Dias 13-15

This weekend was our first weekend out of Madrid. On Friday we left with the school to go to Grenada, and while we were initially underwhelmed, and exhausted from the uncomfortable 6 hour bus ride, we were soon enchanted by the city's beauty.

Our hotel was surprisingly cute with a rooftop pool and a bidet in each room. I was a little curious to try it out, but wasn't sure how awkward it might feel. The tub on the other hand was HUGE. Two people could have easily fit in there, but I never got to take advantage of it :[

Friday night we went to a gypsy Flamenco show up in the mountains. It's kind of exciting to say that my first Flamenco experience was an authentic one, in the motherland. It was a really intimate environment, and towards the end of the performance Leonor, our tour guide, surprised us and got on stage. Where did that come from?! She was so good, I'm a bit jealous. 

Saturday morning we went to al Corral del Carbon and la Capilla real. As in the other parts of Spain that we've visited, the churches and museums were beautiful. I'm proud that i finally bought some souvenirs (although I still need keychains and postcards). Later on, we visited la playa de Motril, our first Spanish beach. I think my expectations were a little too high, although the water was beautifully blue. I just didn't anticipate the high volume of rocks that were mixed with the sand or the extreme waves and rip tides. Saturday night, our last night in Grenada, we trekked back up the mountain to a discoteca that had a patio with a beautiful view of La Alhambra. Drinks were really cheap, but it had been a long day, so I had one and then called it a nap. I'm still getting over the fact that the taxi ride to the club was only 4.75 Euros, which ended up being 1 Euro per person because we split it. How was it so cheap?!

Sunday morning we headed to La Alhambra, which was magnificent. The garden was like nothing I've ever seen before. It had a beautiful view and was so well maintained and clean. Not to mention the fact that it was ginormous. We spent some time in the palace, which I don't have words to describe. Although it was amazing, I can't imagine anyone having ever lived there. All the stones and marble are gorgeous, but so cold and impersonal. 

After Alhambra we began our 6 hour journey home, only to have our bus break down and leave us stranded in the middle of a desert like area. It was an interesting experience. Then to top it off, the guy who was sitting in front of Vrenda and I was so obnoxious. First, he had his chair reclined all the way back so we had barely any space. I mean, I have short legs, but I still need some space. Then, he refused to close the curtain on the window, even though the sun was in everyone's eyes. I asked, rather politely I may add, and then an older woman asked about an hour later, and he was just really rude. We should have kicked his chair and sang obnoxiously for the rest of the ride to be irritating, but we're just good people, so we didn't.