Lakeside Human

Granada, Spain: livin’ like a local.

March 19, 2019 No Comments

Reflecting now, this past weekend was actually so perfectly fitting for marking the halfway point of our time here. It was a whole mix of a lot of random activities that one probably wouldn’t get the chance or have the time to do as a traveler passing through. It was spontaneous, uplifting, smile-provoking, and definitely gave me better sense of the spirit of the people who live in this city and the people Granada attracts from all over both Europe and the world.

Thursday – Karaoke Night @ Hannigan’s

Thursday night the introvert that I am actually “tenía las ganas” to hit the town (gonna take the opportunity to teach you a quick & useful Spanish phrase here – “tener las ganas” means to feel like doing something!). So anyways, I met up with a couple of friends at a very modern, stylish bar with loads of beachy decor that honestly felt very Californian to me, and we ordered some delicious mojitos off their menu, which had tons of different varieties and fruit flavors to choose from. They were playing American music, which honestly from my experience is pretty typical of cafés/bars/discotecas here, and they just kept delivering SO many good jams!!! Honestly, it me wish that it was a discoteca instead of a bar because the music just made me wanna dance! It was a good time and mojitos always make me think of my Dad, who is very fond of them and even grows his own mojito mint in our garden at home during the summers.

Next stop was the highlight of the night – there are multiple Irish pubs in Granada, and I have also noticed them in most other Spanish cities I have been in thus far. Thursdays are Karaoke Night at a particular one near the city center called Hannigan’s, and the atmosphere was upbeat, multicultural, nonjudgmental, and insanely fun. There is a large bar with plenty of space, plus a large scattering of tables and booths all around a central raised area where the karaoke participants take the stage. The system was hilariously simple. On a table in this area is a single sheet of notebook paper that reads “writ your song here” (yes, writ with no e, but as a foreigner learning and messing up Spanish here every single day, I don’t judge). Then, there is a staff member that simply goes down the list, finds the song requests by typing in the title and “karaoke” on youtube, and everything shows up on 2 TVs in the corner opposite the area just above the door that enters the bar. I loved this positioning because anyone who walks in is immediately face-to-face with a loud, dancing, laughing group of people just doing there thing to a song that they love. We heard songs in Japanese, Spanish, English, and normally there are few things in the world that scare me more than singing in front of others, but the place was such a loud mix of happy people both talking and jamming along that I am fully certain that absolutely no one cared how anyone’s voice sounded. And this is good, because most people were pretty much just shouting the lyrics and trying to pass the mic off to their friends rather than having it themselves. My friends and I decided to sing “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls, and we knew we made a good choice when it felt like nearly everyone in the bar joined in after the first few lines. This included a woman in her mid-30s who immediately jetted out from around the corner, dancing, pointing at us, and singing along in approval. I am truly a person who when I go out I often find myself happy to be with people I love and appreciate, but also thinking of ways I’d rather be spending my time, and this night I can say that I had genuine fun. Thursday night karaoke at Hannifin’s is a definite recommendation if you find yourself in Granada and unsure of where the party’s at.

Friday – El día internacional de la mujer

Friday, March 8 was International Women’s Day. Strangely enough, I did not discover that this date is based upon an event that occurred in the U.S. until someone mentioned it to me today. It marks the date that the owners of a garment factory in New York city closed the factory and burned it to the ground, killing many of the female workers inside that were in the process of fighting for their rights to better wages and treatment. And on that rough and dark note, I will explain why attending the manifestation (protest/march) here felt so refreshing and empowering. We Americans here a lot both here and at home about the problem of machismo in Spanish society and culture. Sometimes I don’t love the emphasis because in reality, every country has problems that stem from toxic masculinity, but I do feel that there is a particular severeness to the problem and a stagnancy to a mindset of gender equality here in Spain. In the U.S., I wouldn’t say we really have a specific color to represent gender equality or reproductive justice, and if we did I guess I would say it is pink (just based off the famous pussy hats of the women’s march)?? Here, the color is purple and there is no doubt about it. I do not know this for certain, but I assume this is because purple, even for us in the U.S., is the color for domestic violence, and that is far and away the most prominent gender-based inequity issue here in Spain. Frequently, multiple times per month, there are news stories of boyfriends and husbands killing or severely injuring their female partners. Well, this day the streets were flooded with purple for these issues and all issues affecting women-identified individuals. (The manifestación for this day takes place every year beginning at the start of Gran Vía de Colón (the main avenue in the city) and marching all the way to the river.) There were young girls in funky outfits and face paint and purple lipstick, to grandmas dressed to the nines in purple scarves and even cute old men showing support in purple sweater vests. This event was by no means a celebration – and many signs made that clear, reading “this is not a vacation/celebration, this is a fight” – but there certainly was that warm sense of collective power and solidarity. A sense that acknowledged just how bad the world has gotten in so many ways, but also that reminded everyone that there is still so much more good in the world than bad and so many people with caring, feisty, determined spirits. It was an awesome, can’t-stop-smiling kind of night.

Saturday – a relaxing moment in Nerja

Saturday my gal pals and I took well-known day trip from Granada to a little coastal pueblo near Málaga called Nerja. It didn’t take more than 5 minutes in a café to recognize that this is a very common vacation and retirement destination for Brits and other Northern Europeans, who filed in slowly but surely with their cute hats, worn out sandals, and newspapers tucked under their armpits, ready to enjoy a slow, sunny morning with a hot tea and a classic Spanish tostada. We decided to take an early bus and therefore arrived in Nerja just after 9:00 a.m., which I would highly recommend. The ambiance of the place was completely different in the first 2 hours we were there than it was midday or really any point after the fact. We checked out the incredible views of the sea from the Balcón de Europa and found a first pretty little beach with some cool rock formations. It has been unusually warm in Andalusia for the past one to two weeks, but being here on the coast it suddenly felt TRULY summer-y, and we were all so pumped we decided to go right for it and take a dip, before 10:00 in the morning to the absolute delight (and I think shock) of a whole gaggle of old ladies watching us from the balcony above and cheering us on. The water was refreshing for sure, but still warmer than lake Superior and ridiculously beautiful – from the color of the water to the rock formations, and all the way down to the sand. We spent the day taking a dip, warming up with catnaps on the beach, and then walking down the shore to explore a new area and repeating. It was so drastically different to the fast-paced traveling we’ve been used to, and although it isn’t usually my preferred idea of travel or vacationing, it felt so refreshing.

Sunday – Fútbol Club de Granada

Sunday was mainly just a chill day of sleeping in, getting a workout in, checking in with family and friends and getting some school work done. During the evening, we finally made it to a game of the local team, Fútbol Club de Granada, whose stadium happens to be like a 15 minute walk from where I live here. I’m not a giant soccer fan, but I do love sports in general, both partaking in and watching, and it was very cool to observe the cultural differences between this and the Wisconsin sports cultures I have grown up with. Something I find extra fascinating is that noisemakers like airhorns are allowed (and enthusiastically used :)) in the stadium, and alcohol is not allowed in, which are both opposite of rules in the U.S..

& that concluded the weekend! Little by little, or “poco a poco”, as they say in Spanish, I am getting to know this amazing city better.

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La mitad.

March 19, 2019 No Comments

I have now surpassed the halfway point (“la mitad”) of my study abroad experience here in Granada, and honestly it sometimes still doesn’t feel real. I still have those moments where I wake up in the morning disoriented, I still have days where I really just want to see my family or vent to my mom, and I definitely (and always will) still feel like a foreigner. But, there are lots of street corners and customs and expressions and frustrations that feel far more familiar now. Even new people — I have gotten to spend several days and meals with my host mom’s granddaughters and I always find myself in the best mood afterwards because of how warm and patient and genuinely interested they act around me. I still have not been to any country other than Spain, and I’m so grateful for all the cities here that I’ve had to opportunity to visit. All of this has made me even more elated that I chose Granada to study in, as it still remains my favorite city that I’ve been in. Looking forward to the next two months, where I am working hard on doing lots of reflecting, incorporating even more Spanish where I can, exploring a little bit every day, and hopefully meeting some Spanish friends AND finishing a whole Spanish chapter book that until now has just been sitting on my bedroom shelf hoping to be picked up.

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Granada, Spain: seeking out the best views.

February 9, 2019 No Comments

a weekend consisting of 3 incredible mini-excursions in Granada’s Albaicín neighborhood…

This weekend we decided to chill here in Granada. To get out there and explore the place we are actually living in these four months. Our own backyard, in a way, although I highly doubt it will ever feel that ordinary. And I sincerely hope it doesn’t, because there are so many magical, un-pin-pointable things about the pace of life and the unwritten rules and the landscape here that I would never want them to somehow get demoted to “ordinary” status in my brain. They simply aren’t.

Perhaps the most extraordinary little slice of heaven we have encountered here in Granada thus far is the Albaicín, which was historically the location of the muslim and jewish quarters, is one of the oldest centers of Muslim culture in the city, and not to mention a UNESCO world heritage site. The streets are even windier and more charming than those that you can easily find all throughout Granada, supplemented with amazing views of the greater city below and of the Alhambra. These streets are lined with uniform architectural style, all in white — many buildings are carmens, which are the traditional type of Islamic house, which all have a similar outward appearance regardless of the relative luxury or humility that one may find inside. This is in alignment with an important value in the Islamic faith – that we are all equal in the eyes of God. This part of the city feels completely different — definitely a bit like a time machine, and also a tranquil escape from the city center without having to go far at all. According to our program director, who lives in the Albaicín, many of its residence feel this sense of distinctness too, often saying “I’m going to Granada” when they head into town, as if their neighborhood is a whole different city or entity in itself.

Needless to say, for all these reasons and more, mis amigas and I decided our weekend would be well-spent by returning to the Albaicín for further exploration. We ended up walking up there (despite the relatively steep journey for a bunch of Wisconsinites) EVERY day that weekend (and our “weekends” here include Friday, since we are incredibly blessed and don’t have class). And every time, it just got better.

Friday

This afternoon we were truly straight up wandering, with no particular plan in mind. We walked through the center of the city, through the always grand-looking Plaza Nueva, and up the steep hill to the Albaicín. From here, we visited many of the spots pointed out to us by our directors on one of the very first tours given to us upon our arrival. The main feature of this was a stop at the Mirador de San Nicolas, which has a nice open space filled with happy people on the weekends and almost always a guitarist or dancer or both. This time, we were lucky enough to have both a guitarist and a salsa-dancing duo for our entertainment. And then, of course, as the spanish word “mirador” suggests, it offers an amazing view of the city and lots of great photo opps. Definitely a great place to watch the sun set, which is precisely what we did. We also made sure to walk across the way to a similar lookout on the other side which is right next to the institution for Arabic-Islamic studies. All these buildings kind of converge to create this central area where there is a christian cathedral, and educational institution, and a modern day mosque or “mezquita” all in what seems like an arms length, and while there are still tons of problems with islamophobia in this city and all over the world, it feels very uplifting to see.

It does get surprisingly chilly in that mountain air, however. Which lead us to seek out a tetería – a very common establishment in this area. For a tea-lover like myself, they are such a dream. Teterías are easy to find in Granada, especially in the Albaicín and other areas that have been able to retain pieces of the Islamic culture, like the Moroccan-inspired markets near Plaza Bib-Rambla. We were seeking out a specific one called “El Bañuelo”, which had gotten rave reviews from preview students of our program. Situated right between the “threshold” of the Albaicín and Plaza Nueva, it was the perfect spot to stop and warm up on our walk back home. It was peaceful, and dimly lit while somehow still feeling so warm and inviting. I was elated to see a looooong tea menu, and they also have an entire case of amazing “dulces árabes”, as well as a few non-traditional goodies like carrot cake and a thick cookie cake that my friends ordered. I opted for a cinnamon-orange tea and a flor de pistachio and both were amazing. The teas are delivered in your own unique, gorgeously-decorated ceramic teapot and little clear glass tea glasses to pour it into. As a result, even the way they serve it forces you to slow down and take your time sip by sip. Eating in Spanish culture is all about relaxing and enjoying good company, and in my mind there is no better way to do that with tea. I will definitely be back to El Bañuelo and on the lookout for other inviting teterías.

Saturday

Saturday evening we set out for another spot that has been highly recommended to us by past students, our directors, the internet — pretty much everyone that has ever familiarized themselves in any way with this city. It’s called Mirador de San Miguel Alto, and when we arrived it immediately became our new favorite thing in this city. This adventure involved two very simple things – another fun, longer walk through the Albaicín and then an amazing view of the sunset. Well, really the start of a sunset, as the narrow path and nearly 200 steps to get there are unlit and probably would not be super fun to navigate in the dark. We ascended through the Albaicín until we found ourselves in the Sacromonte, which is another historic area knows for its gitano, or gypsy, community and caves – which here serve both as people’s homes and as flamenco dancing restaurants and/or clubs. Even before we got very far up into the hills, the views were already spectacular. After that came the climb up those many stairs, which are decorated in all sorts of creative messages – both Spanish and English, silly and serious, which brought us to the actual Mirador, which is positioned right in front of a little church. And then we just sat in awe for many minutes, feeling very tiny against a panoramic backdrop of the Sierra Nevadas, the Alhambra, and the whole city of Granada. It was stunningly beautiful as the sun went down, and I will also be getting back here for a sunrise if it’s the last thing I do.

Sunday

Sunday was a special day in Granada celebrating San Cecilio, who is the patron saint of Granada. This gave us the chance to explore a local, traditional celebration/festival for the first time since arriving here. The day involved a romeria, which is essentially a religious procession. We never really saw the start of this procession, which I presume features a figure of the saint, like many of the other processions we have learned about in our Spanish cultures class. However, by the time we reached the city center, it was easy to detect a general flow of tons of people toward the Albaicín/Sacromonte, which is were the route of the procession was. We all really went into this knowing very little about the detials of the event, other than that our host moms had packed us each a bocadillo (sack lunch of a big, artisan bread sandwich and some fruit, etc.) and told us that everyone walked up to a certain area where something that sounded like a giant picnic would eventually take place. Despite our confusion, this was surprisingly and excitingly accurate.

We walked higher up into the hills than we ever had before, alongside many Spaniards easily in their seventies or older (constantly is so cool and interesting to see how many older people here keep moving everyday largely because of the cultural differences of going out to socialize, not having cars, etc.). Then we came upon a big open field, where a giant line of people had formed waiting for food, and with a big stage on one end where a flamenco performance was taking place. We all got some food to share (completely free, by the way), which consisted of 3 foods apparently very typical to both Granada and this day in particular – a saladilla (salted round flatbread), bacalao (cod, dried and salted), and raw habas (similar to broad beans or lima beans and served still in their big, green pods).

All around people were dancing and sitting in the grass. We found a killer spot on the hillside in the sun to enjoy our food and the music. Afterwards, we made our way up a little bit higher still to see the abbey, which is of course beautiful and also has some catacombs beneath that we got to check out. This is supposedly where San Cecilio was martyred. Our best find of the day was another smaller open clearing in the fields behind the abbey – it was quiet and was at a similar altitude to the Mirador de San Miguel Alto, as we could see that spot we had been the previous night in the distance. It was breezy with mountain air, but so sunny this day that it felt so pleasant. And so we plopped down in this field and had ourselves a little power nap and it was glorious. Waking up and having that initial “where am I?” confusion was actually for once the best thing in the world because I got to open my eyes to a view that I still just couldn’t comprehend. It was such a relaxed day, but in the best way possible. Full of nature and music learning new things and sweet new friends.

As I’m writing this, my family arrives tomorrow (ahhhhh!!!!!), and I am so excited to show them some of these spots. Really, I’m so excited just in general to HUG them and talk with them. So much so that two hours ago I was literally falling asleep on the couch in the living room, and now I am wide awake responding to my sister’s snapchats of them on the plane and can’t stop smiling. I’m so pumped!! Signing off from my cozy little purple room in Granada, catch ya back here for a recap of my next weekend adventure.

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Málaga, Spain: first time meeting the Mediterranean.

February 9, 2019 No Comments

(note: associated photos to come!! I’m working on it.)

After spending our first 2 (what really felt more like 1.5 thanks to the jet lag) weekends chilling in Granada and starting to get a feel for this pretty little city, it was time for our first weekend excursion. We decided to start off nearby – still in Andalucia, but somewhere that delivered some warmer weather after lots of unexpectedly chilly and damp days here in Granada (it is still so wonderful nonetheless and I LOVE being near the mountains).

I present to you the highlights of a relaxing and fun-filled weekend in Málaga… featuring a group of novice travelers just trying to figure things out, bit by bit. I love this crazy process.

We bussed (bus company in Andalucía is called ALSA) from Granada to Málaga for about 25 euro, each of us traveling with just a regular-sized backpack. The bus ride itself was gorgeous. We passed multiple steep, vast valleys, already much lusher than the landscape in Granada, with big fluffy patches of fog peeking between them. We arrived in Málaga around 11:30 A.M. Friday, giving us plenty of time to fit in some exploration right away.

We walked from the bus station into the city, where we easily found the main feature of the city center – El Puerto de Málaga, which is essentially a big promenade along the beach lined with little playground areas, shops, and restaurants. The architecture here feels modern and there are tall palm trees everywhere. This area is very busy and touristy, but the inlet of the Mediterranean Sea that it surrounds is beautiful and it is definitely worth the walk… why?? Because at the end of this stretch is where we found the beach! While it certainly isn’t isolated, the mild temperatures meant it wasn’t crawling with people and we were easily able to find our own little spot and just take it all in for a while. It was my first time seeing and touching the Mediterranean Sea, and we were all taken aback my how gorgeous and clear the water was. This whole area is also the perfect spot for a run or bike ride, which I took advantage of right away the next morning – there is plenty of people, space, breeze, and amazing views the whole way.

After successfully checking into our Airbnb (an easy walk from the city center and under 20 euro per person for the 6 of us for TWO NIGHTS!!) we headed back to the center for some dinner. We ended up at what we realized after was probably a bit of a touristy place, but they did have a really cool dinner option where you could get a plate of mixed tapas – 8 different kinds on a plate with dividers – for 9 euros. We got to sit outside in the street inside of a heated tent and the best part of the whole thing was that instead of after dinner mints, the waiter brought out after dinner ICE CREAM BITES – as in a dollop of vanilla ice cream covered in chocolate, and I from now on I think I will forever be disappointed by free mints. After, we joined another group of gals from our study abroad program at their own nearby Airbnb, which just so happened to have rooftop access to this cute little patio, so we spent the rest of the night up there just chatting and enjoying the nice weather.

Saturday: After my morning run, which I of course got a little lost on, we set out in search of a cafetería for breakfast. On the way, I stopped by a frutería, which are definitely one of my favorite parts about Spain so far. In general here, the majority of places where people buy their goods are more often small, specialized, entrepreneurial businesses. This means there are whole shops dedicated to watches (relojerías), stationery/paper supplies (papelerías), even croissants and churros (crossanterías, churrerías), and my personal favorite is obviously the fruit/produce shops (fruterías). They are essentially just a small room filled with crates of all kinds of fresh produce, generally with boxes extending out into the street as well. It is all delicious, cheap, and SO easy when you get hangry because there seems to be one on almost every corner.

After my fruit detour, we found a cafetería, got us some tostadas and coffee/tea (pretty much the go-to breakfast of Spaniards, we have found) and headed to the Alcazaba.

Now, an Alcazaba is not something unique to Málaga – in fact, the word just means “fortress” in Spanish, so there is an Alcazaba in nearly every city you can travel to in Spain. We LOVED this one, as it had a very rustic feel, with less clean lines and geometry than many of the palace rooms in the Alhambra in Granada, and had lots of greenery as well. Every lookout place offers amazing views of the city and the entrance cost is super affordable. Just before the entrance to this also lies an old Roman Theatre with gorgeous architecture, as well as a plaza with lots of food options. We also found that there was lots of live music and even a few street performers (puppets, magicians) as we walked through this part of the city.

After lunch at a trendy little place called Lechuga (I got an amazing ensalada turco – lettuce salad with cous cous, veggies, and hummus), we spent some more time at the beach, where a few people even braved a dip in the water. It was very unlikely of me not to join in on this, but I totally had not even thought to bring my swimsuit being used to the chilly temps in Granada. Málaga is only two hours away, but it really is amazing how much the climate changes once you move away from the mountains.

At sunset, we went full out tourist and bought some tickets to the Mirador Princess – a big ol’ ferris wheel (one of the biggest in Europe, I believe). It takes you around 3 times and we caught it just as both the sun was setting and the thickest blanket of fog I have ever seen in my entire life rolled it. It was so cool to have a birds-eye view of it all.

Dinner Saturday night was cooked by us, in our Airbnb. Well, in reality, the other girls’ Airbnb saved our butts after getting back with all the food and realizing our oven/stove were sufficiently ancient and definitely both didn’t work. We split a grocery bill with ingredients for pizza, pasta, salad, and sangria, and we each paid 1.20 euro for everything. It was such an amazing deal and seriously so much fun all squeezed together in the little living room – it was definitely one of my favorite memories from the whole weekend and definitely a pro tip if you’re looking to budget or put your money more towards experiences than food.

I adored the atmosphere of the city center late at night – there are simply so many more people out and about than would ever be at an hour like midnight or 1 a.m. in the U.S.. All the little shops keep tables and chairs out in the streets, and people sit and converse and sip on drinks late into the night. Mix this with the evening breeze off the ocean, and it is just SO PLEASANT. Maybe a funny word, but I’m not sure how else to describe it. We ordered some drinks and chocolate con churros and had a pretty decent conversation in Spanish with our incredibly kind waiter, who gave us his personal recommendations for local discotecas and told us that nighttime is dancing time, and not sleeping time – we are young, we don’t need to sleep.

The last sight we checked out on Sunday morning before catching a bus back to Granada was the Picasso Museum. Picasso is from Málaga, and accordingly, they have a whole museum dedicated to him. It was perfect in so many ways – first off, I really love Picasso’s style and all of its variety – I could easily look at two of his pieces and never suspect that they were created by the same artist. Plus, I was so in awe of the fact that he was actively producing works for over 80 years. The museum was the perfect size where you could make it through everything without getting tired and consequently not being able to enjoy the pieces in the way that you know you should.

And that was a wrap on the weekend – my favorite Málaga things were the dairy-free snickers and berry gelato I had, the “suave”(as Spaniards would say) weather, getting to meet the Mediterranean, and the beautifully lit, bustling streets at night. I think it had just the right amount of things for one weekend, but in general, I would tend to prefer somewhere more naturey and less touristy. Us gals learned as we went, and I honestly don’t think it was so bad for our first go!

Excited for the adventures to come…