Two weekends ago 3 friends and I traveled to Granada in the South of Spain. Granada was the last Arab city conquered by the Catholic empire and thus has some of the longest standing Arab tradition and monuments. The most famous of these is undoubtedly the Alhambra, originally a Muslim palace built in the 14th century during the Nasrid dynasty. After the "Reconquista" in 1492 the Catholic empire took it over and made a few changes, though the Arabic influence still penetrates every surface of the massive campus. We spent nearly 4 hours there and still could have seen more! As my mom later messaged me, "the guidebooks say people go to the Alhambra just to see it before they die." There is undoubtedly nothing like it, especially the view at night from a mountain top lookout. We watched the sun go down over the Alhambra the night before visiting and were truly in awe of such beauty and bewilderment. And to think it's been there for over 600 years!
After Granada we came home to midterms (yuck!) but luckily I aced them both!
Last weekend was the July trip to Valencia planned by my study abroad program - we were so happy not to have to arrange flights, busses, tours, etc. for this one! I, for one, was excited to FINALLY make it to a beach - something I had yet to really do in Spain. The food, fun, and flavor of Valencia was everything I had hoped it to be. Valencia is known for having the best paella and they most certainly delivered. The modern architecture of the "Ciudad de las Artes y Ciencias" and the beachside nightclubs were also big hits in my book. Just check out the pictures and I think you'll agree!
SO many more pictures on facebook from both trips - check it out and thanks for reading!
