Abroad Before Abroad - Getting Excited

Hello!

I’m Dani! I am going to Freiburg, Germany on the IES Abroad Language and Areas program! Since my program has not started yet, I wanted to make use of my time and arrive early to see how traveling on my own would be. My first stop was Granada, Spain. As I know from previous travel, it is hard to discover an entire city with it’s unique culture in three days, however, after running around the city with my friend Eada, here are three things I discovered about Granada:

Not one area of Granada looks the same. For an amateur photographer like myself, I was in heaven since there was so much beauty to capture. I probably drove my friends crazy because I stopped every five minutes to snap a picture as my jaw dropped looking at the stunning architecture of Granada. Keep scrolling to see for yourself!

Granada takes its siestas very seriously. Actually all of Spain does, however trying to get to know my friends’ favorite places to eat, shop, and hangout was tough when the city took a nap from about 2-5 pm. However, I understand the practicality of taking time in the day to take it easy and well… nap! I am planning on incorporating this practice into my daily life when I get home! We will see how that goes.

The city is alive and thriving. This may be a smaller city compared to Madrid and Barcelona, but Granada keeps up with it’s sister cities. The small streets are packed with locals and tourists getting the best out of the beautiful scenery. The city also does not go to sleep until about 5 am!

Granada is such a wonderful city, that I did not want it leave so soon. After three short days, I was already able to navigate the city on my own. A 20-minute walk north, I will hit Sacromonte and a little bit before that is Albaicín with an amazing view of the Alhambra. To get to the Darro River it is just a quick 10-minute walk east on Calle de San Anton. Easy! Okay, what’s next? Unfortunately, a flight back to Germany because my time in Granada has come to an end. It is an incredible place that I want to return to soon. This trip has gotten me so excited for Freiburg and getting to know my future home for the next five months! For now, here are the Granada memories that remain:

Paseo del Salón – An outdoor plaza where locals and tourists alike can spend some time together. There are often events happening here!

Darro River – It runs along the South-East side of Granada. Since the water is low, locals sat (and played) along it enjoying the warm sun.

Fuente de las Batallas – Another plaza to meet up with friends for a coffee is at the Fuente de las Batallas located on Acera del Darro.  Acera del Darro is a large avenue that connects the inner city with the River Darro.

Albaicín – This quarter of Granada has stunning buildings covered with these potted plants of various colors. This is truly a unique characteristic of Granda.

Basilica San Juan de Dios – Mouthwatering architecture is found around every corner of Granda and this piece is no exception.

Sacromonte – Unlike the renaissance architecture, this area reminds me of Greece in the hills. This was my favorite part of the city!

City Center – I took hundreds of photos like this one because the little streets were all very unique and colorful.

Food – Paella! Couldn’t miss out on eating Spanish cuisine. It was so yummy and a definite must when visiting Spain!

Orange Trees – These orange trees are everywhere in the city. They give a colorful hint of decoration to the city.

Tropical - A garden Eada and I stumbled upon when trying to find the best view for Granada’s sunset. It was one of my favorite moments that weekend.

Heres to a beautiful ending to a beautiful time. Thank you for a magical time, Granada. I hope to see you soon!

xx Dani