Intricate But Not Intimate: South of Spain
This past weekend (Friday - Monday) was our four day break between the June and July sessions. 10 of us went to Granada, Sevilla, and Cordoba. It was me, Kelsey, Brianna, Katie, James, David, Kevin, Nick, Lou, and Sagar. Be prepared for a longer than usual read and a chunk of photos.
Granada
We arrived in Granada at maybe 10 at night? It was in the beginning of Spanish dinner time, but by the time we arrived at our hostel and settled in, dinner was in full swing. We cleaned ourselves up and went to a local tapas bar which was packed. The group ordered something that came hot and covered in cheese and ham. It looked good but I just ordered a tortilla española. A couple of the guys went out that night but us girls stayed in and slept. The hostel is called white nest and it’s uncharacteristically pink and girlie. It was the ideal location though because when we exited the hostel, we looked up and saw La Alhambra!
Our first day in Granada was a free walking tour. Our guide was an English man named Nick. He was awesome! He used us as props in giving us historical background, like someone role played as King Ferdinand and someone else as Queen Isabella. It was a great way to convey the information to us but I still don’t remember it all. Our tour took us up the mountains in Granada and into the gypsy area but it was all safe don’t worry! We took some beautiful pictures from up high with La Alhambra in the background.
After the picture of me and Kelsey was taken, a couple who graduated from UF in 2006 went up to Sagar (who was wearing a UF football shirt) and started a conversation. #GatorNation
On our way to lunch, Kelsey and I bought matching in style dresses from a little market. It was a whimsical purchase as we hadn’t tried the dresses on and they caught our eye. Luckily the dresses fit us both and if they hadn’t it would’ve been a cool souvenir to give! That afternoon, we went to La Alhambra. It was built with Arab influence but is not actually Arab. The style is called mudéjar and the palace was built by Arabs who converted to Christianity. The king liked the Arab style but wanted Christian elements incorporated into the palace, so yeah there is Arab script every where but it’s not actual words just the shapes. There are tons of tile patterns and engravings in the palace. I wish I could show you them all but here are some.
We went into the Alcazaba which is where the royal guards were to keep the palace secure. It also gave us wonderful views, we were up the guard tower that high!
The entrance ticket to La Alhambra also included Generalife which is the garden also on the property. It’s beautiful! I so wanted to grab a book and relax in the gardens. It was lush and colorful and there were fountains every few meters. Kelsey, Brianna, James and I sat on a bench in the shade for a little bit to recharge. It was nearing 8 and the property closes then, not to mention we were exhausted, so we headed back to the hostel. On the way back, we went into a variety of shops to find all the ingredients to make dinner in the hostel. One of the two things I miss about America is convenience (the other is smoke-free air). One store had the vegetables, one had the meat, one had the bread, and another had pasta. It took about another hour but we finally found everything and made a delicious dinner for 10 IN THE HOSTEL skillz of chicken, green beans and corn, and spaghetti with tomato sauce. We found ice cream for dessert and slept easily that night.
Sevilla
Our bus to Sevilla left at 7 the next morning. We were up so early that it was still dark out, and that hasn’t happened while we’ve been here. A couple of the guys overslept and missed the bus. They made it to the 8 bus and somehow arrived in Sevilla before the rest of us :O We stayed at this hostel called The Architect and each room was named after a different prominent architect, like Frank Lloyd Wright. More free walking tours were advertised at the hostel and we planned to take the one of Barrio Santa Cruz that evening. Who would’ve guessed that that’s the name of the former Jewish Quarter…
Before the walking tour, James, Kelsey and I went to the Alcázar of Sevilla. It’s the royal palace in Sevilla and the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe. The Alcázar is also mudéjar. The rooms we were allowed into are completely unfurnished and the paint is fading from the walls, so it was a bit difficult for me to imagine the palace being used nowadays. This is me at a fountain in the gardens. I like this picture because the colors in the background are so lively!
After the Alcázar was the walking tour. Our guide’s name was Medi and his style took a little getting used to. He was very passionate and enthusiastic and like our guide in Granada, used us to role-play history. (I got to play a criminal, grr so frightening!) This tour was more historical and factual than the previous tours so I didn’t take too many pictures. I was pretty disappointed that the former Jewish neighborhood is no longer really authentic. Like the buildings and everything are for the most part rebuilt. The streets and their names are the same though. Medi was also our guide for the morning tour the following day. We went through a different part of Sevilla and learned more about the city as a whole. This tour took up a big chunk of our day. We visited Plaza de Espana. It was built for the 1929 World’s Fair. It was intended to be a full circle but there wasn’t enough funding and now it’s a beautiful half-circle.
We had lunch after the tour and the group went to the Cathedral where Christopher Columbus’s ashes supposedly are while I went back to the hostel. We went to a flamenco show that night and it was incredible! My teacher last month said to sit up front because a huge part of the show is watching the dancers’ feet. And right she is! Their coordination is spectacular and I wondered how long it took to master the steps. The flamenco singer sang so deep and at a such a volume that I was reminded of the scene in the Lion King where Rafiki holds up baby Simba and sings but only because of the tone. This sent me into a fit of giggles and somehow I managed to convey my thought to Brianna who giggled too. Nick was next to me and his curiosity was sparked so I typed him the message in my phone and he just shook his head in response. The flamenco show was a ton of fun and I’m so happy we went!
Cordoba
Our train to Cordoba left slightly later in the morning, this time at 8:38. We pulled into the station a little after 10 and stored our luggage in lockers for the day. Unlike Granada and Sevilla, we weren’t staying in Cordoba overnight. And thank god because we had to find ways to waste time. In Cordoba, we saw the Cathedral/Mosque. It was a mosque but was converted into a cathedral. It’s interesting because the inside still has Muslim influence and the structure isn’t changed; the space was just adapted.
One thing I find interesting is that there are graves buried in common walking areas in cathedrals. Like OH HEY COME WALK OVER HERE! It’s a foreign concept to me because in Judaism, it’s against the law to walk on someone’s grave. It’s seen as a sign of disrespect, so whenever I see a grave within a church, my first instinct is to avoid it, but then I remember that it was seen as an honor and privilege to be buried within the church.
From the Cathedral/Mosque, we crossed the Roman bridge and chilled in the shade beneath it, closer to the river. The group chilled there and I went by myself to find the Jewish quarter of Cordoba. Cordoba houses one of the three remaining synagogues in Spain. It was built in 1315 and survived the Inquisition, but it is no longer an active synagogue. I was soooo unhappy to hear that it’s closed on Mondays, the day we were there, and the news sent me into a little funk. I did, however, go to Casa de Sefarad. It’s a museum dedicated to Sephardic Jewish culture. There are two subcultures of Judaism: Sephardic Jews from Spain, Portugal, North Africa, and the Middle East, and Ashkenazi Jews from France, Germany, and Eastern Europe. The museum is in a 14th century Jewish house and it covers home life, music, holidays, and the Inquisition. There were groggers (noise makers), challah covers, menorahs, hamsahs, Torahs, and Megillahs on display. Seeing all the memorabilia made me tear up a bit. Knowing that all this had survived and how people did what ever they could to preserve their faith hit home. After going on the March of the Living, I have a whole new appreciation for the efforts people went through to keep Judaism alive. The March of the Living is a program that takes you to Poland to see the ghettos and concentration camps, and then to Israel to celebrate Israeli Independence Day. I still have trouble understanding the hatred and reasoning why Jews were persecuted.
I spent a solid hour and a half in the museum and Jewish Quarter. I wanted to buy a mezuzah but they weren’t Kosher. After the museum, I met back up with the group at the Roman ruins. They’re seriously just in the middle of the city. They’re chilling there.
After the ruins, we were hot and exhausted. The temperature hovered just under 100 degrees all weekend! We cooled down having a picnic lunch in a park and decided to waste time checking out the stores. In one store, Pull & Bear, Brianna and I somehow convinced Sagar and James to try on an outfit we picked out for them, and in return, we would try on an outfit they selected for us. James ended up getting the shirt we picked out. It’s a faded peach button down perfect for the summer.
We took the high speed train back to Madrid, getting in at 10. I ate something small and went straight to bed. It was a long and enjoyable weekend :]