Granada

I apologize for the time between posts...no real excuse.

...but if I had to come up with a couple, I'd say that school is hitting midterm season and I have quite the burden to see as much of Europe as I possibly can. Don't worry, I'm doing alright. I know, I know, it's a tough gig. No Bojangles, sweet tea, bbq, country music, Duke football/basketball (okay all of those are legitimate hardships I'm enduring)...but I'll find a way to survive and make the best of my tough position as a student in Madrid.

All joking aside, I need to provide an update on several trips...the first being the second half of the NYU trip...Granada!

Granada is one of my favorite cities of the semester so far. We took a few hours bus trip from Cordoba (where we heard the news that Madrid had been eliminated from the race to host the 2016 Olympics...sad news here) and got to Granada at night. Granada is a much bigger city than I expected...it's in the hills/mountains of Andalusia (Southern Spain) and is home to about a quarter of a million people. Again, Andalusia was once Al-Andalus...during the Muslim reign of Spain (didn't quite stay mainly on the plains...oooooh good one, Graham.). NYU-Madrid hooked us up with a very nice hotel...I was rooming with Robert and we headed out to get kebab (I've fallen in love with this Turkish sandwich/burrito and they're everywhere) and then a drink and some tapas.

The next morning, our group went to the Alhambra -- the most visited tourist site in Spain. It was the palace/castle/fortification for the Moors while they ruled Spain. It is one of the coolest things I've seen this semester. It was interesting to learn about one room specifically. The sultan used it as his meeting room for foreigners...he sat against the wall, where he was completely in the shadows and the visitor would walk in and see his silhouette, bright stars on the ceiling, and writing on the high walls that announced that the sultan ruled with God's blessing. Very cool place and it allowed for some fun pictures and great views. After that visit, we ate a good lunch and a few of us guys walked around the old city, seeing more views of the Alhambra (on its hilltop) until going to a flamenco show that night. The flamenco was very impressive and it's always fun to get a taste of the local traditions...even if they seem to be very aimed at tourists. That's what we're here for.

Had a little bit of time on Sunday morning to explore the cathedral and the spot where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella are buried (they sent Columbus westward). Absolutely gorgeous cathedral...the best I had ever seen until I got to Salamanca. After that we headed back to Madrid...five hours on a bus through some of the rockiest, driest, most uninviting terrain I've ever seen. Still, I'm enjoying Spain even more than I thought I would. I thought it would be a fun place, but better as a good launching pad to other countries....but each city has a great spin to the Spanish culture and lifestyle that is really growing on me in a seriously good way.

Thanks again for reading and please leave a comment if you have a second!