May 20, 2016
The beauty about today is that it combined two important parts of this experience thus far, a celebration of Spanish culture through a cooking class where we learned how to prepare a three-course meal full of exquisite cuisine and a taste of the rich history that we’ve seen everyday throughout our time in Spain, in the tour of the Alhambra. If you ever get the opportunity to visit Spain, my one piece of advice is don’t forget to bring your appetite because there will always be something new to try, at least for the first two weeks of your visit! Today is my last full day in Granada, Spain and what better way to wrap up this experience than to learn how to cook one of Spain’s most exquisite delicacies, Paella. The entire group was split up into two smaller groups to participate in the cooking class, the first of which was yesterday. The menu was consistent with that of the previous cooking class, which was described in yesterday’s entry which included: Gazpacho, chicken and vegetable Paella, and home-made Lemon Moose. It was an awesome experience getting to cook as a group with peers that were once strangers. We made one of the most delicious meals yet!
The second half of the day consisted of a tour of one of the most beautiful and renowned structures in Granada, Spain, the Alhambra. The Alhambra from a distance is absolutely breath taking. Since I’ve been in Granada, I’ve gotten to see so many different angles of this incredible castle at different times of the day. The tour began with the walk to the Alhambra where our guide, Angel described the miniature man-made water canals along both sides of the pathway. When the actual tour began, we continued our uphill walk toward the castle with another tour guide and the setting was magical. It was like walking through a forest with plants and trees on either sides of the path and the most calming background noise of a babbling stream that created the illusion that we’d be seeing fairies at some any moment. The most memorable moment for me was walking through the rose garden that would lead us into the courtyard of the castle. There were roses everywhere, in every shade of pink and red, arranged in archways and on both sides of the pathway. As we the tour continued through the actual castle, we were able to see all the thought that was put into the building and designing of the castle and how adamant that this was a place for royalty. Historically, the original purpose for the building was a military fortress due to its strategic location in case of battle and its view of the entire city. It was later resided by Muslim royalty, of who are responsible for the intricate architecture throughout the castle, including the Court of the Lions.
Overlooking the city of Granada from one of the windows in the Alhambra
Exiting the Rose Garden path leading to the Alhambra
Cutting the vegetables for the Gazpacho in the cooking class
El Patio de los Leones, the Court of the Lions inside of the Alhambra
No comments:
Post a Comment