Semana Santa

Spring Break part one: Córdoba
The more I continue to blog, the more I notice how me & Nick's trip always seem to start off a little rough. And so it continues...Nick and I woke up bright and early to get on the 8:30 3 hour bus ride to Córdoba to spend the day. The bus driver arrived a little bit late and Nick and I did not get a seat together. Luckily, one lady switched seats with me and we were off to Córdoba. Along the way I noticed the bus driving swerving and slamming on the break a lot (luckily we were sitting in the back and couldn't see what was actually going on.) All of a sudden, our driver runs into what we think was a sign. Everyone was freaked out but he just kept on driving. Then a little further along he runs into some dividers separating the street. Finally right before we get off he hits ANOTHER thing (i'm not sure what it was). Thank god we made it there in one piece, but I can't say the same about the bus. He completely lost his front rear mirror which also smashed the glass window. ¡Qué loco!

Once we arrived in Córdoba, we made our way to the Mosque. We stopped to take many pictures along the way because this tiny city s just full of parks, gardens and fountains. Not to mention it was sunny and 70º the while day. We stopped to eat lunch outside while admiring the Roman Bridge, Triunfo de San Rafael, and finally making our way to the Mosque. Once inside we decided to go to the Mosque Cathedral. All I can say is ¡Qué mono!


After the cathedral, we made our way to Alcázar de los Leyes Cristianos and the Gardens of the 

Castle of the Christian Monarchs. This has to be one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Pictures can show better than words can describe. After spending much time relaxing and taking in the gardens we decided to go inside this very old castle. After walking up many flights of stairs, we got to the top that over looks the gardens and the rest of the city of Córdoba. 

Once we left the castle and gardens, we did a little suvenier shopping and got lunch at SUBWAY. Although it is just not the same as in the states, it quenched my hunger just fine. We ended our day checking out the h

ouses of San Basilio and caught the 7:30 bus back to Granada. 

Part two: Sevilla
Nick and I decided to spend a couple of days in the capital of Andalusia, Sevilla. We stayed in an amazing hostel called Nuevo Suizo right in centro Sevilla, a perfect location. Not only did this hostel have the usual tv, free breakfast and wifi, they also supplied us with free coffee whenever we wanted, a hotel phone we could se internationally for FREE, a computer on every floor, and a rooftop terrace. The staff was so nice that they even let me leave my luggage there after we checked out so I didn't have to carry it around with me sight-seeing all day. It was a little struggle trying to find the hostel at first because the bus station didn't have any maps but Nick got us there :)

Once the friendly lady at the front desk supplied us with a map and circled all the things we should see, we were off! I have to admit I was a little grumpy the whole day because I was so bummed out about the rain. Who wants to walk around all day in a new city with tons of beautiful things to see in the rain? First we saw Torre del Oro and I tried some fresh coconut...random I know. Once we were just about to call it quits for the day because we were both tired and just wanted to get out of the rain, the clouds cleared and the sun came out. The one thing I really wanted to see in Sevilla I got to see with sunshine. That turned my mood right around and we spent the next two hours in Plaza de España. We walked through the gardens and then Nick rowed me around in a little boat around the whole plaza. ¡Qué romántico! After that, the sky was looking dark again so we decided to call it a day. We thought we were going back to the hotel to take a quick nap but we ended up getting stuck in the middle of the Semana Santa parade...on OUR street. We weren't allowed to walk on our street so after many failed attempts and walking in circles for a half hour in the pouring rain, we tried our road again. The police wouldn't let anyone through but I think he could tell we were very frustrated and finally agreed. After we got back to our hotel we found out we were supposed to be given a card that gives us permission to use the road which the kind lady at Nuevo Suizo never gave us -_-

After a quick nap and shower, we were starving so we decided to go out for tapas. The processions were over and we wanted to stay close to our hostel so we found this place called Bar Mediterráneo. It was delicious, we ordered pork with spicy sauce and fries and steak with cheese and caramelized onions accompanied by drinks of course.  Finally it was time for bed!

The next day there was NO RAIN! Unfortunately, we couldn't visit the famous Cathedral in Sevilla because it was closed for private masses all day because of Semana Santa. We got a lot of pictures from the outside though, it was huge! Then we visited the Alcazar, again giant. We probably spent 2 hours in there, it was so pretty. It was full of fountains, gardens, and antique pottery. Last on our list of things to do was the Plaza/Museo del Torros. We got a guided tour through the bull ring and learned a lot about the history behind bullfighting. Before getting on the bus to return to Granada, Nick and I ate at Dominos...so good! It has been so long since we have had American pizza.

With and without the rain, it was a great, little vacation.

Part Three: Granada
Between the days of Wednesday and Sunday during our Semana Santa break it rained...A LOT! Many of the famous, cultural processions were cancelled unfortunately. However, Saturday and Sunday we finally managed to get out of the house. Saturday we finally saw one of the religious parades that celebrate Semana Santa then went out for tapas. We both ordered this really good, spicy chicken thai with white rice and bread at POE, delicious! Sunday, we visited the Cathedral here in Granada which we weren't sure would be open since it was Easter Sunday and there were many private masses going on. It was also very old and beautiful. On our way to the Cathedral, we stopped in Plaza de Trinidad which is know for all of the birds that nest there. It is so pretty during the day with all of the trees and fountains. We each grabbed an ice cream and sat down in the plaza for a bit. As we were eating, the cutest, little dog came up to us and just sat at our feet. He kept staring up at us with his sad, puppy eyes as we ate our ice cream, so adorable! I wish I could have shared with him but ice cream with chocolate is not good for dogs. Throughout the day, there were tons of people out on the streets as well. For a while, we sat in the sun and watched a guy posing as a statue scare people as they walked by, it was pretty entertaining. As we were walking around I decided to get my name written in arabic because there is so much Arabian influence in southern Spain especially in the food. For only 2 euro I got my name written in arabic and it came out great! On our walk home we got a little hungry so we decided to stop for a quick bite which turned into dinner (we under estimated the proportions.) We ate at a some outdoor restaurant in Plaza Bib-rambla called Ohlala. With our delicious tapas we split a barbecue pizza and fried potatoes with a spicy sauce. With all the rain came many relaxing, lazy days but a good, last weekend.

But nothing compares to being home for the holidays...

¡Huelga!

I just want to say THANK YOU to the "huelga," because all of my 3 classes were cancelled on Thursday starting my spring break early! Huelga is the Spanish word for strike. On Thursday, March 29th all of Spain went on a labor strike. Cafés, businesses, stores, schools, etc. were all closed all day and there was a large protest. Even though absolutely nothing was open, it was nice to have a lazy day and get that one extra day added onto my spring break.

Flamenco at La Cueva

Last night, Nick and I got to experience for the second time the national dance of Andalusia, FLAMENCO at La Cueva in Sacromonte. This show was even better than the first! We all had front row seats, it was very up close and personal with the dancers not even a foot away from us. We actually got hit with their dresses and other attire a few times during the show :) There were so many different dancers that took and they all danced to tell a story, it was amazing. I have so much respect for them because they're always in complete sync with every beat the band plays (who also was amazing). They must have arms and legs of steel because the amount of time and speed that they clap their hands and stomp their feet is unbelievable. It was such a good show, they were all so into it and they got the crowd into it as well...literally. At the end, they grabbed a few of us to dance with them! I wasn't one of the lucky few but Nick was! It was so much fun.

After the show, a few of us went out for tapas because we were all starving from not eating dinner. We went to this place called Bella & Bestia, it was so good! Instead of a drink being 2 euro they were a little bit more expensive between 2.20 & 3 euro but it was so worth it. Your tapa is already chosen for you when you order a drink but each time you order one you get something different. The portions were HUGE and every tapa we got was delicious. While we were there, we overheard a couple speaking English and found out they are from the U.S. and traveling throughout Spain. We told them all of the best places to go and things to see and as they were leaving they told us they just paid for a round of drinks for us ¡Qué lindo!

I Miss...

Well I have been living in Spain for a little over 2 month now and it has been better than I even imagined. Even though it feels like I am on a permanent vacation with 3 day weekends, beautiful sight-seeing & traveling, there are just some things you can't help but miss back at home.

1. FAMILY & FRIENDS
2. Driving
3. My cats
4. Dancing
5. LONG, HOT showers
6. Buffalo flavored everything
7. Dunkin' Donuts ice coffee!
8. Baking
9. Grocery shopping with my mom
10. Macaroni & cheese
11. Salad dressing on my salad (caesar & italian)
12. Pickles (dill to be exact)
13. Chocolate
14. BIG breakfasts
15. Clam chowder
16. Steak
17. Texting
18. Flavored beverages (anything other than water)
19. My clothes/shoes

 I guess you could say I am a little homesick...

Salobreña

Since there are so many beaches only a bus ride away, Nick and I finally decided to take a trip for ourselves. After missing the 9am bus we were supposed to take because of a misunderstanding with daylight savings which for Spain is today, we hopped on the next earliest bus to Almuñecar at 11. After an hour went by, we arrived at what we thought was Almuñecar beach where we planned to spend our day. But it turns out, we got off the wrong stop and actually ended up in Salobreña which is also a beach. There were probably around 10 people total on the beach because it wasn't the warmest or sunniest of days. We laid out right near the water, relaxed and stuck our toes in the Mediterranean Sea! After taking a quick nap, I woke up to what looked like rain clouds and the wind was getting colder so Nick and I decided to find a place to take cover for the next couple of hours. Right outside the beach we found this restaurant called Carne en la Piedra which means meat on a stone. This restaurant serves you marinated and seasoned steak, pork, chicken and fish and veggies along with a very hot stone to cook your own meat on! It was the best meal i've had in awhile, I can't even remember the last time I had steak. Each piece was cooked perfectly because we got to do it ourselves. We have to go back to Salobreña just for the steak. It was so different and personally in my opinion genius. While we were there, we talked to a funny waiter with very good English for awhile and saw an adorable puppy wandering the streets. After feeding and playing with the puppy for awhile, the couple eating at the table next to us ended up taking him home with them. On our way back to the bus station, I realized I had way too much food left because we didn't plan on eating out so we wen't back to the duck park to feed the birds. There were SO many, there were actually a few close calls but so worth it. Even though the weather wasn't perfect, we had a great time & can't wait to go back!

Dinner & a Show

Nicholas & I were lucky enough to celebrate our one year anniversary together in Spain! So of course we wanted to take advantage of it. We decided to go to the most romantic place you can find in Granada for dinner. All the way up in the Albacín, there is a small restaurant that sits right in front of the Mirador that many tourists make the long treacherous walk to see. We got our own table for two right in front of the beautiful view of the Alhambra & the city of Granada all lit up at night. It was so perfect. Then after my couscous with meat & veggies, the best salmon I've ever tried (Nick's dinner) & chocolate cake for dessert, we headed to Jardines de Zoraya for drinks and my first Flamenco show! There I had the BEST sangria yet, it had cinnamon coated apples in it...YUM! The show was great, different than I expected but the dancers, guitarists, and singer were very talented. After 2 drinks and 2 tapas (one of which was free :), we prepared for our very long walk home. Thanks Mrs. Welch for the advice on bringing sweatpants because they really came in handy on the walk back, I was nice and warm :) It was a perfect, unforgettable anniversary spent with the only person i'd want to spend it with.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Fun in the Sun

Well since a normal day in Granada, Spain in the middle of March is 71º I decided I wanted to take in some of the beautiful weather in between classes. After getting to an interesting start noticing a bowl of whole fish in my refrigerator during breakfast, I went to class per usual. Later, I decided to eat my bocadillo outside in this lovely weather in front of some beautiful pink trees and fountains, I went to class only to discover that my classmate convinced my professor to take us to a café for another classmates birthday. We sat outside and talked to each other in Spanish while having our drink of choice (coffee or beer). Our professor even ended up paying the entire bill for us. It was such a great, productive day. 


Later on my roommate and I decided to go to this free yoga class all the way in the Albacín, over 30 minutes from our house then another 10 minute walk uphill on the cobble stone roads. Unfortunately, once we finally arrived after asking for many directions, we found out that there was no class and that it would be starting in April. But it was not a waste, we got a ton of exercise on the walk up and we got to see the entire city of Granada lit up at night. We passed by many cute, little shops and Tetarías along the way and now know we definitely want to go back. I am returning Saturday with Nick for dinner and a show so I now have a little heads up on where I am going and what I want to do in the Albacín. 

Once we got home for dinner, I found the same fish that were in the refrigerator this morning fried and on a plate in front of me. They are called Boquerones, a very traditional Spanish dish. With my boquerones I had bolied eggs stuffed with paté which is duck liver. Definitely something I would never eat in the States but were actually not too bad. I can honestly say that I am embracing the Spanish culture. 

R.I.P Ozzy

For the last 6 years, I had the most beautiful, fun-loving Great Dane named Ozzy. (He was originally named after the Wizard of Oz because my mom is obsessed with the movie.) A few months before I left for Spain, he was diagnosed with cancer. A normal life span for a Great Dane is only 6 to 10 years because they need special care because their bodies are so big. Unfortunately he passed away on 3/8/12, while I was in Spain :(

Even though he is gone, I will never forget:

• How much he loved his belly rubbed and his ears scratched
• How excited he would get when we got home or when it was time to eat
• How protective he was of me and my family
• How much he loved peanut butter and popsicles
• How he didn't know his own size or strength
• How he would jump on the couch to try and sit with us even though he was way too big
• How much he loved the snow and car rides
• How he would lay his head next to mine when I laid on the couch
• How he tried to eat and tear up EVERYTHING
• How jealous he would get if you pet anyone else but him, including my cats
• His big, beautiful puppy dog eyes
• Even though he was so big, how much of a baby he actually was
• How fresh he was :)
• How he would always sit on my feet to get as close as possible
• How he always knew when I was sad or something was wrong

Until we meet again, rest in peace baby boy. Miss & love you!

When in Rome...

I just spent the last 3 days in Roma, Italia...and I already can't wait to go back. Rome is the most beautiful city I have ever seen. There are countless, old bridges, drinkable water fountains and ruins all around the city. We were so lucky that the weather was perfect the entire time we were there. For starters, we couldn't of asked for a better hotel, the 4 star, "nh Leonardo Da Vinci" hotel. Besides how big and beautiful the room was with the perfect view of the city from our window, the breakfast just made it that much better! They served eggs and bacon (finally!) and they had personal cappuccino makers and nutella with toast...Delicious! (Rome is crazy about nutella.)

The first day we saw the "birthday cake" of Rome called Vittorio Emanuele II in the Piazza Venezia. It is so big you can see almost the entire city from the top. Our next stop that day was the Trevi Fountain which we ended up visiting all three days we were in Rome, it was my favorite sight to see. Either in broad daylight or at nightfall, the Trevi Fountain is always packed with people and is beautiful. It is said that if you toss ONE coin in the fountain you are wishing to return to Rome, TWO coins is to fall in love with a Roman and THREE is to marry a Roman.

All 3 days I also experienced gelato...YUM! I tried coconut, caramel, white chocolate and nutella flavor (coconut was the best.) No words can describe how different gelado is from regular ice cream. Since we were in Italy, of course we had to have pasta and wine. The first night I had a small bottle of white wine and a spicy penne pasta for less than 10 euro! The next night was a little more expensive because we went to the original place that Alfredo sauce was invented, very good but very expensive. A cannoli was a must as well. For 6 euro, I got a cannoli stuffed with white cream and chocolate chips.

The next day, our program provided us with a panoramic tour around the city which brought us to the famous Colosseum. Then since it was a Sunday, we persuaded our tour guide to take us to Vatican city so we could see the POPE instead of our scheduled visit to the Capital which we visited on our own the next day. One of the best experiences of my life that I will surely never forget!




The following day, we went back to Vatican city to actually go inside and see the Sistine Chapel...amazing. Nick snaped a few pictures even though he wasn't supposed to :) Then we made our way to the Capital, the Spanish steps, the Pantheon and then did some shopping. We ended the day by going to look at the Colosseum lit up during the night before we headed back to the hotel. What a perfect day. 


During our final, day since we were checking out at noon, a few of us decided to get up early and visit Saint Peter's Basilica before we left. I am so glad we did because I have never seen such a beautiful church. Although it was down pouring on us the entire time, my wet shoes were worth the visit. 



Before our trip, we had heard from many people that Rome was a dirty city. However, I couldn't have imagined Rome any better. I even "attended a wedding." Nick and I loved it so much that we are planning a trip back to Italy next month hopefully to visit the very small, old city of Venice. Ciao!