La Universidad Pablo de Olavide

I am studying at La Universidad Pablo de Olavide this semester. The University is located on the outskirts of the city, because I live close to the city center, I take the metro to class everyday. The metro is very clean, and there are always one or two security guards. I love seeing all of the students using the metro.

Last Tuesday there was an orientation and the metro was filled with foreigners (mostly Americans.) After the orientation we gathered in the cafeteria to have sangria, cerveza, jamón, and cheese. This is where I met two people from Appalachian who had been studying in Sevilla during the fall semester.

I have eaten lunch at the University's  outdoor cafe, and the two people who work there are so nice! One of my friends has been here for 5 months already, and they like to practice their English with her. It is really charming. I have been to the cafe twice now and they recognize me, they even announce the numbers of the tickets in English when we are there, although we know our numbers in Spanish.

They even apologized that my food took 10 minutes to cook because the oven is broken, which was not even an issue for me.

My classes seem very interesting and the professors are very nice and funny, as well as my classmates.

Granada

On the way back from visiting my previous roommate in Alicante I decided to stop in Granada for a few days. I would have had to switch buses in Granada to get to Sevilla anyway, so it was convenient and well worth the visit. Granada was my first taste of Andalucía. The locals are warm, friendly, and overall buena gente.

Another aspect that I like about Granada is that it is a very small and manageable city, which is great for those of us who are not the best with directions. I could easily navigate the city because going uphill would lead you to the Alhambra or the neighborhood of Albayzín and going downhill would lead me to my hostel, well eventually. One can easily see the main sights in a few days.

The Alhambra was constructed in 889 as a Moorish fortress, it was then converted to a palace in 1333. The tickets are divided into morning and afternoon: I suggest spending the amount of time allotted because the Alhambra is GIGANTIC.

I loved my visit in January, there were hardly any people walking around which made it even more fascinating and real without all of the tourists with their fancy cameras. It was nice being able to talk to the security guards and workers for a long time in order to learn more about the Alhambra, instead of being rushed. Just remember to dress warm because the Sierra Nevada mountains are located in the Granada province.

I leave you guys with too many photos:

An evening at Parque Europa

Parque Europa contains several of Europe's most famous monuments such as The London Bridge, and The Belém tower.  I prefer to travel very slow and I will not be seeing the real Eifel tower, Trevi fountain, or Berlin wall anytime soon, which made seeing the replica's in Madrid very enjoyable. There is also a little restaurant that sells chocolate con churros! What more could one want?


Parque de Europa is located in Torrejon de Ardoz, which is 25 km outside the city. If you are staying in Madrid for more than a few days it is definitely a worthwhile destination. Entrance to the park is free.

Madrid in January is best enjoyed with chocolate con churros. Holiday lights line the streets as people finish up their last minute shopping for Reyes Magos, which is celebrated January 6.

http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/52/7f/fd/chocolate-and-churros.jpg

So grab a bocadilla de calamares (fried squid sandwich) and join the rest of Madrid.