Madrid. Seville. Granada

Friday, July 3, 2009

First day in Sevilla-- Traveling Day


Waking up and getting to Sevilla was the difficult part. We had to be waiting for the bus by 9am; which would already be a feat. That is, after we woke up, showered, finished packing, ate breakfast, and carried our near 50 lb suitcases down 3 stories... simply getting to the bus was hard. To make matters even better the bus we ordered was simply too small. For a near 5 hour venture; an 18 person bus was ordered to seat exactly 18 people-- very tightly. We could have done it if our suitcases had fit, I guess 18 people with 3 weeks of suitcases on a small bus was not figured into the bus booking. So, after waiting over an hour for a larger bus, we were finally on the road to Sevilla. We stopped a long the way in Cordoba to view a Mosque, (once the largest in the world). It was enormous and had both Catholic and Islamic influences because of numerous takeovers over a thousand years ago. It was too big and we were too tired so most of our group just ended up sitting and waiting to leave. Once back on the bus I got a little sleep before finally arriving in Sevilla around 5pm. We unpacked and got our rooming assignments, and Merritt and I were assigned to share a 2 person room! Finally some space! We were very excited about rooming together which quickly died when we realized our room had no air conditioning... but that problem would have to be resolved later. We then went out for a quick dinner and a walk around to get our bearings in Sevilla. After some gelato we were ready for bed, and all happily in bed by midnight! 

Last day in Granada!


The last day in Granada is still one of my favorite days of the trip.... not for the reason that we were LEAVING Granada; because truly it has been my favorite town. We were allowed to wake up whenever we chose (which was nice) and then had free time until one. Around 9am Allison Jamie and I headed out to shop. I was able to go into a few stores I had been dying to check out, along with the street vendors who sold small trinkets that were  necessary to purchase. My favorite purchase of the day is about half a pound of homemade tea called "te de granada". It smells like heaven. Just a whiff and I felt like I was in the tropics on the beach.... I can't wait to try it out when I get home! At 1:30 we met back at the Hostel for a late lunch and to celebrate one of our group members birthdays (his would be the next day and we would be traveling all that day). After lunch and cake we had a short siesta, worked on some shutter speed fountain pictures; and then were released back into Granada for a little farewell free time and shopping. Once back at the Hostel again, we got ready for a nice dinner (finally a chance to dress up!) We walked to an amazing restaurant, that overlooked The Alhombra at sunset. The meal was exquisite. 5 courses of mouthwatering foods... some more interesting than others. I will never forget my first (and last) bite of blood sausage. It's aftertaste stayed with me all night... around 11 it was back to the Hostel, to finish packing and sleep! Tomorrow we would leave bright and early for Sevilla! 

Thursday, July 2, 2009

The hike!


On tuesday our guides thought it would be a great idea to take a hike. So, we were on the bus around 9am for a 2 hour drive towards our destination, where we would then enter a small town and make our way into the mountains. Around 11ish we had reached the town, unloaded; and strapped with backpacks and water bottles made our way towards the path. Somehow in the course of 100 feet our group was then separated. Davin (one of our guides) was in the front and led about 6 kids down one path.... when our group caught up with Meghan (our other guide) there was a fork in the road... and ofcourse we chose the OTHER path. So for the next 3 hours our two groups were separated, wandering the mountains of Spain... The original plan was to wear your swimsuits so that at the middle of one trail there was a swimming hole and waterfall; but that was the path Davin's group took. I was in Meghans group with the other 10 students from our school, and ofcourse Davin had the map and his cell phone was dead... so it was a very interesting 3 hours. Regardless of the situation, our group had a lot of fun wandering the mountains (sarcasm) but really it wasn't that bad. I was tired and didn't want to be there... personally I have nothing against hiking or nature and I really do like it it's just that I wasn't really in the mood or shape to be doing this kind of walking. (Picture steep incline of a tread mill in 100+ heat for 3 hours). But our group made it fun and after reaching the next town that lunch was the most rejuvenating one I have ever had.... It really was a challenging, frustrating, exciting, entertaining and interesting day. 

Jun 27th- Sunny Mondays and Horse Shows


On monday we took a 9am bus ride out to training stables to watch horse lessons. Originally the plan was to view the traditional Spanish style "training of horses", but it turned out to just watching the upper Granada elite take riding lessons. Regardless, it was great to get some action shots of the horses, get to interact with the horses in the stables, and capture the early morning lighting. The stables were attached to a country club; so instead of the normal "country clubs" in Houston featuring tennis or golf; this one was dedicated to riding. All the riders were learning English, which reminded me of the days that I used to ride when I was younger. Sometimes I really do still miss riding, and it was fun to live vicariously through these riders because I understood the difficulties and skills of jumping large quarter horses. After the stables we went to a lunch at a chinese buffet, it was probably my favorite meal yet. Just the word buffet gave me excitement but the excess of fruits and vegetables, all meats and desserts gave me all the protein and nutrition I was craving. It was a very relaxing day!