In Which We Spend Eternity on the Bus

Happy Belated Fourth of July! Or, you know, another typical Monday/Tuesday in Madrid.

posing at La Alhambra

It’s been a minute since my last update: I have both so much and so little to share.

I left off last Monday with my amazing trip to Portugal. Almost immediately after posting that, I came down with a bad cold - not COVID, but definitely not pleasant either. I had the added pleasure of final exams and presentations last week, making it a rather unexciting few days. It was a lot of Quizlets and a lot of coughing, so you really didn’t miss much.

However, this weekend brought adventure! For my last weekend in Spain, I went on the optional program excursion to Granada from Saturday to Monday. Naturally, as a three day “vacation”, there’s lots of chisme to share. Buckle up! (for the seven hour bus ride, that is)

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DAY 1 - SATURDAY

At the bright hour of 6:30, I woke up to get ready for Granada. I was on hour 23 of a pretty killer tension headache, making this a truly *special* experience. Very few people can say they managed to transport luggage via the metro system while an invisible creature drills their way out of your sinuses.

windmills in Castilla de La Mancha

Once we made it to the bus, I was able to minimize the jostling and rest my eyes for a bit. We made our first stop about two hours into the trip at the Castilla de La Mancha Molinos, or windmills. Made famous by Don Quijote’s misguided Giant attacks, these are a cute landmark to visit when driving through the province. It gave me more than a few flashbacks to Spanish Lit and/or The Newsroom!

Several hours later, we arrived at Hotel Alixares in Granada. Major props to the MLSA team for finding a hotel with a wonderful location - literally steps from La Alhambra. Plus, some sorely missed amenities like air conditioning!

The long bus ride meant we didn’t have much free time on Saturday, but we jumped into a walking tour at La Alhambra. This is the old complex from when the Islamic world was at power in southern Spain, from 711-1492. Over 1000 years later, the site is still breathtaking and full of history. The ornate carvings, the painstakingly crafted tiles, and the luxurious water features are well worth the visit, even in heat and humidity. In a way, you do feel like you’re walking through history, but in a much calmer, less on-the-nose sense. I guess the tourism factor has taken its toll. Nonetheless, a fascinating way to spend the late afternoon/early evening.

After a long day, the girls on the trip decided to do a little movie night! We all crowded into one hotel room with refreshments from a local bodega and watched Midsummer - a personal favorite. The power of a hotel movie night is seriously underrated, and it was a fantastic way to end the day.

DAY 2: SUNDAY

Vamos pa’ la playa! We got *back* on the bus for a one hour drive to Motril, a beach on the Mediterranean Sea. I was initially hesitant for the beach portion of this excursion, as is my right as a blanquita. However, I managed to escape without serious sunburn! No aloe necessary :)

The beach was surprisingly fun. I swam in the ocean, hid under my umbrella, read the newspaper - it was a “lazy day” that felt like an accomplishment, you know? In fact, it was so fun that when we got back to the hotel, most of us continued the water theme and hung out at the pool for a bit.

Our big event for the evening was a trip into the city for a Flamenco show. This was so cool. First, the actual venue was inside a cave, so the decor and vibes were already incredible. Second, the show itself! Having taken the intro Flamenco class a couple weeks ago, I felt like my appreciation of the art form was heightened and I was blown away by the depth of emotion and connection of the performers. Each element of the show was truly impressive: the technique of the guitar player, the tap/stomp elements of the dancers, the emotive vocal ability of the singer. I didn’t manage to get a lot of photos/videos of the show because of where I was sitting, but I think this video is sufficient to show how amazing this experience was.

DAY 3: MONDAY

Another day, another walking tour! This time we went through the non-Alhambra parts of Granada, including the Royal Chapel of Granada and old markets. We only had a few hours in the morning, but I found this was a nice way to bookend the weekend. Saturday we went through the ancient part of the city; Monday we walked back to the 21st century.

Then….we went back on the bus. So much time on the bus. Lots of time working on the bullet journal, staring at Spanish countryside, and trying to nap.

so much time on the bus

Liz and I ended up back at the apartment in Madrid around 7:45, which gave us a few hours to get ready for our last hurrah. After living rather unexciting social lives for the last six weeks, we were convinced to go out with the other people from our program for one night of clubbing at (pardon my French) Fucking Monday. As you might be able to divine, night life in Madrid makes Mass Ave look like an elementary field day - lots of strobe lights, bass, and sweaty foreigners speaking the kind of Spanish you only come across with extreme liquid courage. I stuck to my club soda.

Also, I did not expect Ed Sheeran to be featured that much in club mixes, but whatever passes the vibe check I guess. After a couple hours at Fucking Monday, I was going partially deaf in my ear and was not feeling up to a 90 minute walk back home. Liz and I barely made the final metros out of the city and got home safe, tired, and much earlier than our party people friends.

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Today will mostly be spent packing and trying to redistribute the heinous amount of clothing I brought with me…packing has never been my strong suit. There’s less than 24 hours left in Spain. I don’t really know how to feel, now that this is all coming to a close. I foresee one last post after today, mostly like at the close of this week when I’ve gotten back to Indy. Thanks for following along with me on this journey so far! The finish line is intimidatingly close.