
Submitted by Hailey Galbraith on the 2025 Summer program in Granada, Spain…
I was so excited for this weekend, and it certainly didn’t disappoint! One of the reasons I chose Spain of all the study abroad programs was specifically so I could see the beautiful country that my friends Ade and Carlos had described to me while they were interning abroad the US. I was such an incredible experience to spend the weekend with natives of the city, who were kind enough to give me a personal tour!
When we first arrived in Madrid off the metro, I had to hustle to meet up with my friend Carlos, who I was staying with for the weekend! He showed me his beautiful apartment, which was originally the home of famous Spanish poet and author Miguel de Cervantes! I think that its so insane that in Spain, that living with this history is not at all uncommon. My friends recently graduated with degrees in Interior Design from the University of Madrid, so I feel incredibly lucky to have such marvelous tour guides for this weekend.
After we met up, we quickly made our way back to the subway station to meet up with Guillermo, Ade, and Victoria, our other friends before we went on our trip.
Speaking with the four of them that Saturday made be realize how much I had been missing out on as far as exploring the country and learning Spanish by really only speaking with my English friends. I love my host mom, but the ease in which I could form basic sentences and the excitement I felt to be included in their conversations with each other, but also locals was so different. The first place we went to was Cercedilla, where they introduced me to “authentic” Spanish cuisine; croquetas, tareta de carne, y huevos.
After, we visited the Palacio Real de Riofrio, which was simply gorgeous. According to Guillermo, the palace was never finished. I was originally built in the 1700s but was never inhabited until Francisco de Asis in the 1850s. It was then redecorated in the 1960s, much of which remains in the palace to this day.
The next day, we had some hours before my bus left, so Carlos and I walked around the city. First, we went to a local panaderia called Levadura Madre. We each got a croissant, and this mini chocolate covered flaky pastry. They were delicious and we ate them on a bench outside of the congress building of Madrid.
Before checking out the Sunday Market, we walked by the opera house and the official Palacio Real, which was enormous and extremely beautiful. Nearby, there was a musician, playing Viva la Vida on his Violin for the tourists and visitors. The views were stunning, but what interested me more was Carlos’s discussions on the Royal family. He says that he likes the current royal family, as they are more modest and closer to regular people than previous rulers. This came back to me on Wednesday’s class, where the profesora explained that the concept of a royal family is weaning in Spain and that she predicts that there will not be many more generations crowned after this one.
The last thing I did in Madrid was to visit the Sunday Market. Extremely busy and bustling, there was everything from snacks to clothes to antiques. I found some adorable souvenirs and gifts for my friends and family, and it was so fun to be among so many people. Everyone was so nice, and I was even able to buy a very cool belt for my brother. The booth was so cute and as soon as I brought the belt over to purchase, the owner of the booth lit up! He was so sweet and so excited to explain he crafted all the belts himself and even had newspaper clippings of his workshop hung all around. It was such an interesting experience, I have never been to a flea market that large before, and apparently, they have them every Sunday! (Submitted July 3, 2025)
