Long Time no Blog!

I apologize for all of those waiting eagerly for an update from me, sorry I haven't posted anything since my last trip! I've been doing my classes, flamenco culture, latin american culture, Islamic culture and my speaking/writing class, hanging out and relaxing in Granada to save up for more trips. Last weekend we checked out the Moorish neighborhood, the albycin, which had an amazing view of the Alhambra and city of Granada. It was a beautiful sunny day, didn't even need my sweater I brought.

I just got back today from Seville, Spain, which was a great trip. We left Friday on a bus that took 3 hours to arrive at a beautiful hostel with private bathrooms! It was very exciting. Then we went to visit the Alcazar (free for students!), which apparently was the place a lot of documents were signed and created about the New World, and housed paintings of Christopher Columbus and his ships and stuff like that. Then we wandered a few hours along the river, headed back to bed and got up Saturday to visit the Cathedral. We got sandwiches and chips/pop to eat outside the cathedral, then got in for only 2 euro! Student discounts are amazing. The cathedral is the 3rd largest in Europe, and the largest gothic cathedral ever. It was very beautiful, had the largest altar ever with 44 depictions of the life of Jesus, the tomb of Christopher Columbus, and a piece of the "original cross", along with a crown with 11,000 precious stones and the largest pearl in existence. Then we shopped and walked some more before having dinner - paella with lots of fish like clams, mussels, oysters and shrimp with their heads on. Then we went to a flamenco show which was amazing. It was set in an old Jewish house converted to a small intimate stage with two rows of chairs and a backdrop of vines that reached the 2nd floor ceiling to the floor. The dancers moved so fast it blurred, their feet reminded me of famous tap dancers in movies I've watched with my mom, except faster and with more serious expressions. I wish I could have done a video but they were very strict and only allowed photos the last 5 minutes, no video at all. It was definitely my favorite part of the trip.

Sunday we had a late start, wandered again and got more sandwiches before heading to the river to eat and relax. In fact, we relaxed so much we fell asleep, me on my side, and woke up an hour later with a small burning feeling on my face which later darkened into a ONE SIDED SUNBURN. You all know my mother and how she is about sunblock application, but I don't think I will ever learn. I now am sporting a sunburn on 3/4ths of my face, quite severe in certain spots. I also have a sunburn on my left arm that traces around my watch. Only I would be so affected by an afternoon in the sun.

Tomorrow is a holiday - I do love the Spanish and their national holidays. No school, so I shall be finishing a book I borrowed from a friend in the program, called The Time Traveler's Wife, I saw the movie before I left for spain but the book is very good, as books are usually better than movies. I hope everyone is doing well, I miss you all and hope you will youtube a flamenco dance to see what I was talking about, but imagine it by candlelight and live. This weekend I'll be going to Morocco - finally going to the top of Africa - my 3rd continent! I'll be sure to take lots of picture and wear lots of sunblock. I wonder if riding a camel will be like horseback riding? I'll let you know! Love Nikki