Córdoba, while a beautiful and older, well-preserved Spanish city, was definitely doable in one day. After visiting the Mosque we spent two hours walking around the beautiful white washed streets of the city. Some friends and I went to a small tea shop down a random street where I had what was definitely the best smoothie of my life. It was rich and creamy, tasting strongly of banana with a little bit of coconut and kiwi. I would compare Córdoba to Sevilla- not necessarily a hot tourist destination, but it shows a side of Spain that has withstood the test of time and is still rich in authentic culture and heritage. Maybe it's not first on everyone's list of places to visit when they come on vacation to Spain, but it would definitely be a lovely place to live or study.
After Córdoba we continued our trip to Granada. Granada is located almost exactly in a horizontal line with Sevilla when looking at a map of Spain, however it's a little cooler in temperature because of the influence of the nearby Sierra Nevada mountain range. Granada is a city that thrives off the atmosphere created by its status as the most common destination for international students partaking in the ERASMUS program. We briefly touched on the ERASMUS program in my cultures class- basically it is a program that allows students in countries in the EU to study at other universities in the EU at the same tuition price as their home institution. It's kind of like the European version of direct study abroad exchanges. Additionally, Granada is the city where my own study abroad advisor at Pitt studied abroad, and he always spoke highly of his experience and I was anxious to experience the city for myself.
That night we were scheduled to see a flamenco performance. I was so excited for this- flamenco is the dance that the region of Andalucia (the southern portion of Spain where both Sevilla and Granada are located) is famous for. Flamenco originally was created and performed by the gypsy population in Spain. It actually has both singing and dancing elements, however when most people think of flamenco they only think of the delicate and slow wrist movements and tiered, elegant dresses of the dance. It is very soulful and spontaneous- while most dancers and singers today have routines worked out there is still a lot of room for improvisation. The singing of flamenco doesn't necessarily have lyrics- it's more of a heartfelt moaning or wailing. This description may sound harsh, but there really aren't many art forms left that are truly relics of the past without much modernization or modification.
The next day we spent at La Alhambra, which is what Granada is most famous for. La Alhambra is an ancient Moorish city that was originally built as a combination city/fortress to protect and house its citizens. When the Moors were conquered by the Catholic monarchs, La Alhambra became a kind of summer home for Spanish royalty. Most people make the mistake of thinking the the Alhambra was a castle, but it was actually an entire mini city enclosed by walls (see photo below)! The Alhambra has all the elements of a city- gardens, chapels, a palace, recreational areas, an amphitheater for shows and public gatherings, and living areas. The entire city was irrigated by naturally running water- being built into a mountain, the Alhambra uses gravity, running water, and waterfalls to get water to the entire city. It was wonderful to walk through the gardens and other passageways of La Alhambra- not only did we have the most beautiful weather, but it was almost as if I could imagine myself as a Moorish citizen living inside La Alhambra and walking through it as I went about my daily tasks. Everything was incredibly well-preserved, and it definitely helped walking through it with a tour guide who could explain the significance of everything that we were looking at.
I think by far the most exciting part of the weekend for me was seeing snow-capped mountains for the first time. This probably sounds really stupid- I mean I've seen pictures of snow-capped mountains all the time. But seeing them in person was something beyond anything I've ever experienced. It was so unreal to be standing in the warm sunshine and feeling the wonders of a beautiful spring day, and be looking at mountains that didn't really seem that much taller than the spot where I was that still had snow on them. I've honestly never thought that I liked mountains before. I am so used to the rolling hills of Pennsylvania that, while beautiful and pleasant, really aren't all that exquisite (but maybe I'm just used to them by now). But I know now the mountains- real mountains, not the ones near where I live- are some of the most beautiful features of nature. I'm so glad that this is one memory I had in Spain while looking at the Sierra Nevada mountains. I know that in the future, whenever I see snow-capped mountains I will think back to standing in the sunshine of the Alhambra in Granada, and turning around enjoying what I thought was a spectacular view, only to be startled into silence by the most beautiful view of all.
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