way home and painters at their easels. The older women I pass are not afraid to gaze coldly my way: back in their day, girls didn’t run in shorts and T-shirts. I ignore them, seeing no reason to sweat and suffer, the way many Spaniards do, in full-body running gear.

I pretend my music is too loud to hear the noises that men make at me as I pass by, which sound something like strangled birds trying to sing. Why they make these noises is beyond me—never once have I seen it work on a girl. Maybe they can’t help but emit sound when they spot females, similar to the way bullfrogs do in mating season. I’m enjoying the breeze playing with the hairs I missed shaving my knees—why should I cover them just to avoid animalistic men and old-fashioned women? I turn my attention towards the river, Rio Genil, which is thin as a puddle in parts but on its surface I can make out the cottage-dotted mountains in the distance.

Locals are gathered for lunch outside Las Titas. They sit around circular tables, sipping coffee and smoking while children and dogs scurry around their feet. A blur of their Spanish conversation greets me as I run past.

I stop and stretch at an underpass covered in graffiti. I loosen my hamstrings while staring at a massive, spray-painted portrait of a young man. He looks lonely. No, mainly content. But a little lonely. I wonder if he’s based on a real person or straight from the artist’s imagination. Maybe a combination of the two.

I retrace my steps and see the two power-walking women I passed in the same place yesterday, very intent on wherever it is they’re going. I stop at the exercise park to give my arms a taste of a workout, and then I face a middle-aged woman on a two-person swaying machine. I can’t decide what’s less awkward: looking at her or looking everywhere but at her. “This is fun,” I say in Spanish, even though it’s not. She agrees, and we have nothing left to say. The screeches of the machines are the only sound. Finally, she leaves. I watch the mountains move with me, side to side, like seasick giants.

Continuing home, I pass the construction workers for the sixth time today and inhale the earthy smell of the building getting uprooted, a smell that brings back summer, mud puddles, clay on kilns, and being covered in sweat.

Back inside, I gulp down an orange, not minding the juice that covers my cheeks, take out my journal, and begin to write what I just wrote.

Middle-Schoolers, Meals, and Mountains

Again, I seem to have neglected my blog, but I have a good excuse this time, too: exams! But now I'm almost done with all of them so I have time for a little blogging.
Updates:
-As of last Monday, I started volunteering at a middle school near my apartment for study hall on Mondays and music class on Wednesdays. So far, I've been to two study halls and one music class, and in one study hall and one music class they watched movies, and in the other study hall they did nothing except talk, giggle, and poke each other while the teacher tried desperately, and with no avail, to get their attention. I'm not super impressed with the school thus far, but I can't help but like the kids. They're really eager to learn about me, America, and to practice their English on me. When we were watching the Chronicles of Narnia in Spanish on Monday, one boy tried to explain in English to me what was going on in the movie every few seconds...it definitely didn't help my comprehension of the movie but it was very cute.
-I've been hanging out with some granadinos (Granada locals) who are lots of fun and helpful with my Spanish-learning. There are some bars that have board and card games that we went to over the weekend. I'm bad enough with card games in English, so learning one in Spanish was quite the experience...but I had fun.
-After about the first week of being here, my host mom got lazy and stopped cooking dinner (she would just reheat lunch so I'd always have the same meal twice a day, every day, which is completely not allowed on the program) so finally I sorted that out, and now I actually get to eat two different meals every day! It's quite a relief not to eat Spanish tortilla (eggs with potatoes--very greasy) multiple times a day.
-I went for the third time to Monachil (the mountainous area) two weekends ago--it gets prettier each time! I felt like Maria roaming the hills in the Sound of Music.
-This past weekend I went to the beach for the first time. It was in Salobreña, a town in the province of Granada. People say there are much more beautiful beaches in Andalucia (I just went there because it's close) but I thought it was really nice, so I wonder how nice the more beautiful ones must be...can't wait to find out!
Time to get ready for volunteering a.k.a. movie-watching! Hasta luego.

Roaming in Roma and Firenze

I seem to have neglected my blog for a while...but I have a pretty good reason: I was in Italy for 10 days (I got back Tuesday night), and I didn't want to spend any more time than necessary on the computer when the David was waiting to be admired and gelato was waiting to be in my stomach.

So basically, I stayed in Florence (which is called "Firenze" in Italian-- a much better name if you ask me...why would we ever have changed the name to "Florence?!") for a week at my friend, Althea's host family's house (she's spending the whole year in Firenze). When the week was up, I took a train to Rome ("Roma" in Italian/Spanish) where I met up with the study abroad program and stayed in a hotel in the center for three nights.

Memorable moments in Florence:
-Traveling 15 hours to get there from Spain (don't even ask me why it took so long--I don't ever want to talk about it and I'm not sure why I'm even writing about it now).
-Eating. Every single meal there was superb, including not only Italian food, but also amazing Indian food, which I had in the neighboring town, Fiesole, and yummy Lebanese and Thai food. The good thing about traveling to a place where someone you know lives is that they already know where to go. Althea gave me excellent advice: if the waiters stand outside and haggle you into eating at their restaurants (which tend to have flashy pictures hanging in the windows), skip the restaurant. Go to ones that are good enough that they don't need to advertise.
 -Seeing beautiful churches filled with Renaissance art, such as Il Duomo and Santa Maria Novella, as well as the Gothic church, Orsonmichele filled with statues (that are actually replicas, so as to preserve the real ones, but I never would have known). I walked up 400-something steps in Il Duomo while Althea was in class to see the view of Firenze (pretty awesome) but of course I took the wrong staircase down...and the staircases are winding and narrow so those ascending were not too pleased with me.

View from Il Duomo

-Seeing some unbelievably spectacular palaces belonging to the Medicci family back in the day. The ornate, intricate, decorations on every ceiling, wall, and door of both Palazzo Vecchio and Palazzo Piti was eye-opening, jaw-dropping, and mind-bending. Not to mention all the famous Renaissance pieces on the walls, including works by Raphael, Filippino Lipi, Fra Bartolomeo, and Giorgio Vasari.
-Obviously seeing the David. Describing the sculpture is pointless. It's one of those "you need to see it to believe it" types of deals.
-Going to the Uffizi, home to the legacies of the Renaissance masters. The Botticeli room was my favorite. Seeing "The Birth of Venus" up close was incredible. I guess I got a little carried away with seeing Renaissance art. We didn't only go to art museums though...we did go to the Gucci Museum one day...but the purses displayed are just not really worth reporting on in comparison to the art I saw. (How could such mediocre-looking purses cost so much?!)
-Moving on to other non-art-related topics, we made pesto-tomato-cheese sandwiches one day and were walking along, wondering where to eat them, when I noticed hidden tables along the Arno River that Althea had never seen before. It was the perfect place to eat, and I was proud of myself because I'm usually not that observant and don't notice hidden potential picnic spots.
-Speaking to Althea's host mom in Spanish while she spoke to me in Italian...we could actually kind of communicate. It's interesting how similar the two languages are.
-Avoiding the pee pad next to the door to Althea's room where one of the three obese cats would always pee because, for some reason, she didn't know where her litter box was.

Memorable moments in Rome:
-Seeing ancient ruins all over the place, juxtaposed with elements of modern city, such as cars.

The most awesome of those ancient ruins was the Colosseum, despite its gruesome function. (I found out that people would drink the slaughtered gladiators' blood to cure epilepsy?!) The Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps were also beautiful spectacles. If you throw a coin into the fountain, apparently it means you are ensured another visit to Rome in the future. I threw in three, so I guess I get three more visits!
-Eating gelato twice in the same day...it's that good.
-Savoring a an absolutely scrumptious dinner of salmon risotto in a hidden-away restaurant with no nagging waiters outside (Althea was so right about restaurants).
-Seeing the Pope himself talk from his window to an enormous crowd gathered in Vatican City (which is apparently a completely separate country from Italy).
-Walking in on someone in the bathroom and then walking into someone's room in a random hotel, thinking it was a bathroom...both on the same day.
-Trying to avoid street vendors everywhere all trying to sell the same slimy toy that no one wanted to buy. These toys were everywhere, and they weren't great at all. I don't understand.
-The Sistine Chapel was the highlight of the whole trip for me. After hearing so much about it and painting a paper taped underneath my desk in 5th to see what it felt like to be Michelangelo, I was super psyched to see it in real life. We got there 15 minutes too late on Monday to be admitted, so we had to get up bright and early Tuesday morning to see it before our flight, but it was totally worth it. I don't think I've ever been more impressed by anything in my whole life. That one person could design the whole room and paint the majority of it is beyond my comprehension.

I think that's a good note to end on, so I'll leave it at that.

Locks and Walks

This past week here in Granada has involved lots of hiking, tapas-eating, tea-drinking, and getting up at ungodly hours for class. The cat-in-heat saga continues (she's back in heat and wailing like a furious newborn all over again), while a new saga has begun: that of the lock on the apartment door. The lock often doesn't work so my host madre decided we should just keep the door unlocked. She pasted a note on the door telling us never to lock it, and has also been consistently reminding us not to lock it. She's been oiling up the keys and lock with olive oil (a staple for everything here in Spain) but it hasn't made much of a difference. My roommate finally told her that we're not OK with the door always being unlocked but was promptly assured that no one can get in because the door is so hard to open.  However, yesterday she decided it would be alright if we keep the door locked at night once we're all home. Finally, today, she decided the locksmith could come fix it...unless I misunderstood and he was just some man she was discussing the locks with, which I wouldn't be surprised about, since that's her favorite topic of discussion these days... anyways, sorry to bore you about locks, it's just all I've been hearing about and therefore all I can seem to write about.

Moving on...I unfortunately had makeup classes on Friday, but afterwards my friend, Laura and I went on a hike past the Alhambra and up an extremely steep hill covered in olive trees. I made the mistake of wearing a dress and little flowery shoes, but making it up to the top in that attire made me feel all the more accomplished. Getting down was more of an issue...I think I was on my feet less than half of the time. We rewarded ourselves with the creamiest, most delicious gelato, which made it was all worth it. And I'll admit that I had frozen yogurt that night, which was almost as delicious as the gelato. It's hard to resist all the desserts here because they are everywhere to be seen. You can't walk a block without spotting something scrumptious-looking.

at the top of the steep hill!

Yesterday I hiked part of the Sierra Nevada in Monachil again, this time with new people (Marina and Kelsey), so I got to be the tour guide. From my past Monachil experience I steered us in the right direction (this time we didn't spend a 45 minutes hiking up a hill only to wind up in someone's driveway before finding the right trail!) It was as beautiful as before and much sunnier. When I got back, my roommate and I met up with Javi, a native of Granada, at a teteria where I had Pakastani tea (more like warm milk with sugar) and we learned about what the locals do here in Granada. We went to Granada 10, a discoteca (club) last night, which was more fun than I expected because they mostly played Spanish music,which is unusual, as there is an abundance American pop songs here, and it was in a nice space with interesting lighting. Discotecas don't tend to be my scene, but it was worth the experience.

I think today is the warmest it's ever been  here, so I went for a run in the sun. Now I'm exhausted from head to toe. Best be off...my bed is luring me away.

El fin de semana en Barcelona

At 4am Friday morning, my roommate and I got up and braced the cold sunlessness. We met up with seven of our friends at the bus stop, took the bus to the Granada airport, and a little past 10am, we  landed in Barcelona, where we were greeted by Antoni Gaudí's magnificent architecture, including his works in Park Güell, the famous Sagrada Familia, La Pedrera, and Casa Batlló. As I can't capture Gaudí's unique style in words, here are two pictures (although pictures don't really do much justice either):

 

The next morning, we got up bright and early to embark on an action-packed day. We began at Plaza Catalunya, where about 1,000 pigeons flew right at us, and continued on our Merry Way to La Rambla, a famous street filled with flowers and outdoor markets. Then we headed to the Gothic district and admired 14th century architecture. I had an amazing veggie burger (who would have thought you'd find such a thing in ham-obsessed Spain?!) and then we ran into some parade that consisted of hoards of people in elaborate, paper machete costumes. We proceeded to a history museum where we were face-to-face with ancient underground Roman ruins, and I learned that ancient Romans wore lots of makeup, got their feet washed by slaves while they ate dinner, and peed on their laundry as a means of sanitation. The Picasso Museum was next on the list! I spent two hours in a daze as I looked at work spanning his life. What I especially enjoyed was seeing his crazy takes on Velásquez's "Las Meninas," which I got to see at El Prado in Madrid. These paintings look like hilarious nightmare versions of Velásquez's piece, and each was more bizarre than the last. Dinner consisted of lots of fried fish with heads and tails...I tried to eat without looking at them or thinking about them too much. They tasted good though!
 



Today, we took a peaceful walk along the harbor before returning to Granada. Now I'm in my room, still feeling like I'm on vacation and not able to process that I have to go to class in the morning. Can't wait to go on another trip!

Hola vs. Gracias

Since I last wrote (5 days ago, I believe) not too many events have occurred...but I'll write down what I remember:
-On Saturday, some of my friends and I hiked part of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Monachil, a quaint town 30 minutes from Granada. I was a little nervous when crossing the wobbly bridges strung across tall cliffs and even more so when crawling along the edges of cliffs (which I did at snail's pace), but the stunning views of the dramatically angled mountains made the strenuous parts worth it. Plus we got to see sheep and mountain goats! Returning after nearly four hours, we scarfed down  bocadillos con tortilla (long subs with eggs, potatoes, onions, and tomatoes inside) and then enjoyed the warmth of the bus ride home after the chilly wind.
-That night, I met up with some friends at a bar and watched a Spanish band perform while sipping wine and eating olives. It was a very Spanish experience...aside from the fact that the "Spanish" band unfortunately only performed American songs.
-My roommate and I wanted to go to an archaeology museum on Sunday, but it was closed due to renovation. However, our disappointment didn't last long because we noticed a large crowd of people heading somewhere and followed them. We arrived at a festival for some saint (I never found out who) where there was music, dancing, paella, candy, and policemen on horseback. So that definitely made up for the closed museum. That afternoon I took advantage of the skating rink's last day of the season.
-Classes started on Monday. I'm taking Spanish Theater, Culture and Civilization in Spain, Spanish Renaissance Art, Translation, and the obligatory speaking/writing skills class. Even though I'd been out of classes for almost two months, I wasn't exactly anxious to start again and definitely wasn't missing the work and stress they entail. So I can't really say I'm excited that classes have started, especially when I'm in such a beautiful place and all I want to do is roam around, but all things considered, the classes seem interesting and the professors seem competent. I especially enjoyed my Spanish Theater class this morning when we read an act of a play in Castellano and had to try and figure out what the words mean in Spanish. It's really satisfying to go through and decode--I felt like a detective.
-Monday night, I had the best tapas ever. They were just bread with tomato/pepper/cheese, but the simplicity was the key to their deliciousness. I think the sangria I had with them might have gone to my head because on the way home, after being given a free sample of pipas (sunflower seeds) I said "hola" instead of "gracias" ("hi" instead of "thank you"). I've been taking Spanish since Freshman year of high school and I'm in the advanced classes at the University of Granada so I'm not sure what my problem was...but that is definitely up there as one of my most embarrassing moments.
-Last night, I had more great luck with food (it's easy to have great luck with food here). I had a milkshake at a teteria (tea shop) and one of the ingredients was avocado, which I though would be disgusting, but I was peer pressured into getting it and it ended up being the best beverage I've ever had. That sounds like an overstatement but it's not.
-As of today, I think the cat has stopped being in heat. She still moans every so often but doesn't scream and gurgle in agony anymore, so that's a good sign. I'm looking forward to sleeping through the night.
Time to go sit outside in the sun. Adiosssss.

Some Recent Highlights

-Every time I told anyone I was going to Granada, they'd say, "Oh, you'll get to see the Alhambra!" On Tuesday, I finally got to experience the cause of all the excitement. I was definitely not disappointed. Each painstakingly carved and tiled room of the palace was even more beautiful than the next. I would tell myself to stop taking so many pictures, but as I walked into a new room, I'd start shooting in a frenzy all over again.

-After enduring a grueling placement exam that lasted more than three hours, I placed at the right level to take the courses I want. Now I'm just anxiously awaiting my finalized schedule.
-After enduring a grueling four nights of no sleep due to an extremely loud cat in heat, yesterday I finally bought earplugs and slept through the night. I have no idea why I haven't worn earplugs my whole life-- they are a life-saver.
-My host madre made quinoa yesterday, a completely different species of quinoa than the hard and tasteless gruel posing as quinoa in the Bard cafeteria. Gastronomically, I am quite satisfied here in Spain.
-Yesterday morning it was raining, but I went for a run nonetheless with my friend, Laura. We ran along Rio Genil, which looks like an elongated puddle in some sections, but if you run far enough, it turns into a nice, flowing river. It ended up being super refreshing despite the rain, so I'm about to go for another run now. This time I might even use the exercise equipment along the path because it won't be covered in raindrops. More soon!

First Impressions

I’m currently sitting on my bed in my new home in Granada, Spain, munching on a banana because my stomach can’t hold out for 9pm dinners. In Spain, the norm is a tiny breakfast, a large lunch at 2 or 3pm, and a small dinner at 9 or 10pm. Many Spaniards, including my host madre, Ana María, don’t eat breakfast or dinner, just lunch. I know this for a fact because when my roommate, Ally, and I asked for cereal for breakfast she gave it to us on a plate without milk (but she makes delicious vegetarian lunches and recently published a cookbook, so I’m not complaining). Spaniards also don’t really seem to sleep—they go out until like 6am but wake up bright and early for work the next day. And they don’t seem to need bathrooms because there are none in any stores anywhere. Being someone who eats, sleeps, and pees a lot, I am impressed by this ability to forego  basic needs. Although stores here are always playing American music and many signs are in English, there are a number of things, in addition to meal times, that I have yet to get used to. To name a few:

-Men here wear bonnets and poke their heads through strollers that have fake baby bodies in them meant to look attached to their heads. These man babies wail and gurgle while you walk by, hoping you’ll tip them for their gruesome cuteness. When I saw my first man baby, I was impressed by the creativity, but then I realized there’s a whole species of them, they’re everywhere, and they’re all the same. Now I barely notice their cries as I walk by. Also, the first time you see a shiny goat, a man with glasses but no head, or a man balancing midair from a stick, it’s eye-opening, but then you start to realize one is just like the next; they’re not wacky weirdos but trend-following conformers just like the rest of us.

-Unclothed feet are a sin here. I keep almost walking out of my room only in socks, only to dash back for my slippers before Ana María notices. For whatever reason, showing feet here is as scandalous as wearing no pants.

-It’s customary to press your cheeks against people while kissing the air here, first right and then left. I still don’t have the timing right. I only remember to kiss when the whole thing is over, so I’m left to awkwardly kiss the air after they’ve already moved away.

-Waiters will give you a strange look if you ask for your food to be wrapped up, and there are no to-go cups. The culture here is more relaxed—people don’t feel the need to walk while they eat or drink and actually take time to digest. But I’m going to miss walking around with a warm cup of coffee in my hand.

-Like in America, bread is served before the meal, but unlike in America, you’re generally charged for it. If you ask for water, you get expensive bottled water. They’ll give you tap water if you ask for it, but you can tell it brings them grief to give you a beverage they don’t profit from…I’m assuming that’s why the tap is called the “grifo” (pronounced “griefo”).

These oddities are really nothing to complain about because I can make a list of how Spain is superior to America, and it will be much longer than the above list:

-Tapas, small plates of various types of foods, are served free with drinks. This evening, I had tinto de vino (a summer wine mixed with lemonade), a small tuna sandwich, and chips for 2 euros.

-There are major sales until the end of February. I explored the sales yesterday and am currently wearing a ring I bought for 2.50 euros. Apparently the sales are meant to bolster the failing economy, which isn’t something to be happy about…but still.

-The Alhambra, a picturesque palace on a mountain (which we’ll explore tomorrow) is right there. Like, within half an hour of my apartment. I can’t say they have that in America.

-Every street is made of tiles in intricate patterns, and places for walking are much wider than the roads for cars. In America, there are plain old paved roads for cars, and you’re lucky if there’s a sidewalk. It’s definitely a walker-friendly city, and I love being able to use my body, rather than a gas-guzzling machine, to get places.

-There are quite a few parks around here, all with exercise machines. So you get to work out surrounded by palm trees rather than cold walls, and you don’t have to pay.

-It’s the norm for nuns to sell cookies from their convents. You buzz in and the nun puts your order on a rotating concealed plate so you never see her face. It’s kind of like a drug deal but with a nun. No big deal.

-Classes here don’t start until February 6^th, so I get plenty of time to acclimate myself to this amazing city.

So yeah, even though I can’t get coffee to-go or watch “Desperate Housewives” for four months, I’m unbelievably happy to be here. I feel like I’ve been transported into an alternate reality where people zoom around cobblestone roads on vespas and casually walk their dogs by a magnificent Moorish palace.

Since I’m in list-mode, I’ll add a list of the major places I’ve been so far, just for the record:

1.       Arrived January 23^rd in Madrid- Barajas Airport after sitting next to a girl from Madrid on the plane and listening to her rant about the wonders of the city for nearly the whole trip.

2.       Stayed at the Hotel Moderno in Madrid for three nights. While in Madrid, I was first exposed to the man babies, goats, etc. Like Granada, Madrid is a city that clearly puts much effort into appearance. Went to the Prado Museum and got to see El Greco, Velásquez, and Goya.

3.       Went to El Escorial, a small town an hour north of Madrid. Saw el Monastario de San Lorenzo, a breathtakingly beautiful monastery. It consists of intricately decorated rooms, including an ornate golden room filled with caskets for the bones of dead royalty. The dead royalty are pretty lucky—if my bones had to go anywhere, that’s probably where I’d choose.

4.       On our way to Granada, stopped in Toledo, which is right out of a fairytale, with castles, a moat, and little cottages. We saw the famous “Burial of Count Orgaz” by El Greco and visited a beautiful church and synagogue. Then we made our way to Granada, where Ana María picked Ally and me up at the bus stop and brought us to her apartment, where she is currently spoiling us with her cooking skills.

That pretty much sums it up for now…stay tuned!