Last Saturday, I went along with John and the rest of GRIIS to la Alpujarra, a region of small mountain villages nestled away in Granada's Sierra Nevada. In February of 2009, when I was studying abroad with GRIIS, I went on a day trip to la Alpujarra. However, it was really chilly and gray as it was still the middle of winter. This time, being the middle of October, it was warm, sunny and full of wonderful, bright colors. I can't even explain how beautiful the region is. It's a completely different world altogether from Granada and is very peaceful, tranquil, quiet, relaxing... There are some 50-or-so small villages in la Alpujarra and their whitewashed houses with flat roofs and mazes of narrow streets date back to Moorish times, some five centuries ago. These villages were the last stronghold of the Spanish Muslims, or Moors, after the Reyes Católicos took back the city of Granada from the Muslims in 1492. Soon thereafter, all the area's Moors were forced to convert to Christianity; those who refused fled to the mountains, thus settling the remote, inaccessible area now called "La Alpujarra." As the years passed, more and more Christians went to la Alpujarra and now, very few people living in the villages can trace back to their Muslim roots. The villages, however, remain excellent "links" between the past and the present and transport visitors (like me!) back in time...
We took a bus from Granada to Pampaneira and then hiked from that village to Bubión. Here are some pictures from our day-trip!
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| Pampaneira |
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| Walking through the village. |
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| A view from a terrace. |
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| Starting the hike from Pampaneira to Bubión; a view of Pampaneira. |
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| Hiking! |
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| The group, minus Teresa and Damien. |
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| Bubión |
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| La plaza de la iglesia, Bubión. |
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| Walking along the streets. |
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| The definition of beautiful. |
I'd love to go back to la Alpujarra next spring and rent an apartment in one of the villages for a peaceful, relaxing weekend outside of the city. Hopefully I'll be able to!
On another note: Today, October 19th, marks my first full month back in Spain! Unbelievable... it feels like just yesterday it was the middle of July and I was still counting down the months I had left to wait!
Miss you all back home, sending lots of love your way!
¡Besos!
Katie - You're blog keeps me going at work. I'm so glad that you are having the best month ever back in Spain - but I'm secretly hoping you don't end up getting an apartment there. Selfish, I know.
ReplyDeleteMiss you. Also - keep a look out for my wedding blog, oh yes - duh.