Semana Santa en Granada

           Claudine and I planned to be able to see two days of processions of Semana Santa before we left for our trip to Vienna and Prague. On Palm Sunday, the city was in full swing. For weeks, the city was preparing for the influx of tourists, setting up risers in the streets for people to pay to watch the processions and repairing roads that the pasos (or floats) were going to be going down. Semana Santa is a HUGE deal in Spain and every city had their own traditions. For example, Granada has a student procession, a gitano (gypsy) procession from the Albacin and Sacramonte area and an Alhambra procession that is supposedly incredible to see because the path to the Alhambra is very steep.
            The procession is something that I've never experienced before. There is a ton of people waiting in the streets for the people and pasos to pass by so they can touch the pasos or yell guapa! (beautiful) at the Virgin Mary statues. Each procession (there is about 5 each day) leaves from a church and is guided by women in black mantillas wearing rosary beads. Then little kids walk, some dressed as Nazarenes, and other in the penitentes costume. If you look at the pictures, it is the costume that looks like the Ku Klux Klan. Traditionally, this head piece was worn during Semana Santa to ask for penitence for sins, but the KKK stole it and twisted it into a horrific image. Honestly, even knowing the true meaning behind it, it was still hard to watch because of the tragic history that that head piece has in the US. After the nazarenos (another name for the penitentes), there were people holding the cruz de guia (the cross that guides the procession), and banners from the religious order that the church belongs to (each statue is kept in a church and leaves from that same one). Then, there are people carrying long candles that are continuously dripping wax (the women in black mantillas also carry the white candles) and children try to create a wax ball by collecting the dripping wax. There are also altar boys and girls who have the thuribles which hold the incense and they guide the way before the statue arrives. Finally, it is time for the actual paso to pass by. Each one weighs A LOT and in the South of Spain, they don't use wheels to move them, but instead, people actually are underneath, carrying the paso on their shoulders. It's quite impressive!
           When we were standing in the street, waiting for them to pass, it is truly sensation. There are distinct smells, sounds and sights to be seen. The first thing you notice is the smell of wax. There are tons of candles, and not just long ones either, but intricate wax flowers that adorn the floats. They are all lit, so it is beautiful to see when the sun sets because it gives it a really solemn and mystical feeling. The women in the mantillas are all carrying candles as well, and there is a bit of a game that all the kids play where they try to build the biggest wax balls so they stand on the edge and when the procession stops, the kids run out and collect the dripping wax from the candles. There are also flowers on all the pasos that give off a strong aroma--I saw mostly lilies and roses, which we learned about in one of my classes as the traditional Semana Santa flowers. After each paso, there was a band following them and the music is meant to sound like a military band to mimic the Roman military.  So after the beautiful paso, there were trumpets and drums.
         The whole thing was wonderful to watch and it was really cool to hear the people yeling guapa! (beautiful!) to the Virgin Mary floats and trying to reach out to touch them as they passed. I'm glad I was able to see a few of the processions even though the rain ruined the second day of the week! Only one float actually left the church because the rain can ruin the statues and the whole experience. But overall all, I'm very glad I was able to see one of Spain's most famous traditions.

La vida cotidiana

           I have to stay studying abroad is pretty a sweet deal. On March 27th, I had class then came back to my house and took a nap! We planned our Semana Santa plans--booking hostels and tickets, but more on that later. For lunch we had these amazing meatballs in read sauce, with fried potatoes and fresh bread. Also, there was two types of sliced dried sausage- one sweet and one slightly spicy and fresh manchego cheese for the bread. We learned about the Mediterranean diet in my Spanish Culture and Civilization class, and how the trilogy for Spain is olive oil, wine and bread. Being Italian, this is like a dream come true! I can't lie though, I am very excited to taste food in Italy especially since many of my friends have gone already and have been telling me about the amazing dishes. I also tried mint chocolate chip gelato this week, and was reminded of why it is my favorite! It was refreshing to have it on a warm day.
           I've been able to spend time with some friends during the week, just walking and exploring Granada. I went with my friend Argelia to a few places and then, I met up with my intercambio, Cecelia! She is studying at the University of Granada and is from Cadiz. I practiced my Spanish with her and another girl Ariel who I was with when we met Cecilia at the University's main campus for a tango performance. I loved learning colloquial phrases and next time we meet, we are going to speak in English so she can practice her English and then just continue switching off. I'd say it's been a good few weeks!

Barcelona 3

         On Saturday, we woke up late and had a really relaxed morning. We went to a different coffee shop (which had soy milk, yes!) and got cafes con leche and chocolate croissants. We then walked to the Sagrada Familia, with Claudine and Sean leading the way. The Sagrada Familia is also Gaudi's design, and it is this ENORMOUS project that started being built in 1882 but was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War and has just been under construction since the day they began building. It is a combination of the Art Nouveau and Gothic styles and had been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site even though it is not yet completed! They are trying to finish the building by 2026 which is the centennial of Gaudi's death. It is something that I would definitely return to Spain to see!
         After taking a ton of photos from the outside, we navigated the subway back to the Arc de Triomf, and took pictures there. It was a beautiful day so the contrast between the blue sky and the stone was striking. We were all starving after these long walks, so we headed to...Bo de B! We had to get it again before we left. I had the same sandwich but this time with half a slice of a fresh avocado. It was incredible again and had the added creamy texture from the avocado. I honestly think this trip has developed my taste buds because I have begun liking things that I have never eaten before!
           We went walking towards the beach after lunch, and there were a few shopping stands and I was able to buy two beautiful rings there. We all got gelato, and I had banana even though there was also coconut and coffee at the stand--decisions, decisions! We got to the beach and immediately threw off our shoes and made our way onto the sand. We had a mini-photo shoot there, and I took one of the funniest pictures ever of my friends --try to find in the album! After wiping the sand off our feet, we went back to the room where we shared stories and had some great laughs. It was like being in summer camp! As a side note, our friend Sean's Kristen Wiig impersonation is SPOT ON so if we were all cracking up. Our dinner that night was  the things that we had bought at the supermarket and it was tuna and avocado on whole wheat bread.
            We left the next day around 10am and arrived back in Granada in time for dinner. It was a really nice weekend trip, especially with Ashley as our tour guide because she was great! Also, a special thanks to Rebecca for giving my some tips of places to see since she studied abroad in Barca last semester.

Barcelona 2

          The next day started early and our first stop was of course, a Starbucks. Caffeine was definitely needed for our full day! After our breakfast, we met up with Ashley and Gretchen at their dorm and then we walked to Parc Güell, which is the outdoor park that was designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. It is absolutely beautiful and is the style of Art Nouveau, so all the architecture imitates nature. For example, there aren't any hard lines, but instead, curves to mimic the natural movement of the world. Another great example is the wave tunnel, which literally looks like a crashing wave. There are also mosaics all throughout the park, which I think are gorgeous! Take a look at some the photos to see them!
            We had lunch in a picnic part of the park (whoa, alliteration), which was really nice because the weather was really nice. We bought lunch supplies the night before after settling into the hostel, so it was mortadella and salami sandwiches on whole wheat bread with cheese and guacamole. Yum!  After this nice break, we left the park and went to the Picasso Museum. Now, I don't like Picasso, but I went anyway because we were there. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be because the exhibits were focused on his early works and inspirations for cubism, so most of the paintings were realist. The Blue Period was cool to see too, but my favorite work was the Woman in a Mantilla because it was reminiscent of Seurat's pointillism.
             After the Museum, we went to La Rambla, the famous mile long street with shops, restaurants, and so much more. We visited Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria or La Boqueria, which is a famous outdoor market (that has been covered so it can be open during rain). It has everything there--eggs, meat, fruit, and sweets to name a few, and we all tried a fruit smoothie. I had the blackberry-banana one and it was great and I also tried the "Catalunya on a Stick" which was a kebab of different dried meats. 
             For dinner we went to La Fonda for paella mixta, which is paella with meat and seafood.  It was interesting because they gave us the whole shrimp (head and all) so it was difficult to eat. But the rice itself have a rich flavor and had an almost risotto-like creamy texture. We went back to the room and got ready for a fun night on the town! The dance club was on the beach, so after we left, we walked along the water, but then hurried home because we knew we still had a full day ahead of us.  

Barcelona 1

          On March 22nd, Claudine and our friends Argelia, Sean, Danielle, Caitlin and I went to Barcelona for the weekend. It was a great trip, especially since our Fordham friend Ashley was able to be our tour guide since she is studying abroad there. Claudine, Sean, Argelia and I took an earlier flight than Danielle and Caitlin, so we arrived at the hostel in the afternoon. Getting from the airport to our hostel was really easy because there is a shuttle bus to one of the main plazas, Plaza Catalunya that leaves every 10 minutes. We checked into the hostel, but I think we might have been scammed out of 20 euros because after we paid, the woman at the front desk came up to our room and said we were missing 20 euros from the full amount. But we are positive that we paid her the correct amount--it wasn't worth fighting over though because we didn't want to have any problems, although we did try to explain several times that we were not 20 euros short. But after this little debacle, I'd say the rest of the trip was pretty problem-free!
          We met up with Ashley soon after, and her friend Gretchen and they took us to one of their favorite places to eat in Barça, a small sandwich shop called Bo de B. It is an affordable place so it is a student favorite and the line is usually out the door, but luckily, we were able to get a seat inside. We all ordered chicken sandwiches, and then, one by one we went up to the counter and chose our toppings. The bread was incredibly fresh and the chicken was perfectly seasoned, as well as very tender. There was a lot topping to choose from, and on my sandwich, I had an ajo (garlic) and aguacate (avocado) sauce, lettuce, lentils, tomatoes, and raw onions. It was INCREDIBLE! The ingredients were so fresh and the bread was soft but with a crispy exterior. It was the perfect introduction to Barcelona. We went back to the hostel for a nap and to just relax because we had to wait for Danielle and Caitlin's plane to get in.