In college I spent a semester abroad in Granada, Spain. It was wonderful to be immersed in another country and really test how well I could adapt to living elsewhere.
Granada is located in Andalucia, Southern Spain at the foot of the Sierra Nevadas.
One of my favorite aspects of Granada is the city's Moorish past and Islamic influence. It appears throughout the architecture and the small alleyways in the Albaicin where you can find all sorts of Moroccan goods, hookah, and the best shawarmas i've ever tasted.
One of the many random parades we witnessed from our balcony.
We had a barely functioning washing machine, and here was our fail-proof clothes dryer...
Granada is one of the only cities left in Spain that gives free tapas or food with your drinks. We survived our broke college travels by drinking copious amounts of vino tinto and finding the bars that gave out the best and biggest tapas.
One of the craziest things about living in Southern Spain was the siesta. For a few hours each day, starting at around one, the whole city shut down. Grocery stores, banks, restaurants...literally everything closes. If you were hungry and out of food, you would have a long wait ahead of you before you can get a bite to eat. The siesta acts as long lunch break, where everyone, even the kids, leave work and school and head home for a typically homemade, multi course meal.
The Alhambra is an iconic and one of the most visited destinations in Spain. Throughout history, it served as a palace, fortress, and citadel. It was built in the 11th century and sits above Granada, overlooking the entire city.
Throughout Granada you can see relics of an old wall that used to surround and protect the city. The design and carvings of these walls all nod back to the cities Moorish roots.
Each day I would leave my neighborhood in Campo de Principe, where I rented a room in an apartments, and make a five minute walk to the school. The school was in a wonderful old building and the curriculum was strictly Spanish.
Right outside of the city is miles and miles of olive groves and we would take the weekends to explore and camp out amongst the beautiful scenery.
Granada is a beautiful and bustling small city, especially around the holidays. If you ever get a chance to visit Spain, it is worth the detour to Granada.
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