Bienvenidos a Almería y a Catalonia

            Visiting Spain and want a weekend getaway to catch some waves? During my study abroad experience, I spent many weekends traveling to different parts of Spain. San José, Barcelona, and Girona are places that you can travel to in a matter of hours (via plane or bus) depending on where you are traveling.

1. San José is a small village outside of Almería is located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The water was so warm and the waves were unreal! Every time we jumped and dodged a wave, another wicked salty wave came right after. 

San José is definitely a summer town because when we visited most of the local stores and restaurants were closed for the season. I can only imagine how exciting this village can be when everything is open for the summer.          

2. Barcelona is a very popular Spanish city to visit. There are many things to consider before traveling to this exciting city. First, make sure you travel safely because there are so many people living and visiting the city. Next, wear comfortable shoes because you will be doing a lot of walking! Also, if you want to tour the famous church La Sagrada Familia make sure you order tickets online. There is a beautiful waterfront area with beaches, a carnival and a plethora of restaurants that will keep you busy for hours.  

If you are unfamiliar with the Spanish language, you don’t need to worry in Barcelona because many people speak some English. Something to keep in mind when traveling to Barcelona, not everyone here speaks Spanish. If you have studied the Spanish language in school back in the United States, you are taught “Castellano”. However, most people in Barcelona speak “Catalan” and it is different.  The Catalans are very proud of their language and culture and you will often see their flag everywhere, especially in Barcelona and Girona. 

For additional information about Barcelona, I have attached a link for additional reading if you would like more tips when you travel to Barcelona (Barcelona Traveling Tips). 

La Sagrada Familia

3. Girona is a town north of Barcelona in the Catalonia region. Girona is a beautiful town full of medieval architecture, medieval watchtowers, churches, and quaint homes. There are many restaurants tucked away down small side streets too!

When I traveled there, I spent a lot of time exploring the town because there was so much to take in. There were so many delicious cafes to eat at and the gelato was scrumptious!

  If you haven’t traveled to Europe before, flights are very inexpensive when you plan to travel within the continent. Ryanair is a great place to look at flights when you are traveling in Europe. Sometimes you can get flights for less than $30.00! 

Next up...Paris!

Besitos,

Devon 

Te Amo, Granada

My host mom, Puri, has been hosting
American students for decades. One
of her traditions is to have every girl
try on this Flamenco dress.  

Te Amo, Granada

Granada is a beautiful city located in southern Spain. I had the opportunity to live there for three and a half months with a lovely host family while attending La Universidad de Granada. Granada is a quaint city with so much to do! 

The architecture throughout the city is impeccable. Streets are made up of marble stone, but ten cuidado (be careful) if it rains!

If you visit Granada, I recommend these places to visit. 

1.    La Alhambra: La Alhambra is Granada’s palace located on the top a hill in the western part of the city. When Muslims arrived to Granada, they strategically built their palace to overlook the entire city of Granada. La Alhambra has been around since the ninth century and the architectural designs throughout the palace are astonishing. There are a gorgeous gardens to walk through and plenty of opportunities to take an ample amount of pictures. During my stay in Granada, I spent a lot of time visiting La Alhambra because the palace is enormous and there is so much to take in. 

La Alhambra

2.    Al Albaicín: Al Albaicín is neighborhood across the way if you’re visiting La Alhambra. The neighborhood consists of many tiny streets with a multitude of houses. It is very easy to get lost in Al Albaicín and I encourage you to visit this part of Granada during the day. Visiting this neighborhood is very dangerous due to all of the small streets and minimal light. There are many small restaurants located in Al Albaicín and beautiful Flamenco dancer performances too. 

Views from the dance studio where I took dance classes in the Al Albaicín.

3.    Hamman Arab Baths: I strongly encourage you to spend some time in the peaceful Hamman Arab Baths. I went four times during my stay in Granada because it was a wonderful way to relax and escape the city life. There are about six different baths with different temperatures to relax in for a few hours. During your time, you will get a fifteen-minute complimentary massage and endless cups of scrumptious tea. There is absolutely no photography or talking during your experience. If you are talking, you will be asked to quiet down (and they will let you know).  Reservations can be made online at this website http://granada.hammamalandalus.com/en/. *Have no fear, if you can’t read military time, subtract twelve and then you will be able to tell what time it is. This was something that I had to learn when living in Europe. 

Tea and shopping with my new friends.

4.    Arabic Shops and Teterias: Spend an afternoon shopping in the Arabic shops and have some tea with friends at a Teteria. You will stumble upon many Arabic shops on side streets outside of Al Albaicín, La Alhambra, and Hamman Arab Baths where you can buy really neat clothing, jewelry, tapestries, toys, and more! Before elephant pants were popular in the United States, I bought a pair in an Arab shop in Granada. There are many Teterias as you walk through Granada. Inside a Teteria you will notice that it is decorated with beautiful silk fabrics where people can enjoy Hookah and tea. Don’t worry; you are not required to smoke a Hookah if you don’t want to. Check out this link to the top Teterias in Granada https://www.piccavey.com/tea-shops-in-granada-teteria/

5.    Flamenco: There are many Flamenco musicians and dancers located in Granada and I highly recommend going to a performance if you’re visiting Granada. In the neighborhood Sacramento, there are many caves with live Flamenco performance. This is a great way to immerse you in the Spanish culture and enjoy some talented musicians and dancers. In the link below, I actually watched the people in the pictures perform! https://spanishsabores.com/2018/02/11/the-best-places-to-see-flamenco-in-granada/

6.    TAPAS: Granada is famous for TAPAS! If you are unfamiliar with the word tapas, they are small dishes that you get FOR FREE in Granada. There are many places that offer tapas throughout Spain but Granada is known for them because they don’t cost a thing. Here is how it works: every time you order a beverage, you get a tapa. Normally you start off with olives (Spain has so many olive trees!) but every time you order another drink, they bring you another tapa that is different. So basically, the more drinks you order (they do not have to be alcoholic drinks) the better the tapas you will get. 

There are so many hidden gems throughout Granada including beautiful churches, monasteries, gardens, museums, restaurants, and people. Be careful with the gypsies who are trying to sell rosemary to you because they tend to pick pocket. Also, SIESTA time is a real thing in Granada. Stores and some restaurants close for lunch and do not reopen until five or six o’clock so they can enjoy their lunch and time with family. Lunch is the important meal of the day and the city of Granada never sleeps at night! Don’t forget to try some churros at a restaurant; you will be glad you did!

Next stop… San Jose, Barcelona, and Girona!

Besistos,

Devon 

¡Bienvenidos a España!

¿Qué tal?

Toledo, Spain

            For the very first time, I was 1,295 miles away from home and out of the country alone at the age of twenty-one. When I landed in Madrid, Spain I knew that I was in for an experience of a lifetime. I waited eight hours for my study abroad directors to pick me up from the Madrid International Airport. It was around five o’clock in the morning and I was jet lagged, tired, lonely, and hungry. Needless to say I was off to a rough start but I knew that the road ahead would be better.

            I made a new friend named Katia in the airport and I am grateful for her because we continue to be friends to this day. When we were finally picked up from our program, they brought us to our first hotel in the city of Madrid.

          

Madrid, Spain

  My first day in Madrid was VERY eye opening:

1.     There is no such thing as personal space.

2.     Everyone smokes!

3.     There is meat everywhere! I noticed jamón (ham) legs were in every window of every restaurant.

4.     They wash the streets at night. I remember being in my hotel room in the middle of the night I heard rushing water. When I looked out my window, I noticed people literally cleaning the streets of Madrid.

5.     The Spaniards I noticed walking on the streets were not dressed very modestly (granted it was September and about eighty degrees Fahrenheit with humidity)

6.     There aren’t any obese people because they walk EVERYWHERE!

            Two wonderful Spaniards, Curra and Lydia were our study abroad directors who were so kind, helpful, and welcoming. We spent three days in the city of Madrid and we traveled to many museums, gardens, and a monastery called ‘El Escorial’. The architecture of the buildings in Spain was so impressive because the buildings are significantly older than any building in the United States.

            We traveled to a beautiful, breathtaking city called Toledo. There we walked through the narrow streets made of stone, walked through old churches, and ate delicious gelato. If you are planning to travel to Spain, I highly recommend taking a day trip here. The community was unreal and I loved spending my time in this quaint area. For more information about Toledo, click the link below!

Discover Toledo

Hasta Pronto!

Devon