Getting to know my way around

I don't even know where to start. This is so overwhelming!

Today, we walked up to the Albaicín. It's on the northernmost part of Granada and on our maps it's just a labeled circle- there's no map of the streets or anything that's in the area.
It's absolutely beautiful at the top- we could see all of the city below us and the mountains around us.

At the lowest point on our walk up to the Albaicín.

The road is completely cobblestone. Now, I've seen cobblestone roads around the East Coast but they are nothing compared to the ones here. I would say these were more like rocks just cemented in a path. It's awful to walk on but it fits when we're walking next to these buildings that are centuries old I guess. It took us hours to walk there, mostly because we took our time stopping and taking pictures at every point possible, but also because it's completely uphill! And people actually live up there! We took a bus back down because it was cooling off and starting to get dark, but it was terrifying. Seriously, the roads are barely wider than a car and the driver was whipping around these corners like he was a Nascar driver in years past. There was one point when we came around a corner to be nose to nose with another car. Apparently we had right of way, or were just bigger, so the car backed down the road. Maybe I should call it a mountain.. yea.. this car BACKED DOWN THE MOUNTAIN. I closed my eyes for most of the trip to be honest so I didn't get to see the rest but we made it to the bottom.

This is how narrow the streets are. They can honestly fit through here and not lose a mirror or hit anything!

We walked around the city also. The hardest part about navigating here, is that none of the streets are straight or connect where they should. It's like this big winding circle that has no pattern so it's just knowing your surroundings and going by what looks familiar. This whole 'navigating' thing is REALLY hard for me. I don't even bother to try the map. Just pray that I can make it to class everyday!

There are so many 'parts' to Granada- the Jewish corner, the Catholic side, and the Muslim influence. Each is completely different and occupies a different part of the city. The area where our classes are has small alleys, lots of graffiti, and old old buildings. The area we walk through everyday is modern, there are stores and restaraunts and lots of people. I got a few pictures of the different areas, I don't have one in the area where our classes are but I will soon.

The modern part of town- mostly Catholic influence.

Restaurant in the Muslim influence area- it features a Hookah bar with dinner.

I am on spanish overload. Seriously I'm dreaming in spanish.. it's kinda scary actually. Last night I dreamt that Grady was cooking tapas in a barn and singing spanish songs while Riley was flying a plane (apparently Riley can fly in spanish?). It was weird.

The kids in my ISA group are fabulous. We all went to a little Irish pub last night that was actually showing football- American football- and we figured out it was a known 'American' bar. Figures. We would be drawn there right away. But I gotta say, it was quite refreshing hearing people other than my peers speak english without an accent.

Some of the girls in my group. There are 27 of us I think. The girl on the far left in the stripes is also staying for the year- her name is Deanna and she is so great!

I just can't get over how pretty this was today-

Buenas noches!

Day 1

I survived the first day! What more could a girl ask for? I have all of my luggage and am navigating fairly well all things considered.

I’m navigating ok so far! I know what to ask, it’s just understanding the answer that’s killing me. Everyone speaks so fast that I can’t think fast enough to figure out what they said much less come up with an intelligent response. The first guy that I encountered didn’t answer any of my questions, but proceeded to tell me “Eres muy guapo” which I’m pretty sure means “You’re very beautiful/attractive”?? Ohhhhhh boy this is off to a great start.

I was hoping to be taken seriously, but I’m sure I just looked lost everywhere I went. I spilled coffee on my white shirt on the car ride up to the airport in Minneapolis so I was doomed from the start. TOURIST.

The hardest part was figuring out where to go- all the time. At the airport, I could either take a taxi or a bus to the train station. I couldn’t figure out the bus system on such a tight schedule so I went with the taxi. Naturally the driver spoke spanish so I’m trying to tell him what train station I needed to be at; we got the right station but I gave up trying to figure out which platform and just handed over my ticket so he could read it himself. He laughed and said in half english/half spanish “Keep practicando”. Thanks for the encouragement!

The train station itself was a totally different story. There were people everywhere. Literally, everywhere. This frantic woman came up to me and started freaking out in Spanish and I just looked at her. I didn’t know what to say or what she was saying! I probably looked terrified because then this guy came up and said “Ella no sabe” and marched her away. I figured out that the guys in purple ties worked at the station (don’t ask me how, just go with it) so every purple tie I saw I asked for directions. I’ve never even seen a train station much less been on a train so I had no idea where to go or how this whole thing worked. But I made it and successfully got to Toledo!

On the train.

After the afternoon siesta at the hotel we had a meeting with the ISA staff so I could get all caught up on the stuff I missed. Then we went out for supper.. which was at 9pm. I was starving! Meals are a little wonky here- breakfast is around 8 or 9, lunch at 2 or 3, and dinner at 9 or 10. 

The food was SO GOOD. We went to this little hole in the wall restaurant with a few other kids in our group. Anna and I  split the Gazpacho and a Paella. Gazpacho is a tomato based soup and it’s served cold. It was served with peppers and croutons tonight, but can be served with many other add ins. Paella is a rice dish. It’s served in a cast iron skillet and this one had sausage, squid, and peppers in it.

Tomorrow we travel to Granada to meet our host families!

Maddy has Sangria, Anna has a Mojito.
Both were delicious!
At the bottom of the picture is the Gazpacho.

The Paella we ordered.
Super salty, but so worth it!

Adios amigos!

The first one

Hola hola! I'm Maddy. 20 years old, from Albert Lea, Minnesota. I attend the University of South Dakota and I'm starting my third year there- except it's going to be in another country with another language. I will be studying in Granada, Spain for the full academic year. I am a Spanish and Communications major so this fits right in with the Spanish part.

This trip didn’t exactly get going the way it was planned. I was supposed to leave August 29 for the Intensive Month where I would do 80-90 hours/week of Spanish so I could be some spanish speaking master. On August 23, I was in emergency surgery for a pilonidal cyst that developed near my tailbone. Long story short, I have an open incision on my behind which I pack with gauze every day. So we knew I couldn’t leave the country in 5 days post surgery and moved my departure date back to September 19. It worked out well. I needed the time at home and it gave the family some extra time to mentally prepare for me to go abroad. September 15, my grandpa Glenn died. I could have still left on the 19, but it just didn’t feel right since we were so close to him. I called my travel agent and my ISA advisor and said, “I know you’re going to stop answering my phone calls and I’m so sorry!”. We got the flight pushed back again so I could stay for the visitation and funeral. I was on the road bright and early on September 21. Despite emotional and mental exhaustion, too many tears, and way to little sleep nothing could stop me! I’m going to make it!

I will be meeting the group in Toledo. Which means I need to find my way from the airport in Madrid to the train station, get on the right train to Toledo and then find my way to the hotel.

Here we go!

Traveler Ducky from Mayo Clinic ready to board the plane!