Hello!

Only a week has gone by since my last update, but boy do I have a lot to write about!

Thursday was "el día de la cruz" or "Day of the Cross" here in Granada.  It was basically like a half-day holiday--everyone had class or work until lunch and the afternoon was all about celebrating!  One of my program directors took us on a walk through the city to see some of the best crosses.  Basically many different churches, schools, and neighborhoods decorate huge crosses with flowers and decorations and display them.  People come to see the crosses wearing traditional flamenco dresses and there is a lot of drinking and flamenco dancing.  It was great to experience!  A few of my friends and I have been taking flamenco classes all semester and it was really fun to be able to practice what we've learned in public!  Unfortunately it was sort of rainy all afternoon, but that did not stop us from having a great time!  Here are some photos of the festivities... I've included a picture of every cross I saw!

On Friday (the day after día de la cruz) we took a daytrip with the program to Cordoba.  The bus ride was just three hours long, but as we drove closer and closer to the city, the sky got darker and the rain began to fall.  Nonetheless, we were excited when we got off the bus and began our tour of the city.  We checked out some cute little streets and ended up in an old synagog, then saw some BEAUTIFUL patios all decorated with flowers because, in Cordoba, May is "the flower month."  The patios were unbelievably gorgeous--I kept walking around thinking "I want to come back and get married in one of these one day!"  After seeing some patios, we ran through a sudden downpour to the Alcazar where the king and queen once lived.  That was a pretty cool place, but we were all wet and cold, so we probably did not appreciate it that much.  The sun came out for us just in time to tour the gardens, though!  They were ridiculously pretty and we were so lucky the rain cleared up for them (especially since my umbrella was very very broken by then).  After the Alcazar, we walked through the city and ended up near the Mezquita (mosque).  Before going in, though, we had some free time and ate lunch (in the sun!).  Then we toured the mezquita, which has now been converted into a cathedral.  What a cool place!  Also the most famous landmark in Cordoba by far and one of the most famous pieces of Arab architecture in Spain.  Here are some photos from Cordoba:

That's all for now!