March 14
Buenos días! It has been gorgeous here the past two days and it is really a mood booster! Everything looks so different with a little sunshine J
I just spent Wednesday through Sunday in Andalucia, which is in the southern part of Spain. The first day we were in Granada. We got to the hotel at about 2 o’clock and it was very rainy everywhere, which was bad luck for us because it is supposed to rarely ever rain in Andalucia. We had our first tour at the Capilla Real, which was very interesting because we saw the tombs of los Reyes Católicos (The Catholic King and Queen), Isabel of Castile and Fernando of Aragon. Juana la loca (the crazy) was also buried there, which I found exciting because I did a project on her! Since it happened to be Ash Wednesday, a group of us found a nearby catholic church and attended an 8 o clock mass. Overall the mass was pretty similar and easy to follow along. The big difference is how they get in line for communion (everyone just jumps up when they want to, there is no filing into line row by row). The rest of the night was pretty low key; my roomies and I caught up on glee and chatted. We also ate a whole box of Frosties! (Frosted Flakes) I was VERY excited to discover those in the market that we went to J I have missed snacking on cereal 
The next morning we woke up and went to the Alhambra, which is the main attraction of Granada. It is a huge area with parks, gardens, museums, ancient ruins, chapels, castles and a gorgeous view of the whole city. The next morning we woke up and went to the Alhambra, which is the main attraction of Granada. It is a huge area with parks, gardens, museums, ancient ruins, chapels, castles and a gorgeous view of the whole city.
After that we drove to Seville, which was about 2 hours away. When we arrived it was really rainy and gross outside. Some of the girls left to explore some areas of the city, but I stayed back because I was not feeling well. I didn’t mind though because walking through the rain didn’t sound to enjoyable to me. Also, since I stayed back I was able to watch Connor and the Edina hockey team on my computer!! (all i wanted was to be at the xcel with my family and a maui wowi in hand! )
On Friday we started the day with a walking tour and then went to the Alcazar and the Cathedral. It is a gorgeous city and if I had the chance to return to Spain I would definitely want to go back to Seville. After the tours for the day a group of girls and I ate pizza and pasta at a restaurant (two things I have been missing!)
Later that night a small group walked to an area called the Plaza de España. It was a big open plaza with a little river where you can rent sailboats, some bridges, beautiful architecture (of course) and a square tile for each are in Spain. We of course walked around until we found Segovia! We went during the night so everything was lit up and gorgeous! On the way back we got a little lost, but it was a beautiful area so it didn’t matter. That night I watched a movie with a few girls and then watched the next hockey game at 1 am. It was against Duluth East and one of my friends here has a brother on that team, so that was pretty exciting and it turned out to be a great game, Connor played amazingly and I am so glad I was able to watch it (although my computer did cut out in the last 2 minutes during overtime..)
On Saturday we took the bus to a nearby city called Itálica where we saw ancient Roman ruins. The day turned out to be amazing…finally!! Anna and I spent the afternoon roaming Seville trying to find somewhere to eat outside and soak up some rays at the same time. I wasn’t feeling well so I treated myself to a smoothie from starbucks…but it was not the same. I have found out, slowly, that the smoothies they make in Spain are basically ice with some flavor mixed in. I cannot wait to get some jamba juice when I get home! After our relaxing time in the sun we did a little shopping. I am really going to miss all these stores!! (Bershka, Sfera, H&M, Mango, Mossimo Dutti, Zara….the list goes on).
After shopping we went back to the hotel to get ready for the night! Some girls went to a FREE flamenco show at a nearby bar. It was extremely packed inside and we ended up standing on the side all smushed together. The show only lasted about a half hour, but it was very fun to see, especially since Seville is known for its Flamenco. It consisted of one guy keeping the beat and singing, another playing guitar and then the woman who danced. I don’t understand how someone can stomp so much and so hard and not hurt their feet, knees or even back! It was incredible! After that we went to a discoteca called Budha. It was three levels, with each level having a different type of music. There were a ton of people there and I even ran into some girls from Edina! (small world again!)
On Sunday we got on the bus early and went to Córdoba where we saw the Mezquita-Catedral. It is one of the biggest cathedrals in the world and it was amazing. I think it is my favorite building so far because it was very different from all the others. There are Islamic and Christian influences mixed together. After that we had a 7 hour busride and arrived back in Segovia to rain and cold!
Mil besos,
Morgan
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