How do you measure a month in Madrid?

Measure in love? Maybe, but I would gander that it's more accurate to measure it by steps taken, tortillas eaten, or Spanish words learned. It's officially been over a month since I've landed and Spain, and (unsurprisingly) I can't quite tell how I feel about it. It's a total cliche, but I simultaneously feel like I've both been here for years, and also for only a week.

This past weekend was an eventful one, as I spent it all in the southern region of Andalucía. First stop: Córdoba.

Córdoba

       After too many hours on a bus, we arrived in Córdoba, or as I like to call it, Land of Orange Trees and Beautiful Buildings. Out of the three cities we visited, I was most charmed by Córdoba. Walking around the winding and narrow streets, I was struck by the cohesiveness of the city. The city has heavy Islamic influences, however it also gave off a very distinct Southern Spain/Mediterranean vibe, and whitewashed buildings, as well as more colorful ones with tiled accents were everywhere. We had time to wander around the streets, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and the locals were friendly, nodding and saying hi when I'd smile at them. After happily getting lost in the streets and enjoying the warm southern weather (no jacket required!), we reconvened to go to the biggest site the city-- La Mezquita de Córdoba. The former mosque, current cathedral is a gorgeous building, filled with iconic columns and arches. Nearly the entire building is a dizzying collection of red and and beige strips, save for a small room filled with ornate gold carvings that is reserved for God, and of course, the actual cathedral, where Mass is still celebrated every Sunday. The differences are stark, and unavoidable, however it's a testament to not just the tolerance that Muslims and Christians shared, but the intentional harmony that they cultivated. Although I would have liked to spend more time in Córdoba, our bus was waiting, and we hopped back on and arrived in Granada (Granada, Spain, that is-- the differences between this city and Granada, Nicaragua probably stop after the shared language) a few hours later.

Granada

       We arrived at our hotel in Granada late Thursday night (late for me, dinner time for Spaniards), where a truly beautiful buffet was waiting for us. After stuffing myself with paella and other delicious food, I headed to bed to get ready for the early morning ahead of me. Our first stop in the morning was to La Capilla Real de Granada. This chapel was unsurprisingly gorgeous. I feel like I'm being desensitized to so much after being here for a month- "Oh cool, another stunning and historically significant building. That's nice", so I have to occasionally reorient myself so I can really appreciate what's in front of me. What makes La Capilla particularly notable is that it includes a mausoleum containing the tombs of Queen Isabel I, King Ferdinand II,  Queen Juana I (Juana la loca), Felipe I (Felipe el hermoso), and Miguel de Paz.

       After touring the chapel and seeing the tombs, we had some free time, which I mostly used to walk around a market. Cramped Arab souvenir shops line the tiny streets, and it was fun to make my way through and look at the trinkets they were selling. Between earrings, lamps, hookahs, and clothing (not to mention a sheet nearly identical to one that I bought off a roadside stand in India), the shops were packed with brightly colored souvenirs, and my entire memory of walking through the streets is tinted with magenta and orange. We fueled up on some gazpacho, a beef dish, and chocolate cake, and then headed to La Alhambra.

       The Alhambra was built as a palace the 14th century, first for the Moorish princes, and then for the Christians, and I'm not exactly sure how to begin explaining it. More than stunning, the Alhambra is absolutely enchanting. Surrounded by gardens and fountains, it has room after room, courtyard after courtyard, and hallway after hallway, of breathtaking architecture and artistic detail. The Islamic influences are definitely evident, and part of me felt like I was wandering around Morocco. If the palace itself wasn't enough, it's situated on a hill, so the views (which are plentiful) are gorgeous. I think what struck me the most about it was the sheer magnitude. After poring over the beauty of a ceiling, or a tile mosaic, or an archway, I would turn the corner and I would see the same beauty multiplied tenfold. The grounds are huge, and I'm pretty sure while I was walking around my mouth was just hanging open. After wandering through the part of the estate referred to as the Generalife, and making our way through the gorgeous gardens that lead to the exit, we boarded our bus, where we headed towards our third and final destination: Sevilla!

Sevilla

       We arrived to Sevilla on Friday night, and a couple of friends and I went out for pizza for dinner, before heading back to our hotel. We started our the next day with a trip to La Plaza de Toros, where there is a bullfighting ring (that is still used today!) along with a museum that details the the history of bullfighting in Spain and its controversial nature. We then walked through the streets to La Catedral de Sevilla. Like La Mezquita in Córdoba, La Catedral was also originally a mosque that was then converted into a cathedral. After seeing carvings, paintings, and gold figurines adoring the wall, we reached the most prominent attraction of the cathedral: the remains of Christopher Columbus, where are contained in a metal coffin held by four statues. Attached to the cathedral is a famous bell tower, that people can climb up, which we did. After 34 flights, 17 stories, and many thoughts of desperation, we reached the top of the bell tower, where we were greeted with a phenomenal view. Each corner offered a completely unique view of the city below us. I stayed for far too long watching the little people walk below us, examining beautiful courtyards, orienting myself among bridges and other landmarks, and pointing out unusual architecture. Eventually we climbed back down to the base of the cathedral, where we noticed a wedding was taking place! The guests were dressed to the nines, complete with headwear that I'm sure would make the royal family (now that I'm living in a country with a monarchy do I have to specify which royal family I mean? The one with Will and Kate, in case anyone wasn't sure) jealous, and the bride looked absolutely beautiful.

       We had some free time before lunch, which we used to wander around the cute stores that lined the cobblestone streets- we even found some stores which sold fascinators that compared quite nicely to those that we saw worn by the wedding guests. Eventually the whole group met back up for lunch, where we ate a meal that left me unsure if I had the capacity to ever eat again. The lunch was technically our group's celebration of Valentine's Day, and I think we did a pretty good job. We were greeted with fresh bread and seemingly unending bottles of wine, and the food just kept coming. We ordered our entrees (chicken with a raisin cream sauce for me), served ourselves some yummy fresh salad...and then were given chicken pâté...and then pizzas...and then finally the entrees (which were delicious). Tiramisu finished the meal, but not before we all toasted with champagne. Sated and giddy, I walked around a park with some friends and enjoyed the sunshine, before taking a quick power nap to prepare for the event of the night that everyone was anticipating- a flamenco show! We filed into a little alley later that night, and were told that this was as authentic of a flamenco show as you could get, and after watching the show, I believe it. The theatre was tiny, and the small stage held a singer, a guitarist, and two dancers- one woman, one man. The show was simultaneously aggressive, beautiful, loud, intimate, and passionate. Complete with lots of foot stamping, the performers translated their emotion beautifully on stage, and it was incredible to watch.

       Sunday was our last day in Andalucia, but we still had a couple stops left before we made our way north. We began our day at Reales Alcázares, which is a palace complete with beautiful grounds filled with patios, ponds, shrubs, and even a peacock! The peacock so graciously showed its colors to all of the persistent Americans, which was very appreciated. It also had a large maze composed of 6 ft tall shrubbery. A bunch of us ran through it, and I felt like Harry Potter, though was grateful that there weren't any enchanted creatures trying to kill me. Our last stop was to Plaza de España, and it did not disappoint. I'm especially glad that the day was sunny, because I'm not sure if it would have given the full effect in the rain, or even on an overcast day. This plaza, which was featured in one of the Star Wars movies, is an enormous semi-circle, with a river running through it. Beautifully tiled benches line the perimeter, and there is one for each of Spain's provinces. At the center of the plaza is a giant fountain, that reveals a beautiful rainbow and mists water on everyone standing a little too close. It was the perfect ending to the trip. Also, shout out to Kyra for sending me a full spreadsheet of things to do in Sevilla! Due to a combination of lack of free time and fatigue, I didn't get to a lot of what was on the list, however, everything that we had scheduled to do as a group was on the list (minus lunch). I'm not sure if that's a demonstration of Kyra's or Paco's excellent taste, but either way, I had a fantastic time, so I'll give them both credit.

Now that I'm back in Madrid, it's hard to believe how fast it's going by. I expected it, but it's still a surprise to realize that I'm 5 weeks in! My internship is going well-- right now I'm helping with a project in getting the name of a new restaurant that we partner with out to the community. I'm emailing other local businesses, and my boss told me to make my signature "Director of Public Relations", so I guess you could say I'm pretty much a PR aficionado. I've officially bought tickets for two trips: one to the UK (first Scotland, and then London), and then one for spring break (Copenhagen --> Budapest --> Prague), which I can't wait for! I'm hopefully also going to Segovia this upcoming weekend with a few friends, and will also be going to Cataluña with the group the following weekend.