No pasa nada in Granada...

Last Saturday, February 13th, Teddi, Sam, Becca, and I set out for Granada at 8am. From the very beginning it was an adventure. Saturday morning I got a phone call from Sam about 7:50 asking me if I was almost at the bus station, I wasn't even close. I was still in my house trying to unlock the door. When I finally got it open, I sprinted the whole way to the bus. I had never been happier to be sitting on that stuffy bus to Madrid!

When we got to Madrid we took the metro to the right bus station for Granada.(We usually have to go Madrid if we want to catch a bus to another destination in Spain.) The first time I rode the metro was fun, but I noticed everyone's faces on the metro were just moody looking. No smiles. The first time decided I would be really happy. However, I found the second time I rode the metro, I too fell into the metro moodiness. ha I've learned to stay out of people's ways, everyone is usually in a hurry. We got to the right station without any problems this time. When we arrived in Granada it was pouring. We walked to the hostel, where Stephanie and Allison were already staying and they let us in. I was anxious to see what our first hostel experience would be like.

The hostel was called "Casa Maria". The location, price, and breakfast were great. However, there was loud music at night, our room was moldy, and the hostel owner was never there. (the worst part was probably the mold.) But what can you expect, when you're just looking for a cheap place to sleep? The location and price definitely made up for it! While we were waiting for the owner to show up, Becca decided she wanted to walk around outside, so Stephanie went down to unlock the door with her. However, they came back because they couldn't get it open...so we all went down to open it, but it wasn't going to budge. We thought we were trapped forever! But Allison came to the rescue. She was still outside so we threw the keys out the window and she let us out! That happened several more times during our stay there.

That night we all decided to go out and get Tapas, which are like free appetizers if you buy a drink. I have heard going to different bars to get tapas is big in Spain, especially in Granada, so we decided to go out and "blend in" with Spaniards. However, keep in mind this whole trip was during Carnival. (Carnival is like our Halloween. Kids dress up and get candy and adults just party like crazy. Carnival is right before Ash Wednesday and lent so that people can get their partying in before they have to give things up. It sounds kinda counteractive to me, but it's interesting. We did get Monday and Tuesday off of school thanks to this holiday.) So because it was Carnival, Allison insisted on dressing up like a cowgirl. I was proud of her for being the only one to dress up! -Picture a group of 5 American girls being lead around the city by a cowgirl! haha I'm sure it was a sight :)

Sunday Sam and I met with my friend, Kelsey from Mission Indy. She studied in Granada last semester and decided to come back. She took us to her church. It was great to be with her and see some of the things she has been experiencing! Now I will be able to relate more with her stories from Spain! The church service was great, but Sam and I had a hard time understand the minister’s accent from Andalucía. It's probably like going from Indiana to South Carolina for people in Spain.

After church, Becca, Sam, Teddi, and I made our way up some steep hills to a famous outlook called, El Mirador. According to one of our professors, it is one of Bill Cilton's favorite spots. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but when we got to the top, I was speechless! It was soooooo beautiful! It was a view of La Alhambra (which was a Muslim palace, which is now a huge tourist attraction)and huge snow capped mountains behind the palace. When we looked down we could see miles and miles of city. That has definitely been my favorite thing I've done in Spain! (Like I said, I love nature!) I kept thinking of my dad saying, "You might wanna take a look around, because you might not ever see this again!" That used to be so annoying to me when I was little, but I have realized it is so true! (Oh no- I'm starting to appreciate my parent’s advice. hah!)


That night we decided to find a place to watch Flamenco dancing. They have flamenco performances all around Spain, but Granada is known for it. We found information about flamenco performances in our hostel and decided to go with the cheaper option. The address was not a street we recognized so we decided to ask the security guard in Burger King for help. (Yes, they do have security guards in Burger King! ha) He pointed to a rather large section of the map and said, "This is the flamenco region." So- basically he was no help. When we did find it, it was on a tiny back street. We found it just fine, but it sure didn't look like any tourist attraction. Teddi, Sam, and I were scared to even go close to the door, but Becca went up to it and opened it like she'd been there several times before. (Brave Soul!) I'm glad she was there, because I probably would've turned around before I opened that door. The performance was suppose to start at 11, but didn't start till 11:40. (I know we're on Spanish time here, but even I have the decency to warn people if I'm going to be that late!) hah The performers consisted of: a violin player, guitar player, drum player, 2 singers/clappers, and one dancer. It was so good! The dancer was a tall man with long greasy hair. (If I were to see him walking on the street I'm sure I would say- he looks like a flamenco dancer! hah) The performance was so cool and even better since it wasn't touristy. I felt like one of the locals. (Even though someone asked if I was French-ha) I will never forget that night.

Monday: Sam and I woke up to make our way to the Alhambra. We bought our tickets in advance, because everyone goes to Granada to see the Alhambra. Last year it was the most visited tourist attraction in the world! I have yet to read the history on it, but I hope to soon. We climbed big hills to get to the entrance. The palace is surrounded by beautiful gardens and towers. My favorite part was climbing the towers and seeing the mountains surrounding the palace! Most of the Alhambra is outside, even inside the palace there were rooms without ceilings. It was suppose to rain all day, but it held off for our visit! I don't even know how to begin to describe it. However, Sam and Teddi said the gardens reminded them of the jungle at Disney world. (I've never been to Disney world, but the gardens sure were magical) I would go back any time!

The rest of the night was free time. We played rummy in Burger King, because you didn't have to buy anything to be there. We also went to three different ice cream shops. We've decided we are going on a tour of ice cream around Spain. Sam and Teddi got frozen yogurt at Yogurlandia, I got ice cream at the futbol cafe, and Sam got a blizzard at the classic Burger King!

Tuesday: Was our day to check out of our moldy hostel. We were all packed up and ready to get out the door. BUT the door was in the way!! Once again, none of us could open the door. It was taking a lot longer than normal, and we had a bus to catch...so Teddi grabbed a hatchet! ha I thought she was going to chop the door down, but she didn't. She just used it as a wedge. However, that didn't work. We finally found another set of keys that did work. When we were all out the door we threw the keys inside and never looked back!! haha I'll not soon forget my first hostel experience!

On the way home I was amazed by all the different scenery. At one point there were olive trees and around the next corner we were in a huge rocky canyon. Then there were plains with sheep and mountains with snow! Spain is much smaller than the U.S.,yet I'm pretty sure they have every terrain we have, if not more! It's beautiful!

Granada was the longest time I've been away from Segovia. I wasn't sure how the four days would turn out, but it all seemed to come together. It has definitely been my favorite city and weekend in Spain..so far! I was so excited to return to my own room, Julia, and la mama. However, it felt so weird not to be returning HOME home. I thought about all the other people on the bus and how they were probably getting excited when they started recognizing things close to their home. It made me think of Indiana and how much I miss it! I can't wait to sing "Back home again in Indiana"...I even miss the flat corn fields. Wow! I never thought I'd say that. I am thankful for this experience and I know I will appreciate living in the United States much more when I actually go home.

Thanks for reading! (Ps. the title means- no worries in Granada)