Group+B

GROUP ARTICLE Elissa Owens, Bryce Rankin, Catherine Frondorf

After waking up in my luxurious hotel, Hotel Casa 1800, I took a brief walk to Horno San Buenaventura, a fantastic, quaint restaurant known for its delicious breakfast delicacies. Open Monday- Saturday 7:30am – 11pm and Sunday from 9am – 11pm, this must-try food vendor offers the best coffee in town, with an added specialty of fresh milk on the side. There is a wide variety of freshly baked treats served fresh out of the oven or toasted. For a topping or filling, choose from smoked salmon, fresh tomatoes, jam, butter, olive oil, jamon Serrano, tortilla, ham and cheese, manchego cheese and many more. I walked slowly, taking in my scenery, to the Sevilla Cathedral. It was incredible! The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Sea, better known as Seville Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Seville. It is the largest Gothic cathedral and the third-largest church in the world. The cathedral is also said to serve as the burial site of Christopher Columbus. Construction began in 1402 and it continued until 1506. Church workers gave half their salaries to pay for architects, builders and other expenses. The cathedral has 80 chapels, in which 500 masses were held daily in the 1800s. I have seen many churches and cathedrals in Europe, and at this point, they are all very similar to me. But the Cathedral in Sevilla was absolutely incredible and truly enormous! Once inside, there was a small area that looked like a museum with artworks on display, then I entered the main cathedral area, which was extremely high with arches, shining statues and sculptures, a main altar that was made of shining, glistening gold, and dozens of chapels along the walls representing different saints. A few areas were blocked off, but I could still see through the giant, metal gates. As I was exploring, I found a few small, narrow hallways that all connected into one another. I really enjoyed the cathedral, I thought that it was very similar to the cathedral in Toledo. There was another part of the cathedral called Girlada. and that was the bell tower. The Giralda is a former minaret that was converted to a bell tower for the Cathedral of Seville. The tower is 343 ft. in height and it was one of the most important symbols in the medieval city. You could walk up to the top of the bell tower by walking up 35 ramps and 17 stairs. It was made with ramps instead of steps because many years ago, men used to ride their horses up to the top to ring the bells. I liked the ramps, it made the walk to the top seem easier. Along the way up, there were spots to take pictures and places to stop and look out onto the city from each side of the tower. It was really pretty. At the top, there were giant bells and places to look out from all around the tower. It was somewhat crowded at the top because everyone was trying to see the same things, but I did get to look out from all of the sides. Sevilla is such a pretty city. There were many houses and buildings that had pools on the roofs, I liked those a lot. I left the cathedral and went to get lunch at Flaherty’s. I sat down in a chair outside, facing the cathedral and ordered a drink, cheeseburger and banana split. Although they were not very Spanish choices, I was really happy to eat some food that reminded me of home. I left Flaherty’s and went to the Real Alcazar (the Royal Palace), which was about 5 minutes away. The Alcázar of Seville (or "Royal Alcazars of Seville) is a royal palace in Seville, originally a Moorish fort. The Almohades were the first to build a palace, which was called Al-Muwarak, on the site of the modern day Alcázar. The palace is one of the best remaining examples of mudéjar architecture. Subsequent monarchs have added their own additions to the Alcázar. The upper levels of the Alcázar are still used by the royal family as the official Seville residence. The palace had some pretty buildings, but its main attraction was the gardens. They were beautiful. There were buildings that had water spouting down into a giant ponds filled with big fish, flowers, shaped trees and bushes, little water ponds, fountains along the walkways, and many places to sit. I tried to find a spot in the shade, but they were all taken, so I kept wandering until I found a good one. I sat on a bench for a while, taking in the scenery and eating a pear. When I left the gardens, I stopped at a few souvenir shops along the street and also bought a single scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream. It seemed right on such a hot day. I spent the rest of the day taking my time in the shops and buying souvenirs for my family back home. Dinner at Restaurant Abril was delicious, I am glad that I went! My second day began slowly and I got some breakfast on the way to the fine arts museum. I arrived at the museum and walked around for a while. I was actually really impressed. I have seen many museums, but the artwork in this one really stood out to me. The colors in the paintings were extremely bright and stood out so much more than any paintings I have ever seen before. I really liked looking at them closely and seeing all of the brushstrokes that the artists used. Ever since I took my Intro to Art History course a few semesters ago, I have really enjoyed artwork. I love it even more when I see paintings and sculptures that I have learned about in class, in real life. It was a very hot day, and it was not until I left the museum that I could really feel the heat. I walked towards Plaza de España, being sure to stay in the shade. I walked through the shade in the Plaza, it was a very pretty place. There was a large building that was surrounded by a large patio and water that people could rent rowboats in. I rode in a horse-drawn carriage around the park and visited a few of the small shops that were set up. It was an extremely beautiful place, I would love to go back someday. My next stop was a show at El Patio Sevillano and it was fantastic! The show was incredible, the dancers were extremely talented and the food was delicious. After the show, I walked along the river and stopped to get a drink and enjoy the nightlife. I listened to some local music before heading back to my hotel, and packing for my next stop, Granada!

My trip to Granada was a very unique experience thanks to the wide variety of activities and sights the province has to offer. I began my journey in the capital of the province, Granada, with a trip to the world-renowned Alhambra and Generalife complex. The Moorish fort was an amazing glimpse into the Arab world and the sights from the building were spectacular. As I headed back down to Realejo, I stopped at a small café for lunch and had a traditional tortilla España. After lunch, I strolled the streets of the AlbaicÍn and sampled tea at one of the many teterías. My tour of the AlbaicÍn continued up to the Mirador San Nicolas where I watched the sunset over the city. Once I had my fill of the panoramic views, I walked back down to Plaza Nueva and dined in the outdoor seating area of a restaurant next to the fountain. The next morning I headed to the Granada cathedral and toured its great expanse. Once the tour was complete, I strolled the streets around the cathedral, as well as Calle de los Mesonse, to do a bit of shopping. The shopping crawl took me down Darro to the river where I had lunch. Full and happy, I headed across the river to the Parque de las Ciencias. The park was really interesting and I enjoyed the view of the city from atop the tower. To finish out my sightseeing for the day, I walked up Calle Neptuno to the Parque de Federico García Lorca. The park was one of the best I’ve been to and had ample space to lay out, soak up the sun, and relax. The entire park was well-manicured and you truly felt like you were not steps from the bustling core of a city. To conclude the day, I went for the typical Granadino tapas and enjoyed all of the different bits we tried. The next morning I had to be up and ready by 9 because I was taking a bus to the Sierra Nevada for a day trip. The mountains were incredible and I had a wonderful time. Although skiing is not my favorite activity, I thought it was best to do when somewhere as incredible as the Sierra Nevada. After skiing, I took a hike around the park and grabbed a quick bite to eat. I saw a wide variety of plants and fauna on my hike as well as amazing views of the surrounding landscape. The day was rather tiresome and I headed back to the hotel early to rest up for my day trip to take place the next day. I had another 9am departure time for my day trip to Alpujarras the following morning. I was immediately entranced when I arrived to the area by the rugged terrain so clearly contrasted with the white-washed village nestled among the terrain. After wandering the streets of the city, I boarded the van and was off to Lanjaron, a famous medicinal spa town with a water museum, which was intriguing to say the least. I had a wonderful Andalucían lunch at Burbion in Lanjaron before taking off for Orgiva. I concluded my tour of the Lecrín Valley with a visit to the natural springs of Portugos and the ravine of Poquiera. The scenery of this area was unforgettable, but it was time to move further south. I finally left my Granada hotel the next morning to head to the Costa Tropical. I stayed at the Gran Hotel Ebra in Motril, which was right on the beach! I arrived rather late and had lunch first in my hotel restaurant—great seafood! I ventured into town and saw the important sights: Greater Church of the Encarnation, Puerta de Granada, and Moorish Quarter. The historic quarter tour was topped off with an opera show at the Calderón Theater. The show was a great experience and followed it up with dinner on the beach. I can’t believe the time in Granada passed so quickly. I reserved my last day for relaxation. For the first half of the day, I enjoyed the exquisite beaches of the Costa Tropical. After changing and having lunch, I decided to go to one of the numerous golf courses Andalucía possesses. My golf game did not improve, it’s rather a disaster, but it was a great stress relief from all of the rushing around that is required when travelling. My final hours were spent strolling the streets for one final time, including one more walk across the beach. I had an amazing time in Granada, but it is time to leave and head to Cádiz. Hasta luego!

My few days in Cadíz were a very unique experience. I loved how cozy and quaint the city felt in conjunction with its proximity to the sea. The historic quarter had so many wonderful architectural sights and you could get a sense of the Roman and Arab influence that shaped the city. After lunch, I found a lot of great buys in the market including some Cadíz festival CDs. However, I think the best part of the day was my night-closer at the flamenco bar. The atmosphere in the place was amazing and I met some really cool locals that were very open and friendly. After breakfast I headed down to the beach for the first half of the day. The beach was a nice change of pace from the hectic agenda of the previous day. For lunch I had the best paella thus far on my trip. The Cadíz museum had a very good exhibit including Ancient Egyptian artifacts like sarcophagi that were very intriguing and unique. Similarly, the San Sebastian castle was another incredible site. The castle is positioned on an even smaller peninsula off of Cadíz in the Mediterranean and had really great vistas of the city. I continued my night after dinner at a very young and hip bar called Yunque right on the beach. It was nice to have drinks with so many thoughtful and educated people while walking along the shore. I must say, the drive from Cadíz to Granada may have been my favorite part of the journey. The landscapes were so beautiful and the white-wash villages unforgettable. Sometimes the best way to see a country is driving through the countryside instead of being penned-up in city walls a