So that being decided, my friends, Carolyn, Alyssa and I set off on an experience of a lifetime. We packed up all we needed for five days into one backpack each, grabbed our cameras and traveled to Granada, Malaga and Valencia, Spain. With only one book about Spain, a place to stay in each location and our adventurous sides we were ready to take on Spain.
Our first stop was Granada which is south of Madrid in the mountains. After class on Friday we booked it to the bus station and made it just in time for our six hour bus ride to Granada. We got to Granada later than we thought we would, so after finding our hostel we went straight to bed in order to get ready for the next day. On Saturday, we woke up bright and early (though it was still dark and freezing outside) in order to make our way to La Alhambra. For those of you that don't know La Alhambra is a Moorish Palace and fortress build during the 14th century. We spent most of the morning wandering around the Gardens and the Generalife part of La Alhambra. The views of the city, the flowers and the architecture were breathtaking. We grabbed a quick grocery store lunch and then headed out to see more sites.
One interesting thing about Granada is that it was the last city to be taken by the Catholic Monarchs in the Reconquista. There are monuments to Isabel I and Ferdinand II all over the city. As we were walking around we came across the Cathedral and the Royal Chapel of Granada. We decided to go into the Royal Chapel, thinking that it was just going to be like any of the other churches we came across. However, once we were actually inside the Chapel we discovered that it was the burial site of the Catholic Monarchs and actually held their tombs. I am not really a history person, but I could not believe that I was actually looking at the crypts of the Catholic Monarchs who had such an important impact in not on the history of Spain but in the discovery of America. I will admit to liking history more now than I ever have before since I have actually been able to see the pieces of history. After being amazed by the Chapel we went through the Cathedral and were amazed again by all the Gothic style architecture and the history associated with it. That night we went back to La Alhambra to walk though the Palaces. The detail in this Moorish building is unbelievable.
Our second day in Granada was slower and more relaxing, not after getting incredibly confused because of Daylight savings time. We spent most of the day wandering and taking in the city as we waited for our bus to Malaga. After an hour and half on the bus and a short walk, we made it to our hostel in Malaga. We went out for tapas and got to experience the night life in Malaga. The atmosphere was amazing and so much different than Madrid. On Monday we had the majority of the day to explore the city. We spent it by looking though a Museum dedicated to Picasso's early years (he was born in Malaga), wandering down towards the Mediterranean ocean (I got to stand in it!) and exploring the grounds by the castle, fortress and Cathedral. The weather was absolutely amazing, and it felt more like summer and not like Halloween.
That night we had to catch a late night, 55 minute flight from Malaga to Valencia. We landed in Valencia, found our hostel, got settled and went straight to bed. On Tuesday morning, we got up early and wandered though the old part of Valencia.We had to stop to get some Horchata, a Spanish milky drink originally from Valencia. The Cathedral is one of the major parts of Valencia, so of course we had to go in there. It included many very interesting pieces of history including a few original Goya paintings, a famous version of the Last Supper and the Holy Grail. After touring the Cathedral we decided to make our way towards the beach. We were determined to get real, homemade, fresh paella which also originated in Valencia. On our walk we took a pit stop of at the "La Ciudad de las Artes y Ciencias", the museum grounds. The buildings themselves are pieces of artwork.
The last night of our trip we had a fabulous dinner of fresh, delicious Paella Valenciana, arroz negro (black rice), wine and fresh Spanish olives. All as we sat at a restaurant on the beach of the Mediterranean watching the sun set. It was a perfect ending to a great trip!
I personally can not pick a favorite out of those three cities. They were all so very different, unique and special in their own ways! Overall, it was a great experience to have to manage my own travel though three different cities and to get to see more of Spain outside of Madrid!
Beautiful Gardens of La Alhambra
In front of La Alhambra
On the beach in Malaga!
View of Malaga
Valencia's amazing architecture
YUMMM!!! PAELLA!!!
