After visiting the Alhambra and then seeing a blind beggar, a Spanish poet wrote, "Give him a coin, for there is nothing worse in this life than to be blind in Granada."
The whole city is a mixture of culture from the Romans, the Byzantines, the Visigoths, the Moors, and of course the Christians. The city is filled with old churches and mosques, beautiful streets, plenty of shops, and of course free tapas when you buy a drink.
I could go on and on about how much I love it here or how excited I am to get to know the city and find the best places to eat, grab a coffee, or simply look out at the view and watch the sunset in solitude. But as I will be talking about all those things for the next couple months (with pictures of course), I figured I talk a little about what I have done in the past couple of days.
I am living with a family and a roommate. My roommate's name is Sanad, and we both are living with a host mom, her best friend, and her two sons, Antonio and Pedro. Pedro is the same age as I and is studying math at the University of Granada. He is perfect for me to practice my Spanish and to better my knowledge of Spanish culture and living in Granada.
As for my classes, I took a placement exam at el Centro de Lenguas Modernas at the University of Granada and received a "High Advanced" level, which means I will be taking all of my classes in Spanish with students of my level and higher too (there are "Superior" and "Fluent" levels above mine). I don't get my schedule until tomorrow, but I am taking two Spanish Language courses to better my speaking, writing, and grammar. I'll also take (hopefully) a course on traditional Spanish music, sociopolitical topics in Modern Spain, and a Spanish Civilization and Culture class. It will be hard to adapt to taking five classes all in Spanish, but I am definitely willing to put the time in to prep and read--and I have made a couple friends who are fluent who offered any help that I will need, so hopefully I will be good!
I will definitely write more about my classes once they begin, and maybe will even make more regular posts during the week, but we'll see!
As for now, here are some pictures from my escapades in Granada so far:
Alhambra:
A view from afar of the Alhambra
A view of Granada from the Alhambra Walls
A view of the outside of the Palace inside the Alhambra
A couple of fountains (symbolizing purity and freshness in paradise) in the gardens
and the famous Fountain in the Courtyard of the Lions
A cat I found taking advantage of the fresh water in one of the fountains outside of the palace. It drank for 2 minutes straight! Not a bad place to hydrate!
The ceilings inside the palace showing an intricate artistry
La Ruta de Los Miradores:
A great view from one of the hilly roads up to the upper Albyzín--a district of Granada
A beautiful fountain in one of the plazas
This Tower is comprised of three different levels. the base was made by the Romans, the middle part by the Moors as a tower to call for prayer, and the top portion made by the christians to convert it into a bell tower. It is the epitome of the mixtures of culture and the constant change yet deep history that Granada holds.
A couple guitarists I found on the streets let me take their photo! :D
And of course, a walking tour is not complete without some interactions with some dogs :) (Wyatt was playing with one of them...it didn't want to play).
Well, I hope you enjoyed the pictures! Until next time :D
