Adventures in Granada, Spain

by Delana S., Panther Blogger

As another part of the program, we went to Granada, where we toured the city, saw a flamenco show, and stayed in a four-star hotel.  Talk about being a little fancy on our trip (hahaha), but it was really beautiful! 
When we first arrived, we checked into our hotel and then headed into the center of the city, where we then split off into groups to go explore and find places that interested us.  That night, we went to the Alhambra to see some parts of it.

My friend Devin and me

My group consisted of my friend Devin and me because smaller groups are sometimes better than big ones.  We went to a tea restaurant, which also had sweets, and we sat and talked.  It was a very relaxing atmosphere and there weren't a lot of people.  We were in an alley with lots of shops at this point, so we also got some shopping done and explored what these shops in Granada had to offer.  Just to make sure I mention it, Granada means pomegranate, which do grow there.

The beautiful city of Granada

An alley of many shops

La Alhambra at night

La Alhambra was absolutely amazing during the night and even more captivating and mesmerizing during the day.  I have no words to describe what I saw, but you may be able to get a sense of it because I do have a lot of amazing and gorgeous pictures of the buildings, the gardens, and the views of the city.

Besides just touring the city, we also went to a Flamenco show, which blew me away!  It was passionate, intense, and I couldn't look away for any part of it.  Since my thesis focuses on Flamenco, I tried to talk to some of the dancers, but it was not very productive because Flamenco is such a big part of who they are that it was hard for them to answer my questions.  I don't blame them for that though because based off of my research, you start learning Flamenco at a young age and then it is something that is always part of who you are.  I am taking a Salsa/Flamenco class here and it is definitely not easy!  The salsa part I have down, but Flamenco is a bit more technical since both sides of your body eventually do the same thing, but you also have to focus on your arms and your movements.  It is very interesting to learn, and I know that I will try to demonstrate it for my friends when I come back home.  Plus, I also promised my mom that I would show her a few of my new moves. She just laughed at me and nodded.

Overall, Granada was a relaxing trip and helped us get a break from our studies and exams.