Keep Calm and Adventure On: Las Cuevas y Sierra Nevada

Oh, beautiful Granada! It was one of the most beautiful places that I've visited so far in Spain. Our program took us on this trip, no extra planning needed on our part! We were free to enjoy the mountains and beautiful hilly city at our leisure, with a few planned excursions thrown in throughout the weekend ...and a sweet hotel to stay in (yay non-army showers!).

We stopped in Córdoba on the way to Granada for a few hours to see the great mezquita (mosque). The mezquita is significant because the continuous shifts in power and religion are so apparent within the current structure. The site originally housed a pagan temple during the Roman rule of the Córdoba, and later a church, during the Visigoth rule in Córdoba. When the Muslims took control of Spain (Córdoba specifically in 711) they built a grand mosque on top of the structure. During this time Córdoba was one of the most advanced cities in the world, home to over 3, 000 mosques, 300 public baths, and the largest library in the world at that time. It was also thought to be the most populous city in the world during this time. During the Spanish reconquista, when Córdoba was recaptured by Christian rulers, the mosque was converted into a cathedral. However, the Islamic mosque was so grand and expansive, that much of it was left as a mosque even after it became a cathedral. The center of the building was converted into a traditional central nave for the cathedral, but the arcaded hypostyle arcs (Umayyad traditional style - the first picture below) make up a large part of the building that was not changed. So today, in the center of the massive complex there is a cross-shaped cathedral which is surrounded by Umayyad-style rectangular Muslim prayer halls.

Back on the bus, and two hours later we arrived into the bustling town of Granada! The streets were packed with young people. Even though Granada is smaller in population than Sevilla, it has way more students and young people. The night we arrived was the Festival de Primavera (Spring Festival) in Granada, one of the biggest bottelóns in Spain. The streets were packed with people who were out to celebrate the beginning of Spring! Later that night we went to a flamenco show in one of the cuevas (caves) up in the hills of Granada. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, the city-center is located in the valley but the town spreads far up into the hills. Up in these hills there are tons of caves that are home to gypsies, tea-houses, flamenco performances, and lots and lots of hippies. We had the fabulous chance to see a flamenco show in one of these caves the first night. Flamenco originated in Andalucía and I'd never seen anything like it before, and was completely blown away by the performance.

We visited the Alhambra the next morning - Granada's famous Moorish palace/fortress complex. It was built in the mid-14th century for the last Muslim rulers in Spain. Granada was the last city to be taken back by the Christian rulers during the Spanish reconquista. And because of this the Alhambra is the most recent Islamic architecture in the history of Spain, much different than the mudéjar style Muslim architecture found in Sevilla (the Alcázar palace is the most important example in Sevilla). Everything about the Alhambra was beautiful and exquisitely ornate. Whereas the Alcázar feels tropical and cozy, the home to peacocks and palm trees, the Alhambra is the opposite. It sprawls majestically on the top of hills overlooking the city with grand views of the Sierra Nevada's all around. After spending a few hours walking around the Alhambra, Sam and I went down into town to meet with her friend who lives in Granada. After lunch the three of us started out on hike to explore Granada. We hiked up high into the hills, past the highest plaza with the last few cafes in town, and up to where people lived in caves. Sam's friend knew a lot of the people that lived in these caves and had even lived in one a few years ago. We got to meet the people and look into their cave homes. Our final stop was at a wonderful tea house/cave situated on the back of one of these high hills. We relaxed, sipped green tea, and got to enjoy the beautiful afternoon sitting in a garden surrounded by art and mountains.

On the bus to Granada I overheard someone talking about skiing while they were in Granada. I had been trying to figure out a way to make it to Granada to ski, but hadn't really found anyone to go with. Turns out the guy, Derrick, didn't have anyone to go with, but was going to go regardless. So I eagerly agreed to join him and ski all day Sunday. We woke up early Sunday morning and took a bus from Granada into the mountains and had an awesome time. After a long, long day of skiing we took the bus back into Granada and waited for our bus back to Sevilla - separately from our program since they had left earlier in the day. I unfortunately didn't wear sunscreen while, and definitely paid the price the following week. I spent most of the week cooped up inside with sun poisoning - a red puffy face and swollen eyes. Never a mistake I will make again, but nonetheless I'm very happy I had a chance to go skiing in Spain.

I've been having a hard time getting this post written and posted! Surprising, since I spent most of last week inside trying to heal - and hiding my red puffy face from the sun/people. This past weekend, however, was the first weekend I've spent in Sevilla in a while! I went with friends to some thrift shops to get some clothes for our hiking trip, spent lots of time at the river, and have been making some Spanish friends. We leave for the Picos de Europa in northern Spain this Friday and return next Wednesday, just in time to see the best parts of Semana Santa.