Pictures from Granada

There's no place like Granada..

It is finally Friday! I have had an incredibly busy week and I can hardly believe I've been here almost 2 months--time flies when you're having fun. Last weekend I had the opportunity to travel to Granada with the USAC Alicante Director Luis, his assistant Larissa, and all 60+ USAC students. I had such a wonderful time!

The trip started Friday morning when we at 10:00 a.m. I packed my backpack (Petra and Melissa you'd be so proud of my new packing skills), made a couple of bocadillos (sandwiches), grabbed my umbrella and headed for the meeting place. Well I guess it wasn't my lucky day because my umbrella decided to break on the 5 min walk to the bus stop. Melissa rushed to greet me as soon as I arrived at the bus stop asking me to be her roommate for the trip. We all piled on the bus and a few of the girls rode in a van because there wasn't enough room for all of us....and off we went. The bus ride was fairly painless. I slept for a large part of the trip. In Spain, it is a law that buses have to stop every two hours for a 30 minute break. So halfway through our trip, we stopped at a rest stop and enjoyed our bocadillos. I laugh every time I stop at a "rest stop" in Spain because it is nothing like one in the States. People at "rest stops" in Spain are dressed up; there is a formal dining room; and you can't purchase a pickle n' pouch. Melissa, Sarah, and I listened to our Ipods for the remaining 2 hours of the trip...often laughing at some of the "oldies" from middle school.

We arrived in Granada and made it through the chaos of figuring out who was going to room with who...Melissa and I ended up rooming together as planned, and my friend Angela also joined us. After getting situated, a few of us met up to walk around for an hour before we had a group meeting. It had been raining before we arrived so as we walked, we tried to dodge puddles and mud. At one point I jumped over a puddle and landed on some slick clay, I slid across the patch and almost landed on my butt...luckily balance was on my side! That could have been bad considering I had only packed 1 pair of jeans for the weekend.

Luis, the program director, took us on a tour of the city. The narrow streets and the rich history are something that I truly hate/love about Spain. Imagine walking down streets with a group of 60 students...yes, we got lots of looks! We hiked our way up the narrow, stone streets to lookout over the city and across to La Alhambra. It was such an amazing view. Once at the top, we had 45 min or so of free time. Melissa and I wondered the streets looking for a place to buy dates. Lucky for me, she remembered a little shop where she had been able to purchase them last year. Our next mission was to find ice cream. I never imagined that it would be so difficult to find ice cream, especially at a heladaria (ice cream shop). Later we were informed that it is not ice cream season in Spain and that most places don't start serving it until it gets warmer.

Later that night we made our way through the "tea street", basically it was a street lined with tea and hooka shops, and to "little India". Imagine two extra narrow streets covered with black tarp and lined with Indian shops. It was cool, but I definitely didn't feel like I was in Spain. A group of us decided that we wanted to see a Flamenco show but we didn't want to pay to see it...fortunately, we found a restaurant that had a free show with dinner. The show was definitely not what I expected, but we shared a couple of pitchers of sangria, enjoyed some delicious veggie pizza, and saw a great show!

The next morning we were up bright and early for our trip to La Alhambra. I can't even put into words how beautiful it was. Everything from the military quarters, to the view of the city, the hunting grounds/summer home, and the gardens--gorgeous is an understatement. I ended up taking about 100 pictures just at the Alhambra. I was telling a friend that I've never really been interested in history but it's been really hard not to develop an interest while I'm in Spain--the history here is so rich. One of the really cool things about getting to visit the Alhambra was that we stood in the room where Columbus asked the queen for permission for his expedition to America. One day I will live at La Alhambra, I just know it :D

Later that afternoon my friends and I enjoyed browsing through the shops and eating ice cream. We happened to pass by the end of a wedding so Sarah, Melissa, and I perched ourselves on a bench and waited for the bride to come out. You bet we took pictures and were being completely creepy, but it was a lot of fun to see all of the people dressed up.

In Spain, "tapas" are a very important/well known thing. They are comparable to appetizers. The biggest meal of the day is eaten around 3 pm and then usually for dinner, at 9 or 10 pm, people eat tapas or bocadillos. In Granada, when you go out for drinks at night, all of the restaurants/bars serve free tapas with the purchase of a drink. Saturday night, my friends and I met up and went out for tapas. It was a very interesting experience...the tapas weren't what I expected, but then again nothing in Spain is. It was definitely a lot of fun and there were a lot of laughs! The next morning we left early to head back to Alicante. If any of your ever get the chance to come to Spain, I definitely recommend visiting Granada!

I decided that instead of posting 100+ pictures from my weekend trip, I'd make a slideshow instead....I successfully made a slideshow but for some reason it's not letting me upload. I'll just have to post pictures when I get time or try and post the video again.

I've been enjoying the beautiful Alicante weather this week! It has been sunny and 70+ degrees every day this week. I kept laughing to myself imaging this weather at Boise State. Last spring all the sun had to do was make an appearance and the campus was covered with girls in bikinis. I walked to the beach on Wednesday in shorts and I've never seem more stares in my life...it is because Spaniards still consider this "winter" so they thought I was crazy!

I'm loving Spain more and more each day, I don't know how I'll leave.

March will be an exciting month...I'm going to Sevilla and Valencia, my dad is coming the 31st for 3 weeks and Brittany will be here shortly after. Then off to see Justin, Nikki, and the kids! I apologize for the length of this post...but my dad informed me that I needed to update it, so blame it on him.

I hope that most of you are enjoying the cold Idaho winter...I think I'll go for a walk on the beach :D

Mail

If you'd like a postcard from Spain send me your address!

carl_annp@hotmail.com

Pictures from Granada trip coming soon :D

El Entierro de La Sardina: Lighting a paper mache fish on fire.

"A wonderful quote to describe this spectacle, courtesy of Morgen: "This would never fly in the states." Another wonderful celebration here in Spain. This one signifies the end of Carnaval, beginning the first day of Lent. How does one do that? Well, by chasing a large ...paper mache fish around town until setting fire to it in the plaza, THAT'S how. "" -Melissa's posting

Unfortunately I was unable to attend the burial of the sardine because I was studying for an exam. However, my friend Melissa is a film genius and was able to capture a piece of the lovely celebration.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTb_gG-nf2o

Enjoy!

CARNAVALES continued...

Last night was the main night of Carnaval. I had such a great time, it was unlike anything I've ever experienced. Basically thousands of people were parading around the streets of Alicante, wearing costumes, and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol. My night consisted of dancing on a stage, taking pictures with crazy people, singing, dancing, eating "Kebaps", and staying out until almost 5 am...which by Spanish standards, was early. Here are the promised photos from the night. If you ever have the opportunity to come to Alicante, I would highly recommend scheduling your trip during Carnavales! P.S. the way my photos were uploaded, they actually start with the end of the night and work towards the beginning.

Last photo of the night--Sarah, Mike, Me, Melissa

I don't know why I am smiling in this picture, I was tricked into buying this beer for 2 euros just so I could use the bathroom.

Jokes.

Sarah and I were so proud of our tutus.

This was basically a giant runway where you could show off your costume--one of the two stage experiences and Sarah and I had last night.

Morgen, me, Sarah

Tourist Mateo

Fact: Sarah used to be a SIM-holic too. We freaked when we saw these girls dressed as SIMS.

Melissa loved this cow mask.

Crazy man in a purple wig. He danced on stage with Sarah and I.

One of about 50 twirling pictures.

Tarzan.

This was one of the most popular costumes of the night. These guys were jokes, I couldn't stop laughing.

My girls from San Sebastian

Churro/photo break.

Melanie and I felt like practicing our moves from dance class.

Carnaval!

Drew: What is your costume?

Sarah and I: We're the tutu twins.

Ten second timer

CARNAVALES

I was wearing my tutu around my room today--you may be wondering what the heck I'm talking about or thinking to yourself...'this girl is crazy'. Haha this weekend is the start of a very large festival in Alicante, Carnavales, it's most comparable to Halloween. Basically it's a giant party, much like everything in Spain, and everyone wears costumes. So my friend Sarah and I made tutus to wear and they are the most amazing tutu's I've ever seen...hence the reason I've been wearing mine around my room. My "travel buddies" came down for the weekend from San Sebastian, it's really great to see them. I can't wait to prance around in my tutu all day tomorrow! :D Here's just a little taste of my masterpiece!

Have a great weekend! There will be more pictures to come.

Clase de cocinar

had to taste the soup to make sure that it had enough salt.

As Melissa would say..."teamwork makes the dream work"

Deep frying patatas for tortilla.

Bachata y Salsa

I almost died laughing tonight when I found this video on YouTube...we've been learning the "Bachata" and "Salsa" in my dance class. I thought that I was doing pretty well considering I'm not that great of a dancer--well my dreams were crushed when I saw what the dance is really supposed to look like, I guess I have a lot to learn!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyaxbEcvu9k

Made my day!

It is amazing how a few words can make your day...I got an email today from Amy Roe, included was a small paragraph that truly made my day! And it reminded me why I love my summer job and the Roe Family so much!!

"It is great to hear from you. We talk about you every day. We all miss you. We are heading home from skiing and I read your email to the kids. It got us talking about what we love most about you. Caroline says that you are very patient. Her and C.Garrett mentioned that you take them fun places. Caroline added that you enjoy the activities too and that makes it even more fun for them. Kate says that you have a great sense of style and you are always willing to help with things like fixing her hair. All three think you are the best babysitter in the world. Mike says he likes how dependable you are and that you are a good role model and that you embody what a young woman should be. I agree with everyone plus love that you are grounded, have an open mind, you are fair and non-judgmental of others."

Thank you Roe family for making my day! :D

Words of Wisdom

I've realized that life is full of obstacles--and most of the time they come out of blue. But I truly believe that no matter how difficult something may seem, everything will work out the way it's supposed to. I have recently become obsessed with this quote because it inspires me to look at life and at difficult situations from a different perspective.

"There is always a way, when things look like there is no way, there's always a way. To do the impossible, to survive the unsurvivable, there's always a way. Today if you become frightened, instead become inspired."

1 down, 4 to go!

One month ago...



I was saying my goodbyes, waiting it the airport, and starting my crazy adventure to Spain. I can't believe it has already been a month. It has been a great month and I have a feeling it's only going to get better!

Address

Carly Pritchard
USAC- University Studies Abroad Consortium
Edificio Torre de Control
Universidad de Alicante
03690 San Vicente del Raspeig
Alicante - SPAIN

By the way, feel free to leave comments on my blog posts :D

Busy busy busy!

It's only Wednesday and I've already had an incredibly busy week!! Monday was the first day that I got to help in my elementary class. It was so much fun and the kids were so adorable! It definitely was challenging and I realized that my Spanish speaking skills are not great, ha. I had a really hard time understanding what the kids were saying--I can usually understand when people speak Spanish to me, but the 3, 4, & 5 year olds were very difficult to understand. It might have to do with the fact that they don't fully grasp the concept that I don't speak Spanish. Thank goodness the teacher, Lola, is incredibly sweet and understanding. The first thing that one of the little girls in the class said to me was..."Como te llamas" [What's your name?] "Carly"--"Tu tienes un novio?" [Do you have a boyfriend?] I couldn't help but just laugh! There are days when I doubt my decision to be an elementary ed major, but instances like that help me to realize that I love children and I know that teaching is what will truly make me happy. I helped in the class for an hour. I am supposed to only speak to the students in English--we played games that involved me teaching colors. I was really surprised at how well the kids knew their colors in English. I also used expressions like "listen" and "very good". The last 15 or so minutes of class I read the kids a book in English "I Love Colours".

Monday night I had another new experience--my Spanish dance class. I absolutely LOVED it, it was so much fun! We met Luis, our program director, at Mercado Central [Central Market] and he walked us to the class. We arrived at some apartment...I was confused as to what we were doing. Our class was actually in some guys apartment. He had a bright blue dance studio in his apartment. The room was small for the number of students, but it worked out fine. The whole class is taught in Spanish so it was difficult to understand what he was saying, but it just forced me to have to learn the steps better. I was worried at first because a lot of the girls in my class seemed like they'd be really good at dancing--it turned out to be the complete opposite. It was absolutely hilarious!! There was one girl in my class who was having the hardest time and we couldn't help but laugh, especially when the instructor grabbed her and tried to twirl her around the room. The class is 5 weeks long and twice a week, I'm can't wait for my second class tonight!

Tuesday morning I met a friend, Angela, and we went for a run. It was probably the best run that I've ever been on! First of all, I haven't been running in a while because my knee was bothering me everytime I would run--so it just felt great to run again. Secondly, the city was incredibly quiet because it was 6:45 in the morning. There wasn't traffic or noise, it was just peaceful. The best part of the run though was definitely the location. Angela and I met at Mercado Central and ran towards the beach. We started our at the harbor--the water was so black and still, it was as though the boats were seated upon a glass mirror. From the harbor we ran up the length of the "Explanada". The sun hadn't risen at this point so the sandy beach was a sharp contrast to the dark water. Every few seconds the white waves would break at near the shore. On our way back the view was even better, the sun was starting to rise. The sky was an orange background to the ocean. We ran to the end of the pier and back toward our apartments. This time the castle was our view--I usually hate seagulls but they looked so beautiful as they circled the castle against the dark blue sky. I think that my like for running is starting to turn into love...

I helped in Lola's class again, this time with kids a few years older. We did basically the same thing, worked with colors. It was also very fun. I had my cooking class last night as well--we made Patatas a la Riojana--basically a potato soup with chorizo, red and green pepper, onion, and garlic; Merluza en Salsa Verde [Hake in Green Sauce]; and Churros. The Merluza en Salsa Verde was really delicious--it was more of a white wine sauce then a salsa verde. The Patatas a la Riojana was just ok..the chorizo made the broth of the soup really oily. I'm not a huge fan of churros so they were just ok.

Friday is a USAC holiday so I don't have class!! I am going to Sevilla for the weekend with a couple of my friends, I can't wait! I'll be sure the post pictures when I get back on Sunday!