The title of this blog is the Spanish equivalent of When in Rome.... My history professor told us early on that this was the best way to get to know Spain or any place. I'd say that's true, though for me, "doing what comes" usually means eating everything in sight.
Eating everything in sight was easy to do on our trip to Granada and Córdoba. This excursion to Andalucia was sponsored by the Fundación and paid for by Notre Dame, which basically meant a lot of amazing buffet meals where I stuffed my face with chocolate croissants, french fries, and the ever-present jamón.
We left bright and early on Friday morning, stopped for breakfast at a hotel, then continued on to Córdoba. There, we entered the Juderia (Jewish quarter), which consists of charming narrow streets, white washed walls, and is flanked by impressive stone walls.
There, we saw the famous church turned mezquita turned cathedral. I hadn't put it together that the mezquita (mosque) we were going to visit was the one that I had studied a lot in my AP Art History class in high school, but as soon as I walked in, it all came flooding back... which allowed me to walk around like I owned the place 
At the end of our tour, we headed to Granada. By the way, the scenery on the whole trip was absolutely beautiful. I'm continuously amazed at how much the terrain of Spain differs from region to region, with rock formations like the best of the southwest U.S., extensive ranches that look like some kind of California vineyard, and forests and mountains that rival those of the Northwest.
Once we arrived in Granada, we checked into the super nice hotel that the Fundación had booked for us. We enjoyed living sooo luxuriously, if only for a weekend. We had lots of free time that night, so of course we headed out to "haz lo que viene" and try the tapas of Granada, which are famously good and cheap.
The next day, the Fundación paid for a tour of the Alhambra, the famous palace and fortress built in the 14th century by Moorish rulers in Granada. It was huge, with amazing rooms around every corner, and the tour took almost three hours.
After that, we headed up through El Albaicín, the ancient Moorish barrio of Granada whose winding streets lead to the San Nicolas lookout. There, we got a bird's eye view of the Alhambra and Granada.
After that long walk, we got some gelato and kebaps (in that order). Kebaps, or kebabs, are fast becoming our favorite cheap food in Spain and Europe. They're basically pita bread stuffed with chicken, veggies, and some kind of sauce - a little like gyros and a lot yummy.
The next morning, we went to church at the cathedral, which someone aptly described as "like the cathedral in Toledo, but brighter and happier."
Fast forward through some classes, several essays, and more than a few odd Spanish meals to the following Wednesday. My friend Christina, who is studying in Dublin and was on her spring break, came to visit Toledo. We took her and some of her friends up to the vistas (really pretty views) of Toledo. Though the day was a bit cloudy, it was still beautiful and made me appreciate the beauty of my adopted home.
On Thursday, we and even more friends from Dublin, London, and even the U.S. (Gabrielle!!) headed for Barcelona on an overnight bus, an experience that makes us feel like both legitimate backpackers and walking zombies.
Yup, that's a picture of me sleeping on a plastic bag. Haz lo que viene...
We got there bright and early (think 6 am) and promptly walked into a cafe, where we camped out and drank cafe con leche until we could check into our hostel. Our accommodations were right off Las Ramblas, a famous street of markets, great food, and skilled pickpockets. Luckily we escaped any actual robberies, though there were three close calls.
Our first day, we decided to take a professional bike tour around Barcelona (don't worry, helmets were included). They took us through all the important districts, to the beach, and to all the major Gaudi buildings. Barcelona is huge so it was nice to have someone show us around so we could get a feel for the city. I highly recommend. That night, we hit up the requisite Barcelona discotecas because, you know, "¡Donde fueras, haz lo que viene!"
It was raining non-stop the next day, so we decided to go to Sagrada Familia. I can honestly say I have never seen a cooler or more interesting church, and that's coming from someone who's been visiting a lot of churches lately! Though it cost more than ten euro, I tried to look at it as an investment in the completion of the church, which should be done in 2026... or 2040... or never.
That night, we headed to the Font Mágica, which was built for the Great Universal Exhibition in 1929. There are several shows every evening, with some kind of classical or opera music and lots of beautiful light tricks. The rain and music made me feel like I was in Singing in the Rain, which was a pleasant experience for me but painful for everyone else...
After that, we went to the Dow Jones, a bar where the prices of drinks rise and fall according to demand. Every hour or so, there's a stock market crash. There were a ton of Americans there, but not as many Spaniards... with their economic crisis right now, it might hit a little too close to home
Thankfully the rain had stopped by Sunday, so we headed to Park Güell. It was originally supposed to be an exclusive community of rich people in the hills of Barcelona, but Count Güell couldn't get anyone on board except Gaudi (who was being paid to build it). It is now an impressive garden complex with some cool architecture and beautiful views, as well.
We got back to Toledo late Sunday night, just in time for my host mom to tell me that it wasn't their dryer that shrinks my jeans, but rather my penchant for eating too many galletas (cookies). I wanted to tell her I'm just looking for a diet supplement because I can't swallow her ensaladilla rusa (tuna, mayo, green olives, mayo, peppers, mayo...) anymore, but I'm playing the role of respectful child so I held back.
That's all for now. Despite these fun travels, I miss you guys (and the U.S.) so much!
Love,
Maria
70 °F
