Spring Break 2009: Madrid, Barcelona, Granada

As I mentioned in my previous post, I was so fortunate to have my mom visit me over spring break. She stayed for two weeks which gave us time to travel and enjoy each other's company. We planned to meet at our hotel in Madrid, the same hotel I stayed in with Daddy. It was nice because I was already familiar with the metro stop and the nearby area. I took the bus to Madrid, for the third time, and was so proud of myself for figuring out how to take the metro from the bus station all the way to the hotel. One euro sure does beat a 30 Euro taxi fee! My mom had just arrived to the hotel when I got there, although her bags didn't make it on her flight! Luckily, the airline delivered her bag the following day. We made the most of our first day even though I know my mom was really jet lagged. We spent four days in Madrid which gave us a chance to see the three major museums and the palace. This time we went to the Prado two times. The first time we bought the audio guides which really did help us better appreciate the artwork. I recognized a lot of paintings that we've discussed in my art history class. I can tell that I enjoy art more after taking this class. I wanted to thoroughly look at every work and hear the information about it. We were taking our time so much that we didn't even realize when the museum was about to close. Finally, after a second trip to the Prado, we managed to see all the masterpieces and pretty much the entire museum. What an accomplishment! On this trip to Madrid we happened to come across the Hard Rock Cafe which made for a fun dinner. Part of me thought I was back in the USA! This trip to Madrid left me feeling like an expert on the city. My Spanish friends can't believe I've now been to Madrid 3 times!

We took the train to Barcelona and spent 3 full days touring the city. I was really excited to go to Barcelona because everyone had told me it is such a fun, neat, beautiful city. On our first night we were a little tired from the train ride, and really didn't do very much. When we were walking on La Ramblas, the main street of Barcelona, an old man threw out his umbrella in front of my mom and it scared both of us! We later saw him in the same spot where it looked like he was waiting to scare other tourists. After this incident we decided to get some rest before we tried to figure out the city.

On the first day, we went to the monument of Christopher Columbus, where Columbus is pointing out to toward the Mediterranean. You can go up into the monument, which was recommended as one of the best views of Barcelona in our "Top 10 Barcelona" guide. After this we waited in the long line for the cable cars. It was worth the wait because we really did get another great view of the city. We also tried a seafood restaurant recommended by our hotel, which was wonderful! We had some of the best food in Barcelona! We also went to the Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudi's unfinished church, which is just as an impressive as everyone says. Later we saw La Pedrera, an apartment block designed by Gaudi, which is very modern. Gaudi knew even we he first started the Sagrada Familia that it would someday be a symbol of Barcelona. He thought the pinnacles united heaven and earth. His park is also a popular tourist attraction. We decided to buy passes for the city sightseeing bus in order to help us better see the sites in the few days we had. Unfortunately it started down pouring while we were on top of the bus, which made for a miserable time. Before we left we made it to the Picasso Museum, and the Cathedral. Even though the weather wasn't ideal, we managed to see most all of the tourist sites in Barcelona.

After Barcelona, we took the train back to Madrid, where we then took the train to Granada. Because it was a popular tourist time all the direct trains from Barcelona to Granada were already booked several days in advance. Our hotel in Granada was in a different part of the city I wasn't very familiar with. I enjoyed staying in another part of town and discovering some new places like a delicious bakery, a hair salon, and a fruit stand. We also had city sightseeing bus passes for Granada which helped me see some of the other tourist attractions of the city. The weather was chilly in Granada and all of the Spaniards had on their heavy winter coats. We saw some of the Semana Santa processions as I discussed in the previous post. Also, we went to the Cathedral and the Royal Chapel. I studied both in my art history class so I felt like I at least knew something about them. We had tickets for the Alhambra on Monday night. Our time at the Alhambra was kind of rushed due to confusion as to how long it stayed open. Nevertheless we were able to see most everything. My mom also packed up some of my winter clothes and took them back with her so I'll have less to bring back. Sometimes I look around my room and wonder how everything will every fit in my bags!

I had such a wonderful, long, relaxing visit with my mom. It's always nice having someone to travel with, especially a mom who takes such good care of you!

As always, it was sad to say goodbye to mama! I'll be home before you know it!

Madrid

view of Almudena Cathedral from Palacio Real

pansies are also popular in Spain!

Mama's in Spain!

Museo del Prado

Plaza de Cibeles

Communications Building-- pretty impressive!

Atocha Train Station

windmills!

typical Spanish landscape from the train

Barcelona

view of Barcelona from the Mirador de Colon

mirador de colon

getting ready to ride the cable cars

a cable car

the passion facade of the Sagrada Familia

inside the Sagrada Familia


close up of the nativity scene


inside Park Güell



Gaudi's impressive work


two houses at the park entrance


on the top level of the park


La Pedrera - Gaudi's apartment block


the roof of the Pedrera


a view of the Sagrada Familia from the Pedrera


a model inside the Pedrera museum


Gaudi's famous tile inside the apartment

Granada


The Cartuja of Granada- right by my dorm


one of the prettiest cathedrals in Spain!


a view from the Generalife


another view


posing in the Alhambra


Federico Garcia Lorca Park
(Lorca was a famous Spanish writer from Granada)


Lorca's home in the park

Semana Santa

Here in Spain, we recently celebrated one of the most important holidays of the year. Semana Santa, or Holy Week, is not just a religious celebration but it's also a large part of the Spanish culture. Most Spaniards rarely attend church and do not consider themselves religious. Church goers usually consist of grandparents, who I often see congregated outside church doors after mass. This seems a little confusing as to why Spaniards put so much time and effort into a religious holiday. After observing the holy week and talking with numerous Spanish friends, it seems that the holiday is something very cultural. While there are some Spaniards who see the week as rather fake, there are others who see it as a tradition that brings Spaniards together every year. Whatever your take on the spectacle, there's no doubt that it is an event very unique to Spain.

During Holy Week, it is not unusual to have multiple processions everyday leading up to Easter. People spend a lot of time practicing for the processions, learning how to carry these huge figures. A month before Easter it was common to find people practicing in the streets. Different brotherhoods participate in the processions, wearing different color pennants to show which brotherhood they belong to. Bands follow behind playing music that sets the tone for an eerie, mysterious event. Just about everyone participates in these processions.

My mom was here over Holy Week and we arranged to be in Granada for some of the processions. (Andalucia is most noted for its processions and Sevilla has the most famous processions.) We managed to see one night procession that was pretty exciting. Some of the night processions last until 1 or 2 AM! We also saw the 100th anniversary of a huge procession here in Granada. It had over 20 figures and lasted several hours. It was almost called off due to rain, but luckily the rain held off for the most part. If it does rain and the sculptures get wet, they are ruined. When it started to rain the Semana Santa workers were quick to cover the figures with plastic to prevent damage. I couldn't believe how many people came out to see this procession. The streets were packed with no room to walk. Chairs were set out on the streets for people willing to pay. The specatators who had it best were the ones with apartments overlooking the processions.


Street vendors selling baked potatoes, very popular in Spain


Members of a brotherhood carrying crosses


the band playing


one of the figures


a group of women dressed in black


the end of the procession


100th Anniversary Procession

A "Ski" Trip

Before I came to Granada, I talked with a girl from UNCG who had been here last spring. She told me of all her favorite things about Granada which included a ski trip with the dorm. All year I had been looking for signs for a ski trip. Finally in February signs were posted for a ski trip in March. I was warned before the trip that organized trips in Spain weren't always the best. However, I had never been to the Sierra Nevada and felt it was a must if I was studying abroad so close to them. The ski trip ended up being a disappointment, although I did see the mountains. The dorm took us to the little ski resort town and told us to be back at the bus in 5 hours. I was with my Russian friends and all of us were clueless as to what to do, where to go, what ski clothes/equipment to rent. We spent 5 hours in the little town, browsing shops, eating lunch, reading magazines in Spanish, and taking pictures. When we got back to the dorm, I was shocked to see I had gotten sunburned. Note to self: always wear sunscreen when outside for a long period of time. As always, group trips might not be what you expect, but they are certainly an adventure.

UNCG girls in Granada

In the beginning of March, a girl from UNCG, who was supposed to study abroad with me in Granada, contacted me. She's studying abroad in Toledo this semester with 5 other girls from UNCG. She and the other girls came to Granada and wanted to meet up one night. All of the girls had originally wanted to study abroad in Granada this semester. With all of the problems I had last semester with the international office, UNCG didn't feel comfortable sending the other girls to Granada. Nevertheless, we met while they were here and I showed them around Granada.