Well! Long time no blog :P I have been without internet for a horrifically long time, but now I'm back :)
This weekend I was travelling: Sevilla and Cordoba.
I give Sevilla a 3 and Cordoba an 8.7. It was pretty fricken sweet.
We got up at 8am to catch the bus to Sevilla and I attempted to nap on the way there. Unfortunately the weather was icky there too (it's been cold and cloudy and rainy the last 5 days :( I thought Spain was supposed to be hot!) which made it a lot less pretty than I imagine it could be. We went on a "bus tour" which legit comprised of one street on which all the plazas are from the 1929 World Fair. Then we went on a walking tour of the Alcazar palace, which was pretty, but pretty much just a lamer version of the Alhambra. We did get to see Columbus's grave though, which was pretty sweet, and we got to climb up the Giralda tower, which gave us a really awesome view of the city, so that was pretty cool. The cathedral of Sevilla was kinda cool too. It has the biggest main altar in the all of christendom and it's got tons of gold in it.
After that we had some free time to "explore the city," but most of us were so exhausted that we just went back to the hotel for a nap before the game (London vs. USA. We tied, in case you didn't know, by a complete epic fail of the London goalie. Undeserved half-victory) We attempted to go out, but we weren't in the right part of town, so we pretty much just wandered around for a while and then went back to the hotel. My roommate Laura and I stayed up and chatted for a while and then it was well-needed sleep.
After the 2 hour bus ride we arrived in Cordoba. As soon as I got off the bus I already liked Cordoba more--the first thing you see is this massive castle and bridge structure taking you to the old city. Soooo cool. The whole city was amazing. We took a tour of the Juderia (Jewish neighborhood) and our tour was in spanish, which was pretty cool. Then we saw the mezquita, which is the 3rd biggest mosque in the world. IT WAS SO COOL. The architecture is INCREDIBLE. When you first walk in there is this great hall with columns and arches for miles. The arches are red and white. I don't have the ability to upload pics right now, but I highly recommend you google it. The mezquita was built in 5 parts, and each part is a little different in its architectural style. I just couldn't stop taking pictures or whispering "oh my god..." By far the coolest thing we've seen so far.
After that we had some time to peruse the shops and get some lunch and then it was back on the bus. I was glad to be heading "home" and be off the bus, but unhappy about another week of class ahead of me :/ I really hope that it will warm up soon, because all the tan that I got on the beach is fading away :( I would love to go lay out and read in the park, but it's been legitimately chilly. So not fair.
Today, after I finished my homework, I wandered around the arabic district by the cathedral and got a couple things. It's crazy, like this little pocket of Morocco in the middle of Granada.
Tomorrow I'm booking our hostel for this weekend in Madrid and then Wednesday is the first Spain game!!!! And a party for my friend Carlos's 21st birthday. Should be an awesome day :D
That's all for now, hope all is well back home and I miss you all! Almost as much as I miss hamburgers :P
Abrazos y besos,
Meredith