Granada and Sevilla

After many years of Spanish classes, I have spent a lot of time learning about different Spanish cities, Spanish architecture, and important monuments. Before coming to Spain, the two cities I was most excited to see were Granada and Sevilla in Andalucia (the southern part of Spain), and this weekend I had the opportunity to visit both!!!

The infamous patio de leones

Granada, the last stronghold for the Moors. In 1492, it was finally conquered by los Reyes Católicos (Ferdinand and Isabella) during La Reconquista. Granada was absolutely amazing, because I was able to see the monument I have wanted to see for years. While in Granada, I was able to visit the tombs of Los Reyes Catolicos (and their daughter Juana la loca), la Alhambra, and visit the neighborhood of Albaycin. Although Granada is a really big city, it still has a small-town feel to it and while there, my friends and I were able to meet up with someone from Eau Claire who is studying in Granada. It was fun to see her, and have a tour from someone we know who also lives in the city.

Plaza de España

After visiting as much of Granada in a day as possible, we then moved on to Sevilla. While there, we visited the major monuments including the Cathedral (biggest gothic church in the world), la giralda (the bell tower), the torre de oro (tower of gold), el Alcazar (ancient palace), the plaza de toros (most beautiful in Spain) and visit the gorgeous Plaza de España. Sevilla is a beautiful city, especially in the spring because there are many colorful trees that are blooming right now. An interesting fact about Sevilla is that every year they have what is called la feria de abril (the April fair) which is a festival where everyone dances, drinks, parties, and embraces their Andalucian culture for a week (with very little sleep). The day that we were in Sevilla was the day before the start of la feria so many people were preparing for the upcoming festivities. This meant that while we were there, we were able to see many horse carriages decorated for their competition and even some women dressed up in flamenco dresses for the next day!

Found the city I'm studying in! (in Sevilla)

Needless to say we had a lot of fun visiting these two cities and enjoying the slightly warmer weather. I would recommend visiting these cities to anyone who ever wants to visit Spain. It's hard to believe I only have about 5 weeks left here which means I only have a few trips left. Now it's time to start buckling down on homework, but before the end of the semester the other cities I will be visiting are ávila, Paris, and Santander.
Próxima Parada: Avila y el Escorial
Hasta Luego