Andalucia Part III, Finally

Alright, so Part III has finally arrived and we can get on with our lives. I've got a lot of ideas for new posts, but I wanted to wait until I finished Andalucia and got done with midterms (which went alright, I believe).

We wake up on our third day and have to get ready to head out. I woke up early to shower and get down to breakfast. A few more people skipped breakfast this day than yesterday, probably people stayed out pretty late the night before. After breakfast everyone had their stuff ready to go.

As soon as we stepped out of the hotel... downpour. We ran with all our bags as fast as we could to the bus. Though I wore a rainjacket, everyone was drenched. My windproof umbrella already broke (I will be calling the company about that one when I get home!), so yeah. I was wet.

After several hours in the bus (like 4...) we made it to our hotel in Granada. I decided to shower and sleep as it was pouring outside. Then we gathered in the lobby and proceeded to walk through the rain-soaked streets to the Almaiceria, which served as a marketplace for the city during the muslim times. It was a little open square with doors all along where vendors would gather under tents and those requiring more permanent building space would have shops all around. Then, on the second floor were more rooms for shopkeepers. Now, the space is used to centralize all the services for elderly people in the town, works pretty well.

Next stop: Capilla Real. at this ornate chapel, the Catholic Kings (Isabel and Fernando) are laid to rest and their daughter Juana "La Loca" and son-in-law Felipe II are interred. The chapel was chock full of decoration, strongly influenced by the power of the Kings. They definitely made it clear that their reign was a Catholic one, separation of church and state was a total joke for them. Alongside an altar beautifully decorated with 3-D representations of Christ's life were powerful symbols of the kingdom: the coat of arms, sculptures, and other references to the Spanish Empire (which had grown to include part of the New World at this point).

After the chapel visit, in time that would normally be dedicated to postcard-shopping, I raced to eat lunch. I darted in to Burger King, lame I know. But with the downpour outside and being cold, wet, and hungry, I wanted a meal that was familiar, warm, and cheap. One thing interesting to note about fast food here: I've been in a couple KFC's, Burger Kings and the like that have security guards. Makes me feel more unsafe... why do I need a security guard in a place like that?! But I digress.

Then I went back and read For Whom the Bell Tolls by Hemingway. It's my novel for the semester (but I've since finished. I'm dying for another novel in English other than the Twilight series, which every girl in my program has. Anyone up for sending a package is welcome to send a new book!). I also wrote some postcards. Around 9 PM we had a great dinner at the hotel restaurant which definitely beat walking around in the rain. At night, we hung out in rooms and watched TV, played cards, etc.

Next morning, our last in Andalucia, we woke up and got packed again. We headed out to La Alhambra and the Jardines del Generalife. The alhambra originated as a muslim castle and palace. Some parts of the first construction of the palace are deteriorating, while the later expansions are in better condition. The palace was very beautiful and full of artwork and beautiful design. The muslims didn't believe in using representatives of people (or animals for that matter) in their artwork, so they used absolutely stunning geometric and flora-like patterns. There was a domed ceiling in one area that was completely constructed out of puzzled wood pieces in a dizzying geometric design with rings of stars to represent their levels of heaven. And the pieces are just inches long, each.

Later in the life of the Alhambra, long after the last muslim caliph, or emperor, was kicked out, Carlos V built a massive palace that is one gigantic square with a circle plaza in it. It was designed by Enlightenment architects, but I thought it was pretty boring. Also, I believe it was he who built the large jardines, or gardens, that surround the area. Since it wasn't spring and nothing was in bloom, the gardens were nice, but certainly not breathtaking. However, the castle-wall-like hedges made me think about how when I'm rich and famous my garden will have a sweet hedge maze.

Finally, we were on the bus and on our way home. Some people decided to stay and explore Southern Spain or Morrocco. I was physically tired and kind of tired of people and traveling, so I decided to go home. On the way home we experienced at least two full cycles of bright sunshine, downpouring rain, and blizzard condition snow. Spain's weather is crazy.

And that's it for Andalucia!

We interrupt this broadcast....

... FOR MIDTERMS! YIKES!

Quote for the day (my very own, mind you): "Instead of being able to 'study abroad' we should just be able to 'abroad'. Now THAT would be an experience!"

Sorry for keeping y'all waiting all the time, Andalucia has one more post to go, but being that it's midterms week you'll just hafta wait!

I had a Business exam on Monday, a Commercial Spanish test today, a paper on Picasso's Guernica due tomorrow, an article review for Business due tomorrow, and a Civilization test on Thursday.

My Picasso paper won't write itself, so if any of y'all are interested you have until approximately 9 AM my time tomorrow to finish. I say go for it, but I'll make sure not to count on it!

Peace.

Andalucia Part II

Hey y'all, here's the second installment on our trip through Andalucia...


So on Wednesday we woke up and went to a very nice breakfast at the Hotel. Breakfast is usually pretty small here so it's nice to see a full spread for breakfast. Sausage is very popular here at all times of the day, not like breakfast sausages, but more like what you would recognize as salami. They had 6 different sausages plus all sorts of breads and things. Very tasty.


It took us longer than usual to get going from the lobby. We were all there, so we didn't know what was up. Our professor, Andres, gathers us up and tells us what the deal is. See, we were supposed to go see Los Reales Alcázares or The Royal Castles of Isabel and Fernando. However, no one was allowed to visit them on this day. Everyone was confused at first but Andres went on to tell us how, although the Castles and Palaces throughout Spain are big historical and tourist sites, the royal family can use them whenever they want. So today, either the royal family was in Sevilla or they were hosting other heads of state here! That's so mindblowing; I'd love to be able to just call up a 550-year-old castle and say, "Look, I think I'm hosting a party with Presidents, Kings and, of course, Celebrities. Could you clear it out of tourists for me? Okay great, see you Saturday." How cool would that be?!

So, although we couldn't see the castle, we were allowed by the guards to visit the royal gardens. the gardens were originally designed by the Muslim rulers and then expanded by the Christian kings, including one who had a huge portion built just for a wedding. I think it was Carlos I.

The gardens were beautiful and decorated with towers and fountains and a really unique section that looked almost like you were in a natural cave. Walking around the outbuildings, a lot of the structures were very worn down. Muslim and mudejar (Christian buildings built by Muslim artesans that thus appear like Islamic art) buildings wear away very quickly because they had a different philosophy. The Muslim rulers built their castles very quickly, so that they could be enjoyed to the fullest during their lifetimes; they didn't really care what happened to the building once they died. Christian rulers were determined to build structures able to withstand centuries, which is why there are so many beautiful cathedrals, monestaries, and Christian castles in existence.

After our time in the gardens, we went on a walk through the Barrio de Santa Cruz (the Santa Cruz Neighborhood) which was a Jewish ghetto many centuries ago. The neighborhood has a large wall around it and at nighttime the wall can be completely closed to the outside. The Jewish people are never able to live without persecution and medieval Spain was no different. During the time of Muslim rule, their beliefs were respected but they weren't allowed to be property owners and were restricted in what occupations they could have. Jews made the best of their situation and, since followers of Islam are not allowed to lend money to one another, the Jews were able to establish a prosperous culture based on commerce and banking. When the Christians came through in the late 15th Century, they kicked out not only the Muslims but the Jews as well: convert or leave. What the Christian Kings (Isabel and Fernando) didn't realize is how much their economy would drop by kicking out the Jewish people. Interesting note: the Jewish culture from Spain, known as Sefardi (may sound familiar) settled in what is now Turkey and other parts of the near-mid-east. Many families today still have the keys to their families' houses of the 15th Century, always thinking they would have the opportunity to return.

After that, we went to the Cathedral, the largest in the world according to Guiness World Records. Technically, St. Paul's in London and St. Peter's in the Vatican could be considered bigger, but the first is Anglican and the second is a basilica so they don't really count! Anyways, the church was absolutely enormous. It still fascinates me how much power the Catholic church wielded in the medieval ages. The royalty typically aligned themselves directly with the Church, the Church had great stores of wealth, and a strong bureaucracy. As a result, their was no problem (other than time!) in building a huge cathedral. The tower of the Cathedral in Sevilla was originally used by an Islamic prayer-leader who would ride a horse up the 36 ramps, 5 times a day to lead the Muslims in prayers. When the Catholics came in, they added a massive bell-tower on top. We got the opportunity to walk around-and-around up the ramps to the top. The view was spectacular and definitely worth the hike! This picture is from only half-way up, but it was one of the best ones!

In the afternoon we had lots of free time so some friends and I went to the Plaza de España which was a semi-circle shrine to Spanish culture, built for a long-ago World's Fair in Sevilla. Since then, it's extensive plaza and large fountain have been the main site for the evening strolls, paseos, that all Spaniards seem to take. The whole plaza is decorated in ceramic tiles, an art form characteristic of southern Spain.

In the evening, after some churros and chocolate (which is more like a melted chocolate bar than hot chocolate!), our class went to a local cultural center for a flamenco performance. I didn't expect all that much from the performance, I mean, it was at what I thought was a community center. However, as soon as the guitar player started, all 75 people in the intimate audience were captivated. When the beautiful dancer waltzed on stage, we were all mesmerized by the flowing sounds and sights of the performance. By the time it ended an hour-and-a-half later, we all thought we had traveled to another world, somewhere far across time and distance. In other words, the performance was simply amazing.

After the show, a group of us went out for tapas, we had chile rellenos and stuffed potatoes, a nice meal to gather in outside of the rain. By the time we left it started pouring, then hailing, so I bailed out and headed to the hotel with friends. A good choice, because those who chose to stay out were absolutely drenched by the time they came home.

This day was fun-filled and packed with excitement but we still had another day and a half which I'll post later!

Week in Review, Andalucia Part I

Hola Chicos! Sorry it has taken me so long to get back with you all! You deserve better! Last week we were on a school field trip through southern Spain, in a province called Andalucia. The next few posts will be a review of that trip. However, this week, I've been pretty lazy, but have managed to accomplish a few things: celebrate my birthday, catch up with LOST, get addicted to Grey's Anatomy and finish the first season, visit the Sorolla Museum (he is my FAVORITE painter of all time!), and manage to get really sick yesterday and feel a lot better today. Busy week if you ask me.

Anyways, here goes on Andalucia.

Last Tuesday I got to wake up before dawn (the weird time zone in Spain means that it's always dark in the morning) and head off to school. Once there, we all piled into our favorite (sarcasm) coach bus for what would be the longest bus ride of my life. 6 Hours in all. We stopped for a half hour at a little roadside pension for a coffee. Also, they played a Spanish film in the bus which helped pass the time. I don't fit into buses very well (being tall and lanky does that to you) so the trip was tough, but the Spanish countryside is beautiful.

The trip we were taking is called "The Route of Washington Irving." You may have heard of this fellow, he was an American diplomat and author that travelled through southern Spain in the early-19th Century. He travelled between Sevilla, Córdoba, and Granada, the three cities that we visited. He wrote about his travels and research and thus introduced America to the "romantic" Spain that most people know: flamenco, bullfighting, passion, rural lifestyle. Southern Spain is definitely representative of this, however the rest of Spain reflects other cultures and modernity.

Anyways, we got to Córdoba early, which is kind of odd for us. Córdoba is a small, quiet town of cobblestone streets and brown buildings. We got to walk around before lunch, so a small group of us went off in search of postcards. We had a lot of luck and went to lunch at a small restaurant with the entire class. All I remember is that the gazpacho-like soup was very tasty. At these restaurants, some of the dishes are served community style, where you just stick your fork in with everyone else at your table and eat. The salad was served this way. It's kind of odd as an American to be sharing food like that with someone else, we always have our defined spaces for eating; our own plates.

After lunch we toured the Mezquita-Catedral. What was originally a massive mosque for the Caliphate of Al Andalus, or the Muslim Kingdom in Spain, was added on to extensively throughout time by the Muslims and then converted into a Cathedral by the Christian Kings once they reconquered. The mosque is absolutely stunning. It's a large hall, filled with pillars of various materials that support beautiful double-arches of brick and stone. The effect is a "forrest of stone" in every direction. When the Muslims came in to Spain, they used the old Roman and Visigothic remnants (pillars) to construct their own buildings. When the Catholics came, they used the building and converted the center into a Cathedral. I find it fascinating that though there may not have been absolute respect for one another's religions, the civilizations of Spain respected and admired the art and architecture of the other cultures.

Also, in the center of the mezquita is a beautiful orange orchard on a patio. The trees are all connected by a beautiful latticework of irrigation canals set within the patio. Orange trees abound all over southern Spain (as do olive orchards). Though the orange trees in the cities and mezquitas are used for cosmetics and spices (not good for just eating), the oranges that you can eat in Spain are much more tasty than those in the U.S. I don't know if you've heard of a Valencian Orange, but they originated in Valencia, Spain. The mandarins, tangerines, and other oranges are very sweet here.

After Córdoba, we hopped back on the bus for our trip to our hotel in Sevilla. I'm impressed with the nice accomodations that we get on our trips; I always feel very comfortable and safe in the hotels we get to stay in. We stayed at the Hotel Fernando III in Sevilla, which is just tucked into one of the small streets.

It was rainy and wet in the evening so we just went out to a tapas restaurant for dinner. My friend and I split the black spaghetti with scallops and crab pie. The black spaghetti was VERY good, it's colored and flavored with octopus ink, how exotic! We expected the crab pie to be like crab cakes, but it was more like a crap pate, which was a weird consistency, didn't enjoy that one so much. Afterwards we just went home in the rain.

It's weird because Andalucia is semi-arid yet this winter has been the strangest one for all of Spain in many years. It downpoured, at least once, in every city we visited in Andalucia! The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain!

That was the end of the first day, I'll fill you in on the other days later this weekend! Sorry again that you had to wait so long for a new post! Hope you enjoyed this one!

El Kapital

Hello All,

Sorry I don't update my blog nearly as much as you or I would both like to! I've been very busy with a variety of activities and tomorrow we head out to Andalucia. Andalucia's practically a desert but there's a 100% chance of rain for the next three days, go figure, but that's an entirely different post.

Anyways, Friday could be considered my true introduction into the Madrid nightlife. On Thursday my friends and I were planning on going dancing, but we were all worn out so we decided to take it easy and just do tapas. I had a great time, but I was definitely itching to get out. Friday night I had my chance. We first started by hanging out at the apartment of several students in my program. Their Señora was gone, so we figured it would be cool if we chilled there for a while. At 1:15 AM we decided it was about time to head to El Kapital, Spain’s most famed discoteca (nightclub). We hopped into a Taxi with a Kenyan who lived his whole life in Madrid. Random taxi ride; all I understood is that he was excited Obama is now President.

After our taxi to downtown, we hopped in line with a variety of other folks. We weren’t “on the list”, so the “non-list” line is a bit longer. However, it was still moving quickly so I didn’t wait long. We get in the door and pay the cover charge. I think it was 15€ for the ladies but I think I got charged 20€, you’ll see why in a sec. We walked in to a nice little lobby and the girls checked their coats. Then I was ready to see if this club was all it was cracked up to be.

El Kapital is a theater in addition to a club. The main dance floor has a stage (in which no band was playing, but rather some Chippendale-esque dancers found their groove). The ceiling was 5 stories tall and on the sides all the way up were private VIP rooms, like theater boxes, overlooking the floor. In the back, each consecutive story had a different theme (hip hop, latin, pop, lounge) and were sealed off from the main room by walls of clear plexiglass. Pretty much in every direction you could find music to dance to and have a good time. At 1:30, the party was just starting, so things were hopping.

When you dance for hours on end you tend to get really hot. Instead of trying to air-condition the whole building (most buildings in Spain don’t have central AC), every 5 minutes or so a MASSIVE blast of chilled CO2 would be blown in from the ceiling in one gigantic pillar of cloud! It was a really cool idea and it was nice to get a blast of cool air while dancing the night away.

Additionally, I would consider myself lucky to have such a fun group of people to go out with. Since 35 out of 40 people in our group are girls, whenever we all go out, all of us guys look like total studs. All the Spanish guys were extremely jealous because, as I looked around, I saw that the dance club was over 95% men. Yes, that’s correct. Let’s just say, if you’re a desperate Spanish guy, you’ll have better luck getting a dance at a nunnery than at a club in Madrid! I spent a lot of my time “rescuing” my friends from creepy drunk guys. It was pretty funny; if some guy came up and danced with one of my friends and she enjoyed the partner, all was good. But as soon as I got “the look” I’d grab her arm and pull her over to me as though she was “taken.” I’m sure that to some of these Spanish crazies I looked like a true player, but really I was just making sure we were all having a good, safe time!

At 4:30AM, several friends and I decided that 3 hours of dancing to heart-pumping music was more than our euro’s worth and decided to hail a taxi home. The taxi home was quite a humorous experience. One of my friends was slightly inebriated and in “desperate” need of a hamburger. It’s odd because though everyone parties ‘til the morning light in Madrid, there’s absolutely NO place like Sonic, Whataburger, or Taco Cabana to pig out at when you’re in caloric deprivation after dancing. Our oddball taxi driver pulled over on a side street and told us to hop out and see the lady “over there” for a good Peruvian sandwich. We couldn’t find this sandwich lady at all so we gave up. Ends up, the sandwich lady is illegal, so she runs around the block with a bag of homemade sandwiches and sells them to whoever can catch her. Yeah right, like I’m going to buy a sandwich out of a random plastic bag at 4:45 AM from a Peruvian lady in Madrid!!! Way funny. So, we got back in the car and headed home, disappointed in the taxi driver’s choice of post-party food.

After getting home, I was desperate for a shower, there’s no way I can sleep smelling like an ashtray. I showered and went to bed. Concha finally woke me up at 3 PM, afraid I had died or something since she didn’t hear me come in! All in all, it was a very fun cultural experience, but I don’t exactly think I can maintain the clubbing lifestyle. Madrid young adults are famous for being able to party all night, come home and shower, chug an espresso, and head back to work! No way in the world I could pull that off!

Well, good night, and I’ll update you from Andalucia!