More Granada Experiences

I finally feel like I am fully experiencing and getting to know Granada! This week I went to the main discoteca THREE TIMES, each time staying out until at least 4 am. Not only is it an extremely fun club, but it has the absolute best view of the Alhambra and it is incredible to sit outside and take it all in during the wee hours of the morning.

On Thursday I also went on a hike through the Sierra Nevadas with my program. There were some gorgeous views as we climbed through mountains and hills and passed along a small stream.

On Saturday, I also went to a bull fight with some friends. At first, I thought it was more like a fun show of running bulls and waving red flags. NOPE. In reality, it is a cruel, drawn out taunting, torturing, and murder of the poor animals. It was a good cultural experience, but I definitely do not need to return ever again.

Today, Sunday, there is a festival for a big holiday that they celebrate here. There will be a procession through the main street and tons of vendors along the way. It should be fun!

Lagos

Friday morning the roomies and I headed to the bus stop to depart for a planned weekend vacation in Lagos, Portugal. It was 6:00 am when we boarded the bus and arrived in Seville, Spain 2.5 hours later. There, we picked up more students including 9 kids who go to DU-three of whom are in my sorority! It was like a mini DU reunion and I couldn't have been more excited for the weekend ahead. Around 2, we arrived in Lagos and after playing around on the beach we boarded a Sangria Sailboat Cruise. Fun in the Sun, for sure.

After that, we got ready for a night out in Portugal. We had Indian cuisine for dinner and then went to a local bar where there was a private party for the kids on the vacation. It was a blast dancing all night and spending time with friends I hadn't seen since May! On Saturday, we headed to another beach nearby and spent the entire day there.  We ate lunch overlooking the Atlantic ocean and gathered a nice bronze.

That night we went out to a point called The End of The World to watch the sunset. The wind rushed over the cliffs as we sat and witnessed the most magnificent sunset I have ever seen. 

That night we went to another bar party and yet again, danced the evening away. Sunday was another day on the beach and we also walked around the town of Lagos and passed by dozens of little restaurants and shops. It was definitely a weekend to remember!

A week in the Life

This past week has been one of excitement and some ups and downs. On Tuesday I just had class and then had a relaxing evening in. Wednesday night was ladies night at one of the discotecas, Granada 10. Girls got in for free and we had a little VIP section because we were celebrating my birthday again. There were lots of Americans and we danced the night away to old school American music.

I had class at 9 am on Thursday morning so I called it an early night at 1 am and headed home. Thursday was another day of rest to prepare for Friday. That night we hung out with a group of kids from our program and met up at a centrally located bar. Saturday we slept in nice and late and then went shopping. At this time, I started to feel a little home sick but tried to push through it. I talked to my mom a little and that helped, but now I am fully recovered! On Sunday a small group of us went to a beach about an hour south of Granada called . It was less touristy than Nerja where we went last weekend but still fun. Two of the boys and I found some rocks to jump off and after we soaked up the Spanish sun.

Mi Cumpleanos!!

Monday morning I woke up one year older. When I arrived at school, Summer adorned me with a birthday lei from Hawaii and the class sang to me in Spanish. For lunch, Carolina made me a delicious salad and chicken, just like I had asked for. After a short siesta, I went into town to shop for a birthday outfit. I found a super cute dress and then met up with a group of girls from my program at a restaurant. I had a birthday mojito and after we went to a discoteca called Granada 10. It was a Monday night so we made up the majority of the population, but it was really fun nonetheless. We danced to outdated American music all night and I finally got to bed at 3 am. Absolutely fantastic birthday!!!

Nerja

On Friday night Lizz, a friend from DU, arrived in Granada and we hit the town. After dinner, we went to a bar on one of the most popular tapas streets and met some new friends from Madrid, Granada, and Germany. Apparently one of the guys from Granada plays on the city's futbol team. No big deal. We socialised with the locals for a few hours I met up with my roommates at a nearby discoteca called El Capitol. It was a huge dance floor filled with nearly 200 people from all over the world. Such a blast! By the time we ended our evening, it was 6 am-not unusual for Spain but our poor bodies were feeling it.

Two hours later, I awoke to catch a 10 am bus to Nerja, a beach about an hour south of Granada, with Summer, Lizz, and three boys from our program, Matt, Conner, and Pyper. The ride to the beach was one of the most beautiful car rides I have ever been on. We passed crystal clear blue beaches and bright white houses along the water. The city itself is small with tons of cafes, little shops, plazas and parks that come to a point at a large  breathtaking overlook. We found a hostel and then spent the afternoon on a beach near the center of town. By this time it was late afternoon and the water was freezing! However, it felt so refreshing to take a dive in the Mediterranean Sea! On the sand, some boys were doing gymnastics and flipping tricks after jumping off of a buoy that they dug into the sand. It was really sweet and the boys took part in the fun while us girls laid in the sun. For dinner that night we went to a small tapas bar and then walked around for a little while. We were all exhausted after our first full week in Spain though, and headed to our hostel for a good nights sleep.

On Sunday morning, we woke up nice and early to head to the beach. We chose a more secluded area that was surrounded by rocks and small caves. Of course, we made the most of the scene and had a blast jumping off the cliffs into the water. After a long day at the beach, we had dinner and walked around a park before catching the bus back home. It was a very successful weekend!

Arrival in Granada!!!

We are finally in Granada!! We got here on Wednesday evening and were dropped off in a town square where we met our host mothers. Mine is a 45 year old woman named Carolina and she embraced me and my two roommates, Kenzie and Hillary, right off the bat. We wheeled our loads of luggage across the city to her apartment, which was about 20 minutes away. We walked down cobblestone streets past hundreds of little shops and cafes. Oh ya, and there are ice cream and gelato shops EVERYWHERE!!! There are also so many amazing buildings with such old architecture and the views are absolutely spectacular. We arrived at her apartment and the flat is perfect! It is on the fourth floor of an apartment building that is about a 25 minute walk from the university but only about 15 from the center of the city. There are four bedrooms, one for Carolina and one for each of her two children. Alejandro is 11 and Lucia is 16. They have been in Paris visiting their dad for the summer and will return on Friday. Then, there is a large room for the three of us girls. I am sleeping on the bottom bunk with Kenzie on the top of a bunk bed set and Hillary has a twin bed on the other side of the room. There are also two large closets and we have our own bathroon, which is super nice. We unpacked and then had dinner at about 8:30 pm, which is completely normal for them. Carolina served a delicious vinaigrette salad with tomatos, spinach, apples, and more. She also made us each an omelette and offered bread and grapes as well. After, she led us on a little tour of the city. We followed the main river that runs through the town and then had ice cream at what she declares the best in Granada. Oh ya, Carolina also told us that we have to pay money to a collective jar every time we talk in English. This trip could be more expensive then I thought!

On Thursday morning, we had a placement exam at 8:40 in the morning. After a few hours of testing, we were told which level we would be in for our first month of classes on a 1-9 scale. I am a 4, which I am very content with. After, a group of us went to a tapas bar where they served three small plates of food (tapas) with our drink order for only 2 euro. That means that it cost less than $3 for a cup of coffee and the amount of food served in an American appetizer. It was fantastic! Later, we went home for lunch at about 3 pm and had chicken and salad. After, we met up with the program directors and the rest of the students in the town square and they gave us a walking tour of the entire city. We saw a lot of different neighborhoods, parks, more shops, fountains, statues, and lots more. We also saw the Alahambra, which a beautiful Moorish palace built for the last Muslim Emirs in Spain. For dinner we had a picnic and then went to a Flamenco show. Wowwwww!! I have never seen people dance so quickly and with such intense and emotional expression. There were four different women and a man who all did a solo dance while other others clapped and two other men played guitars and sang in the background. It was absolutely fabulous. For the evening, we walked around to different local bars and enjoyed the wine and verano tinto (a local drink). I could totally get used to this life. 

Classes started Friday morning and my schedule has me in class from 9-11 and then 11-1. I am in class with 8 other students, 3 who are from DU, one from a different school in Colorado, another from California, a woman from Wisconsin, a guy from Germany, and a girl from Japan. We talked the entire class in Spanish and I was able to keep up, it was great!! After, I went home for lunch and met my new siblings. They are so sweet and I really think it will be fun to have them around.