¡Feliz Día de Acción de Gracias!

Let me just start by wishing everyone back home a very, very

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

If I could choose just one day this year in which to be back home, it would be today. I love Thanksgiving and all that it stands for... enjoying time with your loved ones, giving thanks for all that you have, stuffing yourself with amazing food until you literally can't move... etc. What a wonderful tradition!

While I won't be having quite the same holiday celebration as usual this year, I'm still going to celebrate the day. This evening, Amalia (the director of GRIIS, the program through which I studied abroad here last year) has invited me and the rest of the GRIIS students to her home for a "Spanish-American" Thanksgiving dinner. Of course there will be turkey- in fact, I've already seen it! I was tutoring her two daughters in their home last evening when Amalia and a friend walked into the kitchen carrying two giant bags, one containing a 10 kg (22 lb) turkey! We'll have potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce, too. As far as vegetables and stuffing are concerned, we'll probably have to make some substitutions. And sadly, there won't be any pumpkin pie... but we've made a few other desserts to try and make up for its absence. I'm asking all of you to stuff yourselves full of delicious food today and to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (followed by lots of football , of course!)... I'll be living vicariously through you!

Since today is a day to give thanks, I'd like to take a moment to do just that. First and foremost, I'm thankful for my incredible family... the Stein clan and the Ganey clan. I love you all! I'm beyond thankful for my parents, from whom I've learned so much. I'm thankful for the 19 years that I had with my wonderful mother... she was, simply, the best woman I've ever known. I'll never forget her smile, laugh nor ceaseless kindness. I'm thankful for my amazing father, the strongest person I know and without whom I wouldn't be here in Granada today. Thank you, Dad, for your encouragement and never-ending support- I love you so much! I'm thankful for all my friends... those from Ellington, those from Stonehill and those from abroad. I've had so many good times and I have so many happy memories... not to mention the fact that you've all been there for me when I needed you the most. Honestly, I couldn't ask for a better group of friends. I'm thankful for my health and for the good health of my loved ones. I'm thankful for my education and for my drive to continue learning everyday. I'm thankful for all the wonderful opportunities that I've had to explore abroad, fulfilling my passion to travel and experience as much of the world as possible. I'm thankful for my ability to speak Spanish- it has opened so many doors for me and has allowed me to form wonderful relationships with so many amazing people here in Spain. And last but not least, I'm thankful to be here in Granada again, taking advantage of this wonderful opportunity to live and work for a year in my favorite place in the world.

And now, just for fun, some "Turkey Day" humor...

 And now, my personal favorite:

Sending all my love- I'll be thinking about you all today!

HAVE A HAPPY, HAPPY THANKSGIVING :)

"¡Nadie me dijo que iba a llover!"

This past Saturday I took a day trip with the students of GRIIS to Córdoba, a city located just about a three hour's drive to the northwest of Granada. I have to say that if I weren't teaching in Granada this year, I'd have been very happy in Córdoba- it's a beautiful city, rich in both history and culture, and definitely one of my favorite places to visit in Spain. Currently, Córdoba is in a competition to be "Europe's Culture Capital is 2016" and I really think that the city would be a great winner! Between the 8th and 11th centuries, Córdoba was one of the most developed, advanced, artistic and wealthy cities in the world. At this point in history, it was controlled by Islamic leaders who made it the capital of the Al-Andalus region. The city's impressive Mezquita (Mosque) dates back to this time. Like Granada, the city's rich Islamic heritage and its historical importance are still very much evident today.

Leaving Granada around 8am Saturday morning, we arrived in Córdoba around 11:30am after only having stopped for a quick breakfast and coffee break. We were all bummed to see that it was raining... and me most of all. I (foolishly) forgot to check the weather before leaving the house and thus showed up for the day without an umbrella, without a hood and wearing white flats. Luckily, one of the other girls lent me her scarf and I used it as a make-shift hood all day. Despite the rain, it was a fun day and we had a good time!

First, we entered the city through its well-preserved medieval walls and began walking around the city's judería, or Jewish quarters. Our first stop of the day was a museum, the Casa Andalusí, where we received a guided tour about Córdoba's Muslim and Jewish history and influences. Next, we walked through the Jewish quarters to the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos. The Alcázar is a beautiful monument- it contains a castle, a Moorish bathhouse and numerous garden used by the Catholic rulers once they retook the city from the Moorish leaders. After walking around the grounds and gardens of the Alcázar, we had some free time for lunch, shopping and coffee. Our last stop of the day was to the Mezquita-Catedral, the highlight of any visit to Córdoba. The Mezquita dates back to the 10th century and is one of the largest, best-preserved mosques in the world. In the 15th century, Catholic King Carlos I gave permission to rip out the center of the Mezquita in order to construct the city's cathedral inside of the existing building. Later on, the king would come to regret his decision and luckily, most of the mosque is still preserved and intact today. Finally, around 6pm, we crossed el Puente Romano (the Roman Bridge) and caught the bus back to Granada.

Here are some pictures from our day in Córdoba. Although I prefer the city in the spring, it was lovely nonetheless!

Part of Córdoba's medieval wall, this is "La Puerta de Almodovar," a door leading to the Jewish quarters.

Entering the Jewish quarters.

I am in love with the white walls and yellow trim. This is what comes to my mind when I think about Spain.

A fountain, one of my favorite little nooks in the city.

The group! GRIIS Fall '10.

View from one of the towers in the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos.

One of the many garden-patios in the Alcázar.

On "Calle de las Flores" (Flower Street). Note the Mosque's tower in the background.

The "Patio de las Naranjas" (Patio of the Oranges) from within the Mosque's grounds.

Inside la Mezquita (the Mosque).

La Capilla Real (the alter/church) of the city's cathedral, located in the center of the mosque.

...and it stopped raining just as we prepared to leave the city! One last photo of the group with the Roman Bridge and Cathedral in the background.

 Now I've got to prepare some lessons for tutoring later on today. At 8:15pm, I'm meeting John in the center of the city to walk with him to Hannigan's, an Irish bar in Granada, where we'll meet up with everyone for Monday night pub quiz! Sometimes we're really good at the trivia, other times we're absolutely horrible, but our group always has a good time. Wish us luck tonight!

An epic discovery...

I love how I'm constantly learning new things, about anything and everything, all the time here in Granada. Of course I'm always acquiring new words, attempting to improve my grasp on Spanish grammar and learning the ins-and-outs of the city, but right now I'm talking about the little things that end up making a world of a difference.

This week's lesson: Does Spain have Vicks VapoRub? Why, yes, in fact it does!

I did not know this little tidbit until last weekend. You might be thinking, why does it matter whether or not Spain has Vicks VapoRub? It's such an insignificant thing. Well, let me just tell you.

The hero of today's post: Vicks VapoRub.

In the winter and spring of 2009, when I first came to Granada and was doing my semester abroad, I was sick with various colds and other ailments for most of the months of January and February. What Granada lacked in snow and slush it made up for in rain, wind and cold temperatures; needless to say, it was a very miserable Spanish winter that year. Almost every Spaniard that I encountered agreed on the fact that it was the coldest, wettest winter that they had experienced in years. Normally, I wouldn't have minded, however a combination of 1) my complete change in lifestyle, 2) the lack of carpeting in Granada's apartments, 3) a stream of constantly-breaking umbrellas and 4) my pure hatred of socks led to one very sick, stuffed-up and groggy Katie. My symptoms seemed to quadruple at night (as they always seem to do) and sleeping was horrible... I just couldn't breath! I was miserable without some Vicks VapoRub. Intent on finding a similar product, I went to the pharmacy multiple times and to the doctor's office once but I never could find any product similar to Vicks. I even asked the pharmacists, in the best Spanish that I could muster at the time, if they carried any product like Vicks, describing it as best I could. No luck. I gave up my search and resigned to the fact that Spain just didn't have it. Luckily for me, winter started turning into spring towards the end of February and I wasn't sick for the rest of the semester after that. Thus, when I found out this past May that I would be returning to Granada, I thought carefully about what I would bring with me. As most of you already know, you're only allowed two suitcases and a carry-on for international flights. (Imagine my horror at the thought of packing for ten months in only two suitcases... what a nightmare!) One thing that definitely made it into my suitcases was Vicks VapoRub- not just one jar, but two. With fall and winter starting shortly after my arrival, I wasn't taking any chances and wanted to be prepared just in case I were to fall sick again.

Flash forward to this past Sunday. John, Anais and I were sitting at the kitchen table, eating the paella that Ana had just made for lunch. As we were chatting and talking about the upcoming week, I looked up at the kitchen's small television and caught a glimpse of the end of a commercial for none other than (you all guessed it!) Vicks VapoRub. I was so shocked to see it that all I did was point and gesture towards the TV, prompting Anais, John and Ana to look up at the commercial that was causing such a stir. I looked at Ana and I said, shocked, "You have that product here in Spain?!?!" She answered, "Claro..." To which I replied, "Since when?!" She looked at me like I was crazy and said "I don't know, since forever!" I started laughing and explained my history with Vicks VapoRub in Spain from the year before. When I finished she looked at me and said "But, Katie, all you had to do was ask! You should have just asked for Beee Bah-poh-Ruu'! I think that I even have some in the house right now!" When she pronounced Vicks the "Spanish way," both John and I began to crack up... of course it was as simple as that, the same exact word just pronounced completely differently! I now know that I should have just asked for what I wanted right from the start instead of trying to describe it... but with a Spanish accent, of course. Beee Bah-poh-Ruu'! Now I know the Spanish word for my Vicks VapoRub... and I'll never forget it!

A birthday spent... in a cave?!

It's been a great week here in Granada! Last Saturday, November 6th, was the first time that I've celebrated my birthday outside of the United States. Besides the fact that my friends and loved ones weren't with me, I had a great birthday! When I woke up on Saturday, Ana surprised me with a delicious chocolate cake (complete with candles!). After being sung "feliz cumpleaños" and blowing out the candles, Ana further surprised me with a small gift- a cute birthday card, a nail polish and a green umbrella that I had been eying some weeks before while we were out shopping together. It was a simple but wonderful birthday morning!

Happy 22nd!

Cutting the cake.

But the day wasn't over yet. A few hours later, I was on a bus with John, Jayson and Lacie (two of the other students studying abroad in Granada through GRIIS this semester) to Guadix. Guadix is a small town about an hour outside of Granada. It's famous for its many "casa-cuevas" or "cave-houses." I snagged this bit of information from one of Andalucía's tourism websites: "The most interesting feature of the Guadix area is that almost half of the inhabitants of this large town live underground, in the southern part of the town, in what are known as cave houses. The jagged ochre terrain and the dazzling whitewashed chimneys and doors of the caves contrast dramatically with the snow-covered peaks of the Sierra Nevada, which loom above." The description is completely true! We arrived at our "hotel" ("collection of caves" would be a better way of putting it...) around 5:00pm. After checking in, we headed over to Cave 6, our cave for the night. We didn't really know what to expect and truth be told, I couldn't have been more surprised when we got inside! It was lovely... and much bigger than we were expecting! There were three bedrooms (four beds total), a full bathroom, a sizable living room and a kitchen, complete with a fridge, freezer, microwave and stovetop. We spent most of the night right in the cave, playing card games, listening to music and just talking amongst the four of us. We did some walking around the area at sunset and once in the middle of the night and we went to a restaurant located within the grounds for dinner. We had such a good time that we're thinking of going back... if not this weekend, then hopefully in a few weeks towards the end of November. Here are some pictures of our cave:

Our cave: number 6!

Jayson, John and Lacie outside of the hotel's "lobby".

Sunset in Guadix.

The kitchen.

The living room (and the "master" bedroom behind it).

Sunday I got another "birthday present" in the form of one Ashton Porter! Ashton is studying global health and children's malnutrition this year at Trinity College in Dublin. She had a week off for a "fall break" and she decided to travel to Spain with another girl from her program. First they visited Barcelona and Valencia for a few days. On Sunday, Ashton's classmate went back to Ireland while Ashton caught the bus from Valencia to Granada! I picked her up at the bus station at 9:30pm that night and we spent the next two days together, walking around the city, eating chocolate con churros, going out for tapas, catching up on everything that has been going on in our lives since we left the States in September, etc. She looks wonderful and seems really happy with both her program and her current life in Dublin. It was great to see her and we had a wonderful few days visit together. I'm definitely going to be visiting her in Ireland next spring... I'm hoping to plan a trip to see her sometime in either March or April! (Ashton's got a blog going, too, while she's abroad... click here to see what she's up to around Ireland!)

Alright... I'm off to run some errands and finish up some preparations for my classes next week. Anais is coming down from Madrid this weekend; she should be here tomorrow morning through Sunday afternoon. I'm sure we'll be out and about Granada tomorrow and Saturday... I can't wait 'til she gets here! Bye for now!

A weekend best described in photos (part 2)

Here are some photos from my long-weekend in Madrid! (Before you look at this entry, be sure to read the one just before it!)

Day 1: Madrid

It's the end of October and fall has finally arrived in Spain! Entering the Parque del Retiro in Madrid.

The beautiful Palacio de Crystal (located within the Parque del Retiro).

John, Anais and me inside the Palacio de Crystal.

A monument to the side of the pond.

The pond in the Parque del Retiro.

Plaza Mayor.

Shopping and strolling along Gran Vía.

Day 2: El Escorial

Trying to stay dry before touring El Escorial.

Me, John, Anais and Enrique after our guided tour ended.

John, me and Anais before heading to the library.

Day 2: Ávila

Me, Anais, Enrique and John beside Ávila's medieval wall.

A looming tower.

Are we in Ireland or Spain? I'm not sure!

Coffee and a snack- about to eat Ávila's famous dessert, the yemas de Santa Teresa!

Day 3: Segovia

Approaching Segovia's Roman aqueduct, dating back to the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.

View of the city looking through the arches of the aqueduct.

Segovia Cathedral.

Sisterly love in front of the Alcázar of Segovia (Segovia Castle).

Day 3: Pedraza

Walking along the medieval streets in Pedraza.

Anais and Enrique.

John, me and Fernando in Pedraza's Plaza Mayor.

Day 4: Madrid

Strolling along the Paseo del Prado.

John and Anais at the Museo del Prado.

The National Library of Spain.

Me standing in front of Real Madrid's home stadium.

Alright, I'm off to tutor and then later I've got some things to finish up for school and tutoring next week. Plans for this weekend are semi-up-in-the-air at the moment, but I know for sure that tomorrow John and I along with some of the others in GRIIS are traveling to Guadix, Spain to spend the night in a cave hotel... I'm excited! I'll post more about Guadix in my next entry.

Hope you enjoyed all the photos... bye for now!

A weekend best described in photos (part 1)

Last weekend was a long weekend here in Spain on account of All Saints' Day on Monday. So, with a nice 4-day weekend on our hands, John and I decided to travel to Madrid (only a 4 and 1/2 hour bus ride... annoying, yes, but doable!) to visit Anais and her boyfriend, Enrique. After a quick cup of coffee, we were out the door at 8am Friday morning and made it to the bus station just in time to catch our 9am bus to the capital city. The ride was pretty uneventful and around 2pm we pulled into Estación Sur de Autobuses in Madrid. Eventually we found Anais (a few "Umm, where are you?!" phone calls had to be made... but then again, Estación Sur is the biggest bus station in the city and it's a heck of a lot bigger than the one we've got here in Granada!). The three of us spent all of Friday walking around the city. We spent a lot of time in the Parque del Retiro, a beautiful, giant park that has a large artificial pond in the middle where you can rent paddle boats or enjoy a snack. We walked and shopped along the street Gran Vía and we took a break on a side street off of Plaza Mayor, Madrid's most famous plaza, to enjoy a delicious bocadillo de calamares.

Bocadillo de calamares, anyone? With just a little bit of mayo, this sandwich is delicious!

Later that night, Anais, John and I caught the metro and later a local train to head home to Anais and Enrique's small flat. The two live just outside of the city in Las Rozas but as Madrid's so big, it took us just about 40 minutes to get there. Their apartment is tiny but I loved it! We ate dinner, watched a movie and headed to bed.

On Saturday morning, after a quick breakfast, the four of us piled into Enrique's car and drove about an hour to El Escorial, a historical residence and palace of the kings and queens of Spain built in the 16th century. We took a guided tour of the Monastery and later walked on our own through the various courtyards and the impressive royal library... it contains thousands upon thousands of original books dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries (there are even a few from the 9th century!) in Spanish, Latin and Arabic.

After lunch, we drove to Ávila, a small but beautiful city most famous for its nearly perfect and intact medieval wall. Construction on the wall began in the year 1090 and it was completed sometime in the 14th century. There are paths along the wall that circle the city; strolling along these paths, you would NEVER guess that the medieval wall is in fact 1,000 years old... it's breathtaking and almost perfectly intact as if it had been constructed just last year. We stopped for coffee and a snack of yemas de Santa Teresa, candied egg yolks that the city is famous for. Ávila was definitely my favorite city of all the places that we visited over the long weekend!

Yemas de Santa Teresa... not my favorite dessert, but a must-try when in Ávila!

The next day, Sunday, we had two more trips planned. We waited for Anais' friend Fernando to arrive (he would be spending the day with us) and then we all drove to the city of Segovia. Segovia is famous for two things: its cathedral and its Roman aqueduct. The Cathedral, started in the year 1525 but not completed until over two-hundred years later in 1768, is the last Gothic cathedral constructed in Spain and its located right next to the city's main plaza, Plaza Mayor. It's known as la dama de las catedrales (the lady of the cathedrals). The aqueduct is possibly even more famous than the cathedral and it dates back to the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. It's an immensely impressive work of human engineering...one that's survived almost 2,000 years... and it was constructed without any mortar, clamps or other securing devices of any kind!

Our last trip outside of Madrid was to Pedraza, a small and isolated, yet very beautiful, medieval Spanish village. The small town is located on a hill and is almost completely walled in. The village contains a castle, narrow cobbled streets and beautiful old houses where the Spanish nobles lived during medieval times. We spent almost two hours in Pedraza, walking around the streets and plazas, exploring the town's main square, seeing the old castle and, of course, stopping for a coffee at one of the the town's many charming cafes.

Monday morning we all slept in a bit before having a leisurely breakfast. John and I packed up our backpacks and said goodbye to Enrique, who had to work later that day, and left the apartment with Anais. We had about 5 hours before our bus left Madrid for Granada so we spent the better part of the afternoon walking around Madrid some more. This time, we walked along Paseo del Prado passing by the Museo del Prado, the Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid and the Biblioteca Nacional de España. We took a quick detour to see the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu where Real Madrid hosts their soccer games before heading to lunch. After eating, Anais took John and I to the bus station. After about an hour delay (because this is Spain and hardly anything ever leaves on schedule...) we said our goodbyes to Anais and boarded the bus to Granada.

What a great weekend! Since this is a long entry, I've broken it into two parts. Look at the next blog entry for photos of all the places we traveled to while visiting Anais and Enrique in Madrid!