The Magic of Granada

At the River Darro

Part of La Alhambra

Gardens at La Alhambra and view of the Albaicin Quarter

The city of Madrid has been quite chilly the last two weeks and so I was grateful to be able to go to Granada for the weekend. In the south of Spain, Granada was ruled by the Moors as a separate kingdom until King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella forcefully decided that Granada should become a part of the united lands of Aragon and Castile.  Accordingly, Granada has an intriguing mix of Islamic, Renaissance, and Art Nouveau architecture, not to mention La Alhambra. The first day out, after 5 and a half hours in a small bus, the group went for a walking tour of the Albaicin quarter and looked at the Alhambra palace from St. Nicholas’ balcony. We then headed down to the center of town, Plaza Nueva, by the river, and were set free to drink tea in the various tea houses, or to shop in the bazaar-like alleys. We then met for dinner at a traditional Moroccan restaurant, where we had the best dinner of the entire trip-chicken cuscus, with outrageous lemonade, traditional soup, and Moroccan tea with pastries for dessert. The owner greeted us with perfect English and the warmest greeting I have yet to receive in Spain. As a Celiac, I could not eat the cuscus pollo, or the traditional soup, and so, after nicknaming me Bill Gates (because of my signature glasses), brought me an amazing rice dish with chicken and spices, along with a traditional soup. Both were some of the best food I have ever eaten, and the lemonade and tea were otherworldly.  That evening I took a taxi ride to the hotel with friends. Though not in the center, our hotel was within walking distance, with enormous rooms (mine had 4 beds, two bedrooms, and a kitchen), and the breakfast was easily suited to a Celiac’s need for no gluten, and plenty of protein. Saturday was spent totally at La Alhambra, a site I have wanted to visit since childhood. The palace is actually made up of several castles, built at different periods and for varying purposes. We saw them all, my favorite, and the most well-known, are the Nazarene Palaces, where the Sultan lived and held court. Our guide led us through a maze of arches and gardens, pointing out the room where Columbus asked for support from Queen Isabella, the hall where an entire family was murdered, and the cliff-top perch where Washington Irving lived while writing his Tales of the Alhambra. That afternoon was spent at the silk market behind the Cathedral. Sunday, with a bit of apprehension, a small group of us went to the Hamman. A Hamman is a traditional Turkish bathhouse that existed throughout Turkey, North Africa, and southern Spain for centuries. The experience was broadening as well as rejuvenating, and those who, like me, were a bit wary, greatly enjoyed the experience. The group then went to the Royal Chapel next to the Cathedral to see the burial place of King Ferdinand, Queen Isabella, their daughter, Juana la Loca, her husband, and their Portuguese nephew and unrealized heir to almost all of Europe. After another trip to the silk market the group met back at the hotel to leave for Madrid. In all, I fell hopelessly in love with Granada, and cannot wait to return one day.

Madrid-On an Even Smaller Budget

After the break, the campus is now returning to normal. The first week back was difficult, to say the least, as Professors served us an unappetizing meal of papers, projects, and constructive criticism regarding our midterms, not to mention portents about our impending finals. Finals? Yes, finals, and in 6 weeks. Though it may seem like eternity, the second half of the semester is always too quick, and too full of work to be done. That said, I also need to sign-up for classes , finish my transfer to the Boston campus from the Madrid Campus program, and figure-out how to cram the past year of my life into a suitcase and a half( under 50 pounds, of course). The transfer process to Boston has moved without much difficulty, so far. After sitting through a short meeting and filling out a transfer request form, Boston notified me that I had been conditionally accepted. SUMC will look over my grades and classes at the end of the semester to see if I can successfully make the switch to Boston. Most of what I have to do now is to register for classes at the end of this month.

For weekend enjoyment, after writing three papers and prepping for a major project in Business Law and Ethics, I spent Friday resting, Saturday at the Thyssen-Bornemisza, and Sunday at El Rastro. The Thyssen currently has two temporary exhibitions, Heroines and Jean Leon Gerome. Heroines is a study of women in art, from many centuries, and contains paintings by artists such as Waterhouse, Degas, Morisot, Goya and Hopper. The exhibition takes place both in the Thyssen as well as Caja Madrid Foundation. The other exposition was of famous historical painter Jean Leon Gerome’s work and was simply fantastic. I strongly recommend the audio-guide wherever I go, and this exhibit was no exception. The icons of art that he created, images of the Far East and of Roman gladiators, have nearly eclipsed his name, becoming a part of America’s public consciousness. Since I am on an extremely tight budget for the rest of the semester, I was forced to forego an official exhibit guide (35 Euros), and instead bought a postcard.

 Although my budget is limited, I did set-aside money in order to finish my shopping and so decided to go to El Rastro. I needed a leather belt and a leather briefcase as well, in anticipation of internship interviews.  Originally a leather market, I knew I would find exactly what I needed at El Rastro. After finding a leather belt for 2 euros, a handmade leather briefcase, a terra cotta pig, and 11 scarves I went home to prepare for the coming week.

A Time to Relax

Me at the beach

The obligatory family picture in front of Nubble Light

My brother and me at Nubble Light

Life never works out the exact way one would like. My original plans for Spring Break fell through, and so, I decided that it was a sign to take the week to relax. But, as a birthday surprise, my mom booked a flight home for me so I could spend the time with my family. Only a few days before I left, though, I caught a cold, which turned into a sinus infection, all during midterm’s week. Then, after receiving medication I was allergic to, I awoke early on Friday and took the long metro ride from the center all the way to the airport. Thankfully, the airplane rides were not too bad, concerning my sinuses, and after over 14 hours of traveling I was in Boston with my Mom and sister. The next day, the family drove to the Maine coast, where we ate lunch at our favorite restaurant and sat at the beach for a while. That Sunday, my Mother and I went to the Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford Connecticut to see Monet´s water lilies as well a portrait of Renoir´s wife and even an early Goya. On Thursday, after a few days of true relaxing, my mom, grandmother, and I went to an unbelievable antique store in Sterling Massachusetts called The Cider Mill (http://www.cidermillsterling.com/). With over 100 different dealers located in an antique cider mill, the morning was enjoyably spent among thousands of items, from pottery to books to furniture.  Though my Spring Break was not spent traveling Europe, I believe that my short time at home was well spent. I now feel rejuvenated and ready to finish my time in Madrid.