Mi Viaje : Bars and Palaces and Art, Que Guay! (How cool!)

Ay dios mio! (My God!) It’s been a week since I last posted, yet it feels like a month just flew by!

In the past seven days, the GRIIS students and I experienced a unique weekend compared to the authentic night life in Spain, learned more about Spain's Arabic history, wrote papers (in Spanish might I add) about the Cathedral in Granada, gawked at one of the most famous monuments in Granada: The Alhambra, and explored the city through conversations with Spanish citizens, via class assignment. With non-stop activities, Jen (roommate) and I kept our minds and body in check by embracing another aspect of the Spanish culture: taking siestas (naps).

Our eventful weekend technically began last Thursday night, when a small group of Boston College students went to a bar a student's madre suggested. The familias (families) have been great with recommending Tapas restaurants, bakeries, and discotecas, and one cute madre received coupons for a fun place located in the center of the city. Excited to celebrate our first weekend night and drink some free mojitos, we arrived at the bar, only to find out that the party was hosted by a Dermatologist Company specifically for elders (which explains the invitation sent to our friend's madre). After we laughed at the circumstances, we accepted the awkwardness, the free drinks, and the brochures, and spent some time listening to the Spanish tunes.

After dancing to America’s (and Spain’s?) latest favorite hit "Call Me Maybe,” we left and walked around the city, hoping to find people our own age. We had no idea where we were going and found very few places that were hopping. By happen chance, we found a cute bar called “Poe” hidden amongst the streets of the central shopping area and enjoyed speaking in English with the London owners for the rest of the night. Both were completely unexpected events, yet both fun and certainly memorable!

On Friday night, we took the safe route and joined in on our fellow GRIIS students’ plans. We went to our first discoteca (club) which was hosting a “Welcome to Granada” party for all the American students. The club played a mixture of Spanish and American songs and served free drinks until 12:30. Que bueno! (How nice!) It was really fun to hang out with more GRIIS students, to meet other American students, and to feel like we weren’t outsiders crashing in on someone’s fiesta (party)! The discoteca also has a beautiful view and is located in the Albaicin, a place we visited the very next morning!

The Albaicin is the oldest neighborhood in Granada. Our advisors took us on the walk which was absolutely gorgeous and by far one of my favorites so far! Filled with beautifully built buildings and artistic paintings, the neighborhood is pleasing to the eye everywhere you look. (See attached pictures) During our walk, we learned about the formation of the neighborhood, which began when gypsies decided to avoid Christian rule, and toured the Christian Church, famous for its weddings. In love with the view and the Muslim street art, the students and I took a TON of pictures and ended the night at a fun and cheap Tapas place in the neighborhood. Fun and informative, the trip made me want to go back soon!

Monday morning, our teacher surprised us with a pop-scavenger hunt. The students were divided into different groups and given different places to explore. These places included the library, the City Hall, Tourism Offices and University of Granada. My group was assigned the City Hall and Tourist Offices and while we had no idea whether the people would respond well to our visit, we were certainly excited to get out of class early! It ended up being a fun experience in which everyone was challenged to speak with foreign faces and with different vocabulary. It also gave us a big confidence boost when we recognized where we were going around the city and spoke pretty clearly to complete strangers!

Our school week also consisted of a field trip to the beautiful Alhambra. The Alhambra is a palace that was built by a Muslim king who dreamed of the Prophet Muhammad’s home. Wanting to recreate what he imagined, the king ordered for the palace’s construction. Throughout history, different kings, both Muslim and Christian, lived in the palace and added to its magnificence. At one point, the building was forgotten about and many artisans who were unable to pay their rent resided there. Although it was raining and foggy during our visit, the Alhambra exceeded my expectations! Everything about the building was breathtaking, from its intricate ceilings to its large reflective pools. The Muslims were known for their artistic abilities and detailed architecture, and the Alhambra is by far one of the best testaments to this statement. (Pictures are too come).

The week was filled with fun times, silly moments, and a whole lot of art and history. Each day here is filled with something new and informative, and I’m really enjoying my experience so far the various areas! I’m excited for another weekend in Spain, and for our next school trip to the City of Ronda. Hopefully, the sun we’ll shine for the visit tomorrow and that we can experience some authentic Spanish night life tonight!

Until my next post, hasta luego!