SPAIN 2014: February 2014

Sorry for the gigantic delay between this post and last post. These last couple of weeks things have really been picking up in school, so I have been very busy. Last weekend, half of the BU Madrid study abroad group went to Granada, and that week the engineers had tons of homework and an Electric Circuits test. I managed to complete all my work and still have time to study for the Circuits test, but it was a stressful week. I'm glad that it's over now, so I can write about Granada!

View of Granada from the Alhambra

Granada is a city in southern Spain at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, home to the highest peak on the Iberian peninsula, Mulhacén. Granada is a smaller city that is known as the home of the Alhambra, the most popular tourist attraction in Spain. It is also known for having a large youth population, due to the University of Granada (one of the largest universities in Spain), and lots of Middle Eastern and Moroccan influence. Much of southern Spain is influenced by North African and Middle Eastern cultures, because the southern Spanish province of Andalusia (known as Al Andalus in Arabic) was a stronghold for the Muslim culture from the 8th to the 14th century. The Alhambra is the palace built by the caliphs (Muslim kings) of Spain in the 9th century originally as a fortress to protect one of their most prosperous cities. It was later renovated into a palace in the 11th century to house the caliphs and emirs (princes) that ruled over Al Andalus.

When we first arrived in Granada Friday evening, Ray immediately took us to a spot at the top of a hill in Granada know for its view of the Alhambra. We watched the sun set over the palace and it was a chance to take some nice pictures.

The Sierra Nevadas are the snow capped peaks to the left.

After sundown we had a chance to unpack and rest at the hotel. Then we went out to explore Granada, which is known for its food and nightlife. It was a weekend of great eating for me, and I discovered what is so far my favorite food in Spain - shawarma. The best description of shawarma I can make is that it is an Arabic burrito. It is filled with delicious chicken or goat (I have yet to try goat), lettuce, tomatoes, onions, other vegetables that evaded my attention, and some kind of creamy and spicy sauce. I had three during the two days we spent in Granada, and I would have gotten more if my friends hadn't persuaded me to vary my meal choices.

On Saturday, the entire group made a visit to the Alhambra. The palace is grand example of the Islamic architectural style, which emphasized internal beauty. The outside of the structure is very plain, but once inside the decoration is extravagant. As Ray told our group, in Islam it is not typical for one to flaunt their wealth, but to keep it to oneself to enjoy and share with those who are close and trusted. Muslims are also dissuaded by their religion to depict humans or animals in their art, so Islamic architecture takes inspiration from plant life and also utilizes geometric designs.

Outside view of the Alhambra

Serene pool inside. There was a lot of
flowing water and pools throughout
the palace.

Hand carved wooden ceiling.

Hallway utilizing keyhole arches and
intricate tile work on the walls.

Courtyard in the Alhambra.

Leaning on a column I'm not supposed
to lean on....

Another delicately carved wooden ceiling

Long pool in a courtyard garden.

Inside the Alhambra. The building you can barely see above
the wall is a Christian palace built by King Charles I of Spain.

After touring the Alhambra, we went into a palace built by King Charles I of Spain. It was built right next to the Alhambra, and oddly enough its construction helped to save the Alhambra from being destroyed completely by Christians after they took the city back from the Muslims in 1492.

Front facade of the palace.

Inside of the palace. Look closely and you can see me.

After a long day touring the palaces of Granada, we had to get up bright and early Sunday morning to make the trip back to Madrid. We hopped on the bus at 10 AM, and on our way to Madrid we stopped at Los Molinos de Viento de Don Quixote. These are old windmills on a hill in the countryside that according to legend, are the same windmills that Don Quixote believed were monsters and fought in the famous spanish novel Don Quixote de La Mancha, by Miguel Cervantes.

Don Quixote ready for an adventure

My trip to Granada was absolutely fantastic. When I pictured Spanish cities before coming to Spain, I imagined them much like Granada is today: warm, narrow streets, open shops and markets, busy plazas, and friendly people. Madrid is a wonderful city, but more more hectic and industrialized than Granada. Granada maintains a sense of charm and warmth that is extremely welcoming and relaxing. I am looking forward to visiting other cities in southern and coastal Spain like Granada, and I will update the blog accordingly! Thanks for reading.

Another week has passed in beautiful Madrid! So far I am immensely enjoying my time here, and adjusting to the culture has not been as difficult as I presumed. My host family is fantastic, I could not have wished for better people to live with while studying abroad. They are very nice and extremely accepting of me and Alex, especially when it comes to my Spanish, which still needs a lot of work.

Massive Spanish flag outside
of the National Library

Me in front of
El Palacio de Ciebles

This week was my second week of classes. I am studying at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, a large university to the north of the city, where I take Modern Physics, Differential Equations, and Electric Circuits. I also take Spanish language and culture classes at the International Institute in Madrid, which is only a fifteen minute walk from my apartment in the heart of the city. It is hard to gauge as of yet how difficult my classes will be, but here in Spain there is a much stronger emphasis on individual effort in classes, so I am expecting to have to work hard to do well.

This was an exciting and eventful week for me. Now that classes have begun, I'm over those 'first day of school jitters' and ready to settle into living here. This weekend, I walked around El Parque del Buen Retiro, the largest park in Spain, which is approximately the size of Central Park in NYC. As you can see, it is beautiful there and extremely well maintained.

Me in front of the statue of Alfonso XII

Some pigeons chillin

Rear view of Statue of Alfonso XII

Right in front of Alfonso XII statue.
Very popular place for locals and tourists to relax

Sup kitty!

Me in the Palacio Cristal, an all glass
palace in the park

Me in front of a random monument.
Thanks for the crooked pic Alex!(jk)

The Puerta de Alcalá, a monument located just outside of the Parque del Buen Retiro

Last Friday (1/31/14), the entire BU Madrid group took a trip to Toledo, Spain. Toledo is a city that experienced its height of importance in the early Renaissance period, where it was a center for the Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim cultures in Spain. It is only about an hour bus ride from Madrid, and we spent most of the day there doing touristy things. Walking through the narrow cobblestone streets and touring Churches and synagogues, I was reminded of my time in Italy. Toledo is a fairly small town located on a hill and surrounded by a river, and our bus drove us to a beautiful vantage point of the city before we entered.

Panorama of Toledo from the hills above the city.

Toledo is home to one of the most important churches in Spain, the Cathedral Primada Santa María de Toledo. It is the second largest cathedral in Spain, and was built over a 250 year period and finished in the late 14th century.

Side view of the tower of
El Cathedral Santa María

Front view of the tower. They original plans had
two towers on each side, but the church ran out of money
and had to settle for a dome on the left side.