Universal Granada

... some time in Retiro Park (similar to Central Park in NYC) before we went to The Pardo museum for a few hours. I as pretty shot early in the night from my classes that day and thus Scott and I headed to bed early so we could get up at a decent time to head to Granada,
Since I am living between my homestay and the hostal this week while everyone visits, Scott and I had to get up quite early so I could head back to my homestay to grab some more clothes and drop ...

19 Nov
After a 6 hour drive, (we´ve now covered around 1,600miles since leaving Bmth ) we enter Granada just b4 dark. Granada is the gateway to the Sierra Nevada, and our intention is to stay 2nights, mainly so we can spend one day in the Alhambra. We pitch our tent just b4 dark, the campsite conveniently located 5km outside Granada. We immediately notice a sharp (can see our breath!) drop in temperature, so after a camp meal and a couple of ...

This weekend I went on an excursion to Granada with the study abroad group that I am with back from the states. I didn´t necessarily want my first visit to Granada to be with the group, but it´s all good. Granada is about 135km from Malaga or an hour and a half by bus. The first thing I noticed on the bus ride was that above and outside of Malaga the trees that have leaves were all changing colors. It´s the middle of November and for the first time ...

... and 6 warm to hot ones with different temperatures. It also included a message which was very nice.

Today we checked out the Allahambra, an arabic palace surrounded by beautiful gardens and tonight we plan on going to check out some flamenco dancing. I catch a flight to Madrid tomorrow and then am coming home on the 17th. I guess all good things have to come to an end.

Driving around city was just nuts! With the small barrios and cobble stone alleys, it was wiser to park the car and walk. We decided to leave the car before entering the old city.
The Cathedral was one of the highlights of the city tour. The Sadness Paseo is another nice area for a leisurely walk. Once you get up to the top ...

Very cold 9 degrees and drizzly in Granada but the apartment very cozy in the Albaycin area - old quarter. Tiny apartments faced inward around an open central courtyard, three stories high with an enclosed viewing area of the Alhambra on the roof. Next day visited the cathedral and royal chapel where Queen Isabella and husband Ferdinand are entombed - she sent Columbus off to discover America. We stepped down under the tomb to see ...

... mid-day meal, we were hungry, anyway). The food was all fine - I had my tortilla espanola, which made me happy - but the potatoes au gratin were the rave of the night. Delish! Walked back through the crowded streets, admiring the well-lit fountains. Had a bath in the very brown water upon our return to the hotel - I decided it must be high mineral content and therefore therapeutic. Then, to bed, as we have an early morning tomorrow. I hope Mum sleeps.

HEllo All! Another week in Granada and what a week it has been. I signed up for a Flamenco dance class which is lots of fun. I need to practice... The teacher is very nice and she talks nonstop so it is a good listening opportunity as well. I still need to see a live Flamenco performance but I just keep reminding myself I have 3.5 months here still. :) Classes are going well. I had my first presentation in class on Friday. I felt like I was fairly prepared... it was on the Alhambra and ...

... tapa, and when I asked the waitress what the dish I saw was called, she said that it was the tapa. I was confused and asked "which one?" It's strange because in Seville the type of small dishes you order are called tapas, but in Granada they call the particular dish they serve with drinks THE tapa. Granada's tapas are better than their food, it seems. Also, it seems like they take the style of giving away free stuff even further. We sat ...