Submitted by Amber Branin on the 2017 summer session program in Granada, Spain sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures…
I still can’t believe that I am in another country! Granada feels so much like home now. I have been in Granada for 17 days and I’m officially half-way through my program.
It has been a very busy couple of weeks! I visited the Alhambra, which was very beautiful and I went to the city of Malaga.
First though, the Alhambra. It’s one of the most remarkable things I have ever seen. There are large buildings with the most intricate architecture on the outside and on the inside. There were hand carved ceilings of wood and plaster, hand painted tiled walls and floors, beautiful landscaping and water that just flowed throughout the entire fortress.
Something interesting I learned was that each part of the buildings that were lived in always had a pool out front, and the larger the pool, the larger the palace that it was associated with. There were many fountains and pools through the Alhambra, and I was surprised to find beautiful flowers growing in the gardens as well.
Malaga was the first city I went to outside of Granada. There I visited the Picasso Museum. I was so excited to visit a museum where I recognized the artist! Unfortunately, I wasn’t allowed to take any photos, but it was one of the most interesting art museums I’d ever been to.
I was very nervous leaving the city of Granada, but a lot of my friends from this program also went with me to Malaga and helped ease my nerves. I was surprised by how easy it was to purchase a round-trip bus ticket online. Now, I feel like a whole new world has opened up to me. I can’t wait to see where else I will travel!