Las montañas de Granada

It's almost completely quiet here.  The faint hum of the bus engine is the only sound that can infiltrate the music in my headphones.  The sun shines through the window.  Of course it does; it's always sunny here.

We're returning from our two-day trip to Granada.  The city, a city plastered with a rich and deep history, is set on the side of a mountain.  From a local peak, you can see houses for miles.  The name, Granada, apparently means pomegranate in Arabic.

Oh the things you learn.

The streets are precarious and random-- even more so than those of Sevilla.  The mountain-side city makes for an added dynamic of windy roads with steep slopes.  Zig-zags.  Back and fourth.  Up and down the mountain.


Speaking of mountains, I saw some of the most brilliant snow-covered peaks this weekend.  It may have been 70 degrees on our little mountain, and down in the valley, but on the high, majestic peaks of the far-off summit, the temperature was obviously much lower.  So incredibly breath-taking.  This is the first time I've ever seen snow-blanketed mountains in person.

Aside from the nature, and the wonders of the tiny pueblo, the trip was rather a bust.  Actually, that's really critical to say.  The trip itself was fun, and the hotel was a blast, but let's just say that I had higher hopes going into the weekend.


For instance.

It is rather difficult to enjoy a 2+ hour tour of a cathedral in freezing temperatures.  Like, really cold.  That tour was then followed up today by a 3+ hour tour of La Alhambra.  It's really just a bunch of tiny gardens and pools over and over and over.  (In fact, it's super similar to El Alcázar, which makes sense considering both were designed by Arabs; and in all honesty I preferred the Alcázar better).  Also it didn't help that we were all tired, hungry, hot, sweaty, sleep-deprived, and grumpy.  I really can't blame students for getting bored during these tours.  Simply put, it was all just too much.

But friendships hold everything together.  And that's what I've gained from this program.  Friends from all over the country.

So. Cal, Long Island, Arizona, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, etc.

I mean, it'll definitely be a challenge reuniting once we all get back to the States, that's for sure.

And some friendships will be nourished, and some will fade.  But I can honestly say that this program would be incredibly boring without great people to share it with.

Now, to do homework for classes which start back up tomorrow.  I'm just dying with excitement.