Tapas y Más

My first full day in Granada began with an early morning shower.  The water was just warm enough to be considered hot... something that I hope I get used to soon!  Delia made Aja and I breakfast and walked us to the IES center for our first day of orientation (only 5 minutes away).  The professor introduced himself as Antonio--which is when I realized that Spanish names are so much cooler than American names--and gave us an intensive review of basic spanish terms and the culture.  He was very interactive with our small group of students, and I enjoyed it very much.  We also got a tour of the IES center which is absolutely beautiful.  The roof terrace has the most amazing view of the city.  I wanted to stay out there all day.  And of course the weather was perfect once again; a bit cooler than the previous day but just as sunny.  After orientation, Aja and I returned home for "la comida" and our first "siesta".  Then we explored the city.  Every winding street and narrow alleyway looked like a postcard.  I quickly took note of some more culture differences. For example, men and women are much more affectionate towards each other than back home, but in a tasteful and romantic way.  Almost every couple walking in the streets held each other's hands.  Aja and I shopped around a bit, fell in love with every shoe store we went in, then went home to get ready for the night.  I met up with some IES friends in the plaza around 10 and we went out for tapas.  The first bar was decent, but we ended up going to another one called "The Bella y The Bestia" (Beatuy and the Beast).  This one was much better with more young people and better tapas.  Afterwards, we went to our first "discoteca" called Granada Diez.  It was a good time and I met my first spanish friends!

The next day Aja and I walked home from orientation for siesta where we met Delia's aunt.  Later, we went to El Albaizín with Antonio and the rest of our class.  This is the oldest part of the city with a ton of history.  The steep cobblestone roads eventually led to a spectacular view of the Alhambra and the rest of the city-- definitely an area that I plan on returning to!  The rainy night cast an interesting mood over the city, but it was still so beautiful.  The city was also a lot bigger than I had previously thought.  Afterwards, Antonio took us to one of his favorite cafés for tea, which was followed by a tapas bar with friends.

On Saturday, the IES students traveled to La Alpujarra (1.5 hours by bus).  It is a region in the outskirts of Granada with many small towns (pueblos) tucked in the Sierra Nevada mountains.  We went on a 3 hour hike from the pueblo Capileira to Pampaneira, taking a short break to have a picnic.  After I got home, showered, and rested, it was time for tapas!  When Aja and I came home, we talked with Delia, her boyfriend José, Laura, and her boyfriend Enrique or "Ki Ke".  José and Ki Ke are very funny and they love learning English words.

I finally got to sleep in until noon on Sunday!  Music in the plaza woke Aja and I up--from our window, we saw a crowd of people circled around three performers that were acting and dancing.  We caught the end of the performance when we left the house to explore the city.  I was slightly bummed to find out that all of the stores are closed on Sundays, but no pasa nada.  It was our first day off from orientation so it was nice to have the whole day to do whatever we wanted.  It was a pretty laid-back day, but the highlights include:

• trying my first "buñuelos" (similar to funnel cake, but with more toppings)
• discovering the terrace on top of my house with another perfect view of the plaza and Sierra Nevada mountains
• finding one of the rivers in the city

Oh and after finally skyping with my family tonight, I've begun to realize that as my Spanish improves, my English worsens...