This morning we had our typical wake up and get to the bus by 6:30am. I woke up feeling SO much better than yesterday, I am so glad I got the medicine. I slept on the bus the whole time until we arrived in Granada around mid afternoon. When we got there Tara, Katelin and I sat around and chatted while eating our sandwiches for a while before going out to explore a bit. Everything was closed because it was siesta time so we headed back to the hotel. The top floor of the hotel had a great view of the city to one side and the snow covered mountains to the other side. We enjoyed the view before meeting up with the group.
As a group we took a long walk through some neighborhoods (part of a neighborhood is a bunch of tiny streets filled with cool Arab stores, I bought Puri a replacement part for her hookah that she asked for) in the city until we got to a beautiful view of the city. It was a great uphill walk! We decided to keep walking into the neighborhood of the gypsies which was such an interesting experience. Their houses are all built into the side of the mountain and it felt like we were in South America! There were stray animals all over, people living in caves, roofs built out of plastic, black magic books in front of windows, and gypsies. It had some nice views but it was not my favorite place to walk. We were all pretty glad to get out of there. On our way back to the hotel we stopped at a grocery store for dinner where I picked up some oranges, carrots, yogurt, and crackers which made for a tasty picnic. A bunch of us just chatted in the hotel for a while and then it was time for bed! Not a single person went out, we were all tired and the city just didn't have a good going out vibe. It was ok with me because I was still trying to get my energy back. Lots of rest!
Saturday- March 2- Granada and Sevilla
Today we woke up and took the bus to Alhambra, a very famous area of Granada. We toured the several palaces that they have there, wandered the gardens, and finally the gift shops. It was raining and kind of cold so it was hard to kill the 4 hours we were given there because it is all outside... but we made the most of it and had a lot of fun. It is a really beautiful place! The Alhambra is on a mountain opposite of the place where the gypsies live and above the rest of the city so it offers some wonderful views. It was fun to imagine the history of the place and put ourselves in the shoes of the rich people who would have lived there. After we killed our 4 hours (no joke, it was hard to kill that much time), we got onto the bus and took a two hour bus ride to Sevilla.
Tara and I snacked on the bus because we weren't given a lunch break that day. Once we got to Sevilla we went to this palace that has an outdoor park with a mosaic bench representing each city in Spain. They each depict typical things from that city which was cool to see! We strolled past them all but looked at Barcelona, Madrid, Cordoba, Granada, Sevilla, and of course Segovia for more time. After that it was off to check into the hotel.
The girls I have been having a good time with, Tara and Katelin, suddenly took a two person room together and I was again left as the awkward last person without roommates who was stuck in a room with people who needed a space filled. I felt so sad because this is the second time I've been chosen last for hotels. I ended up sharing a room with Katie M. and Kaitlin S. who are nice girls.
After dropping our things in our room Gladys took us all out to ice cream as a special treat. I had some sort of nut ice cream which was delicious! Then a bunch of us then went to the grocery store to buy some food for dinner. The girls in my room and I got crab, crackers, cheese, and greek yogurt to split between the three of us. It was nice to have people to share dinner with! We had a picnic on our bed, as usual, and then just chatted with people as they came in and out of our room. I talked with Tara and Katelin (I was feeling a bit hurt) because they approached me to say sorry about the room. Turns out Gladys just threw them in a two person because they were standing there when she was trying to get two people, they didn't intentionally leave me out. They both felt really bad, I was glad to know I wasn't being left out on purpose.
After killing a few hours talking we all started getting dressed to go out because there were a few birthdays in the group to celebrate. I ended up in a group of 7 people (we always accidentally split up and end up in different parts of the city- flaws of being a big group) who tried to get into a club we were told about but it was closed for a private party. We kept asking people on the street where more clubs were and we ended up walking a lot before stumbling into one of those people who stand on the street giving out cards for deals at their clubs. The girl was really nice giving out the cards (for one free shot each) because she showed us the way to the club. We all got in for free, got free shots, and free champagne (I wasn't drinking because of being on antibiotics) which I feel like never happens! But the one flaw was that hardly anyone was there, it was empty! So we drank our drinks and danced a bit before it became clear that one of the guys we were with needed to go home. He had pregamed too much and was throwing up in the bathroom. Katelin, Tara, and I took him home in a cab and then called it a night. My roommates got home not too much later which was nice because then we could all get to bed. We didn't get to bed until 4:30 which is pretty standard here!
Sunday- March 3- Sevilla
This morning we had breakfast at the hotel before meeting up to walk to the Alcazar of Sevilla. It was raining out and a lot of the Alcazar was outdoor patios/gardens. None of us were really feeling the tour, people were tired, hungover, and wet. It was a terrible combination! After wandering around for a while Gladys told us that we could go and head to the neighborhood where we would be doing our group lunch. We walked to the neighborhood but had some serious time to kill before our lunch reservation. It was still raining and we were all not excited about killing time there but Gladys took us to a fun tea shop! It had baskets of tea that you could smell and buy. I ended up buying some tea because it was all really cool! We then walked around into a few small stores here and there and passed the time slowly. Finally it was time for lunch so we headed to the nice restaurant. We got one of those daily meal things where you get an appetizer, a main dish, then a desert and a drink for a set price (paid by Gladys/our trip). I got salad and then some sort of veggie mixture and then we all got strawberry ice cream. The lunch was delicious and a lot of fun to do as a whole group! Our lunch took over two hours. After lunch we were all wiped and headed back to the hotel where we proceeded to nap for several hours! I loved the mid-day nap (especially because everyone was napping). We woke up with just enough time to put on some fancy clothes and then meet Gladys to walk to a Flamenco dancing place. The Flamenco show was just about two hours long and was really fun! There was only one guy dancer but he was extremely powerful and talented. The whole thing was such a fun experience! We sat in tiny little chairs, got one free drink per person, and got to watch the sweaty sweaty dancers. Tara and I kept looking at the program and guessing which person was named what because the guitar players/singers changed with each dancer (there were 7 dancers). They were all very typical spanish names such as Juan, Juan, Jose, Pedro, etc.
The walk back to the hotel consisted of a lot of people imitating the Flamenco dancers which was funny! I hung out with people for a while and then decided to call it a night. No one went out because we were all tired. It was nice to get some solid sleep!
Monday- March 4- Sevilla
Today we had a bit of a later start which was good. We met up and walked to the Cathedral in Sevilla which is the biggest in the whole world. It was raining out again but most of the Cathedral was inside which was nice. We went up to the top of the tower which was ramps instead of stairs because watchmen used to ride horses to the top of the tower. The view from the top was very beautiful! Tara, Katelin and I wandered around the Cathedral and then decided to call it a day. We headed to the grocery store for lunch where I got the same lunch as I always get. I ate with the girls in their room and then we decided to take some rest time. It was pouring and we didn't feel like being out and about in the city! I went and worked on some homework that I needed to do, talked to mom and dad, and listened to music. After a while the three of us decided to go get ice cream again and then go shopping. It was a good outing, but it was still raining so we headed back to the hotel. After a bit more chatting it was time to get dressed up (again) to go to dinner and then a boat tour. The dinner was terrible, but I ate a late lunch so I didn't mind. Our boat tour was at 9pm and it was the most interesting and yet so delightfully fun thing this weekend! We walk onto the boat and it is just fully glass walls with a completely open area in the middle. There is music blasting and lights flashing. Little did I know, we were on a party boat! There were free drinks, great music, lots of dancing, and yet the best part was that we had the whole boat to ourselves. I think it was a great thing for our group, it was fun for everyone and bonded us together. The tour was about an hour and a half which was perfect! We then went back to the hotel and a bunch of us hung out for a while before I decided I had to go to bed. Just as I was getting into bed, Kaitlin S. came back and drunkenly chatted my ear off for at least 2 hours. I was ready to kill her! I was getting so sleepy and yet she would not stop talking and there was nothing I could do. Eventually she got into bed and Katie M. came back and got into bed too. I was in bed by 3 which was later than I wanted but not too bad for here!
Tuesday- March 5- Cordoba
We got up this morning and took a two hour bus ride to Cordoba. It was of course raining again today. Gladys walked to the Mezquita to ask if we could move our reservation up a few hours so that we didn't have to kill 3.5 hours in the pouring rain in the city. Luckily they had an earlier reservation and we only had to kill one hour of time. We walked around all of the shops and walked the full square around the Mezquita before meeting up to actually go inside. It is a very cool place! It was another one of those Muslim places that the Catholic kings took over when they banished people of all other religions. The whole building is very Muslim and then in the middle there is a huge cathedral which is very funny! The Catholics were quite rude building churches/cathedrals on top of/inside of all other religious places. It was beautiful to walk around inside however it was a bit cold.
After wandering around for a while we then met up for another group lunch at a restaurant right by the Mezquita. The lunch was lots of fun and delicious too! I sat with Tara, Katelin, and Gladys which always makes for a good time. After lunch, since it was still raining, we all voted to get back to Segovia instead of walking around. It was a good thing too because we didn't get home until 9:30pm! When I got home I chatted with Puri, unpacked, ate a wonderful warm fresh dinner, and then wrote this beast of a blog. Now I am off to bed, I will do my pictures tomorrow :)
It was overall a great time in Andalusia. I am glad it was our last big trip because people in the group get ready to kill each other (although people were all very good this trip), and we get tired and hungry. I think that our group bonded so much over this trip and I feel truly comfortable with everyone. All of the group lunches, group down time, and such were great for us. We have such a wonderful group! I am also very pleased to be off of antibiotics and feeling great. I came home to clean sheets and clothes which was a treat because I love clean sheets after being sick. I only have three days of class and then Mom and Dad are stopping by for the weekend! What a great treat, I cannot wait.
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