An Adventure in Andalucía
After a grueling 2-day week our entire program group loaded onto a private bus and made our way to Andalucía, the southernmost autonomous community of Spain, for a 3-day educational excursion.
On the docket, Córdoba and Granada.
First stop, Córdoba
Córdoba was at one point the most important Muslim city in all of Spain, and was a central part of the Islamic world during the Middle Ages. Accordingly, it is home to one of the most elaborate mosques in the world: La Mezquita de Córdoba.
Over the centuries, the mosque has gone through numerous renovations. Adhering to the traditional simplicity of Islamic architecture, it began as a rather humble building, less than a 10th of its current size. One renovation doubled its size to accommodate for population growth, another doubled it again, and a final renovation tripled its size. It's really neat because you can denote on the floor where each new renovation began.
Like Toledo, Córdoba was targeted once the Catholic Kings came to power in Spain and was used to exemplify their power. To do so, a cathedral was built INSIDE the mosque (yes, it's that big) as an ultimate power move to assert Catholicism´s dominance over Islam. I didn't take pictures of this portion of the building because although it is an interesting part of Córdoba´s history, its origin is pretty disrespectful and it didn't feel right. I much preferred taking in the traditional parts of the mosque. The way the architects used light (through the use of latticed windows, ceiling color, and much more) creates a very somber and introspective atmosphere within the building.
Even now, the Catholic Church continues to deny use of the building to be used to practice Islam, having denied countless petitions and even going so far as to legally claim private ownership of the building, which was once considered a public historic site.
Learning about all of the intricacies of Spain's history has given me a lot of perspective. It is incredible to consider how the actions of one ruler can upset centuries of peaceful religious cohabitation; marvelous to realize that some of the most intricate architecture and design I have ever seen was done so long ago with such relatively limited resources; and amusing to remember that all of this happened before the existence of the Americas was even a whisper of an idea in Europe.
Next up, Granada
After our pitstop in Córdoba we continued on to Granada.
There, we got to stay in a 4-star hotel (pictured below) that was quite nice to say the least. One huge difference between this hotel and hotels in the States were the beds. There was one pillow, as opposed to a mountain of them, the bed was made up of two single-sized mattresses pushed together, and did not have a comforter, only sheets. It is a cultural difference present in Spanish homes, but I was surprised to see it carry over to hotels as well.
The absolute best part of the hotel was the breakfast: Unlimited buffet.
We were all so excited and loaded up on some of the breakfast items we missed from home. For me it was scrambled eggs. In Spain, breakfast is typically very light, and most of the day´s food is consumed at night during dinner. This has been a big adjustment for me because my typical eating habits are usually the complete opposite.
The first night we spent in Granada included dinner at a beautiful Moroccan restaurant. The design of the restaurant was super Moroccan and was a great way to relax after being on a bus for over six hours.
Dinner included a couscous and chicken dish that was extremely flavorful (especially compared to the bland tendencies of Spanish cuisine). The meal was served with a bowl of pretty spicy sauce, which I ended up impulsively drinking on a dare, absolutely obliterating my throat. At least I upped my street cred.
After our main course, we were served a Chicken Pastilla, one of the most interesting foods I have seen so far. It is a filo dough pastry filled with seasoned shredded chicken that kind of tastes like peanut butter, and covered in powdered sugar. The mix of savory and sweet made my taste buds really confused, but upon reflection I think I´d really like it if I had it again.
After a final bite of various baklava´s and a sip of incredible mint tea, we headed back to the hotel where I proceded to sleep extremely well.
Al Alhambra (pictured from a distance above, and from inside below) is an absolutely stunning estate that contains both a fortress and a palace once occupied by the Muslim rulers of Granada.
The estate was designed to stimulate all five senses, which Muslims believe brings you closer to Allah. The sight, smell, and feel of all of the flora is absolutely mesmerising. Taste is activated by the various fruits that grow throughout the gardens (tourists understandably aren't allowed to pick anything from any of the plants). Sound takes form in the countless fountains that decorate the gardens.
Apparently once the Catholics took command of Al Alhambra, they installed new types of fountains that were more aligned with the style of the time. Originally, the Muslims designed the fountains to be very small, emitting barely a trickle, so as make their presence known but not to distract from the other peaceful sounds. The Catholic fountains were much more about grandiose appearance, and are bigger and louder, disrupting the original intention of the estate.
Everything we saw was breathtaking.The flowers were full and sweet. The design was intricate. The trees appeared ancient and I couldn't help but wonder what momentous events they have persisted through. I would happily pack up my bags and live there in a heartbeat (Assuming I could also banish all tourists to return Al Alhambra to its intended, peaceful state).
Our visit to Al Alhambra was followed by lunch and an olive oil tasting. 38% of the world's olive oil is produced in Spain, which is home to over 260 varieties of olive tree. A friend of one of our program directors is an olive oil connoisseur, and he introduced us to his passion by letting us sample three very different tasting olive oils while cracking jokes that are definitely inside jokes within the olive oil community.
Even though I had eaten my fill of bread and oil, we were served a multi-course lunch. I tried Salmorejo, a traditional Andalucían cold soup made of tomatoes, bread, and olive oil (because I clearly hadn't had enough of the last two already), wine, and a super delicate dessert called walnuts with cream and honey, which was, predictably, a bowl of whipped cream topped with walnuts and honey (Spain is apparently known for having great honey).
Our final evening in Granada kicked off with a Flamenco show. We were taken by another friend of our program director in a bus to a residential part of Granada that is built into the side of the hills, which were historically cave homes.
The show was a fun experience, even though we didn't have the best seats (which is why the only picture I have is us outside the venue). Flamenco is a very strong and sensual dance. It relies on graceful hand motions, strong control of your feet, and fierce facial expressions to tell a story. There was a live band, and at some points it kind of felt like the singer was singing nonsense since he knew the audience was primarily tourists who wouldn't be able to tell the difference. All in all, it was nice to do something together with the entire group and get a taste of another aspect of Spanish culture.
Some of us went out after the Flamenco show, and the next morning we visited the cathedral in which Isabel and Fernando are entombed. The one criticism I have of this experience, and with the other tours we have done as a group, is that they are always a bit rushed, and I wish we had more time to stop and really absorb everything.
I suppose that's a solid indication that I enjoyed my time in Andalucía.
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