A Whole New World

Author's note: Hey guys, so this week has been really busy. I had a lot more homework than usual and it all kind of just happened at one and Fallas is starting (but that's a whole other post) so... point being, I am terribly sorry for not having written this week, but since I'm staying in town this weekend I should be able to update you on everything. In the interests of getting SOMETHING out there, this post is pretty much just going to be Granada. My post about this week comes later. 

The first part of this blog, for the curious, was written in the single most middle of freaking nowhere train station I have ever been at. Here’s a picture.

I’m pretty sure that those are olive fields. Because that’s all that there is.

But the actual content of this blog is not about being in an (admittedly very nice) train station, in the middle of an olive grove.

So let’s see, where did I leave off? Right, train to Granada. That was uneventful. I read, I played on my phone, I watched the movie Quartet, which they were playing on the TV on the train. It was interesting, I’ve been on several different types of trains since I’ve gotten here, and this one was pretty dinky, obviously old, but still quite comfortable. The train from Granada to Antequera Santa Ana (where I currently am) on the other hand was clearly new and nice. It had outlets by all the seats and everything. So classy.

So anyway, I got to Granada and got out of the train station and started to follow the google map directions I had downloaded to the hostel. As I walked, I thought “you know, so many Spanish cities are built on top of a hill. I really appreciate Granada for not doing that. I much prefer this method of building a city in a valley.”

And as soon as that thought had crossed my mind, I got totally lost and had to use google maps, which directed me straight up one of the steepest hills I have ever climbed. I hate irony sometimes.

So the hill was insane, and I was dying by the time I got to the top, and I couldn’t stop to rest, because I had no clue where I was, and the only people around were slightly sketchy looking old guys, and I was supposed to meet Jess at 2, and it was already 1:45. So I went onwards and upwards. And up. And up.

But I finally arrived at the hostel and Jess was there waiting for me. We went to go find a place to eat, and found this absolutely delicious Moroccan place. I'm not sure how much I've mentioned this before, but, other than all of you, the only thing I miss from the US is Indian food, and so even though the Moroccan/Arabic food is not, in fact, Indian food, it was enough of a different flavor and style that I was so incredibly happy to have it. I also was really hungry at the time. 

 But yeah, there was some delicious soup

 and couscous with chicken and raisins

and tea. It was REALLY good tea too.

So after lunch we walked around the markets for a while and explored the town.

 I have now been in Valencia, Cataluña, and both Castillas, but Andalucia is like nothing I have ever experienced in Spain. So, mini-history lesson to explain why. So remember how back in the 700s, the Muslims came from North Africa and conquered basically the Iberian Peninsula, and they called it Al-Ándalus? Right, so they got kicked out by Isabel and Ferdinand back in 1492 (yes, the same year that Columbus sailed the ocean blue. That was a big year for Spain really.) And the "reconquista" (reconquering) as it was called, took a really long time, basically starting from the North and heading South, which means that while Northern Spain was under Muslim  rule for a couple hundred years, Southern Spain was under Muslim rule for almost seven centuries. (for those keeping track, that means they were under Muslim rule for more time than has passed since they got kicked out, so a really long time.) This means that by time the reyes católicos showed up, southern Al-Ándalus was pretty arabized, so they actually just kept the name and spanishized the name into the current name of the Southernmost autonomous community of Spain: Andalucia, which, of course, retains a lot more of that influence than the rest of the country. Especially Granada, which was the last city to be captured.

But wait, there's more! Since the Muslims left Granada in 1492, there have been some changes in the world, especially in the last 40 years or so, and one of those changes is a great influx of immigrants from Northern Africa into Spain, which means a city that already had a great deal of Arab and Northern African influence, began to be influenced by Arab and North African cultures again. It's really cool, actually.

So point being, I don't think I'm going to get to go to Morocco on this trip, (no time, no one to go with me, not allowed to go alone) but Granada was probably the closest I'm going to get, and everyone spoke Spanish! Even if the accent was  bit different.

So Jess and I walked through the markets that line the streets and past artists who will write your name in Arabic for 1 euro, and hookah bars, and delicious-smelling Moroccan and Arabic restaurants.   We wandered down by the river

 And got to crane our necks looking up at the Alhambra,

a very very old and very impressive castle that has been here for forever. 

We then found a garden

 Which was very pretty, and we took cool pictures

And the floor designs were even cool. 

We then found a really nice overlook that looked at the Alhambra, and it was getting dark, so it was even nicer. 

 I went there on Saturday, just saying.

 SO Granada is basically a really beautiful city.

 I tried to take this picture 4 times, but my eyes just wouldn't be open.

It's really interesting, Granada has all these twisted streets and narrow alleys, and it's just really cool. It's so easy to get lost, and we did that a lot, but it was a wonderful way to see this city, and all these houses with beautiful gardens. 

So then we started making our way back to the hostel, and we got lost, of course. But we did get back, and then Mallory and Pooja showed up, since they got to Granada differently than I did AND differently than Jess did. So we chilled for a little bit at the hostel, before going back out to get some dinner. We had some hummus at a Moroccan restaurant, and then Jess and I headed back to the hostel while Mallory and Pooja went out shopping for a bit. Then we went to bed. I got up REALLY early Friday morning, so I definitely needed to sleep. 

Saturday was our Alhambra day, but we couldn't go in until 2, so we had the morning free. Jess and I went to the Cathedral, but wound up in some other random church instead.  

 which was nice too

 But we did find the Cathedral eventually, and that was much more impressive.

 This Cathedral was big on white marble.

 Also, those are very old hymnals

 And that is me standing up beside them.

 The altarpiece was very impressive

 So then we went and sat in a restaurant and I had more tea. One thing I did really like about Granada is that in most of Spain, coffee is the favored drink, and you can get tea, but they kind of look at you strangely when you order it. Granda does have coffee, but tea is the drink, which was heaven for me. I had so many different kinds of tea there, it was wonderful.

So then we met Pooja and Mallory for lunch and found a nice place to eat before heading up to the Alhambra.

Also, at this point I should mention something: it was raining, and a bit chilly. As the day progressed it just kind of got worse. Before lunch I bought an umbrella from an entrepreneurial man selling umbrellas on a street corner, which, despite my general like of rain, turned out to be a good idea.

SO instead of walking up a hill in the rain, we took a very crowded bus up to the Alhambra.

 Which was so cool.

We went and got our tickets, and then we had to wait for a little while because they are very specific, and we had to wait to get inside at 2:00, but that was OK, and we just chilled in the bookshop for a while. 

Inside, though, was like Alice and Wonderland. There were all these gardens and old palaces, and it was sprawling and magical, and absolutely beautiful in the fog and mists. 

 This is my trusty umbrella.

 It features in a lot of my pictures from Saturday

 These were taken in the Alice and Wonderland gardens.

 It was like an actual maze

 Picture of the one part of the Alhambra taken from another part. It's a big complex.

 I honestly don't know why I look like a serial killed in that picture. I'm really sorry.

 That's better.

 Even inside the buildings the gardens and fountains and such are just lovely.

 And it all felt very old.

 which of course, it was.

 And it had these cool Moorish influences,

 because they're the ones who built it.

 And it looked like a totally awesome place to live.

 Rain or shine.

So then we left the Generalife building that we had been in. 

 And went up the "stairs of the waters", which was beautiful.

 Really, the thing about the Alhambra, is that it was so big and there was so much to explore

 And every time you turned the corner there was some new, wonderful garden or building.

 And especially in the rain, it was so peaceful and a very calm sort of beautiful

 It felt right with how old the whole complex was.

 And then there were things like orange trees growing up the sides of buildings.

 and all sorts of green pathways

 and beautiful vistas

 So yeah, then we wound up in a different part of the Alhambra,

with it's own aesthetic.

 But still lots of plants and gardens and such

 I just really love almond trees. I find them beautiful

 But palm trees are cool too.

 The floors of some of these buildings were amazing

So then we went to the museum inside the Alhambra, which was really cool, but did not allow pictures, except in this part

 SO I took them there.
We wandered around the museum and its different exhibitions inside this old palace for a while, but then we moved on to another part of the Alhambra.

 If it were just Jess (blue umbrella, tan coat) in this picture, it would totally look like an advertisement for something.

 This part of the Alhambra was more of a castle for protection than a luxury palace, which was cool.

 It did afford some great views of the city

 and some impressive fortifications

 This is the kind of castle you would guard and fight from.

 or take pictures on.

So then we climbed up to the tallest tower of this part of the Alhambra

 And it was cold and wet and rainy and wonderful.

 It was beautiful and just so much fun.

 If a bit vertigo-inducing

So after that the other girls decided to get a cab back to the hostel, but I wasn't done exploring and wanted to walk back, so they left and I stayed for a bit.

 Which I am very glad that I did

 because I wound up finding parts of the Alhambra we hadn't seen before

 But were very beautiful

 I just really loved all the gardens and the trees and fountains

 There was just something about it.

 A picture of the Generalife, which we were in earlier.

 I think these are even vegetable gardens.

So then I walked back, which I also really loved. It was all downhill and that was great, but I also got to walk under the Alhambra, which was super cool.

 I swear, that looks like the door to the Paths of the Dead (Lord of the Rings reference)

And that, was my trip to the Alhambra, an absolutely beautiful and amazing place, that all of you should absolutely go visit and spend time in and just wander around and be happy.

So on my way back to the hostel I did a bit of shopping, but when I returned the other girls weren't there. Apparently they had gotten back and then left again, but I had no clue to where, and they had no wifi, so I couldn't get in contact with any of them. I waited around the hostel for a while, but after 2 hours, I finally just went to dinner, which was nice. I read and had some tea and more Moroccan food, and it was very relaxing. Of course, when I got back to the hostel I got a text from the girls telling me that they were about to go to dinner and I should come meet them. Of course. But I decided to turn in for the night instead, because it had been another quite long day.

Eventually I found out that they had gone shopping, and gotten caught in this shop talking to this guy for like 2 hours, but they had a good time, so it all worked out.

SO the next morning I woke up fairly early and went to breakfast downtown. (literally downtown. remember that hill that Granada is built on? Yeah, my hostel was about 3/4 of the way up it, and the restaurant was at the bottom. I got a lot of exercise that weekend.) I ate at cafe Lisbon, which I found highly amusing considering where I had been the week before. I then wandered around a bit, and shopped a little more, but not much, since none of the shops are open before 10, and most of them actually open even later. Then I returned to the hostel to get my stuff. I walked down to the train station and caught the 11:30 train out of

The train ride back was really nice. Like I said, the first train I was on was really modern, and so I watched some of Coriolanus while we traveled. Andalucia is very beautiful though, and I did just enjoy looking out the window at all the mist-covered mountains and fields. 

Then I got dumped off at the Antequera Santa Ana train station, which, as previously mentioned, sort of looks like this 

No town, no buildings, just a train station, a parking lot, and olive trees. My theory on why this train station exists is that there oisactually a train station in the town of Antequera (I know this because we stopped at it), but that it could not service the AVE (high speed) trains when they were introduced, and so they needed to build a new train station, but there was no room in town, and so they built it where they could. But it all worked out, it was a nice place to have lunch and write a little bit. 

I then got on an AVE to Madrid and continued to have an uneventful ride. I looked out the window and finished Lord of the Rings. We got to Madrid and I got a snack and got on a train. I finished Coriolanus on the train and then we were back in Valencia.

And when I arrived, Fallas had started.