"I have a brilliant idea...chino store...I need super glue...i´m going to fix my shoes!" "Alissa, thats the worst idea I have ever heard!"

The Alhambra Gardens

Me in the Alhambra

Flamenco show in Sevilla

Me in Plaza Espana in Sevilla

Alcazar

Me in front of a Orange tree at the Cathedral/Mosque in Cordoba

Mosque/Cathedral in Cordoba

Mosque/Cathedral in Cordoba

Me in the Alcazar gardens in Sevilla

My Andalucia adventure!

So since I didn´t go home for the holidays, me, Alissa, and Natalie decided to do Andalucia...great idea! Our itenery included Cordoba (2.5 stars), Sevilla (4 stars), and Granada (3 stars). While I would have preferred doing it in the summer, Natalie did it in the summer before and she said the heat made it absolutely miserable and she much rather preferred this time of year. I trust her judgement....

First Stop: Cordoba- so we get to Cordoba on Christmas night and the town was dead! I am still convinced that nobody actually lives in Cordoba, but the desertion was completely understandable Christmas night. So we get there, its raining, its cold, its raining, oh and did I mention...it was raining. It was the first night of vacation and the hostel was pretty deserted as well, and Natalie and Alissa wanted to wander around and see the town, so I decided to tag along purely to avoid being alone in a hostel. Considering it was pouring like piss out of boot, I would have much rather used the free internet, and in retrospect I probably would have enjoyed myself more, but no more complaining...So we wondered around the city for a bit and then came back to the hostel and me and natalie ate dinner with the 3 other people staying there. Chicken and pototes...it was absolutely delicious! I ended up talking with these two Muslim girls about the misadventures of traveling for about an hour, and then headed to bed. We woke up the next morning at 6:3o a.m. (I am still more than baffaled about the reasoning) had some coffee, and then went to the Cathedral, which is the main reason that people visit Cordoba. A little history about the Cathedral, in about the 6th century a basilica was built in Cordoba. In around 785 when the Moors took over Cordoba and most of Andalucia, they tore down the basilica and built an absolutely gorgeous mosque. Then in 1236 Spain re-conquered Cordoba and instead of completely destroying the Mosque, they decided to just convert it into a Catholic Cathedral. So all through the Mosque you still see absolutely stunning Islamic architecture, and then it looks like they just threw a random cross on the wall. Now don´t get me wrong, there are parts that do look like a beautiful Cathedral because they actually took the time to build a Cathedral, but there are other parts where just a cross or a painting has been thrown on the wall and therefore, it is a Cathedral. It´s kinda funny if you ask me. After the Cathedral we just wondered around for awhile, went back to the hostel and took a nap, and then headed to Sevilla!

Random Cordoba Note: So there are Orange trees everwhere in Andalucia lining the streets, but Cordoba was the first stop on our trip so now when I think I orange trees I think Cordoba. The funny thing is that I love oranges so I thought "look at all these FREE oranges" and I gave it a little hop and grabbed an orange. I peeled it meticulously, took a slice...and...EEK!! It was not even close to ripe and was beyond sour. I couldn't even look at those orange trees for the rest of our trip!!

Sevilla/Seville: So we arrived in Sevilla pretty late, checked into our hostel, and they informed us that they had additional buildings besides the "main building" and we were in this other building. So we start walking, following the directions to a T and couldn't find this "hostel". So we finally ask someone and sure enough its this indescript home. So we open the door and its literally a home that has been converted into a hostel. Now...don't get my wrong I really liked it because it was very clean, new, and nice BUT the worrywart that I am did not like the security, or rather the non existent security. There was one entrance off the street just like a house, no guards, no security cameras, nothing..AND THEN...the rooms didn't lock. So in short...i'm not a fan of the Oasis Hostel in Sevilla.

Aside from the hostel, I really liked Sevilla. It was soo pretty!! First we went to the Alcazar which is a royal palace that was formally a Moorish Port. When Spain start getting really involved in trading from the Indies to the Americas, Sevilla served as a major "port-like" city and many of the decision makers were based out of the Alcazar. The building was gorgeous and pictures can only begin to show it, but know that I loved it. There was this one area in the Alcazar that was the "garden/foyer" that the women's private chambers opened up to, and I caught myself thinking about the lives that people lead is this building and I could actually imagine the women looking over the bannisters down into the foyer.

So after the Alcazar me and Alissa headed to Plaza Espana which I wasn't sure exactly what it was, but it was equally as stunning. After site-seeing we just walked around for awhile, fell in love with the city, and truly felt the Andalucian Spirit, if that makes any sense. We then headed back to the hostel for a bit, changed, and went with a group from the hostel to a tapas tour and a free flamenco show (which I believe that was what truly sealed the deal between me and Sevilla). I wish I knew the name of some of those tapas we had because I think I had only tried about half of them before, but I pretty much liked all of them! You wouldn't think you could get full on appetizers, but it is definately possible. So after we all got done eating the lady from the hostel led us down this somewhat dark street and turns into this inconspicuous and unmarked building, talks to the guy at the front, and we are in! So we go inside, grab a drink, and sit on some benches. About 20 minutes later I am convinced I will be dying soon of lung cancer, but the show is about to begin, so there goes 1 lung. I obviously can't describe every movement or every feeling, but the entire time she was dancing you could see the emotion on her face. There were two guys behind her, one with a guitar, and one singing. I don't think she was "professionally" trained as a Flamenco dancer, I think it was more of a learned/handed down talent, which to me makes it more "authentic" if that is possible the 21st century. Before coming to Spain going to a Flamenco show was something I wanted to do, so I can officially check it off my list! I would definately suggest people to find a fairly authentic Flamenco show to go to instead of paying a lot of money to see a "professional" one....

Granada: So I haven't been addressing the excessive amount of rain that Andalucia was getting during our trip, but know that there were days that were just miserable. En route to Granada from Sevilla we took the train which would take 5 hours. About an hour into the train theconductor comes over the speaker and starts talking. I didn't catch everything, just that he was sorry. So I ask Natalie, Natalie asks this other guy, and I couldn't believe what I heard.....the tracks had been washed out/covered due to all the rain, and as a result.....EVERYONE had to get off the train in BFE, take a bus to another BFE location, and get on another train about an hour away from where we currently were. It was one of the situations that is like WTF, but at the same time it all goes over which such ease because there was absolutely NOTHING anyone could do about it. So after a not-so-short detour, we FINALLY get to Granada, start walking towards our hostel, and it was in a really unique/eclectic area. After staying in that neighborhood for a couple nights, I could probably say I've been to Morocco because it was lined with Moroccan shops, Moroccan food, Morocco, Morocco, Morocco. The hostel was also really cool too, very homey actually. So the first night we were there we just wondered around the little street shops, walked through the main streets of Granada, and bought some boots in hopes of keeping the rain out of our shoes.

The next morning we had to wake up around 7 because we had 8:30 tickets to the Alhambra. FYI-- if anyone reading this ever plans on taking a trip to the Alhambra buy your tickets before!! The line to buy them for that day was out of control. Now personally, I was not taken with the Alhambra. Everyone I say that too blames the time of year because I wasn't able to see the gardens in their full bloom, but I prefer architecture over gardens, so I doubt I would be that impressed even in the summer. It's the buildings that have been there since forever, and that is what is suppose to put me in awe. The Alhambra was actually the home to a Sultan, so it is beautiful, yes. But I didn't feel it was as a grand or colorful as the Alcazar. Maybe it was my mood, the rain, the end of my vacation, etc. Not really sure...but I think the Alhambra is only as famous as it is because it had a book written about it. Which I must admit, that is probably why I had heard about the Alhambra and not the Alcazar before coming to Spain, but that doesn't necessarily mean the Alhambra is better. I did appreciate the Alhambra for what it was, for what it represented, everything. The history is almost mind boggling...but in pure beauty...its a little subpar. Something I did find really cool about the Alhambra is that they had a lot of arabic bathes in the most random places. Obviously its the mere remnants now...but really...a bath in the middle of a fort? I guess everyone needs to bathe....

So after the Alhambra I was beyond tired, not feeling the best, so I decided to have my "solo day" I rave about (really, they are essential when traveling for awhile)...and I just went around and wondered around the city. Granada is really surrounded by all types of walls and barriers and forts left over from Moorish occupation. They were pretty nervous, but I guess history shows they had reason to be. It's just so neat though...walking down the street, stopping at a cafe for cafe and a postre, and seeing these walls built forever ago literally just dotting the landscape. Amazing. If I would pick one thing that makes Granada the Granada I had imagined, its not necessarily the Alhambra...but the ruins that just dot the city and the mountains.

Overall, I really liked Andalucia and now I know why so many people fall in love with it but at the same time...its a very poor region. On the busses and trains across the region I saw lots of little villages, abandoned cities, barely functioning farms...everything. At times it reminded me of the midwest because it is very agricultural. However, we all know what is happening to the Midwest...... enough said.

Random thought: At what age are you too old to stay in hostels? On this trip I stayed in hostels with probably 5 people that were at least over the age of 50. At what age do you stop "roughing" it and actually stay at hotels? I don't see myself staying in hostels past the age of probably 26-28.... I mean yes they are cheap, but they are inconvenient, uncomfortable, usually fairly dirty, just not the best...but they are cheap! I talked to two of the older people in my hostel in Granada and they both said they were traveling now in the 50's because they didn't travel when they were younger...so to all those people that haven't taken the time to travel, experience life outside of their bubbles....you will regret it, so do it now!!! OOORRR wait until your 50, your choice!