La Ciudad de Amor :*

Bonjour! 

Since we had a 5 day weekend, Nicholas and I decided to take a trip to París, Francia. We took a 5 hour bus ride from Granada to Madrid where we would catch our flight to Paris. When we arrived in Madrid at 1am, we had to find our way to the airport and we had two options: a cheap metro or a very costly taxi. We decided to take the metro but it was risky because the the last metro leaves at 1:30am. We're running around like crazy trying to read signs and buy tickets to make sure we don't get on the wrong one. We get on the first one and then we need to switch lines for the next one that will take us to the Madrid airport. I am sprinting up and down stairs with a suitcase as Nick is running in front of me. Suddenly I hear him say, "Shaelyn RUN!" As I make my way to the top of the escalator, they are holding open the doors to the last metro of the night to the airport. We JUST made it :) Paris here we come!

Upon arriving in París, we didn't quite have the warmest of welcomes. After being dropped off and not having a clue where we were, we found another metro that would hopefully take us where we needed to go. As we are walking thru the metro to buy tickets, I ALMOST got my purse with my money, camera, passport, etc. stolen but a group of teenagers who were following me. Thank god Nick happened to turn around at the exact time they were trying to grab the purse off my back. If it wasn't for him I would have lost everything. Then, we ended up getting on the wrong metro a few times (not that we knew where we were going because we had absolutely no idea where our hotel was) and of course neither of us know a single word of french. To top it all off, it was raining as we were carrying our bags throughout the city in the complete wrong direction. It was quite an adventure but eventually we found someone who spoke english and got us where we needed to go, The Hipotel Paris Belleville. Although it was not the nicest of hotels in the best location and had no TV, no phone, and a broken shower...we were relieved to get off our feet and nap.  

Day 1: Eiffel Tower

The first day I couldn't wait to see the eiffel tower so that's where we went. It was only 6 miles on the metro from our hotel. We ended up spending the entire day there. Unfortunately, the summit all the way to the top was closed due to the weather, but the first and second levels were open. We stood in a very long line that just kept getting bigger and bigger for the elevator to take us up. I didn't know what to expect, but I was shocked. On the first and second levels there are souvenir shops, restaurants, cinemas & photos galleries that show you the history of the making. And of course the view was breathtaking. Nick and I ended up splurging and eating dinner inside the restaurant on the eiffel tower and even got a window seat to overlook the city. It was perfect. But I guess that's why they call it the city of love. 

Day 2: Batobus

Since there were so many things we wanted to see, the next day we decided to go on a boat tour around the city. The boat tour had 8 stops around the city where you could get on and off all day as you please for only 15 euro! We got on at the Eiffel Tower and from there it took us to Musée D'Orsay, Saint-Germain-Des-Prés, Notre Dame (Nick's favorite) Jardin Des Plantes, Hótel De Ville, Louvre, Champs-Elysées and finally back to the Eiffel Tower. We hopped off at Notre Dame which was beautiful and then the Louvre where we got in for free and got to see the original Mona Lisa painting. We took lots of pictures along the tour. 

Before arriving
in París, someone told me about this bridge called Pont des Artes overlooking the Seine River in Paris, France. This bridge is also known as the lock bridge and has grown very popular over the years. This bridge is full of locks engraved with names and dates. What you do is buy a lock & key, write your names on the lock then throw the keys in the river. This represents your love being tied together forever. The bridge just so happened to be very close to the Louvre so Nick and I decided to leave a small piece of us in París. So romantic!

Day 3: Versailles

Everyone kept telling us how beautiful the town of Versailles is so for only 4 euro and a train ride, we decided to take a look for ourselves. In Versailles, we got to visit (for free again) the king and queen of France's royal palace. It was gorgeous! We also saw the Cathédrale Saint-Louis. Versailles is such a cute little town however, we went on a Sunday and just like all other countries in Europe, everything is closed on Sundays. But it is definitely a place to visit on a warm, sunny day. 

During our 4 days we shopped & went sight-seeing. My favorite was the Eiffel Tower at night that lights up and sparkles for only 5 minutes every hour. It was well worth the wait. We even saw the Statue of Liberty...in Paris! What a great, unforgettable vacation it was :)

Best sandwiches in France (we ate there twice)

¡Qué Delicioso!

On Friday, Nick and I attended another cooking class taught by Alba from API where we learned how to make tortilla de patatas and flan de huevos. The tortilla was made out of egg, fried potatoes and onion, a very traditional Spanish dish that you can find at any restaurant or even get it cooked for you right at home. ¡Qué rica! Flan de huevos is like a custard with a sweet caramel sauce, muy bueno!

Margaritas*

A friend of mine stumbled upon this great place called "Chile Grande." Every Thursday night they serve 1 euro margaritas and chips with salsa! I mean it doesn't get much better than that! They serve all mexican food and tapas, their nachos and chimichongas are too die for. We definitely found our Thursday night hang out spot :) 

Things to do Around the City of Granada

Each month the API program treats us to a movie. Last week was my first Spanish movie experience. We saw "Katmandu, un Espejo en el Cielo" and I actually understood more than I expected. I wonder what the next movie will be?

Huevos rellenos

Every week the API program hosts cooking workshops where they teach us how to cook traditional Spanish dishes such as empanada de atún, huevos rellenos and tarta de cuajada.

When I first heard there was an outdoor ice skating rink in the city I couldn't wait to go try it out. Our timing was perfect because it was the last week the rink would be open due to the climate. For only 6 euros we got to spend the day and night outdoor ice skating.

Some of the many beautiful things to see throughout the city of Granada.

¿Tienes Hambre?

After spending much time in Granada, Nicholas and I have found this great, comfy café that is very close to home and has now become an everyday encounter for us. It has the friendliest people who now know us as regulars. They have pan, light pastries, tapas and my favorite chocolate chip and blueberry muffins. And of course the best cup of café con leche! It has become a necessity.

If you have a sweet tooth and are looking for a snack, Spain is known for their "chocolate con churros." They are the perfect combination of sweet and salty. The chocolate is just thick enough to dunk and thin enough to drink once you run out of churros. It is the perfect afternoon snack.

Did someone say tapas? Well in Spain when you and your friends decide to go out for drinks not only are you paying only 2 euros for a beer but your getting a FREE meal as well. Tapas literally means snack but the portion of food you receive with a drink is plenty. You can get a small sandwich or burger with fries or a plate of chorrizo and eggs. There are so many options to choose from. Now if you're like me and don't like beer very much and prefer something fruity that's okay too.  Avery popular drink in Spain is Sangria. But another fruity drink I have recently discovered which is very similar to a sangria is called "tinto de verano." This is a red wine mixed with fruit and soda. ¡Buen provecho!

In Spain, the people are very fond of ham which actually happened to be my least favorite type of meat before I arrived but I am actually growing to like a lot now. They eat ham in sandwiches, soups, as a main course and they even have ham flavored chips. Many people believe that burgers and coca-cola only exist in the United States, however you can go to any restaurant in Spain and order a burger or sandwich with a soda. One thing that will come with your burger or sandwich here is an egg which I actually like very much. They might not like eggs for breakfast but they sure do like them with lunch and dinner.

The other day, Nick and I decided to go out for coffee and desesert and stumbled upon this cute little café/restaurante called "Belladama" which means "pretty woman." We ordered our café con leche (obviously) then we decided to try gofres which are waffles with your choice of topping. Nick ordered his with chocolate and I got dulce de leche which is like a really sweet caramel sauce. They were delicious! But now we know for next time only to order one to share.

The next night we decided to stop by the place that we walk by everyday on the way to school that smells amazing. Were we glad that we did because I think we have found our favorite place to eat in Granada. It is a small restaurant called "Poco Loco" which literally mean "a little crazy." This restaurant serves shawarmas which are freshly cooked, shaved lamb put in a gyro wrap served with cheese, lettuce, egg, and a home made dressing. It is a recipe to die for!

Shopping...What's Better?

If you like to shop, Granada is the place for you. The main roads are filled with shop after shop mostly clothing, purses and shoes. But my favorite places to shop are on the small side roads that connect to other larger roads. These streets house the best souvenirs of Granada that are impossible to find in the more popular, main street stores. You could probably spend days exploring. You never know what you'll find!

La Alhambra

What a hike it was uphill to the Alhambra! If are up for some exercise and gorgeous scenery this is the right visit for you. The Alhambra is the name of a palace and fortress complex that forms one of the most popular tourist attractions of Spain. The perfect location of Alhambra allows for a view over the whole city. Its architecture is all handmade and is a blend of Islamic and Christian styles. The Alhambra also includes the Generalife which we did not get to see today because it is an outdoor garden. I am looking forward to returning in the spring when all of the flowers of the garden are bloomed. Definitely a sight worth seeing!

El Albacín y Sacromonte

Sacromonte

These are two very popular places for tourists because of the amazing views you get of the city and the Alhambra. Our group director took us to the mirador meaning balcony or view point when we first arrived in Granada. This is where everyone goes for the perfect view of the Alhambra and the rest of the city. It was quite the hike through many gypsy caves but 100% worth it. There, they also host many fiestas and free performances such as flamenco. It is something you will never be able to see anywhere else.

View from Albacín

The University

Unlike colleges in the U.S. that have big campuses and on-campus housing, here in Spain we just have academic buildings. These academic buildings are scattered all throughout the city meaning they could be 5 minutes apart or 40. There is no on-campus living so students have to get their own apartment close to the campus if they live too far away. My house is about a 30-35 minute walk everyday but since everyone walks everywhere all the time I am already used to it. Some of the classrooms are very small with only 10 students but can range to 35 students per class. None of the professors speak English so it can be a challenge at times but is the best way to learn and understand the language. Each class is an hour and a half long. We rarely receive homework and most classes do not require books.