Aventuras en Granada

Arriving in Granada I was filled with the anticipation of the finally being in a country that I only dreamed of going to and found myself feeling a bit apprehensive as well.  A large foreign city, the potential difficulty  of communicating, and living with people I've never met or even communicated with.  All these things, while initially uncomfortable, quickly dissolved into an enriching and amazing experience.  My first impression of the city was of its beautiful architecture.  Simply walking aimlessly through the city's narrow stone streets is an enjoyable experience in itself.  You'll find yourself staring up at the buildings while encountering centuries old cathedrals and open plazas filled with cafes and pastellerias.  In my opinion its one of the most enjoyable parts of being here. Just absorbing the energy and feel of the city.  The people here also add significantly to how great the city is.  They are incredibly nice and friendly.  You can ask anyone for directions and they'll gladly help you with no hesitation.  They don't even seem to be frustrated by your obvious lack of Spanish speaking skills.  This includes people in all shops and restaurants.  Its really great and quite refreshing.  Its also great to see the influence of the mixture of cultures that resulted in the beautiful buildings of the city.  This most readily can be seen in the Albacyin which has a spectacular view of the Alhambra (another highlight of the city for me!).  Aside from that theres also obviously the amazing food they have here.  Churros con chocolate, gelato, excellent cafe, Mediterranean,  and huge selection of tapas!  If you love trying new food like me this is definitely something you'll look forward to.  One possible frustration is navigating the city.  I feel like its made to get lost in. For this reason its best to always have your map with you or take some time to study it (or have a friend with you that has great intuition!)

As far as planning my trip, I wish I paid more attention to the airports when getting connecting flights.  I actually had to get a shuttle from one airport to the other in New York to catch my flight to Madrid.  Something I hadn't noticed until the day of.  I also wish I packed some basic hygiene items in my carry on (toothbrush, toothpaste, small face wash).  To me it makes all the difference when getting off that overnight flight from the U.S. to Madrid (which you'll only get a few hours of sleep anyway and freshening up will make all the difference with that jetlag).  I also wish I took the time to call my service provider to unlock my phone for international use.  Buying a SIM card here through Orange (a spanish cell phone and service provider) is a great way to use your smartphone and still have data.  Therefore being able to use Googlemaps and circumventing that whole getting lost thing.

I'll leave you with some pictures of Granada!

Saludos!

Mat