In my art class we are required to find La Plaza de la Villa and describe what kind of arquitecture the buildings are in the area. So, today I walked from my house to La Plaza de Sol and what I thought would be a thirty minute ordeal took about three hours. I wandered into shops, stopped and took pictures in La Plaza Mayor, people watched, enjoyed the scents and feelings of fall. It smells like cold, feels brisk, the days are getting shorter, but it is so beautiful, especially at dusk, so my spontaneous three hours passed by so pleasantly. Distractions are a factor I need to start accounting for, but time is so easily lost in Madrid.
Thursday night I met up with some friends at their apartment and went to Joy. My bus to Granada left at 8am on Friday, so i figured that I should just stay out all night and then go home, pack, and head to the bus station sin sleep so I could pass out on the five hour trip to the south of Spain. Sleeping is hard to do in a 200 degree 2 ft by 2ft environment, so that plan didn't involve my best logic or go necessarily according to plan.
When we (Vladimir, Stephanie, and I) arrived to the bus station in Granada we made fun of the touristy segway tour signs and then indulged in buying tickets for that segway tour and a flamenco show. The segway tour was by far one of the most enjoyable, hilarious experiences thus far. We segwayed up a mountain all the way to a Jewish synagogue built in 1610 that overlooked the city of Granada and the famous Alhambra. Stephanie crashed into a wall. Also a site. We segwayed around the streets a bit and our neon vests kept us safe from traffic in the very tiny quaint streets. A very nice but talkative old man told me his life story and said I'd be perfect for his 31 year old son. I'd have to disagree.
Our hostel was in a great location, right by tapas bars with free food, the main plaza, and Arabic shops selling pillowcases, tea, gaudy jewelry, and smoking devices. Granada has a very large Arabic presence. After our segway tour we wandered around and were attacked by toothless gypsies who grabbed our hands apparently read our fortunes (I'm going to have a lot of babies and be madly in love and live a happy life--of course. who isn't.) and demanded money. Later, we indulged in a glass of beer and the bartender brought out three large sandwiches and papas fritas. for free. complimentary with our three euro drink. fantastic. we revisted that bar later in the night solely for the free food. college life would be made so much easier if the States decided to follow the free food with drinks aspect Spain so graciously enacts.
We had our Flamenco show later that night and it was interesting to say the least. I honestly didn't enjoy it, too authentic perhaps? Stephanie pointed out that as Americans we are so used to a grand spectacle with beautiful performers adorned in grand costumes and this wasn't the case, even though it was very cultural. Live band, four dancers, very expressive in their faces and movements. Clapping, stomping, screaming/wailing/singing? I am planning on going to another flamenco show in Madrid with my mom that I'm hoping will be more what I was expecting flamenco to be? When we got back to our hostel there was leftover paella that our hostel had from a dinner they had put on and we decided we should try it? There was octopus and other unknown things that had once been alive. Should have just let it be.
The next morning we woke up extremely early to go wait in line in the freezing cold for tickets to the Alhambra. Tickets sell out almost instantly. The morning tickets sold out which was a bummer but at least we were able to buy three for the afternoon. We went back down into the city and toured the Granada Cathedral. White large pillars, magnificent, majestic. black and white squared floor like a checkerboard. painted cielings of gold in the central chapel where the message is given. and of course, like all other cathedral I've seen, seperate rooms surrounding the edges of individual chapels that were usually owned and designed by extremely wealthy people, dedicated to a saint, or in some cases are where some rich famous person of the time was buried, etc. The plans and construction began in 1526 and was completed in 1561 which is just amazing to me becuase it is SO large.
We ate Kebaps which are fantastic arabian sandwich deals after window shopping for a bit and then went up to the Alhambra, a palace and fortress complex built in the mid 14th century by the Moorish rulers in Granada. BREATH-TAKING gardens and palaces with waterfalls/ fountains and exotic flowers and walkways made of bushes and elaborate detail covering the palace walls and cielings. Overwhelming man-made beauty. The Alhambra may have been the most beautiful site I have seen in my life. Walking through the gardens, breathing in the aroma of thousands of flowers, I truly wondered what the Garden of Eden must have looked like. If this was man-made, wow, what is God-made?? The fortress overlooked the city of Granada, gorgeous views, interesting to see war-type architecture because I have been learning about "flechas" (small windows to shoot arrows out of) among other things and it was awesome to see them in person versus on a slide in class. Canon balls casually laying around. There was a maze inside the fortress but it was only about three feet tall so I'm not quite sure how protected that is or what the point was? The palaces were stunning and the walls were covered with detailed engravings. The court of the lions was underconstruction becuase the fountain is being refurbished. The fountain is made up of 12 lions of white marble. A different lion shoots water out of its mouth every certain time period, maybe every hour- not sure. They had the lions in a special room that you weren't allowed to take pictures in, but people could still go see them. haha why? The gardens the the Palacio del Generalife was by far my favorite. Fountains, walkways formed by a tunnel of shrubs and bushes and vines and colorful varieties of plants all overlooking the fortress and palaces and cities. Pictures do not do justice and I cannot describe the bliss, romance, breathtaking views.
The bus ride back included air conditioning, a rather large piece of chocolate cake, and a bus driver who was so fast that he got us back to the station in Madrid about an hour before scheduled arrival-my kind of driving. Apparently someone was throwing up in the front seat the whole time--that's what 200 km per hour in the mountains will do to you.
The Columbus day parade last Tuesday was quite elaborate. I went with my roomate Lindsey, who literally is one of the most enjoyable, genuine persons I have met in my life. Very inclusive of everyone, friendly, intelligent, happy, makes anyone feel fantastic just by being around her. I met her mother this weekend-hilarious woman, and I see where she gets it from. The parade--every military unit was there, navy, army, many others dressed in uniform, there were planes that flew in the air emitting colorful smoke, fighter jets, helicopters, tanks, horses.... it was quite a site from what i saw but I kept my two week contacts in for way over two weeks, a few nights included which results in bloodshot, sensitive to light vision. My senora gave me eyedrops one night at dinner,so motherly, and my dance teacher said I looked terrifying and asked what was going on. self esteem boost. i look like a normal human being now.
mid terms last week were draining, i have two more this week. midterm week=sweatpants season (which no Spainards own) so I will be boldly being american in my elegant midterm attire.
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