This past weekend was again spent traveling: this time a two-night trip to Granada. It was a trip promoted through the university by a program called ESN (Erasmus Student Network); international students from all countries were invited. We left early Friday morning to catch a charter bus that took us on a four-hour ride through the beautiful snow-covered Sierra Nevada mountain range. Our accommodations at the hostel were more than anyone could have asked for! I stayed in a two-bed room with a friend, and we had our own bathroom. There was even complimentary breakfast in the mornings.
The first organized activity was a trek up the side of a mountain to view Granada’s largest tourist attraction: la Alhambra. La Alhambra is a Muslim fortress that changed hands several times throughout Spain’s arduous history of wars and competing powers. The next morning we got to experience it up close with a personal tour guide. It was amazing! Tired from walking a few of us Americans debated what to do next. We ended up biting the bullet and climbing the mountain once again to catch a Flamenco show. It was free with the purchase of dinner. We decided to share the classic southern Spanish dish of Paella. It was to die for: a mix of rice and assorted seafood (prawns, mussels, squid, and shrimp). The next morning we had the chance to explore another part of town where we were able to enjoy leisurely tapas—for free! In Andalucía, the tapas are free with the purchase of a drink; it’s a pretty affordable way to eat out. It was altogether a lovely trip, and traveling in a group was definitely a big money-saver; I can’t wait to do it again!
See pictures here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?fbid=1578448906757&id=1401660433&aid=2068744
The first organized activity was a trek up the side of a mountain to view Granada’s largest tourist attraction: la Alhambra. La Alhambra is a Muslim fortress that changed hands several times throughout Spain’s arduous history of wars and competing powers. The next morning we got to experience it up close with a personal tour guide. It was amazing! Tired from walking a few of us Americans debated what to do next. We ended up biting the bullet and climbing the mountain once again to catch a Flamenco show. It was free with the purchase of dinner. We decided to share the classic southern Spanish dish of Paella. It was to die for: a mix of rice and assorted seafood (prawns, mussels, squid, and shrimp). The next morning we had the chance to explore another part of town where we were able to enjoy leisurely tapas—for free! In Andalucía, the tapas are free with the purchase of a drink; it’s a pretty affordable way to eat out. It was altogether a lovely trip, and traveling in a group was definitely a big money-saver; I can’t wait to do it again!
See pictures here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?fbid=1578448906757&id=1401660433&aid=2068744
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