Hola!
I had a great weekend enjoying the beautiful weather with my friends. On Friday, a group of us went with our program directors to Cordoba, a 2 1/2 hour bus ride away. It was the capital of spain at one point and has a beautiful mosque from that era. It also had a jewish quarter with a synogogue and jewish museum that were cool to see as well. I enjoyed the trip and learning about all of the history there- a lot of it I already knew from my Culture of Islam class- so even though there´s barely any work, my classes are worthwhile!
On Saturday morning, I went to the flea market with my senora which was really cool and overwhelming! There were so many booths of endless clothes, shoes, and random things. She bought a shirt (kind of ugly but I told her I liked it) and I bought a dress for 3 euro! We met up with her friend there who happens to me the senora of two of my friends on the program and went for tapas with her on our way home. It was nice to spend time with her outside of our apartment and I enjoyed seeing a part of Granada I´d never been to before.
Later that day, I met up with two of my friends who are studying in Barcelona (Benji and Dana) who were visitng for the weekend. Carly, Dana, Brett, and I had a great time showing them our favorite places in Granada and exploring new ones as well. We went to a beautiful park, walked along the river, hung out in plazas, went out for tapas (we found a great Chinese food tapas bar with great lo mein noodles), and went to a Discoteca we had never been to. We all enjoyed catching up and spending a relaxing weekend together.
This week I´ve been spending time outside, doing homework, and getting ready for Jon to come on Thursday! I can´t wait to see him and show him Granada. We´re also traveling to Barcelona and Rome where we´ll do lots of sightseeing and spend time with our friends that are abroad.
I hope everyone is doing well!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Mom visits!
Hi!
One class left until the weekend! I got through my first 2 tests of the semester and I think they went well-- It's finally gorgeous weather in Granada and all of us are so excited to be able to spend time outside.
Unfortunately, when my mom was in Granada last week it was rainy and cold all week but we still had an amazing time! I met her at the Madrid airport on Sunday and we flew back to Granada together, checked into our hotel, and then walked to my apartment. Maria was waiting for us with a huge lunch, even though she told me she would have my mom over for lunch on Monday. She was excited to meet my mom and I spent the entire lunch translating questions and answers back and forth between them. They were able to communicate a little because my mom speaks a little Spanish and Maria a little English so that was fun to watch. She cooked tortilla espanola, my favorite, and a lot of other food- it was delicious! Later, my mom and I walked up the Albacin to the San Nicholas viewpoint and saw a beautiful view of the city at sunset.
On Monday it was raining when we woke up, but we still walked around the city and bought some souvenirs in the silk market. We went to my apartment for lunch with Maria and this time she cooked us Paella, the other traditional Spanish meal. The food was great and we had another long conversation about politics (Spanish people love Obama), her family, life in Spain, and other topics. I learned so much about her throughout those two days because my mom asked questions that I never even thought to ask her! The lunches with Maria were two of my favorite parts of my Mom's visit.
My mom came to art class with me because we had a field trip to the San Jeronimo Monestary and even though my teacher spoke in Spanish the entire time, my mom understood a lot of it! We heard female monks singing and saw them walking around inside as well. After class, we went for tapas with two of my friends at one of our favorite tapas places. I loved introducing my mom to my favorite tradition in Granada!
On Tuesday we relaxed and walked around the city. We found great lunch and dinner places that I never knew existed. We went to Cafe Futbol for cafe con leche and dessert after dinner and tried a typical sweet of Granada. It was great!
We woke up early on Wednesday and hiked up to the Alhambra. Even though it was my second time there, I still loved it and enjoyed learning more about its history. That night we went out for tapas with a bunch of my friends at one of my favorite tapas bars, La Riviera, and had a great time!
After class on Thursday, we flew to Madrid to begin our Madrid/Toledo leg of the trip. We were so happy with our hotel room and had a great location-- in walking distance of everything!
Friday was a huge touristy day for us-- We started with the Prado Museum and walked around according to Rick Steve's guide which was so helpful. We then went to the Thyseen Museum, the Puerta del Sol, Palaccio Real, and Plaza Mayor. We were so impresed with Palaccio Real-- it reminded us a lot of Versailles because of how cool it was to see where the royalty lived. For dinner we found a fish place close to our hotel with a waitor who spoke perfect English and was so nice to us.
On Saturday we took a 30 min train to Toledo where we spent the day touring the historic city. We saw the Santa Cruz Museum, The Cathedral, two synogagues/museums, the outside of El Greco's home (under rennovation), and Santo Tome, which has El Greco's most famous painting. We were so impressed by the Cathedral and enjoyed learning about El Greco while in his hometown. After relaxing in the Plaza de Zocodover, we walked back to the train station and returned to Madrid. We walked around the city and ate dinner before going to bed.
We started off our last day in Madrid by going to El Rastro, the biggest flea market in Eurpe! It was so overwhelming and fun! Next we went to the Reina Sofia Museum and really enjoyed seeing art by Picasso, Dali, Miro and other famous paintors. After the Museum we got corn and sweet potatoes for lunch from a street vender that were delicious! We then walked through the huge park, people-watching and enjoying the warm weather. We ended the week with a great walk around the city, dinner, and then returned to the hotel to pack for our flights.
I am so lucky that my mom visited-- I had an incredible time with her and it was a week I'll remember forever!
One class left until the weekend! I got through my first 2 tests of the semester and I think they went well-- It's finally gorgeous weather in Granada and all of us are so excited to be able to spend time outside.
Unfortunately, when my mom was in Granada last week it was rainy and cold all week but we still had an amazing time! I met her at the Madrid airport on Sunday and we flew back to Granada together, checked into our hotel, and then walked to my apartment. Maria was waiting for us with a huge lunch, even though she told me she would have my mom over for lunch on Monday. She was excited to meet my mom and I spent the entire lunch translating questions and answers back and forth between them. They were able to communicate a little because my mom speaks a little Spanish and Maria a little English so that was fun to watch. She cooked tortilla espanola, my favorite, and a lot of other food- it was delicious! Later, my mom and I walked up the Albacin to the San Nicholas viewpoint and saw a beautiful view of the city at sunset.
On Monday it was raining when we woke up, but we still walked around the city and bought some souvenirs in the silk market. We went to my apartment for lunch with Maria and this time she cooked us Paella, the other traditional Spanish meal. The food was great and we had another long conversation about politics (Spanish people love Obama), her family, life in Spain, and other topics. I learned so much about her throughout those two days because my mom asked questions that I never even thought to ask her! The lunches with Maria were two of my favorite parts of my Mom's visit.
My mom came to art class with me because we had a field trip to the San Jeronimo Monestary and even though my teacher spoke in Spanish the entire time, my mom understood a lot of it! We heard female monks singing and saw them walking around inside as well. After class, we went for tapas with two of my friends at one of our favorite tapas places. I loved introducing my mom to my favorite tradition in Granada!
On Tuesday we relaxed and walked around the city. We found great lunch and dinner places that I never knew existed. We went to Cafe Futbol for cafe con leche and dessert after dinner and tried a typical sweet of Granada. It was great!
We woke up early on Wednesday and hiked up to the Alhambra. Even though it was my second time there, I still loved it and enjoyed learning more about its history. That night we went out for tapas with a bunch of my friends at one of my favorite tapas bars, La Riviera, and had a great time!
After class on Thursday, we flew to Madrid to begin our Madrid/Toledo leg of the trip. We were so happy with our hotel room and had a great location-- in walking distance of everything!
Friday was a huge touristy day for us-- We started with the Prado Museum and walked around according to Rick Steve's guide which was so helpful. We then went to the Thyseen Museum, the Puerta del Sol, Palaccio Real, and Plaza Mayor. We were so impresed with Palaccio Real-- it reminded us a lot of Versailles because of how cool it was to see where the royalty lived. For dinner we found a fish place close to our hotel with a waitor who spoke perfect English and was so nice to us.
On Saturday we took a 30 min train to Toledo where we spent the day touring the historic city. We saw the Santa Cruz Museum, The Cathedral, two synogagues/museums, the outside of El Greco's home (under rennovation), and Santo Tome, which has El Greco's most famous painting. We were so impressed by the Cathedral and enjoyed learning about El Greco while in his hometown. After relaxing in the Plaza de Zocodover, we walked back to the train station and returned to Madrid. We walked around the city and ate dinner before going to bed.
We started off our last day in Madrid by going to El Rastro, the biggest flea market in Eurpe! It was so overwhelming and fun! Next we went to the Reina Sofia Museum and really enjoyed seeing art by Picasso, Dali, Miro and other famous paintors. After the Museum we got corn and sweet potatoes for lunch from a street vender that were delicious! We then walked through the huge park, people-watching and enjoying the warm weather. We ended the week with a great walk around the city, dinner, and then returned to the hotel to pack for our flights.
I am so lucky that my mom visited-- I had an incredible time with her and it was a week I'll remember forever!
Monday, March 9, 2009
Italia!
Hi all! I'm so sorry I have not updated in so long! I had a wonderful week traveling Italy and then spent 8 amazing days with my mom in Granada, Madrid, & Toledo! She left this morning and I miss her already!
I have a few tests this week that I should probably study for so I'll write about Italy and save the week with my mom for after my test....
My trip started two thursdays ago-- I flew into Milan and stayed with my friend Elissa for the night and then toured the city with her and her friends the next day. We had a great time! I loved seeing the Duomo, the castle, and a great art museum. We had a great dinner at an all-you-can-eat Italian buffet and were so full! That night I met up with 8 of my friends and slept in a hostel (we were their first travelers-- kind of sketchy!) before our early departure to Venice.
On Saturday we took a 7am train to Venice and spent the entire day there. The city was celebrating Carnivale-- there were so many tourists and people dressed in crazy costumes. We loved it! We went to the huge church, had a great lunch by the river, tried gelato for the first time (amazing!), and then went to the Peggy Guggenheim museum. At night we danced on the streets with all of the other people celebrating Carnivale-- it was so fun!
We arrived in Florence on Sunday morning and walked around the leather market where they were selling jackets, gloves, ties, scarves and lots of souveniers. Josh Keller and Marc Kovarsky, two of my friends from Illinois (Josh from high school too!) that are studying in Florence, met up with us and showed us around the city. I stayed with them for 3 nights and had a great time-- they were wonderful hosts. We had 3 great dinners-- my favorite was at Agua el 2 where we got delicious strawberry wine! I loved climbing to the top of the Duomo and seeing the city, seeing Michaelangelo's David in person (incredible!), and walking across the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge multiple times a day. I also got to spend time with my friend Stephanie and it was great to see her and catch up. Florence is a beautiful city and I can see why my friends love studying there.
We took our final train to Rome on Wednesday and I arrived to see my friend Becky waiting for me at the train station! I was so happy to see her and I loved spending time with her while I was in Rome. After checking into our hostel, I met up with Becky and Dre (my roommate from freshman year- also studying in Rome- wonderful to see her!) and they walked around with us to the spanish steps and the Trevi Fountain. The Trevi Fountain is breathtaking-- especially at sunset. That night I had a great dinner with Becky at a cute restaurant near her apartment.
My friends and I declared Thursday "Vatican Day" and spent the day there. I loved walking around the huge basilica and climbing to the top of the copula to see the entire city. It was beautiful! We had a great lunch in the plaza and then walked to Plaza Navoa and the Pantheon. I loved the Pantheon-- it is incredible! I enjoyed listening to Rick Steve's (free podcasts that we downloaded about different sights in Rome) explanation of the history behind it. I had a great dinner that night celebrating my friend Lauren's birthday (she was visiting from London!) and catching up with her.
On Friday we started off the day at the Colosseum-- my favorite site in Rome. I cannot believe that Romans used to watch prisoners being killed as a sport! It was incredible to be there and imagine the spectacle. In the afternoon I went to the Jewish Ghetto with my two jewish friends I traveled with and we got a tour of the synogague which was really interesting. We then ate great Kosher fast food before meeting up with the rest of our friends. We went to Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum which were both really interesting. We returned to our hostel before heading back out to the Spanish Steps barcrawl-- a great way to end my 9 days in Italy! I flew back to Madrid on Saturday and met my mom at the airport the next day.....
Time to go study for my test in Culture of Islam...
Hope you are all doing well! I will update and post pictures from the week with my mom soon!
I have a few tests this week that I should probably study for so I'll write about Italy and save the week with my mom for after my test....
My trip started two thursdays ago-- I flew into Milan and stayed with my friend Elissa for the night and then toured the city with her and her friends the next day. We had a great time! I loved seeing the Duomo, the castle, and a great art museum. We had a great dinner at an all-you-can-eat Italian buffet and were so full! That night I met up with 8 of my friends and slept in a hostel (we were their first travelers-- kind of sketchy!) before our early departure to Venice.
On Saturday we took a 7am train to Venice and spent the entire day there. The city was celebrating Carnivale-- there were so many tourists and people dressed in crazy costumes. We loved it! We went to the huge church, had a great lunch by the river, tried gelato for the first time (amazing!), and then went to the Peggy Guggenheim museum. At night we danced on the streets with all of the other people celebrating Carnivale-- it was so fun!
We arrived in Florence on Sunday morning and walked around the leather market where they were selling jackets, gloves, ties, scarves and lots of souveniers. Josh Keller and Marc Kovarsky, two of my friends from Illinois (Josh from high school too!) that are studying in Florence, met up with us and showed us around the city. I stayed with them for 3 nights and had a great time-- they were wonderful hosts. We had 3 great dinners-- my favorite was at Agua el 2 where we got delicious strawberry wine! I loved climbing to the top of the Duomo and seeing the city, seeing Michaelangelo's David in person (incredible!), and walking across the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge multiple times a day. I also got to spend time with my friend Stephanie and it was great to see her and catch up. Florence is a beautiful city and I can see why my friends love studying there.
We took our final train to Rome on Wednesday and I arrived to see my friend Becky waiting for me at the train station! I was so happy to see her and I loved spending time with her while I was in Rome. After checking into our hostel, I met up with Becky and Dre (my roommate from freshman year- also studying in Rome- wonderful to see her!) and they walked around with us to the spanish steps and the Trevi Fountain. The Trevi Fountain is breathtaking-- especially at sunset. That night I had a great dinner with Becky at a cute restaurant near her apartment.
My friends and I declared Thursday "Vatican Day" and spent the day there. I loved walking around the huge basilica and climbing to the top of the copula to see the entire city. It was beautiful! We had a great lunch in the plaza and then walked to Plaza Navoa and the Pantheon. I loved the Pantheon-- it is incredible! I enjoyed listening to Rick Steve's (free podcasts that we downloaded about different sights in Rome) explanation of the history behind it. I had a great dinner that night celebrating my friend Lauren's birthday (she was visiting from London!) and catching up with her.
On Friday we started off the day at the Colosseum-- my favorite site in Rome. I cannot believe that Romans used to watch prisoners being killed as a sport! It was incredible to be there and imagine the spectacle. In the afternoon I went to the Jewish Ghetto with my two jewish friends I traveled with and we got a tour of the synogague which was really interesting. We then ate great Kosher fast food before meeting up with the rest of our friends. We went to Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum which were both really interesting. We returned to our hostel before heading back out to the Spanish Steps barcrawl-- a great way to end my 9 days in Italy! I flew back to Madrid on Saturday and met my mom at the airport the next day.....
Time to go study for my test in Culture of Islam...
Hope you are all doing well! I will update and post pictures from the week with my mom soon!
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