A Weekend in Andalucía! (Part 1)

Hola amigos! Although it's a little over a week later, I'd like to recount my 4th of July weekend in Andalucía! While I was a little disappointed I couldn't spend my weekend celebrating in the U.S., I had a ton of fun in Spain!!!

Firstly, Andalucía is an autonomous community in Spain. In this region we went to two different cities--Córdoba and Granada!

We first woke up at 5am to catch our bus at 5:30am...that was rough! And the icing on the cake you ask? Someone threw up on our bus ride...

But 3 hours later we finally arrived in Córdoba! Our first stop was the Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba, or the Mosque-Cathedral. It is a medieval Islamic mosque that was converted into a Roman Catholic cathedral in 1236. To be specific, it was under Islam from 784-1236 and has been a Catholic Church since 1236. CRAZY OLD.

Catedral part of the Mezquita-Catedral

Ah! Gorgeous!

So many beautiful double arches!

A forest of columns!

Surrounding the Mezquita-Catedral is a Jewish quarter, so we then strolled down the streets of the Jewish quarter! So many religions, I know! It was all very beautiful!

Exploring the Jewish quarters!

After our visit we had a delicious lunch and then boarded the bus yet again for Granada! Upon arriving, we first checked in to our hotel--it was so much nicer than the hostels we've been staying in! We had a huge walk-in shower, comfy beds, and AIR CONDITIONING!!!

I have never been so grateful for a hotel room!

Pure beauty!

We knew we didn't have much time for dinner, so we found a cheap Turkish restaurant close by. Who doesn't want to have Turkish food in Spain on the 4th of July, right?!

Turkish restaurant! 

Then we got ready to go to our first flamenco show! A small bus picked us up outside of our hotel and we began our drive down the narrow cobblestone streets. It was a little nerve-wrecking traveling by bus --I swear we almost hit every side of every building, but somehow arrived safely!

We then walked into the bar where the flamenco show was to take place...and it was basically inside this strange cave-like structure. It wasn't a true cave, but it was very dark, the walls were carved out, and plaster was falling off the ceiling. The stage was very small and the chairs were lined up very close to each other. For some reason nobody wanted to sit in the front row (perhaps because the front row was literally a foot from the stage), but as one of the last people to walk in, the front row was my only option. My friend sitting next to me and I began to get excited by this seating arrangement, agreeing that we could take the best pictures from this angle!

Before long, 2 female dancers, 1 male dancer, and 2 male singers took the stage. One of the men bursted out in a deep and loud voice, and the first woman began to dance. Her motions were strong and aggressive, and her face appeared angry. I never realized how fast and sharp the flamenco truly is. The next female dancer smiled more often, but maintained the strong dance moves. Then the male dancer performed by himself. There were never any couple dances unfortunately (perhaps because the stage was not big enough), but it was still fascinating to watch! However, there were some scary moments sitting in the front row! My friend and I kept leaning back in our chairs when the dancers decided to rapidly spin 6 inches from our faces!

So unbelievably close!

So dramatic!!!

Now there's a smile!

Work it!

Just when we thought the show was over, another set of dancers and singers entered the stage. I was very impressed by an older female dancer who appeared to be in her late 60s--I simply couldn't believe she could handle all of those sharp moves! Now here comes a twist....as I admired her and took many pictures, I noticed her staring at me kind of strangely. After she finished her dance, she walked off the stage and left the bar. I didn't find out why until the next day...

The other set of dancers/singers

According to my director, the older woman is a gypsy. Before the show she had asked that nobody take pictures of her because she believes pictures suck out her soul. Of course nobody relayed this information to little 'ole me sitting in the front row snapping dozens...and I mean DOZENS...of pictures. So needless to say, this woman believes I sucked out her soul and she had to go back home to her house to perform a ritual to cleanse it. I never thought I was capable of such evil...but I apparently surprise myself here in Spain. So gypsy woman...I apologize and it will never happen again...BELIEVE ME.

Gypsy woman...
I truly hope this does not come back to haunt me. 

On a more sentimental note...the whole time I was watching the flamenco show, I couldn't help but think of my aunt who passed away. Unfortunately she passed unexpectedly right before my trip to Spain, and was so excited for me to have this opportunity. I so badly want to talk to her on the phone and tell her about the flamenco show and all of my experiences here...I wish it were possible. All I can do is hope that she is somehow here with me, watching over me and seeing every special moment. If she were alive and back in the U.S., it would be impossible for her to see me right now...so perhaps it's almost a good thing that she can be a part of my trip. I will never know for sure, but I truly hope she is seeing all of the amazing things I am doing...I miss and love you so much Aunt Pixie <3

Alright...now I have to regain a little composure to type the rest! So after the flamenco show, we went on a tour to see a view of La Alhambra at night. Read my next post to find out more about La Alhambra!

La Alhambra! 

Then, to top off the night we went to Burger King to finally celebrate the 4th of July! I got a delicious Kit Kat blizzard with caramel! Why can't we have Kit Kat blizzards in the U.S.?!?!

So that about covers the first day in Andalucía! The next day was even better! Stay tuned for my next post (A Weekend in Andalucía Part 2) for more! Adiós for now!