Spain
Landmarks
The city of Granada, which means pomegranate in Spanish, is one of the most beautiful cities in Spain. Up until the 1400's, Granada was controlled by Arabic forces, so there is a very strong Arabic influence in the region. While there, I was able to see many incredible landmarks which features this mixture of cultures. Carmen de los Martires is a gorgeous garden with a quaint pond which is home to ducks and peacocks. Of course, while in Spain, I had to visit a couple cathedrals. Pictured below is Catedrál de las Angostias. I was lucky enough to visit while a Spanish wedding was occurring, and it was an amazing experience. I also visited Catedrál Española (right) which is a much larger cathedral at the city center. Lastly, I was able to see the gem of Granada, the Alhambra. The massive Arabic fortress overlooks the city and used to house the royalty of the city.
Food
While in Spain, I also enjoyed a lot of great food. In Spain the word for appetizers is tapas and you get a tapa for free when you order a drink. My favorite tapa was croquetas. I also tried sangria and tinto de Verano (summer wine) which were both delicious. On one morning, I visited a lovely pastry shop and tried a café con leche which was one of the best cups of coffee I have ever had.
Excursions
On one of my nights in Spain, I visited La Qarmita, a wonderful little Spanish boardgame café. On that night, they happened to be holding a poetry reading where I heard people read poetry in Spanish. In another part of Granada, a medieval festival was happening. It was an awesome experience to see all of these Spanish vendors selling unique jewelry. I bought a gorgeous red ring from one of the stands. I also went on a hike in an area called the Albaicin which has a gorgeous view of the city and the Alhambra (which I mentioned previously). On my last night, I went to see a Flamenco show (pictured to the right). Flamenco is a traditional dance with music from Spain, and I’m so glad that I got to experience this cultural expression.
