The Rain In Spain Falls Mainly On The Plain

Since this is my first post, I thought I would write about a place that I have not only been, but I have fallen in love with.  This past summer, I studied in Granada, Spain for five weeks.  To some, this may seem like a long time, but believe me, no set amount of time would be enough.  While I love Spain as a whole, my heart belongs to Granada.  Surrounded by the majestic Sierra Nevada Mountains, nothing can compare to this place (at least according to my limited travel experience).


I decided to go to Spain mainly because I have a minor in Spanish, so I knew that the language would be something very challenging for me.  English is not commonly spoken, and if it is, it is often very broken English.  Not only this, but in the southern region of Spain, Andalusia, the people have very thick accents and their Spanish sounds nothing like what the typical American student learns in high school or college.


Of course a huge part of visiting another country, especially a European country, is experiencing culture shock, and if you spend any amount of time in Spain, this will most certainly happen.  Whether it's frustration with the exclusive use of Spanish or the different foods served in restaurants, when you stay in Spain, you must adapt to the culture.  For example, ham and potatoes are two foods that are served in or with a lot of meals, and somehow, Spaniards never seem to get tired of eating ham, and the mention of not liking ham is somewhat shocking to them.


As this post is already getting long, I'll give a few key things to do when visiting Granada:


-Go eat tapas!  You buy a drink, and receive food, kind of like a snack along with it (FOR FREE!), this is something unique to Granada, tapas do not come free anywhere else in Spain.
-Dance at a discoteca.  While this is essentially a club, nothing compares to dancing in a foreign place, especially Spain.
-Visit the Sierra Nevadas, whether it's hiking or paragliding (which is what I did!), you should have an up close and personal experience with these lovely mountains.

Paragliding.

-See a flamenco show.  Whether you enjoy dancing or not, flamenco is beautiful and a very intense experience.
-Visit the Albaicin and Alhambra.  Visit the links to find out more about these historical sites.

View of La Alhambra at night from the Albaicin.

I could write forever about Granada and Spain in general, but hopefully you have at least an idea of how awesome this place is.


Ciao for now,


Lauren