Submitted by Joseph Hinton on the 2018 fall semester study abroad program in Granada, Spain…
Week 7 in Granada was a busy one, our first official soccer game was on Wednesday and we won 8-3! A big turn out of over half the program and just an overall great atmosphere. That weekend was our second program trip, this time to the city of Cordoba. Not my favorite trip due mostly to the weather and the short time we were there, especially in comparison to Portugal, but even still it was an interesting trip. The week leading up to the trip we learned about the poetic culture and history of Cordoba, with it being at one point in time a capital city of the Muslim empire. First we visited a small site outside the city called Medina Azahara, “a place of brilliance” or “brilliant city” that was once the home of powerful sheiks and kings of Cordoba. Later we visited the old district of Cordoba where we entered the Mezquita-catedral de Cordoba – a place known for its distinct architecture of first Arabic styles and later Christian styles, all of which was cool to see in person, because I am taking a history of art and architecture class here, so actually getting to see the structures and designs I saw in class, in person was surreal, and it actually helped on my exam, too! However, after all this, I think my favorite part was when we were heading back to the bus, we passed by a wedding photo shoot. At this point it was raining, windy, and cold, just a miserable day, but here was this couple lost in the moment, as if they had a bubble just around them and the whole world fell away. Cordoba: the city of architecture, history, and romantics.
