My time here in Spain is winding down... I only have one week left! It is definitely bittersweet.
Anyway, two weekends ago our entire program went to Lagos, Portugal, which is situated in the lower-west part of Portugal along the Atlantic Ocean. Needless to say it was absolutely breathtaking! The trip was so long though, about six hours on a bus, but it was totally worth it. When we arrived Friday afternoon, we went on a boat ride in the Atlantic, and got a great view of a lot of the cliffs and the beautiful scenery. A few of us were brave enough to dive into the ocean for a quick dip, and WOW was it freezing! The boat ride was such a blast though - we took turns going onto a smaller boat to ride around and explore some of the cliffs and caves which was quite a great view. After the boat ride we had some down time, so we hung out in the hotel and took a nap and explored the city a bit. Portugal is so beautiful, and our hotel was amazing! We had great rooms and even a hotel pool! Later Friday evening we went and got to try one of the top-ranked burgers in the world! It is ranked among the top fifty burgers, and wow was it delicious! It made me miss American burgers, because the burgers here in Europe just don't compare... but that burger was very very delicious. After that, we went and explored the city some more and then we hung out in a friend's hotel room.
On Saturday we woke up early for some breakfast and then we were off to go to two different beaches for the day! On our way to the beach we made a quick pit stop to climb to the top of some of the cliffs, and the sight was one to see. It was a great view and we all stopped to take pictures for about a half hour. After that, we made it to the first beach and there was a cliff that we were able to jump off of and into the ocean! Knowing my adventurous self, of course I dove right in and swam to the cliff to have my turn. The cliff really hurt climbing, and I had a few scrapes and was bleeding, but it was totally worth it. It was so fun diving off of the cliff and into the Atlantic! After a few hours at that beach, we packed up to go visit another beach which was also very pretty. It was really nice hanging out with everyone in our program on our last trip together as an entire group. It was a little bittersweet, but it was so fun! Saturday night before dinner, our tour guide took us to what is called "The End Of The World" in Cape St. Vincent, Algarve, Portugal. Cape St. Vincent was already sacred ground in Neolithic times, as standing menhirs in the neighborhood attest. The ancient Greeks called it Ophiussa (Land of Serpents), inhabited by the Oestriminis and dedicated here a temple to Heracles. The Romans called it Promontorium Sacrum (or Holy Promontory). They considered it a magical place where the sunset was much larger than anywhere else. They believed the sun sank here hissing into the ocean, marking the edge of their world. It was probably the most beautiful view I have ever seen... the sunset was breathtaking and the water was so blue, the cliffs were perfect. After all of that, we decided to go out and have a good time at a bar and then the next day we were back on our way to Granada.
After the Portugal trip, there were a handful of noteworthy events to write about. The first one was on May 3, which some parts of Spain celebrate what is called the "Día de la Cruz". This fascinating and colourful fiesta is as much a demonstration of pagan tradition as it is of Christian faith and its origins are rooted in a confusion of legend and folklore. As a representation of the Cross of Christ, its religious significance is obvious and the fiesta is intended to be a time of prayer and religious devotion. But for many the cross was also a symbol of the meeting of the four elements as well as the union of male and female. The point of intersection represents the essence of creation, matter, the world and universe - all of life itself. Its the celebration of this life, reborn with the spring solstice, that brings natural jubilation to the celebrations in the form of floral offerings and decorations, music and dance. This fiesta is very popular throughout Andalucía and Almuñécar is no different. Traditionally, the crosses were only displayed in the houses of nobles and gentry but now anybody who wants can set up a cross in his living room or patio. Often neighbours get together to decorate a street corner or plaza. And, of course, the children make their own crosses too. Flowers, shawls, mantillas, assorted household objects, musical instruments or even agricultural implements may be used to create a tableaux surrounding an ornamental cross, usually made almost entirely of flowers. Each display is the centre of a non-stop fiesta formed by anyone and everyone who wants to drop by. Naturally the wine and song is never lacking.
The week after that we had our program's "Farewell Lunch" at a Nun Monastery which served paella, grilled chicken, and a variety of desserts and side dishes. It was all very good, but it was kind of sad to think that that could have been the last time I may see some of my friends from our program and our program directors. It was nice getting to talk to everyone because I feel like our group has really bonded and gotten to know each other and we all generally get along with one another, which is awesome. Another fun activity has been making frequent trips to the park because it is now filled with hundreds of beautiful flowers and plants! Especially since the weather has been nice and warm and sunny, the park is just perfect to hang out with friends and relax.
This week I had the pleasure of getting to ride on a motorcycle with my Algerian/Spanish friend named Omar! We met at an intercambio through my program, and we became friends and decided to do some fun activities together! This week we went on a motorcycle trip up to an awesome viewpoint where you can see the entire city of Granada below you. It was so beautiful, and it might have been the last time that I will get to see all of Granada like that.
To celebrate the last full weekend in Granada, almost everyone in our program got together and went out and enjoyed ourselves! It is hard to believe that we have already been here five months... I still remember the first days vividly and now it has come and gone, and I will be leaving in six days... We made sure to go out with a bang and we certainly did this weekend! Last night we especially had a fun evening because we also celebrated two of our friends' birthdays!
This upcoming week I have finals everyday... and well, I just have been "accidentally" not studying for them... I can't help it that the weather is beautiful, my mind is distracted because I am one week away, and I just want to spend time doing things in Granada! I am pretty sure my finals will be fairly easy though, so I am not too worried.
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