Granada – Page 3 – Valpo Voyager

Category: Granada (page 3 of 5)

All posts from Granada, Spain.

Let’s go to Barcelona!

February 21, 2016 / econtreras / 0 Comments

So this is long overdue. After my trip to Morocco, I had 5 days off in which I could travel anywhere before class started. I decided to go to Barcelona and let me tell you, I had a blast!

It was a bit of a struggle to plan this trip as a couple of girls and I, we were going on this trip together, didn’t finalize our plans until literally the day before we left for Morocco, so it was very last minute. Also, we had no idea what we were going to do in Barcelona, we just knew we were going. Good plan. We vacillated at first between a few different options like Portugal, Swiss Alps, and Scotland, but nobody could decide what we wanted. Word of advice?.. Though we had a fantastic and I don’t think it could have gone any better even if we had planned it all, don’t leave it all till the last minute. Talk about a panic attack.

So here we go, embarking on a trip to Barcelona where we have no idea what we’re doing. Oh, by the way, we knew for a fact that we had to watch the Cheetah Girls 2 as it takes place in Barcelona.

First day in Barcelona and we are totally disoriented. We had no idea how to get where we were going and even though a friend and I are fluent in Spanish, we still had trouble communicating because, you may not know, in Barcelona they speak Catalan. Catalan is a language that came from French and Spanish mixed together. It’s a little weird. So here we are, trying to speak English and Spanish to the bus driver and trying to find a common language. It was quite an experience for me. Besides my trip to Morocco I have never really had a difficult time being able to understand people. We somehow managed to find our way to the hostel after wandering around for a little bit. In comparison to Granada, Barcelona is bigger and set up a little differently.

So many things happened in Barcelona it’s too much to write about, so instead I’ll highlight some of my favorite.

These are a few pictures from the Basilica de Santa Maria. It is breathtakingly beautiful! It is around 600 years old and the only surviving cathedral in pure catalan gothic style.

On our first night as we were wandering around, we wound up by the shore and in good timing because there was a circus! Of course we HAD to go in. It was great because that night the tickets were half off, so we got front row seats! It lasted about two hours and it was full of acrobatics and little skits. The ringmaster spoke mainly in Catalan so again we didn’t really have any idea what he was saying. Imagine living in a country were there are 4 official languages and you just have to run through them all to find a way to communicate. You don’t really think about that in the USA because the official language is English and most everyone can speak it. Yea, there are other languages that are spoken but you are not hard-pressed to learn them. I just thought that was interesting and felt the need to share. It is an interesting thought.

Alright, up next is my favorite! La Sagrada Familia. It is one of the largest cathedral’s in the world and it is absolutely BREATHTAKING. I cannot even begin to describe to you how enormous and beautiful this building is. It was built by a Catalan architect, Antoni Gaudi, who died in 1926. At the time of his death, the cathedral was not even a fourth complete and believe it or not, it’s still in construction today! It is estimated to be finished by 2030 I think, so it still has a while to go. Can you even imagine that?!

There is so much detail you could spend forever and not see all of it.

I loved Barcelona so much that I am going back again for my Spring Break and I cannot wait! So hurray for Barcelona round 2 but until then, Lisbon, Portugal here I come! (Feb. 26-28)

Assalamo Aleykom (Peace be with you)

So this last week has been a week of firsts.

I went to continent of Africa for the first time as I visited Morocco for the first time. Morocco is definitely an experience I will never forget. I learned so much in my short four days there not only did I learn about the language and culture, but also more about myself and what I want to do. I know, starting to get a little deep there, but seriously, if I ever have the chance to go back I would.

First, let me start off by teaching you a few words that I learned whilst in Morocco.
Salam– Hello
B’Salama– Bye
Koolhay– eat
Sabah– 7
Shrukan– thank you
Layla Saida– Goodnight

Smiti– My name is…

Waha– Okay

I don’t think I have ever experienced a language barrier (I am a native Spanish speaker so being in Spain is no biggie), but while I was in Morocco I had absolutely no idea how to communicate. I have huge respect for my fellow classmates that have little to no Spanish in their vocabulary. Trying to talk to my host family while in Morocco was a great experience and I picked up on a few words and thoroughly enjoyed it. My host sister did speak some English so I was not totally lost.

https://youtu.be/Skwgk9duVaU

This link will show you exactly how I felt throughout my Moroccan travels.

I want to give an overall schedule of what happened during my stay in Morocco.

Day One: Tarifa – Algeciras- Rabat

Boat journey across the Mediterranean Sea from Algeciras, Spain to Tangier, Morocco
Visit the women’s center, DARNA, including informal conversation with Moroccan students
- This was one of my favorite activities. We talked a lot about cultural diversity, education, and women’s rights in Morocco. You would think that Morocco, being an Islamic country, women would have little to no freedom but that is not the case! Women are very educated and sometimes may even have more freedom/opportunities than men.
Lunch at DARNA
- Uh, extremely delicious!
Drive to Assila along the Atlantic coast
- WE RODE CAMELS!! And for the record, camels must really like me since they were trying to eat my hair and even chased me across the beach!
  Can you tell that I am very excited? (sorry it might be a little dark)
Walk through the Medina (old town) of Assila
Dinner with home stay families
- Also delicious. Also, our bedrooms were freaking awesome and so was my host family! Sending them lots of love!

Day Two: Rabat

Breakfast
- Did I happen to mention that Moroccan food is delicious??
Conversation with Moroccan students
- Again this was very educational. It was interesting learning their point of view on things. For example, Moroccans have free education yet even with a PhD, it is extremely difficult to obtain a job. Also despite the fact that their education is free, it is not A+ quality. It is amazing to think about all the opportunities we have and yet they go unnoticed. To be completely honest, I was a little jealous at first at hearing about their free education and how they are taught English and/or French at a young age, but even then they are hard-pressed for a job.

Some of the Moroccan students who spoke with us.

Visit the Roman ruins–Chellah and the Mausoleum of King Mohammed V
Lunch with host family
- Need I say it?
Exploring Rabat’s Kasbah (old fort), street life, and the Medina market with Moroccan students
- This was a memorable night. #IHAAAAAB (inside joke) *see video attachment*
- https://youtu.be/uaMXFmESIi4
- Again, spending time with these Moroccan students is very insightful. I cannot stress enough how important it is to learn about every culture you come across! Please take the time to learn something about the next country/city you visit. It will be worth your while, I promise!!

This is us yelling “IHAAAB” as we take the picture. (excuse the blurriness on my pictures, for some reason they upload that way)

Hammam
- I definitely got to know my classmates a whole lot better after this. I suggest you research this activity on your own. I highly recommend it, though maybe in a lesser public setting. =)
Dinner
- YUM!

Day Three: Rabat – Rif Mountains – Chefchaouen

Breakfast
Drive to Rif Mountains
Lunch with family in a mountain village
- This family was absolutely precious. They were so open to us and friendly. They were also very curious about our culture as Americans. This was also a very different experience from all of the other cities we visited. Mostly in the way that the family lived because they were in a more rural area. #SquatPots
Drive to Chefchaouen
Settle in hostel and explore the Medina
- Time for bargaining and henna!
Dinner
- Umm…DELICIOUS!!
Reflection time
- We all spoke about what we had learned and what had surprised us the most. It was an intimate moment for us as we sat around two melting candles wrapped in our blankets.

Day Four: Chefchaouen – Ceuta – Tarifa

Breakfast
- Unfortunately, I was becoming deathly ill at this point (must have been all the delicious food I had been eating…overdose?) and I did not have any breakfast that morning. I was having some gastrointestinal issues otherwise known as traveler’s diarrhea, a fantastic thing really….NOT!, and I was dehydrated and eventually received some medical care. PIECE OF ADVICE: PLEASE KEEP YOURSELF HYDRATED WITH BOTTLED WATER!!
Drive to Ceuta
Boat journey across the Strait of Gibraltar
Arrival in Tarifa, Spain

My trip to Morocco is something that I will never forget. I learned so much and from my time there I can tell you two things:

Muslims are NOT terrorists. They are some of the friendliest people I have ever met. It is not part of their culture to blow things up or terrorize people. In fact, they are afraid of what ISIS might do next. Please do not let the media dictate your thoughts towards places you have never visited.
Never be afraid to experience different things or go out of your comfort zone. Enjoy life and the opportunities while you have them. Privileges.

Morocco was fun and adventurous but I never thought that I would be so happy to be back home, because that is what Granada is to me now. Home. And I never want to leave.

Hola desde España!

January 16, 2016 / econtreras / 0 Comments

Well, I made it. I didn’t think that the day would ever come.

There are so many things that I could write about my first impression of Granada, however, my first few nights here…jetlag. Any advice that I could give is do NOT sleep when you get here; try to stay on their schedule. I was up all night long because I had slept a few hours as soon as I had arrived. Let me tell you though that Granada has a crazy nightlife. They are up all hours of the night mostly on weekends though. It is mostly a student city so you’ll see a lot of college students out in the streets.

It has been a great first week here in Granada. I got lost in the city a few times (the best way to get to know a city by the way) and made some great new friends! On the first day here to get to Granada I had to take a tiny plane where there wasn’t much room to move around. As soon as I arrived in Granada, I took the airport bus to the City Center and managed to find my hotel without losing any of my luggage. That was an adventure all in itself.

I’m from Chicago. One reason I absolutely love Granada so far is that it’s small enough to get around, yet big enough to get lost in. Of course, that might also be because of the winding streets that don’t make much sense. Compared to Chicago, the streets of Granada are like a maze.

This is one of the larger streets in Granada. You can safely walk on the sidewalk without being cramped up against four other people.

My favorite part of Granada is, of course, the food! Here everyone goes out for tapas. Tapas are like appetizers that are served with your drink. Mostly all the tapas involve some type of bread, but they are delicious. The best part? They’re free with your drink.

These are some tapas and they are called “croquetas”. They are basically like a fishstick.

It’s been a little crazy finally getting used to the Spanish schedule, but I am getting there. That’s all I have for now. Hasta luego!

Exams, Experiencing Culture Shock, and the Effect of Snow

November 20, 2013 / Marissa Schmidt / 0 Comments

No I didn’t get taken, but I have been relatively missing from social media these past couple weeks and I wanted to apologize. I officially have a fully functioning computer, so from now on, I promise posts will be much more consistent.

I’ve done a lot within the last month: explored Madrid, sprained my ankle falling down some ancient steps, entered the famous mezquita of Cordoba, saw Big Ben with my own eyes, and received my official Spanish residency card for the year. Though I’ve had my usual share of fun and adventure, these last couple weeks in particular have been a giant wake-up call back to reality.

The week before last happened to be midterm week.

This wouldn’t be such a big deal if,

A. I was like every other student and had regular midterms every semester. In the history field, I usually have papers. Don’t get me wrong, papers themselves are a lot of work. They just require a different type of work than a multiple-choice test. I haven’t had a proper midterm since the days of living in the basement labs of Neils when I was a science major…

and

B. All of my grades this semester were based upon more than 2 things: my midterm and my final. In all actuality that is how all of my classes are being graded. Only 2 grades for a semester’s worth of work.

That’s a lot riding on just 2 tests.

If you know me well, you know that I am a perfectionist. Especially when it comes to school. I knew that this year of classes entirely in Spanish would be a huge risk for me. I’ve had my fair share of failed tests and bad papers throughout my time at Valpo. Usually, however, classes are weighted with enough papers, tests, participation, and the like to allow for one or two not so perfect assignments. Apparently, it doesn’t work that way in Spain.

So while it’s extremely nice to have 4 day weeks and not have boatloads of readings, 20 pg papers, and in general outside of class work, that also makes for ensured stess leading up to midterms and finals. Not to mention, everything is in Spanish.

It’s a whole new education system to get used to. One that I quite honestly wasn’t expecting.

There have been so many things that I’ve had to adjust to while living here that I never anticipated. It’s amazing how seemingly little things such as your host mom refusing to refrigerate milk, or classes being graded 10-1 vs A-F, all add up to create a huge feeling of being foreign.

Some days, that feeling unfortunately takes over. I’m at the point in the semester where the “honeymoon” is over. I’m still as deeply in love with the city of Granada and with Europe as ever, but now that I know the city like the back of my hand and am a lot more comfortable with it, homesickness has begun to set in a little bit.

On days when I need to buy something, but can’t at the exact moment I want to because the whole city is closed for siesta, or moments when I can’t seem to speak or think a word in Spanish, all I want to do is be back at Valpo where I’m much more comfortable.

Fortunately, I have days like today to remind me just how much I love being here.

This morning on my walk to school, I caught a glimpse of the freshly fallen snow on the Sierras. Suddenly not caring so much about getting to class on time, I took a few moments to soak in the beauty around me. Granada is perfectly nestled within the mountains and I will never get sick of the incredible view. Seeing them covered in snow for the first time was beyond words.

After such a good start, my day and attitude only continued to get better. Booking my flights to Portugal and Germany for winter break, I realized that I only have a month left here before Dec-January break. I won’t be back to Granada until classes begin again in February. Though I’m beyond excited to visit with friends and see more of Europe, suddenly it seems as if my time here is growing very short. I’m blessed to have another semester here and can’t wait to see what it holds. Until then, as I count down the days til break, I’ll be cherishing every moment I still have in this beautiful city.

Oh, and in case you were wondering about those exams I was so worried about? I got my results back. All were not perfect, but I did manage to far exceed the expectations I set for myself.

Maybe I can speak a little Spanish after all.

Morocco Video

October 22, 2013 / Marissa Schmidt / 0 Comments

In order to give you guys a better look into my trip to Morocco, I put together a video of my host mom, the camel rides, and a ton of other fun stuff. Click the link below, check it out, and make sure to read my full blog post about my Moroccan expirience!

Morocco Video

Morocco and Other Musings

October 22, 2013 / Marissa Schmidt / 0 Comments

About a month after my return, I think that it’s finally about time to tell you all about my trip into the heart of Africa. Ok, maybe “the heart of Africa” isn’t exactly the appropriate term for Morocco (both geographically and culturally speaking). Actually, it was more like being thrown into the streets of Aladdin’s Agrabba minus the Arabian Nights theme playing in the background. I kid you not, I saw at least 5 people sporting Aladdin theme notebooks/shirts while we were there. In all seriousness though, the trip was very impactful and one that I will not soon forget.

I had never anticipated visiting Morocco in my lifetime. Nor had I particularly wanted to. That is, until I read more about the Granada program and realized that a trip there was included in the cost. Suddenly, a trip to a country I had never desired to go to became one of the main reasons for choosing where I spent a year of my life. Crazy how that works. Fortunately, the trip lived up to the hype I had created for it. Though (almost) everyone else was just as pumped as I was about this journey, I think that in a lot of ways I had a very different trip than them simply because of some of the knowledge I had going into the 4 days I spent there.

Previous to going, I had a class on Modern Middle East history with the delightful Professor Schaefer. Though not always on topic, he shared so many stories of actually living and traveling within the Middle East and Africa, and as a consequence, broke a lot of previous misconceptions that I didn’t even know I had about the culture and people there. (Side note, if you haven’t read the book Ramza, do it. Now. Go spend the $5 and order it off of Amazon. It’s a fast read and I promise you won’t regret it.) I think that having that base of knowledge really allowed me to come into this trip with fresh eyes and an open heart. (See guys, education really does make a huge difference! I’ll get back to that thought when I post on Teach for America eventually….)

The tour group we went with was actually much less a tour group and much more an educational experience. Most of our guides had spent a lot of time in Morocco, could speak the language, and were personally connected and invested as a whole. As a result, we got to interact with the local culture on a level much deeper than your average sight-seeing trip. Yes we saw the Roman gardens, and rode camels, but we also got to stay with host families and actually sit down and talk with real Moroccans about pretty much anything. For example, from almost the moment that we docked in the port city of Tangier, we were off to a women’s shelter to hold discussions with local women about their rights as citizens and the changes within Moroccan society as a whole. Overwhelming at times? Most definitely. Possibly one of the most valuable learning experiences I’ve ever had? You betcha.

Though we had many interesting conversations throughout the 4 days we were there, my favorite by far was meeting Kawtar.

Photo: Isabelle Hicks

Dressed more fashionably than any Spaniard I’ve met yet and completely fluent in English, immediately upon first impression, Kawtar does not appear to be what one would expect a normal 20-something woman raised in a Muslim society to be like. Yet she is. Within the 3 hours she spent showing Gigi, Isabelle, and I her favorite spots in Rabat, we quickly learned that partying, dating, and college, is all so much the same as what we’re used to- even in the “exotic” place of Morocco. We talked about everything from faith to boys and while sipping Moroccan tea, we even had a heart to heart about working up the confidence to tell a guy you like him.

What stuck out most to me however, was our discussion about opportunity. One of Kawtar’s biggest dreams is to study abroad in America. While that dream might seem totally accessible to some, for her, even though she’s already fluent in English, it’s almost impossible.

You see, while for us the process of getting a Visa to travel abroad might seem like a tedious annoying process, for many Moroccans, it’s not simply annoying, it’s nearly impossible. The Moroccan government requires one to have a certain amount money in a bank account before being allowed to travel outside the country. For many Moroccans, that amount of money is more than they will ever see in a lifetime. So, while it is possible for some people to leave the country, those people are among the vast minority. Most Moroccans will in fact never be able to leave their own country and cross the border to the little section of Spanish land that borders theirs in Africa simply because they will never have the right to a visa. Though they will meet people from all over and see pictures of hundreds of places, many of them will never get to see those things with their own eyes and experience things in their own ways,

So as Kawtar told us her dreams of studying in the US and my Moroccan host mom showed us a million pictures of all of her past host students from every part of the globe, my heart broke. Not just broke, shattered into a million pieces. Here was I, a white American woman spending a whole year in Spain, who only the night before complained about not knowing what country I should book a flight too next after Morocco; complaining because I didn’t think I had enough money to last the year and complaining because my Fulbright and Teach for America advisors are back in Valpo and I had applications to complete; complaining because after the group talk the previous night, I didn’t know how I was going to choose between applying for a Fulbright, or to Peace Corps, Americorps, or Teach for America.

In other words, complaining because I had too many options.

Here I was in a beautiful, yet economically destitute country meeting wonderful, intelligent people and creating tons of connections. The only difference between myself and them was that, at the end of 4 days, I would be able to leave and continue exploring the world. Most of their worlds, however, unfortunately begin and end with Morocco. There are no programs such as Peace Corps and Fulbright. No study abroad and certainly no elaborate eurotrips. For Moroccans, those are things to merely dream about. To strive to achieve, but at the end of the day accept that they are not reality.

If there was a way, I would give my abroad experience to Kawtar in a heartbeat. With all that she has already accomplished in life, she more than deserves it… I wish that there was a way that I could somehow give every Moroccan that chance to travel. Not just to travel, but to have the freedom to travel. Never before have I felt more blessed to come from the country that I have. In these last few weeks amidst the shut-down, I must admit, I may have not shown the most national pride. However, despite the many faults of our (and every) government, most of us, are blessed to come from a country where getting a visa is not impossible. A country where study abroad is so common that now almost half of all students spend at least one semester away from home. Travel here is not a dream, it is a reality. Next time you find yourself complaining about the security line in the airport or the endless paperwork of a visa, remember that not only are you blessed to have the opportunity to do so, you are also blessed with the freedom to do so.

So go out, explore the world! Even if that ‘world’ is only the pizza place down the street that you’ve always meant to try, but never end up actually eating it. You may find that the place you end up and the people you meet are totally different than yourself, or maybe, just maybe, you will find what I came to know in Morocco. Maybe, we are all much more similar than we give ourselves credit for. Different people born into different economic and cultural situations, yes, but in all actuality, the world you thought was so big and different, might not be so big after all.

Mañana, Mañana, Mañana…

October 13, 2013 / Marissa Schmidt / 0 Comments

Well, it’s been a whole month since I found myself in Granada (very scared, but thankfully not alone) attempting to write a blog post that could effectively express how I was feeling about finally being in Spain. Since then I’ve managed to hold several Spanish conversations with complete strangers, had more than one awkward encounter with my host brother, taken 2 level tests, completed 2 weeks of orientation, explored La Alhambra, traveled all over Morocco, ridden a camel, flown up to Ireland, tasted Guinness, seen the Cliffs of Moher, visited Edinburgh, climbed Arthur’s Seat, saw my first castle, travelled to Seville on a whim, met many new friends, and completed a very successful first week and a half of classes. Whew. So if you we’re wondering about the long hiatus between blog posts, the reality is that my life has been crazy lately. Crazy wonderful, but crazy nonetheless.

Judging by the lack of blog posts, it is clearly evident that I’ve had no problem of adjusting to the “No pasa nada. Mañana…” aspect of the Spanish lifestyle. If you don’t speak Spanish or have never been to Spain, you are now probably staring blankly at your computer screen wondering what the heck you just read and muttering the following phrases to yourself: “Mañana aspect? What in the world are you talking about Marissa?!” Mañana in Spanish means tomorrow. From the moment I set my feet on Spanish soil, I have been bombarded by Spaniards uttering that particular word. Ok, you caught me; that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but the Spanish are quite famous for having the mentality of, “Eh. It doesn’t matter. I’ll just do it tomorrow.” While not one to usually play up stereotypes, this particular one has proven itself to be more than accurate. The people here really are on a totally different timetable than those in the US and the procrastinator in me has been enjoying every single second of it. Need to withdraw Euros from the ATM? Eh, I’ll do it mañana. Need to buy stamps so that postcards can finally be sent? Maybe mañana. Need to update this blog? Mañana.

Mañana. Mañana. Mañana. The unfortunate thing about the “mañana lifestyle” is that mañanas never stop coming. Before you know it a whole month can pass and that thing you meant to do mañana is still written in the “To Do:” section of your planner waiting to be done. With the end of orientation and the beginning of a 19 credit semester has come the reality of a schedule. Even though I am in Spain for this school year, I still have many responsibilities. If I am actually going to get done half of what I want to accomplish while I’m here, I have to stop putting things off until mañana and start doing them hoy (today), beginning with this blog. It might mean sacrificing some of my siesta time, but the upside is that I will start to get done everything I need to.

In the meantime, since I now have almost 4 weeks of things to share, I thought that instead of writing a novel, it would be fun to give you all snapshots of some of the highlights from each day over here so far, beginning with my first week in Granada. Hopefully it will give you a good idea of how much fun I’ve had finding my place in this beautiful city!

After checking out of our hostel and successfully finding our way to Hotel Melia, Amanda, Diana, and I met the rest of the group and our program advisor, Veronica. Veronica gifted us with maps and orientation schedules, our roommates and host moms were assigned, and off we went into Granada! I live with another girl from the program, Amelia, a wonderful casera (host mom) named Paqi, and her 20-something son, Dioni, in an apartment on Ribera de Genil. So far so great!

To begin the day, Veronica and another professor, Aurelio, gave us a walking tour of the center part of the city. It turned out to be a great way to get to know others in the group, as well as begin to learn our way around Granada. Afterwards, we had a quick break for lunch, and then found ourselves back at school for our level test to place us into our orientation groups. The night ended up being a late (but great) one as one of the other girls, Katie, and I braved a pub to stay up and watch Nadal win the US Open.

Today began with another Veronica/Aurelio tour. This time, we climbed all the way up the hills of La Albayzín which are opposite those of La Alhambra. Though we were all huffing and puffing, the area is rich in Moorish architecture/history and offers beautiful views of the city, the mountains, and of course, La Alhambra. After our morning hike, we were officially divided into our orientation groups and began our 3 hour temporary classes.

Wednesday was our first morning without a scheduled tour or activity, so I took the opportunity to sleep in. After a full afternoon of classes, Amelia, Amanda, and I decided it was a good night to go out for churros con chocolate. We walked all along the river, but finally found a place that was still serving them despite the late hour. Apparently churros and chocolate are supposed to be eaten for breakfast here. Who knew?

Before our morning meeting, 2 other girls from the program (who are also staying for the year) and I were faced with the task of hailing our own cab and getting safely to the Office of Extranjeros on the outskirts of the city. We all made it in one piece and with a lot of help from Veronica’s assistant, were able to successfully complete step one of extending our Visas and attaining our Spainish residency cards. Impressively, we even made it back in time for the meeting. After classes, we met our intercambios for the semester (University of Granada students who volunteer to hang out with us and help us practice our Spanish) and went out with them for tinto (red wine) and tapas.

I honestly don’t remember much about this day other than that it was the first time I really took time to walk around the city myself. I let myself wander the streets and get slightly lost, discovering tons of new stores, tapas bars, and ice cream places as I went. Even now, I still have yet to go a day without discovering a new part of the city that I’ve never seen before.

To round off my first week in Granada, the whole group went on a tour of La Alhambra. With Aurelio as our guide, we had an endless stream of historical knowledge at our disposal. Though the inside was beautiful beyond words, my favorite part of the day came when several of us stayed behind to walk in the gardens and Generalife. The gardens were gorgeous and the six of us had so much fun exploring and holding mini-photoshoots anywhere and everywhere. All the new discoveries and new friends made for the best possible end to a fantastic first week in sunny Spain!

¡Estoy Aquí!

September 8, 2013 / Marissa Schmidt / 0 Comments

I have tried to start this post in so many different ways, but there’s only one way to say it- I’m here in Granada! I still can’t believe it and I’ve been here over a day and a half already. So far the city has been beautiful. The adventure it took to get here, however, was much more of an “I’m going into the African bush with nothing but the clothes on my back” kind-of adventure rather than the “I’m going for a nice camping trip in my RV” kind. What do I mean by that? Well, to be honest, despite all of the emails, google searches, and Spanish grammar review, none of us really knew what we were in for when we got off the plane. I was able to capture most of it in a (hopefully) entertaining video for you all, but to fill in the details before I post it, I’ve written the whole saga down below.

Amanda M.(another girl from Valpo) and I were fortunate enough to run into 3 other girls studying with Central in Granada who were taking the same flight. That was about where our luck ended, however. After getting our luggage and making it through customs in Madrid, one of the girls, Amanda K., and I decided that the next logical step was to hit up the ATMs and get some Euro. There was just one problem. Neither of our cards worked. After a brief moment of panic, we realized we were using the ATM for European cards and not the one for MasterCard/Visa/etc. After switching ATMs Amanda was successfully able to withdraw the amount she needed. My card, however, was still being repeatedly rejected. Thank God (literally) for the other girls. They were successfully able to stop me from bursting into tears and booking the next flight home and reassured me that all would be well. After my panic moment was over, I realized that right before leaving O’Hare I had downloaded an app to my touch that allowed me to make international calls to the US. After purchasing wifi and call time, I was successfully able to call my Waukesha bank. Turns out that even though I notified them of my upcoming travels, they were never put on my record. The bank had thought that someone stole my card to use in Spain and had therefore shut down my account. Luckily, they were able to confirm that it was indeed my trying to use my own card in Spain. All was well and I was able to withdraw my money. *Insert large thank you to dad for convincing me to purchase said iPod here*

Unfortunately, that was only the beginning of many struggles to come. Our program director had sent those of us flying into Madrid a very detailed email documenting all the ways to get from the airport all the way down to Granada. We decided to go the cheap route, which, unfortunately for us was also by far the most complicated. From the airport we bought train tickets. We almost bought the wrong ones, potentially broke one of the ticket gates, and definitely thought we were waiting at the wrong platform for a moment, but in the end, we ended up on the right train. We also ended up blocking off an entire train car because of the amount of luggage we had between the six of us. We managed to get off at the right station, but struggled getting out, because, fun fact, in Spain you MUST save your train tickets and reuse them to open the doors to exit the station. It’s a great way to ensure that everyone pays their fare, but it’s not so great when you’re an ignorant American student who has no idea about said system. Thankfully we all made it out.

Finally out of the train station, we were ready to conquer the world that is the Madrid bus station. We were able to find the right bus company fairly quickly, but found out that we had just missed the early bus and were going to have to wait for 2 hours to catch the next one. Excellent. We were able to successfully talk with several Spaniards while we waited and even learned the meaning of the mysterious “tío/tía bueno” expression we had been hearing (for those of you that don’t speak Spanish the expression literally translates to good uncle/aunt. Apparently in Spain that’s what they use to describe good-looking people. So confusing, but hilariously and graciously explained to us by an older Spanish woman). The 2 hours actually flew by and before we knew it we were boarding the bus.

Right before we got on, I spotted another college-age girl also sporting a huge suitcase and a Vera Bradley duffel (usually a pretty dead give away that one’s American). She came up and asked if I was also going to Granada, and turns out she’s a Central Abroad student too! After that crazy chance encounter, I settled in for the 5+ hour bus ride to the south of Spain. I missed the entire first 2ish hours of the ride catching up on sleep, but from what I saw of the last 3, the Spanish countryside is beautiful! I’ve never actually seen mountains before in my life, so being able to drive straight through the Sierras was incredible. The foliage here is so interesting. I can’t wait to take advantage of all the hiking around Granada and climb some of these mountains myself!

Anyways, we arrived to the bus station on the outskirts of Granada safely and without much event. Once again though, we had a little trouble figuring out which form of public transportation we should try next. When given the option between a city bus and taxis, we decided to take the “easy” way out and grab a cab. Diana, Amanda M., and I were staying in a hostel vs. The Hotel Melia Granada like the rest of our group, so we took a separate cab. Though the hostel was right behind the famous store Zara, only a few blocks away from Hotel Melia and should’ve been relatively easy to find, our cab driver mistakenly left us off 2 blocks early. Luckily, the owner of another hostel was able to point us in the right direction and we made our way safely there- heavy luggage and all. Even better, the woman and her husband who own the hostel are AMAZING. They took such great care of us! If any of you are thinking of coming to Granada (You all should!) and need a cheap place to stay, Old Town Hostel is literally the best money can buy. €12 for a night’s stay, a hot shower, breakfast, and a rooftop terrace. You can’t beat it.

To say the trip was long is an understatement. I definitely had more than one moment of, “What in the world am I doing here?! I can’t function here for one day, let alone an entire year!” but being in Granada and meeting the other girls made it all worth it. Amelia, the girl we ended up meeting on the 2:00 bus, because we missed the first one? Turns out she’s my roommate for fall semester! She’s also a huge answer to prayer, but that’s a story for another blog post. For now, I need to head to bed. Tomorrow we see more of the city and take our first level test. *Gulp* ¡Hasta lluego!

My Spanish Uncle

December 21, 2010 / John Webster / 1 Comment

Well, after some difficulty getting a connecting flight from Heathrow this weekend (see news article), I have made it home safely! I was extremely lucky to make it back yesterday, many folks are still stuck in London. My bag is somewhere out there in the world, but I was assured last night that there is a very high likelihood I will have it by Christmas. Just another one of the many adventures I have had on this trip. While in line I could help but snap this ironic photo.

My journey begin with Juan, a professor at the University of Granada, dropping me off at Granada’s bus station after kindly offering to do so earlier in the week. Our meeting was a strange occurrence, it’s a random story but I’ll plunge along nevertheless.

Back in October I started chatting with Jose, a man that lives on a street I passed on my way to school. I wanted to see why Jose chose to live on the street since the Spanish Government provides dormitory housing to anyone in need. Really though, I wanted to get to know the guy and hopefully see him move to a better future.

One evening when I was talking to Jose, a man approached me and asked where I was from in Spanish. As soon as I said Massachusetts he lit up and switched to an impressive English and said, “Oh I got my post doc at UMass Amherst and now I teach Civil Engineering here.” I was a pretty shocked.

We talked a bit more and Juan explained that he approached me because he also knew Jose. He had just come out of Mass, which was when I then discovered that Jose’s spot on the street was right next to a small church. I decided that my meeting Juan wasn’t a coincidence so I asked him if he wanted to have coffee sometime and took down his email.

Over the weeks I met Juan several times at his office. We went to lunch at the University dining hall and to a few different tapas bars. I gained a better insight into the Spanish education system and had great, personal conversation in Spanish and English along the way. On my last week we met and had a great talk. His being Catholic and my not being so (although being Christian) provided us with great topics. It never got heated but we definitely weren’t afraid to state beliefs. It reminded me of all the quality conversations I have back at Valpo, whether on similar subjects or a host of others.

Toward the end of the evening Juan asked how I was leaving and then offered to drive me to the bus station. I was thrilled to avoid paying a for a taxi and to have someone to see me off, and later said “Juan, you’re treating me like a father, thank you!” We laughed and he said, “well, you have a father, so I can be like an uncle.”

There you have it, now I have a Spanish Uncle who I will stay in contact with and look forward to seeing again when I, God willing, return to Spain with my family one day. Now that’s a dream and a blog for another time!

General James

December 9, 2010 / John Webster / 2 Comments

My good friend James came to visit for the last 5 days. We had a blast exploring Granada. We went to several areas in the northern part of the city, the Albaicin (Muslim quarter), and the Realejo (Jewish quarter) that I hadn’t seen yet. After seeing the Alhambra on our first day we went up into Sacromonte to see a cave museum. While we took some time for lunch we began a goofy video series that I have edited into the fine document you have below. I hope you enjoy it. (enjoy my blatant typo at the beginning too)

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYLqjVnRT-M]

On Sunday we headed up into the Alpujarras. My third trip there was still more distinct than the last. We started in Bubión and took a local trail all the way up to the beginning of the Sierra Nevadas. It only took us one hour to finish the trail so we kept going. Within another hour we were convinced that we were very close to a peak, clearly not a high one, but we just wanted to be able to see into the valley on the other side of what we were climbing. Of course, an hour later we were proved wrong about five times and had climbed so far we were up to our ankles in snow!

When the digital clock beeped 3:30 it was time to turn around and “respect the mountain” as James reluctantly said. We had just reached a lookout point with explanatory signs and such things. It was our last hope of a summit and it wasn’t one. We followed another trail around the next point of rocks only to find again that the mountain continued further. We took photos with freezing hands and headed down while enjoying a view of the higher parts of the Sierras, the valley, a lake, and the Mediterranean Sea.

Valpo Voyager

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