Granada: Alhambra, mountains and better tapas

Hola! So this weekend was a blast! Friday was my last day of my Spanish intensive course, and what a relief! The 3 hour power lecture Monday through Friday was getting a little old. To celebrate, I took a bus to Granada with some friends and had an amazing weekend!

We arrived in Granada on Friday night and hit some difficulties right off the bat - accidentally booked the hostel Granada Oasis in Nicaragua, Africa! Who would've thought? And of course the man at the front desk continued to freak us out more by telling us everything in the city was booked! Well, luckily he was wrong. The first place we went to was completely empty and at 15 euro a night, it was worth it. That night one of my friends met a promoter for a discoteca. He gave us all free admission tickets (usually it costs a little under 10 euro) to get into this discoteca. We we're definitely the only Americans there, and it was such a great time!

The next morning, after a full night of dancing we dragged our tired bodies out of bed to see Alhambra. We had to walk uphill for about 15 minutes, with which how tired we were was not the most enjoyable! However, it was worth it! Alhambra was gorgeous. It was up on a hill, so you could see the entire city and the white snow capped Sierre Nevada mountains in the background. Absolutely beautiful! While in Granada I also visited the Real Capilla, where Isabel and Fernando are burried. We weren't allowed to take pictures here, but it was really eery looking at the coffins of the deceased Catholic Monarchs that have had such a huge impact on the history of Spain and the Americas.

View from Alhambra

That night we went out for drinks and tapas. Although Sevilla is amazing and beautiful, Granada wins the tapas contest. First of all, free tapas with every drink - that doesn't happen in Sevilla. Also, each tapa I ate in Granada was delicious - from calamari, montaditos (little sandwiches), beef skewers, spanish omelettes, shredded beef, and potatoes. I was in heaven, and I'm glad the food isn't as tasty in Sevilla because I would probably gain 20 pounds :)

Out for tapas!

Today, I started classes. So far they seem that they will be pretty laid back - definitely a change of pace from classes at Madison! My first class was European Economy and I think it will be interesting and helpful to learn all about the EU. My next class was Services Management. The professor for that class was pretty engaging and apparently we have a company visit at McDonald's during the semester. Yes, McDonald's is popular here too!

I have also started planning some additional trips. In March I will be heading to Rome for a weekend, and then to Barcelona for another weekend. Also, in May we have a week off from school for Semana Santa. I plan on going to Paris to visit a friend, and from there possibly Amsterdam, Belgium, and/or Germany. It's still in the works. I wish I could go everywhere, but there's just not enough time!

On a side note, just something interesting I've noticed since I've been here. As most of you know, I was a little nervous about being pinpointed as an American because my hair is so blonde. Well, its been the exact opposite. I've had multiple people ask me if I am German. One man even started speaking German to me! Also, I have been asked for directions twice now. It sounds silly, but I was flattered that I actually looked like I belonged. Moral of the story, I don't look like a complete foreigner, which I am happy about!

miss you all. besos!