Here we go: I am jumping back in weeks after this trip. It takes me time to process things. I also feel like the information is all there somewhere. This is my journey. This is my experience. By this point of the trip "Day 1" - I had a few days to adjust and do absolutely nothing in Malaga. I had time to sleep and rest. Prepare. I reconnected and prepared to meet with others and a future encounter in Northern Spain.
I took the train to the Malaga airport to meet the rest of the tour group. I was not traveling as lightly as I would have liked. A friendly expat identified me and helped me with my space on the train. We shared experiences in Chile and Barcelona. We both struggled with our accent. He was going to meet the arrival of a friend from Poland. He was working on a tourism project in Malaga and Barcelona. He was very kind. Eventually, I found the other member of the group that I knew had also arrived early in Malaga. The others' flights arrived much later. I am not quite sure why but maybe there was a strike in Paris CDG.
I met Manuel, our guide from Education First. He made sure we had all arrived and made it to the first hotel in Granada. I also met and reconnect with traveler's I had known and traveler's I would share so much with.
Whew! Okay - I had a really good summer. I am going to refer from my reflection journal from this point on.
23 junio 2018: AQUI COMENZAMOS
Ni se cual es la fecha. I don't even know what date we are on.
I made it to the airport late but it did not matter because both incoming flights wer late. 28 of us boarded the bus around 7pm towards Granada. It was late so we skipped the welcome dinner.
24 junio 2018:
The next morning began with a walking tour of Granada towards the Albacin. We wandered through the streets, past Carmens - homes with spanish/arab gardens enclosed within up to St. Nicolas to see the Alhambra from afar.
We visited the Royal Chapel of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. F & Y decorated everything. There were lions at their feet. Jane/Joanna the Crazy ad Phillipe the Handsome along with Prince Miguel shared the tomb. There was a collection of Flemish Art - one stood out to me - Magdalena with a woman looking at an angel in the bedroom while she was kneeling, reading the bible. It reminded me of a post modern artwork. Also the beheading of St. paul on the altarpiece was anatomically graphic and recalled more beheading artwork with a woman holding a platter for the head being held by the beheaders.
Afterwards, we walked down and found shade under the unbrellas of a restaurant at the base, with a view of the Alhambra. We were free to wander and shop in the Albacin. It was an epitome of what to expect but in a pretty, glittery, kinder, sweeter, way.
"very fertile area - asparagus plantation"
25 junio 2018:
The next day we began with a visit to the Generalife and Alhambra. The Generalife were gardens and home to the summer palaceof the sultan. The Alhambra had a different area. Notably, the courtyards, details of the muslim rule - medieval Christian take over - rooms where people met rulers. Scented Gardens. Stories of the Alhambra by Washington Irving. Christopher Colombus.
After lunch, we visited the Hamman al-Andalus for a traditional arab bath house experience. it was amazing. I had an opportunity to meditate under the sun rays of the setting sun. I was centered under the sun rays , shinning on my crown surrounded by steam. In the other hot bath, there was a vaulted ceiling that let the afternoon sun in the light of the details of textures of the carved walls. I would do rotations medium - hot -cold.
I decided to take a break and sit with sweet mint tea and meditated on a small fountain in the center of the floor with daisies floating on the center when a little girl came by and moved all the flowers around. I was upset by the small gesture of chaos but learned to have faith because the fountain brought all the flowers back to center. I almost started to cry upon the lesson learned. I wanted to be the little girl. I was in my third cup of tea when I got up to move the flowers in the fountain. At that same time, our group was ushered out and our time was up but I was thankful for those moments of reflection - listening to the water. When it was loud, there was movement. I decided to move when it was quiet. Practice quiet. Speak when quiet. Be still when loud. People where loud.
At night, we went to see Flamenco en las Cuevas del Sacromonte. We went to the Cueva de Rocio. Gypsy lived in caves. Our guide at Generalife & Alhambra described it as "angry apple eating while bug stomping"
https://www.alhambradegranada.org/en/info/historicalintroduction.asp
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