La Mezquita

First off, let me apologize for being so remiss in my duties as to not update this blog on Wednesday. But, honestly, I really didn't have that much to write about. Now that I am really starting to settle in here, life is becoming quite a bit more routine. Well, other than the fact that I'm in Spain. In the interest of keeping things short and sweet, I will attempt to give a brief run-down for the week and of course, I will be adding some pictures as soon as my internet connection get its act together.

On Tuesday, I met up with my intercambio partner again. She had friends visiting from Seville so we wandered around the city. The best part was eating piononos (small, custardy tarts that the Granada area is famous for) while watching the surrounding city celebrate the Virgin of Anguish. Basically every city in Spain has a saint and every saint has a day. On the 15 of September, La Virgen de Angustias got special treatment. People lined up for hours to decorate the front of the church with flowers, and planes actually flew overhead and sprinkled flowers on the esplanade near the church. It was quite a sight.

Then on Wednesday I actually went to eat lunch with my intercambio partner and her family. It was a lot of fun and I was really surprised with how much of the conversation I could understand. As far as the food goes, it incorporated all of my favorite ingredients: a salad with olives, corn, tomatoes; a baguette; french fries; ham; and fried eggs. Oh yeah, sounds super healthy right? And for dessert? A lovely watermelon. It was definitely nice to get out of my usual routine and my intercambio partner is very fun to hang out with. Plus, I got to speak and listen to a lot of Spanish. And then Wednesday night it was time to go dancing with my American friends! At a nearby discotech, international students got in for free, so we boogied on the dance floor for an hour or two to American music of course (it's frustrating because they don't play much else here!) before calling it a night. Not bad for the hump day of the week.

On Thursday, a large group of us went out for Chinese food (random I know, but I'd been craving it). It was delicious and cheap which is always good. Afterward, our group headed to Hannigan's for Karaoke. Now I know what you all are thinking: Why would Jenny be going to sing American songs at an Irish pub in Spain? Well, basically because it was one of the most fun nights I have had here! The place was packed and I have to say my rendition of RESPECT by Aretha Franklin was well-received. Of course, "American Pie" and the Spice Girls also were big crowd pleasers. As much as I would like to go every week, I have decided to adhere to the philosophy that some things are great because they happen just once or a few times so I think I will have to leave Hannigan's again for another month.

Fasting forward through Friday (went to the botellon and then dancing with the girls -- nothing much to report. It was fun but not incredible or anything) and Saturday (I didn't do much and went to bed at about 11), we arrive at today. As part of our program, our group went to Cordoba (accent on the first "o" mind you. It is not CorDOba) to see the ancient Mezquita and to partake in two deliciously relaxing hours in the Arab baths.

After driving through the countryside littered with olive groves and the occasional small town dominated overhead by an impressive castle, we arrived at the Guadilquivir River. It is the first real river I have yet seen here in Spain. The water was muddy and shallow but nevertheless, I was impressed. Crossing the bridge, we came to the old town and the Jewish Quarter. At first, we had some free time so I headed to the Alcazar or Castle built by the Christian conquerors in the 13th century. The gardens were absolutely amazing and I felt for a bit like I was in Alice in Wonderland. Long pools filled with carp, flowers, and well groomed hedges and statues lined the walkways. Once inside the ramparts I couldn't help but be reminded by Edgar Allen Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum." Something tells me The Inquisition made good use of the place.

Then our group partook in the Arab baths. Of course the building was a replica but that did not take away from the experience. Basically in an Arab bath there are three baths and a turkish sauna and you rotate between them. The first is the lukewarm pool, then the hot pools/ sauna, and lastly the cold water. Then to top things off, we received a 15 minute massage. Needless to say, I think I chose the right study abroad program for me.

Then we took a tour of the Mezquita. There are really no words to describe the place."Incredible" just does not do it justice. It was first built by the Caliphate of Cordoba in the 10th century and then added on to by other Arab rulers and later, by the Catholic Church. The whole of the building is filled with arches built of brick and rock and the walls and ceilings are decorated with intricately carved designs typical of moorish architecture. What really becomes interesting are the Christian additions to the building. Between the arches, there are richly painted murals depicting scenes from the bible and right smack dab in the middle of temple is a Catholic Cathedral. It was all beautiful separately, but together, some things felt a little out of place.