Córdoba & Sevilla

I just have to start right now with saying that MY MOM AND DAD ARE HERE!!! I'm at the hotel right now with them and they are about to go to sleep because they are extremely jet-lagged!  I took the bus to the airport after class to see them and it is all so surreal.  I cannot believe I am finally with them after almost three months!  This day has already been amazing and I still have over a week left with them!  I am loving every second of it :)  Today, we went out to lunch, I showed them my school, the Cathedral and parts of the city!  It's so awesome having the opportunity to show them where I have been living all semester!  It has already been so great just being with them and MANY happy tears were shed at the airport :)

Last week, I had my midterms which I am very relieved they are all over!  It was stressful because for most of my classes, the grades are only the midterm and final so there was a lot of pressure, but so far so good with the grades I've gotten back!  This past weekend I went with my program to Córdoba and Sevilla!  We left early Friday morning and spent a few hours in Córdoba.  We got a tour of the Cathedral which was originally a Mosque.  It was extremely beautiful and a lot different than other Cathedrals I've seen so far!  Although all of the European Cathedrals and Palaces are starting to blend together, tough life huh! During the tour we also went through the Jewish neighborhood which was cool.  Then we had free time to eat lunch and shop around and then took off for Sevilla!  Friday night after dinner at the hotel we went to a Flemenco show at a bar.  It was my first one and it was really cool!  It was just one girl dancing but she was VERY talented!  Saturday we got a tour of the Royal Palace and of course..the Cathedral of Sevilla!  We shopped around the rest of the afternoon as it rained on and off.  The city is so beautiful and there are SO many flowers and orange trees that it smells delicious!  Sunday we went to Plaza de España which was HUGE and really pretty!  Then I got to live my dream of riding in a horse and carriage!! My horse's name was Shultan and it was a lot of fun.  We rode through the gardens filled with flowers and even onto the streets with the cars!  It was hilarious having people drive by us shouting things out the window haha  Overall it was a really fun weekend, but I was definitely ready for Wednesday to come to see my parents!

This week, I am showing my parents around Granada until Saturday, and then we're off to Barcelona and Paris where I get to see one of my bestest friends from home!! I am SO happy that they are here and have not stopped smiling the past day :)  My host family told me at dinner that I had a smile on the entire time!  I am so thankful that they were able to come :) Hasta Luego!

Primavera! :)

It's reeeally starting to warm up in Granada! Last weekend, some good friends of mine and I took a trip to Madrid!  We took a five hour bus ride on Friday morning.  After having a pretty slow start, we were lucky enough to have Marlee's friend from home who is studying in Madrid show us around!  We went to the famous plazas such as Plaza del Sol and Plaza Mayor.  Then we went to Calle Gran Via which is the HUGE main street there with a million restaurants, shops, theaters, etc.  At night, a couple friends and I saw Grease the musical in Spanish!  It was SO good!  One of my favorite musicals and I will always remember seeing it in Spanish.  Saturday morning we took a walking tour and saw the royal palace (palacio real).  Then after lunch, we went to the Reina Sophia museum and saw some of Picasso's paintings! Then we rowed boats in Retiro Park!  It was my first time and let's just say I was just as good at rowing boats as I am with every other sport...hahaha the guy working there told me I was so bad at parking it that I had to leave the boat from the water side..oops! After, we did a little shopping and then met up with some other friends who were in Madrid from ISU and went to a really good Chinese restaurant for dinner!  Sunday morning we went to the Prado museum.  WOW, that was so cool!  I don't usually enjoy looking at paintings but it was awesome to see all of the famous Spanish artists that I learned about in high school.  We saw a lot of Velazquez and Goya which was really neat.  We finished our trip with some shopping in the market in the afternoon before our bus home!

Classes are starting to get stressful (yes for those of you who have asked, I AM going to school, not just traveling here :) haha)  For most of my classes my only grades are our midterm and final and midterms are coming up so I have to start studying.  I'm enjoying running every day in the beautiful weather!  Every Thursday I run with one of my greatest friends, Julia from home so that's always a blast :) Today it was almost 70 degrees, although I hear it's pretty warm at home also :) I'm counting down the days until my parents visit! Just 20 days!! My host family is so extremely sweet though. Today for Pat's birthday we sung happy birthday in Spanish through skype to him and my host mom lit candles and put them in jellos for him!  It was so thoughtful!  My host parents are going on vacation next week and I'm really going to miss them!  Good thing I get the real parents soon!! :)

That is all for now!  I love Granada and the Spanish lifestyle more and more every day, but of course am still missing home like crazy!  I'm already about halfway through the semester so I need to enjoy every second I have here :) Hasta Luego!