Granada

So we headed out for our excursion on the morning of Ash Wednesday..unfortunately at 6:30 AM. It was not the best call on behalf of our director, because there were many people in our group who had stayed out too late the night before and were how should I say….not quite in the condition to be traveling. But we made it. Granada is such a beautiful city. There are orange trees all over the city and it is surrounded by mountains! It is also a very unique cities due to the Muslim and gypsy influence in the art, music and architecture of the city.
Here are some of the highlights from Granada
-The beautiful cathedral of Granada and attending Ash Wednesday service there. The ashes there are whitish-grey and they don’t even make a cross. The Sacerdote (priest) just pinched some of the ashes and stuck them on your head. Though mine kind of sprinkled down into my eyes haha-oh the drama. (That’s an intense story that I’m pretty sure Molly would enjoy) I’m surprised I made it back to our pew.
-Seeing the Alhambra- the summer palace of when the Muslims were in power in the South of Spain. It was absolutely exquisite. The decorations were so elaborate and perfectly symmetrical. The architecture was also very beautiful. The palace had the most amazing view over the city, and it was lovely.
-Katie, Shalane, and I climbed up one of the mountains there, so we could watch the sunset. It was so beautiful, and it was definitely a good work out!
-Gazpacho- this is a Spanish specialty-and extraordinarily good! It is a cold soup that consists of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, ground up bread, garlic, and other random veggies. It tastes kind of salsa-y. It is a very common soup to have during the summer. I am going to have to find a recipe and make it when I come back, because it was so good.
-Just walking around and experiencing a city that was so unique and beautiful-both with the nature that surrounded it, the cute shops and outdoor cafes, and its unique architecture. There was also a lot music everywhere you went- a lot of talented people!