Part Seven: Salamanca, Cordoba, and Granada!

Wow, it feels like forever since I have written in here but I guess it has really only been a week. Must be because I have seen so many places and have a lot to say. So brace yourselves, this is going to be three cities worth of stuff and could get a little on the long side! Hope everyone out there is still enjoying following along! I am going to start this one off with a list of observations. As I have wandered around Spain, I have noticed some trends here that I thought had been put to rest long ago:

1. Fur coats: They are everywhere! More so in the colder places of course; there were a ton in Madrid. They are very popular with the older crowd of women. PETA, if you are looking for a place to throw your red paint, set off to Spain.

2. Rollerblading: I have seen so many people on roller blades. I haven't put on a pair since third grade when they were all I wanted for Christmas... despite the fact that I lived on a dirt road. I still tried to use them but they died out quickly, especially when I decided I wanted a skateboard, again despite the dirt road.

3. Low-slung pants: Ya know, wearing em way down below the butt circa the 1990s. I have seen a lot of underwear. The strangest part is that it seems to be a more popular thing with teenage girls than anyone else.

4. Trapper keepers: Around all the Universities I have passed, particularly Salamanca, all the students have trapper keepers. Remember? That weird version of the three ring binder with velcro and pockets and stuff? Yep, they are here too.

So that is my very brief list of funny, I think, cultural observations that I've made over the past two weeks. I cannot explain any of them, nor will I try, but I assure you that they do indeed exist. If what you crave is 1990s trends, or even earlier, in addition to sun, good food, and a relaxed life, head on out to Spain.

O.k., now back to my actual travels. The past week has been filled with beautiful weather, scenic train rides, and smaller, character filled cities. Last Tuesday, I hopped a train out of Madrid and headed for Salamanca. That route didn't quite make sense but based on the availability of cheap accommodations in Salamanca, I had to go to Madrid first.

I arrived after a very easy, very direct train ride which was very nice for a change considering my other attempts on trains. I had a bit of a confusing walk to my hostel but the weather was great and the scenes were nice so getting lost was not exactly a bad thing. I finally found the hostel, let down all my stuff and grabbed set out to get a little taste of the city without staring up at every single street sign. My hostel was right near the Plaza Mayor so that was my first destination. It fit right into a growing list of really beautiful main plazas. I really love the plaza areas in Spain. Since the weather has been nice, people are always sitting out in front of cafes and just hanging out in the sun, surrounded by gorgeous architecture.

Along the inside of the Plaza, there are plaques of the faces of important figures. Along one wall was supposed to be the faces of saints, but that part of the project was never finished. It was sort of funny to look at. In a way, the area sort of looked like the plaques at school for awards that only have about three names on them so far, just waiting to be filled up. Except, well, the ones in Plaza have been vacant a long, long time.

After I had sufficiently seen my way around the Plaza, I set out to just wander aimlessly on the cobbled streets between the old buildings. Salamanca was the first Place I went that fit the image of the old Spanish city I had in my mind. The streets, the color of the building, the deep blue sky and the endless sun. Everything was beautiful. On my wanders, I passed a bunch of places that I am sure I should remember more specific names for but alas, there were so many that my mind can not fit them all.

One particular stand out, of course, is the Cathedral. It rivals the best cathedrals I have seen so far, including the one at the Prague Castle and Notre Dame. The intricacies in the facade, all the little figures and faces, were just amazing. Not to mention, the place is huge. My neck was hurting from staring up at the top the whole time. From there, I wandered down the hill towards the river where there was a great view over the edge bordering the Cathedral. There was a really cool, old foot bridge across the river and I continued my loop around the city.

The sun was getting a little low so I headed off back to my room to get my stuff in order. After that, I went out and had myself a beer and a spot of food (nothing to write too much about) and then went back to get some rest. I woke up early and hit the streets. I wanted to see a few parks, as I always do, so I wandered to the other side of the city which is marked by a little more modern architecture. At a park named for Picasso, I am not sure why, I watched some old men play a game that looked a lot like Bocci Ball though there seemed to be slight differences. They played with metal balls and a lot of it seemed to be based on hitting others balls. Maybe it was the same thing and I have never played correct Bocci. If anyone can enlighten me, please do as I have encountered this game a few times now.

I walked through the park and down through a more industrial section of town to another little park. I think the country boy in me needs to see grass in trees for a bit everytime I am in a city. It sort of clears my head and keeps me from getting more overwhelmed in urban areas. For that reason, I really appreciate the attention to parks in European countries. They are all so well kept and nice.

Having had my fill of parks, but not of food, I went on a search for some food. I found myself a little restaurant, and sat down to relax a bit, have some wine, food, and think about what to do next. My favorite part of the meal was a dish of chorizo and chick peas. I have to admit, I am not always a chick pea fan but these tasted way different than most of the ones I've head. I guess with the right amount of delicious chorizo, anything will taste good. The dessert was really good too - a very lemony custard thing. I enjoyed it.

With my stomach full, it was back out into the sunny city. I wanted to see a little more of the University buildings so that is what I did. Salamanca has one of the oldest Universities in Europe, founded in 1218 or something crazy like that. All of the buildings, again, were really cool. Sometimes, it was hard to tell what was the University and what wasn't, but the whole area had a generally collegiate vibe which was energetic and fun to be around since I haven't been at college for a little while now. I really like the Plaza style buildings with courtyards in the middle. Something about the use of space is really appealing to me. I also stumbled into the public library which was the coolest library I've been to in recent memory. It too, had a courtyard in the middle. On the second level of the balcony surrounding the courtyard they had a photography exhibition which was a great little find.

Really, I just wandered and wandered and admired the city. Because of the size and the surroundings, it was much more like the old part of San Sebastian that I enjoyed and the setting was a nice change from Madrid. My last stop of the daytime was at the Mercado (indoor market) steps from my hostel. I loved it. I just wandered around in circles and looked at all the interesting and bizarre seafood and cuts of meat. I loved watching the butchers and fishmongers do what they do. There is something so great about watching a person break down a fish or a cut of meat when it is clear that they have been doing it all their life. Their motions are smooth, no cut is wasted nor is any bit of food, and they make it look so easy. Having done it myself, sometimes not so successfully, I can tell you that it is not as easy as they make it look.

I went out again that night briefly to have some food, but again, nothing too great to write about. I'm not sure if I was not picking the right places or if it was just the city itself, but I dunno. I guess the food can't be spectacular everywhere.

The next day I was up early for my trip to Cordoba. I wasn't so psyched for the train ride, as half of it was the same as I had seen on the way there but for some reason it was great in reverse as well. Spain's geography changes so quickly. One second grass, the next dirt, the next forests, the next snow. It really makes for interesting sights. Because of the train lines, I was back in Madrid around noon and had to change, take the metro to another train station and then board another train into Cordoba.

Let me tell you, this was no normal train. I managed to get myself on one of the high speed trains (much cheaper for me because of the EuRail). We started off a little slow but soon enough we were speeding away through the country side. There was a little digital speedometer inside the train car and at its highest it reached 271 km/hr. For those, like me, who do not comprehend the European system that is about 167 mph. What! It was crazy. Certainly the fastest I've ever gone on land. The scenery approaching Andalucia, the southern region of Spain, was great. Much more agriculture based intermixed with some hills.

Fortunately, not only did the speed keep increasing but so did the temperature. By the time I reached Cordoba the temperature was 24 degrees C. Ahem, conversion via internet tells me that is hovering in the low 70s. Man was it gorgeous. The sun felt great and the warm temperatures certainly fit the area perfectly.

I really loved Cordoba. I had a fun little hostel in the Juderia, the Jewish section. I spent a lot of time just wandering the streets there. Cordoba was like Salamanca in a way, it felt like a real Spanish city the way I have always thought of them. It was a little different because of the difference in regions but it still had a great sense of character and less of the touristy feeling factor. La Juderia itself was as close to a maze as anything I have ever been in. I think I got lost about a million times which would have been frustrating had I actually had a destination. The roads are so narrow. I often found myself thinking I was just walking down a walkway and around would come a scooter, or worse, a truck and I'd be squished against the wall.

The buildings were all very cool though. The first day I went to the the Alcazar of Christian Kings. It was quite a site. It made me realize just how awesome being a king would be. Well, minus the christian part. If memory serves me right, that is where Columbus was given his blessings before leaving. It was a beautiful place with lots of gardens and fountains. I loved the amount of water that was all around.

A note on gardens and stuff: Cordoba is covered in orange trees! It was sort of a shock for it too look like the side of a tropicana carton, but really pretty. They looked cool, smelled really nice, but I didn't try any because I had heard they were horribly bitter.

So yeah, I explored the place for a while and then headed back out of the walls. I walked along the river a bit and just enjoyed the sun. Cordoba, too, has a really pretty bridge and I wandered across it and hen around the other side of the river a bit. It was a fun place to look at and just have fun seeing and to observa all the people who were truly letting themselves go to enjoy the sun and Spain. I was glad to be a part of it.

The next day I had a few things I wanted to do. The weather continued to be perfect which was nice. I headed out to the Mezquita. It was sort of a funny place. Originally, it was a mosque but when Southern Spain became christian again it was made into a cathedral. Yet, they kept part of it in the Moorish tradition. So it has part mosque, part cathedral, which makes for interesting viewing. The place itself was gorgeous. The pamphlet was really funny. I think they may have felt a little guilt about converting the mosque, so there was this long part about how important it was that they did it because it helped preserve the entirity of the building and then it said alot of stuff about the graces of god and oh man it was intense.

I left there to walk along the river a little longer and then head up to see remains of the old city wall along the edge of the Juderia. More fountains were present and it was a fun walk. There is something about water that I really like. It goes with that trees and parks theme.

After that I just decided to keep on wandering until lunch time and walked up to the Plaza Corredera. I managed to get lunch outside! Eating outside is up there on my favoirite things to do. I had some Salmorejo, which is a local specialty. It is a type of smooth gazpacho made frombread, fresh tomatoes, garlic, and oil. I really liked it! It had a good garnish of ham on top which never hurts. The soup itself tasted just like fresh tomatoes and was perfect for the hot sun. All the people around were meeting up and were just so genuinely excited to be in each other's presence that it made for a very nice vibe.

I decided to head back to the hostel and take advantage of the roof top terrace. I sat there and just wrote for a while in the sun which was a great time. It was nice to do some substantial writing especially in that setting. Then, I have quite an embarassing story. I decided it was time, after three days, to shower. Earlier that day a woman had yelled "Hola guapo" (basically hello handsome) from a car as I walked by and I knew from my own awareness of my appearance that she was giving me a hard time. So, I got in the shower and it was all going well. I got out and realized that there was a major leak in going on and not only had it flooded the small bathroom but had gone a long way into the room. I threw on my towel and scrambled to wipe it up the best I could which included sacrificing a shirt at one point. I was too embarassed to tell the hostel people. But I think I did an alright job and no one except this one really awkward guy noticed. Another short night out on the town finished up my stay and I was ready for my next destination!

The next morning, I rose early for a walk to the train station in some more great sunlight. It was nice to walk there instead of take a bus as I could said goodbye to the beautiful Cordobese streets properly. The train ride was another great one, not too long, and I arrived in Cordoba very easily. I had a bit of a run in with the ticket salesman when I got there. I approached the same way I have in all of Spain, politely, and with the same words that have worked in the past. This guy was not a happy camper. He said something about seis, six, being the only one. And there I thought ugh a train at 6 a.m. I contemplated for a bit, tried to ask a question for which he yelled at me, and then said I would take it. When I got the ticket it said 8:55. Turns out that 6:25 was the price for the reservation. He never even told me the time for the train! Weird.

Anyway, I set out to find myself a hostel and I arrived in a world of chaos. They had over booked, only one person was working to clean, book, and manage a 60 person hostel, and it was crazy. But the one lady was so nice! She was great. She really acomodated me in the face of the problems and I couldn't have asked for better. The people turned out to be great and I ended up meeting some fantastic people there so I cannot complain.

I set my stuff down, about all I was allowed to do at that point, and headed out to clear my head. I thought a little hike would be nice so I went up the hill. On the way, I got a taste of the life there as people were out everywhere. I watched a guy juggle fire and generally clown around which was nice. I was headed for the Albaycin which ran up a hill on one side of the city. It was sort of like the Juderia of Cordoba tacked onto a steep hill. The same crazy, windy, small streets and white buildings. The Arab influence was evident in all of the tea houses and Middle Eastern restaurants. People were everywhere! The sun, of course, was out again, and there were people everywhere playing music, drinking wine, playing games, laughing, having a good time. That is just what I love so much about being in Spain.

I wandered until I reached the area where the buildings ran out and it was all dirt. As I walked up some narrow paths, I started to pass these little cave dwellings. Apparently, people have moved into caves and turned them into their homes. It had a funky, artsy, hippie vibe and atop the hill more people were hanging out on the steps of an old building. The views were amazing. To one side, I could see the Alhambra with the Sierra Nevada (yeah we stole the name) Mountains behind that. The rest of the way I could see more mountains, the whole of the city, and a beautiful valley all the way out. I loved it. It was great to be around the mountains and to have so much geography around me. Granada is truly beautiful, one of my favorite spots.

I hiked back down, turned down a ride from a creepy guy, an kept on walking. Back at my hostel I met some new people, all Erasmus students studying in Granada who had just arrived. I actually also ran into a girl who I had briefly overlapped with in San Sebastian though hadn't really met. Embarassingly, I did not recognize her at all. She was a little crazy. Anyway, that night we set out to see a flamenco show yet we could not get in as it was sold out so we just had a few drinks and a few tapas. It was a cool little bar with some interesting food. More of the Arab influence, this time in the food, which was fun to try.

The next day was Alhambra day. After all, ther was no way I could go to Granada and not see it. I had reserved an afternoon ticket so I set out in the morning to pick it up. I walked up the hill and spotted another high hill, this one opposite the one I had hiked the other day. I checked out a beautiful cemetary on the way. From this side of the valley I was able to clearly see the Sierra Nevadas, a view that only grew on the way up the hill. I just kept going, not knowing where the tip was. I was passed by tons of cars and mountain bikers on the way. The trails were so cool. Little paths all the way up through reddish orange dirt and little trees with lots of grass. Atop the hill I could see even further than the day before, with a panoramic view of the whole area. Th Sierra Nevadas are really beautiful.

Of course, on top of the hill there were more people playing music and hanging out. I had regretted not packing a sandwich so I could enjoy a snack on top of the mountain. When I reached the top, I spotted a snack truck. I got super excited and as I got closer and closer my stomach got excited. Unfortunately, when I got there it turned out to be a truck having to do with some sort of revolutionary movement. All the writing was not about food. There were no hot dogs in this revolution. Bummer. But there was soccer atop the hill! I would have loved to play soccer in the shadow of those mountains.

I hiked back down to near the Alhambra and got myself some ham, some chips and made myself a little picnic in the grass with a view of the mountains. It was perfect. I then went to the Alhambra which was a zoo! So many people. The place was gorgeous! I now know why so many people go to see it. I really loved the Generalife section with all its fountains and gardens and water. The views were great. The other major highlight were the Nazarine Palaces which had the most incredibly detailed tilies, carvings, doors, pretty much everything. The arabic writing was so ornate and beautiful. It was a really really great place, if a little overwhelming because of all the people.

That night I just hung out in the hostel with a guy from the U.K. who was working there and a girl from Finland who was friends with him. They were super fun and we had some great talks. I really loved Granada. I ended up just drinking some Sangria with them and then heading to bed as I was super tired from the hiking and needed to get up early to go to Barcelona! Where I am now! Woo. It was a long train ride which I will talk all about in the next post.

I am still loving Spain. Two weeks of nearly straight sun and beauty everywhere I've been. Spain will wrap up here in Barcelona which I am glad about as I will see some of my friends and I love the hostel I am in. So yeah, things are going well. I've seen some of the most beautiful things I've ever been around and I'm loving the trip. Hope all is well!