When life gives you lemons

So far, my study abroad journey has mostly been experienced in Spain. Although I did choose this country to study in, my plan was to travel around Europe for most weekends. At first I was a little sad that my traveling plans were not panning out the way I thought they would, but now I am so happy that I've been able to explore so much of Spain. In this post I will talk about my adventures in three Spanish cities: Cordoba, Granada and Cadiz.

Cordoba

To be honest, I wasn't very excited to go to Cordoba. I didn't really know much about it, or have any interest in going there. It was a required trip with my program, so I had to go. I wasn't expecting loving the quaint little city as much as I did.
When we first got there we went to the Mesquita Catedral de Cordoba. This building went back and forth in ownership between the Muslims and the Catholics, because of this changing in ownership the structure has a very unique influence. The building is a combination of traditional Muslim design and Catholic cathedrals, it is an unusual pairing, but is incredible beautiful.
After the Mesquita Catedral, we walked down the narrow streets, lined with beautiful potted plants. The buildings were all white and decorated with colorful pots, it looked like we were walking down the cobblestoned streets of Greece! Our tour guide took us to a "surprise," which turned out to be the most instagramable picture ever. It was the tower of the Cathedral, perfectly framed by the street "Calle de los flores."

Following our tour we sat in the sun eating the bocadillos (sandwiches) our host mom's made for us. Then during our free time we wandered around the little shops, and took lots of pictures with the flowers!

Granada

After Cordoba we took a bus to Granada. When we got to Granada we dropped our stuff and went out to tapas! One of the best things about Granada is the free tapas. So, tapas are essentially a small appetizer that you order with a drink. It used to be customary that when you ordered a drink, you would receive a free tapa, unfortunately this is no longer the case... except in Granada! In Granada (at most places) when you order a drink (beer, wine, coke-a-cola), you get a free tapa. Being broke college students in Europe we really enjoyed this feature of Granada.
After some tapas we met our group to go to a look out point. Here we saw the Alhambra and the city below lit up. It was beautiful. Then we went to a traditional Flamenco show. It was incredible. The musicians and singers had so much passion. My favorite part was there was this old women dancer; when she first came out she was very grumpy. As she danced and took out her castanas, she became more and more energized. By the end she had a huge smile on her face, and was dancing up a storm. It was wonderful.

The next day we woke up early to see the Alhambra. It was beautiful. All of the tile and water was just amazing. It is something you can't even describe. It looked over the city below and was simple incredible. You could even see the Sierra Nevada (a beautiful mountain covered in snow).
After our tour of the Alhambra we wandered down to the city below. We walked around for awhile and got some tapas. We also got pomegranate ice cream, because Granada means pomegranate in Spanish. Then of course we  went back to our hotel for a siesta. After our siesta we went back to the look out point to see the Alhambra and the Sierra Nevada during the day. It was even more beautiful than at night, but even more people! After we went to a Mediterranean place for dinner and I got chicken and honey couscous. A little pricey but very delicious.

The next day we did a quick tour of the Cathedral and got to explore! We went into so many cool shops, and got dried fruit at a little market. Then we got some tapas and paella! It was so delicious. I also of course got some gelato! Amazing weekend in Cordoba and Granada.

Cadiz

Cadiz was an unexpected day trip. My friends and I were supposed to go to Malaga, but those plans fell through. Instead me and my friend Sydney went to the port city of Cadiz for their annual Carnival.

When we first got there it was overcast and a little chilly, but the day turned out to be beautiful. First, we went to the beach. It was Sydney's first time seeing the ocean! It was beautiful. I forgot how much I missed the ocean. It was so therapeutic to just be by the water again. The beach was also filled with sea glass. The pieces were huge. I have never seen so much sea glass, especially blue sea glass! I was in heaven. 
Once we got hungry we wandered back into the city for lunch. We got fried cuttlefish, dogfish and shrimp fritters for lunch. They were delicious and cheap (my two favorite words). Then of course we wandered back to the beach. By this time the sun was out and it was warm. We sat there for a few hours then went to the park.
The park had a waterfall in it, that you could walk over or under. From the top of it you could see the ocean, and underneath you could see the water from the waterfall. Then we met up with Amanda and her boyfriend and spent some time at the water. After, we got some gelato and people watched!

Since it was Carnival there were tons of people in the streets in costumes. It was crazy, but a lot of fun to see!
Before we left I got some penny candy for my family! The few pieces I tried were delicious.
Cadiz was an unexpected day trip, but it was so much fun. I'm so glad that I got to experience it!