Granada, España

I made it! Last Sunday I landed in Madrid, and after a 5 hour bus ride, arrived at my home for 2 weeks- Granada. I´m taking one on one Spanish three hours per day and learning a lot! Granada is beautiful....and everything is so cheap! For a glass of wine, chips, olives, and your choice of rather large tapa, pay only 2 eeuros, less than $3. Really nice bottles of wine are about $10 at the grocery store and I bought a dress for only $12!

 

out for tapas with my classmates from Holland 

 

There is a lot of history here in Granada; it was the last place the Moors lived before finally being conquered by Queen Isabel and King Fernando. The Moors built their palace here and it still stands- the Alhambra. My mom arrives today for 10 days so we will visit it last this week. Yesterday I went on a field trip with my language school to Alpuharras- little pueblos high in the Sierra Nevada. We got a tour of a pork curing  factory enjoyed some authentic paella, and hiked up to an old castle! 

                                  Alpuharras- nestled in the Sierra Nevadas, it is the highest city in Spain

                                                                        pork curing!

                                                           Hiking to the Castle (el castillo)

                             atop El Castillo with the Sierra Nevadas in the background

 I was a little jet legged this week but I promise I will post more next week!