traveling ladies, portugal edition

hola todos! i am now back on the blogging scene, as i begin 'real life' as a student and resident of granada. before i dive into exasperated tales of the first day of school, today's city-wide strike, or sweet flat-mates, i must share about my recent trip to southern portugal and the learning experiences that traveling entails.
first of all, due to craziness of the last week of the language program this trip definitely qualified as 'last minute' and 'spontaneous.' qualifications for our destination: 1. reasonable priced transportation 2. beautiful sandy beaches and salty water to wash away any stresses--easy enough. hence, we were faro, portugal bound. after a 2 hour bus ride to Malaga (beach town in spain), a 6 hour layover, then another 5 hours by bus to Faro (arriving at 2:00am), our trip started off with the not so pretty part of travel. as we were wandering around faro in the middle of the night, rollie-suitcases clanking on the cobblestones, depending on my google map directions and help from various portuguese hotel doormen to find our hostel, it was time to stop and appreciate--we made it to PORTUGAL, we are on vacation, and life is good. after sleeping off our travel day real vacation began. our faro adventures were unique due to the lack of tourism and nature of being an old-school port town. we found a local beach with gorgeous blue water, delicious sangria, and classic relaxation atmosphere...sound of waves, soft sand, and good friends to share the moment. after a night spent listening to portuguese karaoke songs and making the mistake of singing the spice girls to a bunch of confused locals, we heard rumors of a beachy island a short train ride//boat away. needless to say, we left in a flash, bound for this mysterious island and island luxury that surly awaited us. the island of Farol was everything and more...i'll leave it at that.

this is the walk out to another beach on the island. being here, in a similar climate to california and natural beauty, it made me extremely appreciative for california and the paradise that i can call my home.
after a few nights in faro, it was time to move farther west in the Algarve (southern region) and explore the town of Lagos.
Lagos being more on the tourist radar, it had an instant familiar, international feel. although the weather decided to front some clouds and potential rain, being the california girls we are, we headed for downtown and then to the beach. as the clouds started to part, the ocean began whispering our names, luring us towards the water. five minutes later it was screaming for us to strip down (despite the lack of bathing suits...haha) and indulge in classic girl spontaneity. below is the pic of our cove and cave swimming :)


this picture basically captures happiness and completely enforces my attitude of when in doubt, strip down and jump in a large body of water. good memories are sure to follow.
as you can probably tell, i could go on and on about our adventures and the beauty that is the Algarve. but, at risk of story overload i will just share one more epic memory of portugal. for our last day in Lagos we decided to take the advice of our Kiwi and French hostel owners to take a boat ride along the coastline. little did we know we were embarking on a pirates of the caribbean status adventure with Fernando the teddy bear (instead of mr.depp) as our guide. the combination of the sandstone rock formations with the overwhelmingly gorgeous water was unreal.

as we passed by Fernando the explorer, blew his conch shell...gotta love him. he's definitely the big man on campus...or on agua.

after an hour or so on the water, we returned completely content and sunkissed. we couldn't have asked for more.

after our boat ride we decided to walk along the bluffs that settle our little butts down on the beach below. after laying on the beach for a solid five minutes, the excitement of paddleball took hold. MOST. FUN. BEACH GAME. EVER. the iberian peninsula folk are all about it...don't worry i'm bringing it back for some cross cultural exchange back to cali.

lastly, as we searched for a local traditional portuguese restaurant that Fernando recommended (and received various directions and opinions from the adorable senior citizen community of Lagos--all in portuguese mind you) we passed by the epitome of elegance, smiling gently in a stunning window frame. after walking by, i couldn't help myself...my mom in me told me to go for, make a fool of myself and ask to take a picture--this woman is priceless. when i asked by smiling and pointing to my camera, speaking spanglish, she simply nodded, leaned against the frame and returned the smile. i hope to be her age, smiling at the young crazy girls walking and laughing hysterically through the streets and remember my own excursions. there are so many adventures to be had and i now realize they are all at my disposable with some planning, creativity, and an open mind and heart.

hasta luego residencia!

what can i say but this past week has been locura (pure craziness) with the combination of shannon's birthday (hello gelato birthday cake!), taking finals, finalizing my ridiculous class schedule, packing up my little dorm room with my explosion of clothing, and moving into my new piso (flat).
***ooooh residenica (dorm), how i will miss your squishy bed, proximity to my california amigos, funny door man who shakes his head and chuckles when i return from the gym drenched in sweat, and balcony to brush my teeth in the mornings. despite the mutual love we shared, i must admit that i will not miss the comedor's (cafeteria) mystery fried meats or vengeful washing machines. it may be silly, but la residencia isabel la catolica was my first home in spain--gave me that foundation for exploration and comfort when i needed it. i will definitely miss the plush dorm life, but am extremely excited for the piso adventures ahead. i think the weather was on my same page, because the day of move-out it rained and hailed. at this point i had to ask, "really spain? should i take this as a sign to inhabit one of the mysterious 3rd floor rooms and be the quasimoto of the residencia?" just as i was pondering this question, the clouds ceased fire and i was able to haul my luggage out to the cab and eventually into my room practically dry.

here is the lovely comedor with the crew. friday (move-out's) meal: chicken nuggets, french fries, 2 strips of bacon, and an iceburg lettuce salad with occasional tomatoes. ya, i'm ready for a kitchen.

Daniel Madird. need i say more? this man once made my stomach turn with nerves with one stern spanish stare, but now we are practically besties. as my oral comprehension teacher, he forced presentations each week, usually refusing any sort of positive reinforcement. but, the complexity of this man--his favorite lecture was giving us a list of "bad words" and "street talk" where he enjoyed watching the california kids blush and the few brave souls, ask for verification of the significance of a phrase.
there is so much to say--about my new housemates, the epicness that is my new neighborhood, looming classes, restaurant discoveries, and truly beautiful people, but i need to get some sleep before i head to faro, portugal for a little beach time before the reality of school begins. it still blows my mind that multiple COUNTRIES are at my disposal for week or weekend trips.
until next time chicos! sending lots of love!!!

weekend success

some things never change--the weekend flew by with shocking speed, leaving me in awe of the places visited, new spanish words learned, and discoveries made, but little school work accomplished--such is life. el fin de semana kicked off with my round 2 of the Alhambra. with our history teacher from ILP as our personal tour guide and information from previous classes streaming my thoughts, i was able to soak up the magnitude of these palaces in a new way. the intricacies of each room, hand sculpted, designed, and painted by unknown artists/architects, each window and bit of water with such intent and purpose, and the vast history that surrounded each step i took was overwhelming. plus, our spanish professor is a sweetheart who explained the history of the muslim leaders and the pact between the christians and muslim powers that kept this masterpiece from being destroyed. as he put it, this type of architecture (alhambra--muslim )focuses on what is inside, leaving the exterior fairly plain--in contrast to christian architecture that emphasizes the exterior impact and usually has a more vast, empty interior. the differences (and occasional similarities) are fascinating. it is a place that must be experienced.

after a late friday evening of salsa dancing and discoteca hopping it was time to vamos a la playa (one of my mom's favorite phrases haha) on saturday morning. beach bound and thoughts regarding weekly stresses fleeting, i further emergered from my homesick funk as we approached Marbella, a beautiful southern beach town along the southern spanish Coasta del Sol (Sun Coast). naturally, this provoked another, "damn, i'm in spain" kind of feeling. also, Marbella freakishly reminded me of the beloved santa barbara with warm sand between my toes and a view of the ocean before me and lush mountains at my back.

(ignore the idiotic look on my face--what am i doing? and check out the backdrop)
the highlights for sunday are numerous...but most importantly, i once again put off class searching and decided to hang with my friend's monitor (a student from the university) named Rafa. Rafa is basically my fountain of knowledge. he knows this city better than anyone i've met so far and is so incredibly kind about giving me the lowdown from the best churros and chocolate spot, to local hiking spots, and how to experience granada like a spaniard. most importantly, he showed us an 'easy access' (aka up a huge hill with various twists and turns) nature oasis right outside the city. this will no doubt be my saving grace at various points throughout the year when i'm in need of a city escape.



this part of granada is known as Sacramonte--the home of the gypsies and other alternative people who live in caves--fun stuff.

the more i learn about granada and experience spanish life, the more i realize that this year, in this place that constantly challenges me, constantly provokes thought, constantly tests my abilities, and constantly stretches me, is an extraordinary opportunity to explore and pursue the person i want to be. with each day as an adventure and pushing my comfort zones, i am determined to take as much as i can away from this experience and let it shape the person i want to become. soo--quick shout out to all those who made this/are making it possible! seriously. sending mountains of love and thanks your way! ok, enough cheesiness (but sincere thoughts) for one blog.

speedbump

the third week of the intensive language program is done and now one more week of classes, finals, and planning awaits me in the upcoming semana (week). while there were many great moments to be had this school week (buying Andrew Bird tickets, finding apartments for friends, and discovering the beauty of 2 cents a minute skype phone calls), i must admit that that pesky feeling of homesickness has begun to encroach on my parade. after several frustrating hours of looking for classes at the university and getting negative feedback about the majority of the psychology classes offered this year, i found my thoughts lingering to california and the familiarities/comforts it offers.
so, thanks to my greer genes what do i do when i'm stressed, need to think things over, or am in desperate need for a reality check? 1. RUN. there is nothing like a good sweat and some endorphins to put things in perspective. step 2: get out of the dorm room and enter the outside world (easier said than done sometimes). luckily, my CA/granada partner in crime chica, Shannon, agreed to ditch the dorm cafeteria fried mystery meat and mayo salad dinner with me and head to the best falafel hole-in-the-wall "restuaurant" in town. here, i encountered a spanish university student who gave me the lowdown on the best places in granada to watch soccer games and meet other spaniards. in addition to being a nice guy and helping me out with some crucial info, it was great to speak in spanish--(not that i haven't been) but speak in spanish without worrying about my many grammar shortfalls, itty-bitty vocabulary, or making a fool out of myself.
anywho, we ate these epic falafels on a stone bench while gazing at the Colon (Columbus) fountain--not a bad view :). i'm trying to make the falafel (only 2.5 euros--score!) my new burrito...let's just say it's delicious, but doesn't quite fill that void. how could anything?

next we met up with some other chicas and i encountered my first true spanish love. ANTONIO!!!!!!!!! age:3, favorite cartoon: Bobesponja (spongebob), things we have in common: both share a love for balconies, dar un paseo (to go on walks), and gum-balls from the gum-ball machine. it's love.

here is the one and only. the only problem is he may have caught the hearts of a few other california girls last night...
3rd line of homesick defense: indulging in some classic snail mail. for some reason letter/postcard writing brings comfort. so, check your mailbox in a week or so :)
so, while that aching feeling still lingers a bit, i am looking forward to this weekend with the many planned events and possibilities it brings.

"hey adrienne, we're in spain"

it is sunday at 7:30pm and like a true Spaniard, i have spent this day of rest doing exactly as it was intended--resting, eating, and enjoying good company. even if i had been inspired to go the grocery store, shop for a present, or socialize in a tapas restaurant, my desires would be met with closed doors and an almost ghost-town feeling throughout the cobblestone streets. as i've mentioned before, resting and spending time with those you love is taken seriously here. i'm digging the priorities :)

news from this week: spinning class continues to be one of the most hilarious and butt-kicking part of each day. last class we spun to a grease mash up. classic. part of the california group went on a tour of the cathedral from an art history professor at the university. the history simply blows my mind--the arab/Muslim, jewish, and christian fusion is everywhere. for 800 years the muslim community controlled granada! it is hard for me to even conceptualize the changes this land has seen.

inside the cathedral: Isabel la Catolica (queen of Spain in the 15th cent) as she was called, decided to tear down the ancient muslim mosque and build her massive cathedral here. i couldn't help but feel unsettled walking through the cathedral with the several "in your face" images directed towards the previous religious stronghold.

most notably, this week it has finally started to sink in--I AM IN SPAIN. yes, many times i need to be reminded of this obvious, simple fact. it has become a running joke between some of my friends, "hey, guess what? we're in spain." despite the silliness of this statement, each time it is uttered, i stop and think and it all kind of rushes over me. i am walking on cobblestones worn smooth from hundreds of years of humanity, sitting in a plazas while eating delicious tapas at 11:00pm, speaking spanish to my future flat-mate, and living in a history museum...what?! goodness, i wish i could articulate this feeling better...i will do a take two next blog.

a little bit of granada's street music charm. i can't help but love the accordion.