Córdoba y Granada, España

I apologize for I realize that I have not written in a while. I have been super busy with going-out, traveling, and enjoying the beautiful Madrid weather (tough life, I know). Two weekends ago the BC group traveled to the south of Spain to Córdoba and Granada. The night before we thought it would be a lovely idea to go to Joy until 4:00AM. Needless to say, the majority of us did not sleep at all and a good percentage were still inebriated when our alarms went off (myself not included, of course). When the alarms sounded, chaos ensued (I can speak for Covarubias). People had to pack other peoples bags because they couldn't get out of bed, while others inconveniently sat for a full breakfast unaware that we were most likely not making the bus. Words will never be able to accurately portray the scene that Friday morning as the 8 Covarubias Gringos hobbled down the sidewalk in a frenzy to find a taxi. I was feeding people salami (whose porcelin plate ultimately ended up in a bush) during the mad dash. Ultimately we made it to the terminal on time and I am pretty sure that within 5 minutes all of us had fallen asleep on the bus.

Our first stop was Córdoba for the day. We visited a beautiful mosque, walked around the town, and ate awesome tapas. I could have done without the guided tour because with 40 students it's kind of difficult to not only pay attention but also to hear. Córdoba was pretty but it boggles me how it was the center of the Islamic population during their occupancy. It seemed a little... unimpressionable?

El Grupo en Córdoba, España

Córdoba, España

The next stop on our journey where we remained for the rest of the trip was Granada. Granada is known to be one of the most beautiful cities in Madrid and it was easy to understand why. We arrived Friday night and shortly after went for tapas and sangria at Bella y la Bestia. I got to see Natalia both nights I was in Granada which was awesome. The tapas and drinks in Granada were so much cheaper and the city seems more quiet, especially up where Natalia lives. We didn't have a late night because we knew the next day would be super busy.

Saturday we visited La Alhambra, one of the most famous places in Spain. For those who do not know, the Alhambra is a castle/fortress built in the mid 14th century by the Moors. The details within the Alhambra are absolutely beautiful and we were lucky enough to have a sunny day! Walking around the Alhambra with my friends and enjoying the scenery was incredible. Later that day we went to the bath houses... a completely different type of experience than that in Morocco. These looked like they were in a 4 star hotel. The bath house was rented out just for the 40 of us, there were about 8 pools all with different temperatures, tea in a separate room, massages, and to top it all off, it was lit with candlelight. It was absolutely beautiful and relaxing.

Cova-Cis en la Alhambra 

ALHAMBRA!

That night after an exquisite Indian meal everyone went to an Irish bar and then to Cambodio, a club that overlooks the Alhambra as it's lit at night. The club was cool because there was the traditional salsa section and then the hip-hop modern section. There was also an outside patio where you could sit in front of the Alhambra. I got to spend more time with Natalia this night and I am so glad! It's strange to see old friends after such a long time but it's as if no time has passed with those that you care about the most. The Andalucia region of Spain was beautiful and completely different from Madrid. I am excited to hopefully spend some time after finals traveling around Spain more!

Granada, España