Submitted by Anna Hemelt on the 2018 fall semester study abroad program in Granada, Spain…
This weekend, I was able to enjoy the countryside. Since I’ve arrived in Europe, I haven’t traveled outside of a city. I am in Granada, a fairly small southern Spanish city, and I’ve traveled to many European capitals. Last Friday, I went to France. We flew into Geneva, Switzerland and took a bus into Chamonix, France. We were going to fly into Paris halfway through the weekend, but after all of the violent protests and demonstrations there, we decided to just do Geneva and the mountains.
Situated in the French Alps, Chamonix sits near the three country border of Italy, France, and Switzerland. It’s a quiet ski town that sits at the base of Mont Blanc, the highest summit in the Alps. The small town is pretty quiet this time of year, with its peak season later in December around Christmas time and New Year’s time. So, there weren’t many restaurants open, and only the winter themed stores, as well as souvenir stores were opened. It was really nice to be there for just two days, and to have some time disconnected in nature, something I haven’t had the luxury of doing since I came to study abroad.
I realized that I found the best of both worlds, studying abroad in Granada. I have the best aspects of the city – some public transportation, lots of stores and businesses, and the fact that there is always something going on. It’s not too big that it’s overwhelming, but there are so many things to do here that I am never bored.
