By Ida, Gabby, Ali
Travel
To start the day off we had breakfast very early at 7 a.m. in order to be packed and ready to leave our hotel. We had such a great time spending our first couple of days in Granada touring and visiting amazing historical sites. As we said our goodbyes to Granada we took the bus around 8 a.m. to Cordoba for the day. The journey to Cordoba was about 2.5 hours long, so most of us took the time to catch up on our sleep or check out the scenery around us.
Cordoba
Once off the bus we took a brisk walk over El Río Grande to a few narrow streets littered with stores. After shopping for a bit we headed on over to the Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba (Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba) courtyard. We got to learn the history of the building and how the mosque section was established by the founder of the Islamic Emirate of Cordoba. Its construction was influenced by numerous cultures. For example, the gorgeous columns were reused Roman ones, and horseshoe arches throughout the building were classic Visigothic architecture. The rest of the interior and exterior were designed to mimic a mosque in Damascus, Syria, with various patterns and Arabic phrases etched throughout the structure. There were religious paintings on just about every wall, and the ceilings were high, allowing massive amounts of natural light to seep through. Within the church we saw the intricately designed altar, pews, and choir platform, which left us in awe at its beauty. We learned that when the Christians took hold of the city they broke an old preservation law that prohibited the alteration of the mosque.
Lunch
After visiting the mosque with such beautiful architecture, we headed to a small, dainty restaurant and shared a bunch of food. We were all thoroughly excited as we were hungry and so thankful to be experiencing Spain itself. The restaurant was decorated beautifully with paintings and small sculptures. Students and teachers sat separately, but the atmosphere was very lively and inviting. The waitress took down what we wanted for drinks, and we started having very memorable conversations. Time flew and we soon started to receive our food. With culture kept in mind, we had authentic dishes that were the epitome of the culture in Spain. Breaded chicken, a refreshing, cooled tomato soup, crispy fries, a vibrant mushroom and egg dish, very fresh salad, and prosciutto and white cheddar cheese to snack on. We were all amazed by the diverse dishes, and we were able to enjoy every second of the delicious meals we were provided with. The dishes kept coming, and eventually, our stomachs were filled, and we had smiles on our faces. We had a bit more small talk with the people seated at our tables and headed out after an hour and some change back onto the bustling streets of Cordoba.
Travel
As we come to the end of our mini adventure in Cordoba, we realized that we learned many new things about the culture. We headed back on the bus around 4:10 p.m. to travel about two more hours to our next location which is Sevilla!!! Most of us are excited about eating more delicious food, shopping at the local artisan shops, and lastly seeing the beautiful buildings surrounding this amazing place.
Sevilla
After checking in at our hotel, we took a stroll around Sevilla. We saw the Catedral de Sevilla, which is the largest gothic cathedral in Spain. Right next to the cathedral was the Archivo General de Indias, which holds all Spanish documentation of American colonization. The group viewed the Royal Palace, which will visit tomorrow. We walked through Parque de María Luisa in order to find La Plaza de España. At this location the view was majestic since as soon as we arrived the sun was setting perfectly behind the building. Most of us walked through taking pictures of this breathtaking view in Spain. Another cool part of the plaza were the small medieval tile pictures against the main building where we took small group pictures. After capturing our moments within the group, we walked to our next activity.
Dinner
To end the day off, we came to La Piemontesa for dinner. There was a huge selection of pizzas that we indulged in. To name a few: pepperoni pizza, eggplant pizza, and margherita pizza. The pizzas came out quickly, satisfying our hunger within seconds. It was freshly baked in the oven, giving the crust just enough char to make it perfect. The atmosphere of the restaurant was very rustic with a lot of wood features. It reminded a lot of us of an Italian restaurant with the magical spin of Sevilla. As always, a lot of laughs were had and memories were made. An amazing way to end the day!