Weekend #2: Granada

Another full weekend for the Spain Seven!

On Saturday after our first week of school, there was no rest for the weary. We awoke at the crack of dawn (4:30ish), and prepared ourselves for our enjoyable weekend in Granada, Spain. Getting there took a little bit of last-minute planning, but we all made it safely and tried our best to navigate around the city to see a few of the sights the city had to offer.

Before I tell about our exploits however, the history teacher in me would be disappointed if I didn’t give at least a little bit of background information on Granada. First of all, it is one of the larger metropolitan area in Andalusian province in Spain, with a population of just over 230,000 people located about 200 kilometers (130 miles) up the coast and inland from Estepona (our home). The layout of the city is beautiful; situated adjacent to the Sierra Nevada Mountains, you can see the highest peak in continental Spain, Mulhacén, from most places in the city. 

The history of Granada itself is also quite interesting. Occupied in the 8th century by the Islamic Moors from North Africa, the city is composed of a mixture of both Spanish and Middle-Eastern influences in its architecture. During the Spanish re-conquest of the mainland, Granada was re-taken by the Spanish monarchy under Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492, the same year that Columbus set sail for the West Indies. 

Granada is one of the largest tourist sites in all of Spain, mainly because of its primary attractions. The most popular of these is most certainly the Alhambra, a Moorish palace built in the Middle Ages that served over time as a military fort, home of royalty, and a vacation place with both Spanish and Moorish touches in the architecture. This place was forever immortalized by American author, Washington Irving, who stayed at the Alhambra for about a year in 1829. Other attractions in Granada include a massive Catholic cathedral, a number of monuments, and some great local shopping!

            Over our weekend in this beautiful city, we learned a series of important lessons. First of all, we will never again forget the paramount importance of planning extensively and studying city maps when traveling to another city again. We booked inexpensive hotel rooms which were excellent, but soon found out they weren’t very close to the center of the city or the bus station. As a result, we had to take a series of taxis over the weekend, which wasn’t easy on our wallets. We also didn’t look into Alhambra tickets early enough, and ended up having to wait in line early on Sunday to buy tickets that they were required to hold over for day-of purchases. We also had a hard time getting bus tickets on the way home and had to split up briefly (it all worked out in the end).

In general, we also learned that as a group we are able to work together without causing any serious disagreements, and we definitely grew even closer as a surrogate family as a result  =)  Other fun lessons we learned included never accepting an herb from a woman walking down the street, because she will ALWAYS expect money in return, don't believe taxi drivers who pretend to be lost in their home city, and watch out for Spanish ice cream, because it is deadly addictive! Finally, and perhaps most importantly, always stay in the "Flying V", Mighty Ducks style...

While this all might have seemed a little hectic, we all had a GREAT time and felt pretty good about our progress from arriving as American tourists and transforming into (temporary) Spanish residents. We also are slowing becoming more comfortable using public transportation and making plans that seem initially far-fetched, a reality. But most importantly, we are starting to realize that if we just take a step back from a problem and refrain from panicking, the solution we need is often right there in front of us. Although it has only been two weeks since we arrived, we are starting to have to remind ourselves each morning that we are more than 4,500 miles from home! I hope all is well back in the States, and we look forward to reading your comments!

Thanks for reading,

Christopher Stewart