Hearing about all the exciting Spring Break adventures from friends back in Clemson had me feeling a little envious until I remembered every week here has hardly lacked excitement worthy of any Spring Break experience.
Even more so, my dad and younger brother Blake came to taste a little Spain, spending four full days with me in Granada, and some time in Madrid, too. It was wonderful to see such familiar faces, and I enjoyed showing them what makes my life here so fantastic -- definitely better than bringing home a ridiculous amount of photos to sort through and explain!
Blake and me at the Alhambra, with the Sacromonte in the background
We were sure to check out all the major Granada sites like the Alhambra, Carlos V’s cathedral, the Sacromonte and Albaizyn, and all of the main plazas, but I especially liked sharing the lesser-known city experiences, those usually enjoyed only by the locals, or in my case, study abroad students.
The week was busy and not nearly long enough, but we were able to fit in a bit of everything. Tasting churros with chocolate, hiking the surrounding hills for beautiful views of the city, exploring the white-washed Albaizyn, enjoying an outdoor picnic alongside the Alhambra, sipping tea at a Morrocan-themed tetería, and celebrating St. Patrick’s day at an Irish Pub made the week as memorable for my dad and Blake as it did for me. Experiencing Granada with them was like seeing it all for the first time again.
Before my visitors had to leave, my host family invited them over for lunch, the traditional mid-day meal that precedes the afternoon siesta time. At my request, my señora prepared Spain’s famous paella, one of the many dishes I’m going to have to learn how to cook -- especially now that my brother and dad have become paella fanatics. It was a bit of a challenge serving as translator during the meal, but I enjoyed the practice, and was impressed with how both my host family and “real” family attempted to speak each others’ native languages. Since that Thursday was Father’s Day here in Spain, the meal was all the more special to share with my own dad.
Though I wished they could have spent another week in Granada, saying goodbye to them wasn’t too difficult knowing yet another visitor was coming the following day.
Happily, Ross was able to make it down for a quick weekend vacation, and I once again very much enjoyed showing him Granada’s unique history and unmatched beauty.
Ross came to visit, too!
After that eventful week, nothing too out of the ordinary has happened. Thursday night, my friend Clarissa and I finally found a decent salsa club to test our footwork. We arrived a little too late for the free lessons, but made it in time for a couple of group dances, which were post-enjoyable and reason enough to return to “Barrio Latino.” Being a relative salsa novice, I appreciated Clarissa showing me a few steps before turning myself loose to any other potential dance partner. It was fun pairing with experienced Spaniards, and I was appreciative of the patience my partner Javi had with my often incorrect steps. I never realized how rhythmic and fluid salsa is, with the majority of moves requiring serious control of the hips. Along with several different salsa dances, Javi also introduced me to pachanga, a slower version of salsa that involves a limited space between dance partners, and is a little too physical for my “personal space” needs. Regardless, I’ve always enjoyed dancing, and would definitely like to get more comfortable with the footwork of salsa (and perhaps panchaga, as well!).
Later that night Clarissa and I also met a German and his friend from northern Spain who had spent time at Auburn University in the States. I’m repeatedly amazed at how closely connected people are and how small the world can seem, even in a little salsa bar in the middle of Granada, Spain!
This weekend I’ve slowly attempted to coax myself into preparing for the four midterms I have this week, which has proved far more difficult that I had hoped. Yesterday, a couple friends and I naively thought an afternoon spent in lush green grass under glorious sunshine would be an environment conducive for memorizing grammar rules and history dates. After three hours of chatting, napping, laughing and half-hearted studying, we gave up and ended the afternoon with a trip to a pastry shop. We totally deserved every one of those flaky, buttery, sugary calories, too.
No comments:
Post a Comment