Granada

I went to Granada for the weekend with Annie and Maggie, 2 of my American friends. For being the middle of May, it was surprisingly cold! Jeans, sweaters, and scarfs were definitely required. Granada, which is about a 3.5 hour bus ride from Sevilla, is a very quaint, walkable city. It is home to the famous Alhambra, which is an old Muslim palace/fortress. There is a big gypsy/hippie population in Granada, most notably in the Albaycin neighborhood. You find lots of teterias (or tea houses) in Granada, and quite a bit of Arabic food. We made sure to visit a tea house, and of course try a kebab!

I was also able to meet up with my Spanish friend, Fatima, who lives in Granada with her husband Jaime and daughter Paola.  I hadn't seen Fatima in at least 3 or 4 years, and it was great to catch up with her. She and Jaime invited me to stay at their home, cooked wonderful food, and demonstrated again how hospitable Spanish people are. Overall, it was a great weekend trip!

Annie and Maggie enjoying a tinto at the base of the Alhambra.

Moorish architecture - this was one of my favorites.

A monument in honor of Ferdinand and Isabella.

A view from the Mirador de San Nicolas in the Albaycin.

Maggie, Annie and I.

Feria in Jerez de la Frontera

A group of teachers from my school were going to the Feria in Jerez de la Frontera, which is a town near where I teach, so we decided to go as well.  Becky, Tyler, Chuck, and Carol took the train and spent the day in Jerez, including a visit to the Tio Pepe bodega. I met up with them after school, and after a siesta, we headed over to the Feria. It was neat for Becky and Tyler to see how the Feria works - with the women in flamenco dresses with flowers in their hair, lots of men riding horses, casetas, dancing, flamenco music, food, rebujito, etc. We met up with some of the teachers from my school, had some tapas and rebujito, and listed to flamenco music. The light display after sunset (above) was incredible! Everywhere you looked there were arches covered in lights. Simply stunning!

Becky and Tyler in a caseta.

Sisters. :-)

Becky and Tyler in Sevilla!

Becky and Tyler came to visit with their friends Chuck and Carol, and we had a blast!! They arrived late last night, so we just went out for some tapas and a glass of wine in Barrio Santa Cruz, before calling it a night. Today, however, was a whole different story!! We met up and walked around Sevilla for a bit - across the river to Triana, near the Cathedral, Plaza Nueva, etc. In the afternoon, we met up with some of my friends in Plaza Salvador for a beer or two. The weather was perfect, and I wanted to show Becky and Tyler a typical Spanish Saturday - filled with socializing, walking, tapas, and drinks.  Becky and Tyler had met my friends Jorge and Jose the previous year in San Francisco, so it was really fun for all of us to meet up again. We went to my favorite bodega in Alfalfa for some tortilla, espinacas con garbanzos, and delicious baked queso. Then we strolled over to Bar Alfalfa, where we had serranitos (a typical Spanish sandwich of pork, jamon, tomato, and fried green pepper), and Becky was even brave enough to try the snails!! We showed them the amazing rooftop bar that overlooks the Cathedral, then went to El Arenal, where we found a small bar with live flamenco music. Jose and I danced a Sevillana, to show the visitors, and we all enjoyed the live music. The afternoon turned into evening, which turned into night, and a visit to Las Columnas, followed by a copa in Barrio Santa Cruz. It was a long, but perfect day, filled with lots of laughter and great company. :-)

Becky and I near the Puente de Triana.

The guys in Plaza Alfalfa.

The gang at Bar Alfalfa.

Becky tasting the caracoles (snails)!!

The crew outside the flamenco bar in El Arenal.

Maria, Becky, and Tyler enjoying a copa in Barrio Santa Cruz.

Jose and I, enjoying a copa as well!