Entries about espain

On our last full day we went to the Alpujarra region on the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada, where we walked from the village of Bubión to Pampaneira. We then took a coach to the hippy village of Beneficio. After making our way back to Granada via the town of Lanjarón, I packed my things before meeting with Teresa for a final drink before saying goodbye - what she did not know what that it was in fact a coup into a surprise birthday party - part of which being that her birthday was in fact at the beginning of September.

After initially not wanting to meet due to tiredness, she made it 45 minutes late to find many of her friends waiting for her. Meeting many of her friends as well as foreign exchange students in the club, I stayed for many hours partying, until it again reached 4am, when I made the journey back to the hotel for the last time, where our coach was due to pick us up at 7:45am.

All in all I can say Granada is a very interesting city with its history and entertainment. Visiting the nearby areas was also of great fun and I thoroughly enjoyed the trip - particularly with the opportunity to meet up with some great Erasmus friends!I am now back working on university assignments, before I will make a return visit to Bremen in a week and a half for my last trip abroad this year.

On our fifth day we took the long trip to El Ejido, and first visited a farm to see how ecological techniques can take place, before visiting the site of the worst race riots in Europe - a bit of an anticlimax when the only thing we saw was an African man shouting that he loves English girls. We then went to a fancy restaurant, where we walked in, sat down and grabbed a menu before being greeted. Saman's Spanish also came back as she exclaimed she wanted a Spanish Omelette. However when the waiter who spoke no English pointed to Tortilla de Patatas, she again shouted "I want a Spanish Omelette"....only to realise that this was in fact what she had wanted in the first place, whilst the waited was nervously looking for an English menu.

In the evening I again met up with my Señoritas, and was joined by Laura who had come from Madrid for a few days, and we spent some hours drinking at Teresa's house, before going to a club beneath the city's bull ring - in a complete reversal from the 8pm bed time I had taken on the first night, I arrived back at the hotel at 4am to find that I had no idea how to get back in. Waiting for 5 minutes whilst needing a wee outside the locked door, I finally realised the sign in broken English was telling me to clamber around the corner between a bollard and a parked car and place my hand through a fence to ring a bell. Nevertheless, I eventually made it to bed safe and sound!

The next day we took the trip to the northern slopes of Sierra Nevada to the mining village of Alquife, to see the remnants of the industry that had previously employed much of the village. It was whilst walking around the village that Saman decided she would great the locals by saying "¡Hola!". It was however when the lady then greeted back by replying "¡Hola!, ¿Buenos Dias?" that Saman's proudest achievement in the Spanish language came - when she exclaimed "Ah! I don't speak Spanish!", leaving a bewildered old Spanish lady.

Leaving Alquife, we visited the town of La Calahorra, which is home to the huge Castle, one of the first Italian Renaissance pieces outside Italy - where stunning views of the local countryside can be seen backdropped by the Sierra Nevada. After this we went to Guadix, where we again visited cave homes, before walking past a shop named "Kevin" and grabbing some food.

In the evening we were taken by minibus to Flamenco. However we were led to believe that we would be the only ones on the minibus - so when we clambered aboard, every one of us was shocked to discover two Chinese sitting in the front seat. This minibus would then take us to the Albayzín area that we had visited on the second day - however we were to discover that the windy hilly streets that we had believed were pedestrian only, were infact open to local vehicles - despite there being as little as 10cm leeway either side of the road with the minibus in the middle. Eventually making it we were entertained to some stunning Flamenco performances!

We first visited Sierra Nevada National Park, where we found a significant amount of snow had already fallen, leaving the area with a very Alpine feel - including much black ice that almost everyone slipped on.

After a few hours we then took the coach back down the mountain and towards the coast, which we arrived at a few hours later, giving us our typical view of Spain for the first time.

We then spent a couple of hours on the beach relaxing, before walking back towards the centre of Salobreña, and taking the coach back to Granada for the evening. It was this evening that I met up with my Spanish Erasmus friends for the first time, all of whom live in Granada, and we went for Tapas. Although it was only a couple of hours I spent with them, it would not be the last I would see of them this week.

We started off the day by walking into the centre, and then taking the route into Albayzín and Sacromonte, two of the oldest parts of the city, where great views of the Alhambra (the Islamic Palace that overlooks the city) and cave homes can be seen.

In the afternoon we were then going into the Alhambra itself, where spectacular Arabic designs can be seen, somewhat similar to the Topkapı Palace in İstanbul. It was here we were spectacularly photobombed by a Chinese man! We then finished our tour of the day by visiting the summer gardens - the Generalife.

With everyone else wishing to go back to the hotel before going for dinner I decided to leave the group and visit parts of the city by myself, as I knew going back to the hotel with the levels of tiredness I was experience would end up with me not wanting to leave again, and so I visited the Elvira Gate, the Gardens of Triumph and the Royal Cathedral, before grabbing some food and going back to the hotel via the supermarket. As I has still not fully recovered from the previous nights sleep, I then took an early night in the hope I could then enjoy the rest of the trip.