When I was told we were going on a bike tour through Madrid’s city center, my thought was “lol… no…” Riding a bike through the capital of Spain in the middle of the day seemed like a death wish for someone who hasn’t ridden a bike in 6 years.
Until I found out it was National Cycling Day in Spain.
Which meant that there were no cars allowed to drive through city center.
Major. Game. Changer.
Continue reading “Spanish National Cycling Day”
The capital of Spain, the point from which all distances in the country are measured, Madrid is quite the city to see. As always, exploring the city in one full day is such a whirlwind, but here are some highlights from my weekend in Madrid!
Continue reading “A Weekend In Madrid”
It feels like my time in Spain is flying by. I can’t believe it’s already October, I’ve already been here a month, I’ve already visited so many places, and I know I still have so much time left, but it’s going to go by so quickly.
I started school this week so it’s been a lot with adjusting to a new schedule, traveling on the weekends, and of course, getting sick. As I sit in the hotel room in Seville recovering from a sinus/ ear infection, I’m reflecting back on last weekend’s trip to Toledo and Madrid (post to come). It’s such a whirlwind of places and sights and cathedrals and museums and buses… It can be hard to keep up sometimes.
That being said, here’s a little bit of our brief visit to Toledo.
Last week marked the end of my intensive Spanish program and also the completion of my first month living Spain!
Continue reading “Bohemia Jazz Café”
This week I’ve compiled a list of 7 things that have made me happy or brought me joy in some way-
This week was hard, I’m not even going to lie. Granada is as beautiful as ever, I’m learning more and more every day, but that doesn’t mean every day is going to be the best day ever.
Up until this week, I hadn’t really spent a lot of time pining over home or missing anything in particular. But, while we all have bad days and bad weeks, the best way to get over it is to create a positive mindset.
In all honesty, I am still in my funk and I hope writing this gets me out of it, but I’ll let you know!
Continue reading “The Homesick Blues”
On Sundays in Granada, nearly everything shuts down. It’s the day off for small shop owners, and there’s a law dictating that big businesses close as well to preserve the small shop industry within the city. That left us with a day off, no plans, and not a lot of options.
Sitting around felt like a waste of a day when I think about the fact that I fly home in 97 days, so my friends and I decided to spend our afternoon walking through the Albaicín, the old Moorish district in Granada. And boy, am I glad we did.
Continue reading “Spending Sunday in the Oldest District in Granada”
I didn’t think I could possibly love Spain anymore. Every morning I walk out my door surrounded by the most amazing architecture. I go to school in buildings that are centuries old and I’m surrounded by gelato on every street corner. EVERY. CORNER. Life can’t get any better.
Or so I thought.
This morning my group and I toured the famous Alhambra, which is a mere 10 minute walk away from my residencia. TEN MINUTES. I live ten minutes away from the oldest monument in Spain and that blows my mind.
Continue reading “A Day at the Alhambra”
Studying abroad is an amazing privilege, one that less than 10 percent of U.S. college students actually take advantage of. The opportunity to get college credit in a foreign country, learn a new language, and immerse myself in a new and different culture was an opportunity I knew I couldn’t pass up.
That being said, there are pros and cons to anything you do, at any point in your life. So here’s a list of the Pros and Cons I’ve experienced in the week I’ve spent in Granada, España.
Continue reading “Study Abroad Pros & Cons: What I’ve Learned in my First week”
Ashley Whitwell 