Granada-Amsterdam

<-Granada! Two weeks have elapsed and it has been a whirl wind time. The entire month of February I will be traveling on the weekends- I'm halfway through now!

Last Friday our group left for Granada bright and early in the morning. So early that some people were unable to make the bus :). The ride was long and crowded. It takes about 5 hours via bus, but the landscape is beautiful and they entertained us with movies. Our hotel in Granada was amazing- I'm surprised they let us stay there!! They speak with a little bit of a different accent in Granada, but I impressed myself by holding my own. Also, I vowed to speak only in Spanish for the entire weekend with my friends, but we lost our stamina after a few hours!

Immediately upon arrival, we had time to explore the city so we found some place for coffee and crepes and a little arabic influenced market. Then we took a tour of the Granada Cathedral and the Royal Chapel where the tombs of Isabel and Ferdinand are housed. At night we went to some flamenco dancing in the caves in the mountains. This was the precise moment where I realized I was ACTUALLY in Spain. I think I like Granada as a whole better than I like Alicante for this reason- it actually felt like I was in Spain. It may have been a little touristy, but seeing the flamenco show and riding up into the mountains is something that I could not have done anywhere else! The show was amazing- these men and women really know how to move their stuff! They dance with such intensity in their eyes and their feet move so quickly, but they are in tune with the beat of the singer. It was honestly amazing.

Then we ventured out for the night in Granada without a clue where we were going. However, we quickly realized that at the tapas bars in Granada, when you buy one drink you get a free tapas which is the best thing EVER! You can eat dinner without even buying any food!

The Palace on the reflecting pool the view

Saturday morning we went to the Alhambra, the Muslim palace and village on the mountain in Granada. It was absolutely massive and beautiful. The architecture and designs in the palace were stunning and ornate. It was also a beautiful day so we were able to get some great pictures! Our tour was in English, which was better for me because I was able to understand everything that was said and I got so much more out of the tour than I would have if it was in Spanish. I wish I had a little more time in Granada- even my padres were surprised that we stayed only one night because there is so much to see. However, I guess I can say I was there and I get to talk about what I saw, which was awesome.

The week of school was long and intense. I kind of feel like I am in high school again--I have to travel 40 minutes to school every morning and stay there until 1 pm, then come home and do hours of busy work homework! I get a lot of homework every night and it keeps getting harder and harder to focus- especially as the weather gets nicer. This is nothing like college!!

<-A'dam!

This past Thursday, 10 of us flew to Amsterdam for the weekend. We arrived really late, it was extremely cold, and we had no idea where we were--all of a sudden I remembered how much I hate the initial part of traveling! However, everyone speaks English and are incredibly used to tourists so getting around was easy after a while. Eight of us stayed in the same hostel room...ha ha ha. If you have ever stayed in an 8 person hostel room, you know what I am laughing at. If not, just so you know, the room was very very tiny- essentially just enough room for four sets of bunk beds- and the bathroom was literally a closet with a shower and a toilet in it. The sink was in the room with our beds! Totally doable for the price for two days, but a third day would have been a bit ridiculous haha.

Friday morning we frolicked around town doing touristy things like the Van Gogh Museum, the Heineken Brewery, and hitting up some souvenier shops. We ended up in the red light district at night, which was something we had to see because it is a part of the culture there- it was very interesting...Saturday we went to Anne Franks Huis, but the line out the door was so long that the temperature outside was so low that it was not worth it. However, it was worth it to stop for breakfast and get some amazing pancakes. They make these crepe pancakes and put everything and anything on them from chocolate syryp and cream to bacon and eggs. Amazing. Honestly, the food in Amsterdam was much better than the food in Spain so far. Maybe it was just because of these pancakes, the loads of hot chocolate I drank, the pizza, and the chocolate waffles I had. Not to lie though, we did eat a lot of McDonalds because it was quick, easy, and we knew what we were getting. I also saw the Rijks Museum, which was one of my favorite parts- it was all Dutch artifacts and paintings and I got a nice little history lesson about Holland!

My favorite part of the city were the streets and the canals. They were exactly how I pictured them- very Dutchesque! I least liked having to overpay for everything (it's much more expensive than Alicante), and having to watch out for bikes on the street. I can't imagine how crowded the streets must get in the spring/summer! I also liked how every public bathroom was clean and stocked with toilet paper (that one is for you, mom). That doesn't happen in Spain very often, so I was very impressed! Also, for the most part, the people were nice to me and not having to struggle with Spanish for a few days was a bit refreshing! Also, the Dutch are all tall and pasty, just like me. I fit right in!

Speaking of Spanish...it is time to get some homework done and get ready for class tomorrow! Another big week ahead. Class all week and a test on Friday, then I'm off to London for the weekend!

Hasta Luego,