Thursday, August 12, 2010
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Granada: the fruit of southern Spain
Granada, Spanish for pomegranate, was my first stop on my travels after Alcala. I had been looking forward to visiting Andalucia for awhile; Carrie, my best friend who studied in Sevilla for a semester, had told me that Andalucia was what most people think of when they think of Spain. Granada is full of gypsies, flamenco, Spanish guitar, is the capitol of tapas and Muslim influence in Spain. Carlos had also recommended if we see any other city in Spain for it to be Granada. So, I decided that instead of only having a day trip from Sevilla, to spend my first night in there.
Due to some late bus-ticket-buying, I had a shorter time in Granada then I had originally planned....something I really regret. This has been my absolute favorite city (other than Madrid, of course) in Spain. Segovia comes close, but the rocky hills painted with white houses and winding streets, all overseen by the monstrous Alhambra leaves little to be imagined.
To visit the Alhambra, you must first buy your ticket in advanced, which includes a specific ticket to the Palacios Nazaries. There is only a thirty minute window in which you can go into this area--the highlight of the Alhambra. When I arrived in Granada, it was about 100F at about 2pm (Granada is one of the hottest places in Spain), and I decided to try walking to the center. After 20min of walking in the blistering sun, I checked my book and realized the bus station was about 4km outside of town--way too far to walk during midday. I turned around, went back to the station, and got a taxi. Usually I try to avoid taxis, because the bus is so cheap and walking provides a great way to explore the city. But as my time was quickly approaching to enter the Palacios Nazaries, I decided to hurry.
The Alhambra itself took about 30 minutes to walk to (all uphill, but luckily under the shade of a forest). Navigating around the grounds was even more difficult, but eventually I found the ticket booth (of course they had trouble finding my booking) and entered the Palacios Nazaries (of course I entered the wrong place with 5 minutes left in my time frame, and had to forfeit seeing that area altogether to rush to the right place).
The Alhambra is the largest Mosque in Europe and was the residing place of most of the Muslim leaders during their nearly 800 year presence in Spain; it is the culmination of all Arabic culture in Spain. It was absolutely breaktaking---the delicate handcrafted designs, the arched doorways, and intricate gardens were hypnotizing. But perhaps the best aspect of the Alhambra is the view of it you can have from either Generalife (the main gardens) or from El Mirador de San Salvador, directly uphill from my hostel and across from the Alhambra landscape. I purposefully planned my trip to this spot at dusk to see the wonderful views, and it was worth the pain. Gorgeous. When I get to post pictures, youĺl be blown away. Amazing.
Even though I didn´t really get to explore the Albayzin (Arabic neighboorhood), I still enjoyed Granada tremendously; it will be the first place I visit the next time I come to Spain (because there will be a next time). There is still so much left to be seen. One thing I´ve noticed about traveling is that confusing transportation, a bad hostel, or a walk in the wrong neighborhood all have the potential to alter your opinion of a city for the worst (like Valencia, and as Iĺl explain later, Barcelona to a degree). Despite all the difficulties I had in Granada, it is still one of my favorite places, which to me reveals how lovely the city really is. It was still capable of enchanting me even though it was a rough trip.
Due to some late bus-ticket-buying, I had a shorter time in Granada then I had originally planned....something I really regret. This has been my absolute favorite city (other than Madrid, of course) in Spain. Segovia comes close, but the rocky hills painted with white houses and winding streets, all overseen by the monstrous Alhambra leaves little to be imagined.
To visit the Alhambra, you must first buy your ticket in advanced, which includes a specific ticket to the Palacios Nazaries. There is only a thirty minute window in which you can go into this area--the highlight of the Alhambra. When I arrived in Granada, it was about 100F at about 2pm (Granada is one of the hottest places in Spain), and I decided to try walking to the center. After 20min of walking in the blistering sun, I checked my book and realized the bus station was about 4km outside of town--way too far to walk during midday. I turned around, went back to the station, and got a taxi. Usually I try to avoid taxis, because the bus is so cheap and walking provides a great way to explore the city. But as my time was quickly approaching to enter the Palacios Nazaries, I decided to hurry.
The Alhambra itself took about 30 minutes to walk to (all uphill, but luckily under the shade of a forest). Navigating around the grounds was even more difficult, but eventually I found the ticket booth (of course they had trouble finding my booking) and entered the Palacios Nazaries (of course I entered the wrong place with 5 minutes left in my time frame, and had to forfeit seeing that area altogether to rush to the right place).
The Alhambra is the largest Mosque in Europe and was the residing place of most of the Muslim leaders during their nearly 800 year presence in Spain; it is the culmination of all Arabic culture in Spain. It was absolutely breaktaking---the delicate handcrafted designs, the arched doorways, and intricate gardens were hypnotizing. But perhaps the best aspect of the Alhambra is the view of it you can have from either Generalife (the main gardens) or from El Mirador de San Salvador, directly uphill from my hostel and across from the Alhambra landscape. I purposefully planned my trip to this spot at dusk to see the wonderful views, and it was worth the pain. Gorgeous. When I get to post pictures, youĺl be blown away. Amazing.
Even though I didn´t really get to explore the Albayzin (Arabic neighboorhood), I still enjoyed Granada tremendously; it will be the first place I visit the next time I come to Spain (because there will be a next time). There is still so much left to be seen. One thing I´ve noticed about traveling is that confusing transportation, a bad hostel, or a walk in the wrong neighborhood all have the potential to alter your opinion of a city for the worst (like Valencia, and as Iĺl explain later, Barcelona to a degree). Despite all the difficulties I had in Granada, it is still one of my favorite places, which to me reveals how lovely the city really is. It was still capable of enchanting me even though it was a rough trip.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Leaving Alcala
On my last night in Alcala, we all toasted to meeting each other and getting to know Spain...myself with a 3E bottle of rose champagne. I retired earlier than anyone else that night, unfortunately, because I had to wake up at 6AM in order to catch the trains, meet my bus on time, and adequately prepare myself for the beginning of my journey.
At 7:30, Igor rushed through my door, ¨Keri! Its 7:30!¨....great I had overslept. Fortunately, I had packed my luggage previously and didn´t have to do much in the morning, so it was an easy get away. And.. Carlos, our IPSF guide once we arrived in Spain, had stayed the night. He offered to drive me to the bus station, which gave me plenty of time before my bus departure at Avenida de America, the main bus station in Madrid.....except that in all my rush, I had forgotten that my bus was from Estacion Sur (about a 15 min ride by metro). Since I had my handy Madrid Metro guide on my iPod (best decision I ever made), I still got to the station in time. How is it that you can be prepared as ever when you need it least..and when you really need it, you´re least prepared?
At 7:30, Igor rushed through my door, ¨Keri! Its 7:30!¨....great I had overslept. Fortunately, I had packed my luggage previously and didn´t have to do much in the morning, so it was an easy get away. And.. Carlos, our IPSF guide once we arrived in Spain, had stayed the night. He offered to drive me to the bus station, which gave me plenty of time before my bus departure at Avenida de America, the main bus station in Madrid.....except that in all my rush, I had forgotten that my bus was from Estacion Sur (about a 15 min ride by metro). Since I had my handy Madrid Metro guide on my iPod (best decision I ever made), I still got to the station in time. How is it that you can be prepared as ever when you need it least..and when you really need it, you´re least prepared?
Guernica
One of my "day trips" from Madrid included a visit to the Reina Sofia museum...the home of the works of more modern Spanish artists, such as Miro, Dali, and Picasso. While I do consider myself a connoisseur of art, I especially enjoy Spanish art. I've found that Miro and Dali have a lot to offer in the entertainment arena, even if only for a few minutes, as with the Great Masturbator or The Enigma of Hitler by Dali. Miro entertains me more with the simplicity and character of his art. Picasso on the other hand, is presented as a well practiced, perfectly crafted assassin, as his many attempts at creating a perfect piece of art, his Guernica, are displayed quite proudly and make up most of the Picasso exhibit at the museum.
The real draw to the Reina Sofia is, in fact, Picasso's final and perfectly crafted Guernica, the quintessential Spanish masterpiece. Not only does it represent the modernisms and intricacies of Picasso's finest work, but the suffering by innocent individuals and the rawness and reality of fascism, socialism, and dictatorship to a real population of people. It was, and I believe will remain to be, the only work of art that will move me in such a way. A once in a lifetime opportunity....
The real draw to the Reina Sofia is, in fact, Picasso's final and perfectly crafted Guernica, the quintessential Spanish masterpiece. Not only does it represent the modernisms and intricacies of Picasso's finest work, but the suffering by innocent individuals and the rawness and reality of fascism, socialism, and dictatorship to a real population of people. It was, and I believe will remain to be, the only work of art that will move me in such a way. A once in a lifetime opportunity....
Thursday, August 5, 2010
I've been around the block or two...
The past week and half has really been a blur. The last week at the pharmacy was interesting, but I'll write an update about everything I learned in Alcala later (hopefully). Other than that, a lot has happened since my last post.
The last week in Alcala, I had realized I had put off every single day trip I wanted to make from Madrid until the last minute. One of them was to Avila, this ancient roman city in Spain, with the most well preserved fortress walls in Spain and one of the best in Europe. The town was beautiful and the walls--mesmorizing. The town had quite a bit of charm to it, but as there wasn't much else exciting to see, it made an easy day trip.
Next was Segovia. I had been absolutely dying to see Segovia since I studied it in class (who knows when that was...). First on the itinerary was the roman aqueducts. I was impressed by the architecture, and since I'm some what of a history buff (as I've recently learned), it was thrilling. But... As beautiful as they were, they pailed in comparison to the other popular sight in Segovia---the Alcazar.
Have you ever experienced a truly breathless moment? I'm sure most parents will say "of course," and tell some sob story about when their children were born (which we all appreciate :) ), but as I have never had children, I can safely say that upon reaching the top of the tower of the Alcazar, I was left truly breathless for the very first time. Now, in all fairness, I had just climbed up a 156 staired tower, which came with it's very own disclaimer to the unfit. Nevertheless, even though I was alone, I couldn´t help but release an ¨oh my god ¨ when I reached the top. The views were absolutely gorgeous, undefinable, and unrelatable. Pictures don´t do justice, and neither do words. The only way to understand it is to experience it. The rest of the Alcazar was amazing as well, having many stories from the 15th century of the Catholics Monarchs, or as its much easier to say in Spanish, los Reyes Catolicos (Isabel de Castilla and Ferninand de Aragon...the monarchy during the launching of Christopher Colombus' adventure, the end of the Reconquista--or the end of the Muslim reign in Spain--and the Inquisition, in my opinion, the most interesting rulers in Spanish history).
Another day trip included Toledo, which the Hungarian girls I studied with guaranteed was the best town in Spain. However, Igor, Dejan and myself were quite disappointed after that description. Toledo is known as the religious capitol of Spain, because Muslims, Christians, and Jews lived there harmoniously for the longest period than any other area in Spain. The whole town is built on a hill, each street changing from uphill to downhill in an instant. The most disappointing aspect of Toledo was that at any moment, you could walk by ¨an important monument" and not even recognize it...to such extent that we had to pass by ¨THE mesquita (mosque)¨ before noticing it at all. To say the least, I prefer almost any other Spanish city over Toledo...but don´t let that affect your opinion. As I´ve slowly learned, history and culture is what you make of it, and you make of it what you want. Others may find Toledo a hidden treasure among the small and winding streets, while others prefer the broad and obvious streets of Segovia. To each his own.
The last week in Alcala, I had realized I had put off every single day trip I wanted to make from Madrid until the last minute. One of them was to Avila, this ancient roman city in Spain, with the most well preserved fortress walls in Spain and one of the best in Europe. The town was beautiful and the walls--mesmorizing. The town had quite a bit of charm to it, but as there wasn't much else exciting to see, it made an easy day trip.
Next was Segovia. I had been absolutely dying to see Segovia since I studied it in class (who knows when that was...). First on the itinerary was the roman aqueducts. I was impressed by the architecture, and since I'm some what of a history buff (as I've recently learned), it was thrilling. But... As beautiful as they were, they pailed in comparison to the other popular sight in Segovia---the Alcazar.
Have you ever experienced a truly breathless moment? I'm sure most parents will say "of course," and tell some sob story about when their children were born (which we all appreciate :) ), but as I have never had children, I can safely say that upon reaching the top of the tower of the Alcazar, I was left truly breathless for the very first time. Now, in all fairness, I had just climbed up a 156 staired tower, which came with it's very own disclaimer to the unfit. Nevertheless, even though I was alone, I couldn´t help but release an ¨oh my god ¨ when I reached the top. The views were absolutely gorgeous, undefinable, and unrelatable. Pictures don´t do justice, and neither do words. The only way to understand it is to experience it. The rest of the Alcazar was amazing as well, having many stories from the 15th century of the Catholics Monarchs, or as its much easier to say in Spanish, los Reyes Catolicos (Isabel de Castilla and Ferninand de Aragon...the monarchy during the launching of Christopher Colombus' adventure, the end of the Reconquista--or the end of the Muslim reign in Spain--and the Inquisition, in my opinion, the most interesting rulers in Spanish history).
Another day trip included Toledo, which the Hungarian girls I studied with guaranteed was the best town in Spain. However, Igor, Dejan and myself were quite disappointed after that description. Toledo is known as the religious capitol of Spain, because Muslims, Christians, and Jews lived there harmoniously for the longest period than any other area in Spain. The whole town is built on a hill, each street changing from uphill to downhill in an instant. The most disappointing aspect of Toledo was that at any moment, you could walk by ¨an important monument" and not even recognize it...to such extent that we had to pass by ¨THE mesquita (mosque)¨ before noticing it at all. To say the least, I prefer almost any other Spanish city over Toledo...but don´t let that affect your opinion. As I´ve slowly learned, history and culture is what you make of it, and you make of it what you want. Others may find Toledo a hidden treasure among the small and winding streets, while others prefer the broad and obvious streets of Segovia. To each his own.
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