Granada

Patio de las Damas, La Alhambra

So, for one of my last jaunts, I went to the best city in Spain that I have seen so far (and looking back on it, I've seen a lot of places in a year.) I went to Granada, the stronghold of the Nazrid dynasty during the time of the Moors. That was about 1200 years ago, so it's amazing how much is still intact.
The trip consisted of pretty normal tourist things. I walked through the Albaicin, the old Muslim neighborhood, which is very stereotypical Spain. I reached the top of the hill (quite a hike!) and chilled at the Mirador. It boasts as having one of the best views of the Alhambra and the town below. It's beautiful, especially at sunset. Lots of people are relaxing, listening to the gypsies playing flamenco, and of course, taking photos. The feeling was different than other places. Your feet are dangling over a steep ledge, if you dare, and the air is so calm and peaceful.

The Albaicin, seen from La Alhambra

The next day I spent about 6 hours taking in the Moorish architecture of the Alhambra. There is a magnificent palace and adjoining gardens to match. I haven't seen anything in my life that rivals its beauty.
Later that night I caught some random flamenco at a Moroccan tea house. I feel even more excited now about my trip to Marrakech next week.

One of the cave houses, or 'cuevas'
For my last day, I walked through the Sacromonte. The gypsies were banned to this outer part of the town in the 15th century, and to beat the heat, they made their homes inside the mountain. Each cave house is a little door surrounded in white stucco. That's all that you see of most of them. Don't be fooled though, they're caves, but some of them are pretty posh. The hillside is covered in these homes, and the colors in the neighborhood are captivating. Bright blue tile here, a mosaic there, green trim in another place. I was entirely charmed the full three days I was there.
If you come to Spain ever, do not miss Granada. It would be disappointing to miss this little jewel. I feel like I barely had enough time to enjoy it myself.

A por ellos

¡A por ellos, oé!
¡A por ellos, oé!
¡A por ellos, oé,
A por ellos oé oé!

¡Hasta cuartos, oé!
¡Hasta cuartos, oé!
¡Hasta cuartos, oé!
Y con suerte oé oé!

Let me put this video in context. I have been loving the world cup, and Spain is playing amazingly. But who are we kidding? Spain will advance past France in the next round, and then suffer a crushing defeat from the Brazilians. So, I found this video quite hilarious. "A por ellos" has been the national anthem of Spain lately. In this video, the first part is explained to be the "before shot", and the second is after the world cup. This is a publicity stunt put on by the Spanish team and coach. "A por ellos" translates roughly as "Get them!" In the second version, "Hasta cuartos" is "Until quarter finals, and only with luck"
Click here if you don't see it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eAQsIl5x0A
Spain has a few great chants. The other one that has endeared my heart is a hymn I learned in Cádiz. The people of Cádiz are famous in Spain for being the nicest in the whole country, and I completely agree with that stereotype. So, they created a hymn that basically means, "We don't care about the football score, we just came to get drunk and have a nice time"
Alcohol, alcohol,
Alcohol alcohol alcohol
Hemos venido
a emborracharnos,
y el resultado
nos da igual

Road Trip to Sevilla

Windmills in Castilla-LaMancha (ok, and the magic of Adobe)

This past weekend was our trip to Sevilla. We decided to rent a car since it was Shannon, Leo, and I, and it worked out to be about the same price as the train.
Shannon and I got the car and had some time to kill before Leo got off of work. So, where could we possibly go in Madrid that cannot be accessed by the metro or cercanias? La Moraleja. This is the poshy posh area of Madrid, and where David and Victoria Beckham live. We swear we saw Victoria gassing up her car. She had the pout. So, we were cruising the neighborhood in a green turtle car, listening to some 80's, and searching for even a quick glance or glimmer at David and Vicky Beck's pad.
We finally got on the road and headed down to Sevilla. We were meeting Renee (see previous posts) and her roommate Samantha for drinks, and it was about a 5-6 hour drive. So, leaving at 6:30, that put us in Sevilla at about midnight. We rolled in and went on the tapas/drinks hunt. But not before a man greeted us as we came out of the parking garage "Bienvenidos a España! Welcome to Spain!" He couldn't be happier. Where was that guy 10 months ago?
I didn't expect Sevilla to be as beautiful as it was. The colors everywhere are so bright and vivid, you just want to swim in them or something. And of course, palm trees everywhere. Leo and I hung out so that Renee and Shannon could catch up. We took a stroll around the cathedral, saw Columbus' tomb, visited the Alcazar and adjoining gardens, took a spin on the big Ferris Wheel overlooking the city, hung out by the river, and of course, coffee, coca-cola, coffee, coca-cola... One of the best things though was the Arabian bath. They are really popular in the south due to the fact that it is Moorish tradition. We decided to go for the last session at midnight. It's pool after pool of warm, relaxing water, a little Arabic music in the background, and smells that are unique and soothing. You walk out feeling so relaxed, like they could just pour you out onto the street when you leave (can't wait for Morocco!), and your skin is actually a baby's bottom.
Sevilla was a nice weekend away. A little hot, but definitely a nice change of pace from busy busy Madrid. As always, photos are on Flickr.

A not so usual day at the office

Voy a escribir en español. No me rías.
Hoy, he ido a trabajo en Plaza Colón, y encontré un montón de gente como la gente en la izquierda. Estaba por la calle y al dentro de la fuente. Había tanto gente, los coches no pudieron pasar. Me encanta que estoy en Europa durante la Copa del Mundo. Y felicidades a España, 4-0. Pero, pobre Ucrania. Creo que son debiles;)
I went to work at Plaza Colón today, and was greeted by hundreds of people like these. They were covering the streets and jumping in the fountains at one of the busiest intersections in Madrid. I love that I'm in Europe during the world cup. And I love that Spain won 4-0. Poor Ukraine though, I guess they really are weak;)

Video at last

It's finally here, the moment I'm sure you've all been waiting for. Click this link http://www.putfile.com/bethkalinski for a few choice videos I have selected for your viewing pleasure. Disfruta.

La Gran(hack)

The lake in the Royal Gardens of San Ildefonso

Once again, I was able to see some of the amazing places that surround Madrid. This past weekend I was in La Granja de San Ildefonso. Spaniards always correct my pronunciation. You have to hack something up as you say it. La GRAN-ha (hack on the ha.) There is a large royal palace in conjunction with the royal gardens. This photo is from the lake. It was a peaceful and calm Saturday. I heard that the week before was a zoo, because only three times a year they turn the fountains on. There are hundreds of bronze sculptures that when on, display an amazing water show. We weren't there for it, but it was okay. Instead I have some hilarious photos of us climbing the fountains and being idiots. Someone please tell me that we have some cool stuff to see in Georgia. I'm going to miss my day trips. Did anyone recently build a 600 year old castle or palace near Marietta? What about an old city wall? Oh, it's near midtown?

I love the 80's

Mario Skit

This is actually hilarious. Stupid, yet, a great laugh if you grew up in the 80's. Click this link if you can't view it on my page: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJdNxSnmgbw I swear I'm not being a total nerd in Spain. I saw this on one of my students' blogs. Thanks Jesús!