It seems like just yesterday I was getting Barcelona’d, however, it’s been three weeks since then. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that time has started moving faster since my arrival here. Days seem like seconds and weeks seem like minutes to me. Anywho, here’s what I've been up to the past three weeks.
Two weekends ago (February 5-6) we took a group excursion to Granada, which is roughly a two-hour drive from Seville. Located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and only an hour from the Mediterranean Sea Granada has a unique location. Upon arriving we immediately went on a tour of Capilla Real de Granada. This mausoleum is the final resting place of Ferdinand y Isabelle who were two of Spain’s most important rulers. Under their rule the Christian Reconquista of Spain was completed, Columbus sailed to the new world, and Spain entered a golden age.
When we were done touring the Capilla we were given some free time for lunch. So, like any college students would, we hit up a Moroccan restaurant for lunch and hookah. The hookah left a little to be desired but the atmosphere and company made it worth the time. One of the interesting aspects of Granada is how much Muslim influence there is within the city. From the early 8th century until 1492 Granada played a key role in the Muslim kingdom of Al-Andalus. This influence is most notably seen in the Alhambra, which was a Muslim palace and fortress complex.
View of the Alhambra from the Palacio De Generalife
Speaking of the Alhambra, after our Moroccan adventure we met back up with the group and all headed to what is one of the most visited places in Spain, if not Europe. The Alhambra is quite possibly the most massive complexes I have ever seen. Complete with gardens, fountains, and rooms dedicated to sacred geometry. It truly was a spectacular place.
Reflection Pool
Fountains and gardens in the Palicio de Generalife
It's kind of hard to see from this picture but the roof gets smaller with each layer as it goes up. Absolutely no nails or adhesives were used to hold the wood in place, which is what makes this room so fascinating.
On Saturday we were given free time to do whatever we pleased or go see a Jeronomite Cathedral. While the cathedral sounded nice, we grabbed a cab and headed to the ski town of Sierra Nevada instead. After a 30 minute scenic drive we arrived at the snow-covered peak. Some of our group decided to rent snowboards and get lift passes, I decided against this though because we only had half a day left and it didn’t seem worth it. Rather than tear the mountain apart I chilled out and ate churros con chocolate whilst enjoying the remarkable view of Granada.
Sierra Nevada
The next week went by in what seemed like the blink of an eye. Matt and I finally got a key to the local climbing gym after a month of trying. This has made life significantly easier because now we can go whenever we want regardless of the day or hour., which is quite convenient to say the least. Along with climbing I’ve taken a few trips to the river for relaxing time with friends. One of the things that sticks in my mind about this place most is how little everyone cares what you’re doing. As long as people behave themselves the mindset here seems to be no harm no fowl.
Buenos momentos al rio
Last Friday we took a group excursion to see La Rabida, which is a church Christopher Columbus spent two years at before sailing to the new world. While there he discussed the possibility of the earth being round amongst other things with a Franciscan Friar by the name of Jiménez de Cisneros. Jiménez was important because he had been Queen Isabelle’s confessor, which gave Columbus the ear of the queen. Outside the church / museum there were exact replicas of the Santa María, Pinta, and Niña. The that surprised me about all three ships is how small they were. Even the Santa María, the largest ship, was much smaller than I had imagined it. It is amazing to think that the Atlantic Ocean was crossed on such small vessels.
Niña (far left) Santa María (center) Pinta (right)
When we were done viewing Columbus’ ships we headed to the beach to see this side of the Atlantic. It was pretty sweet to say the least; it was complete with sand, water, overpriced restaurants, and a giant rock that myself and a few others climbed. Said giant rock was actually a Roman Ruin of some sort, or so we think.
Guns up!
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