The days leading up to this trip were very hectic for me with graduation so it took a second for reality to set in when we arrived. The first few days were absolutely wonderful. I was shocked at how quickly I was able to get my bearings in a new city. So we have been in Spain for three weeks now and it has been quite the experience.
The best part of this trip so far has been the weekend trip to Granada. I knew very little about the city before arriving as my friends had organized the trip. After some light Googling, I learned that there was a lot of Middle Eastern influence throughout the city due to its southern location. I was absolutely blown away by the mixture of Islamic and Spanish architecture. I found it really interesting that the closer you got to Alhambra, the more Islamic influence you found in the architecture. The age of the city is heavily evident in the small streets, cobblestone plazas, and uneven walkways. All of these aspects came together to create the most beautiful city in Spain.
Although we did not get to walk inside of Alhambra, there are no words to describe the feeling one felt while looking at Alhambra from the plaza of a church across the way. When you are climbing up a hill in the heat, you wonder why you are putting forth the effort and enduring the blisters. But once you reach the top to see the spectacular views of Alhambra and the city, the sweat and pain feels more than worth it. I just wish I could relive that view over and over again.