Cordoba and the Flu

These past two weeks, I have been getting over the flu, and it was harder than I've ever experienced. The Saturday before last, my friend was in town from Madrid so we hung out for a while until my body began to feel very achy. I went home, got in the bed, and slept until Monday. My body was so weak, and I was exhausted. Finally, I decided that I should see a doctor since I was missing class and could barely walk. The doctor gave me four different medications and sent me on my way. Instantly, I began to feel better. I went to class the next day, and each day felt easier. I guess my body is not used to the germs here. Many of the students have been sick and are continuing to get sick.

This past Saturday we drove three hours to Cordoba, Spain. We went to a museum of architecture called El Museo de Madinat al-Zahra, which had pieces of ancient buildings in Cordoba. After, we walked around the city and went the Cathedral of Cordoba, which is a very popular church known for its architecture and Islamic background. Luckily, I was feeling better so I could handle all the walking we were doing.

This weekend, beginning tomorrow, I am going to Paris, France! I'm staying directly in the city only minutes away from the Eiffel Tower. I'll be sure to take plenty of pictures.

Madrid

Toledo

Segovia

Aquarium at the zoo in Madrid

The Royal Palace

Real Madrid soccer stadium

Bull Fighting Stadium

From Wednesday to Sunday, I was in Madrid, Spain with my group learning about it's history and seeing the sights. Madrid is a gorgeous city with a population of about 5 million people. I call it the New York City of Spain because it is very fashion forward and it has a lot of corporate buildings. We stayed in a hotel called, El Regente, in the heart of the city right off Gran Via, which is a main street. Along with the stores and offices, they have many historical sights like museums and palaces that all tell stories about the culture of Madrid. On the first day, we went to Escorial to see the Royal Seat of San Lorenzo del Escorial where kings of Spain lived in the 15th century. Now it is a monastery, school, museum, and royal palace. The next day we took a bus tour that showed us around the city. We saw the Real Madrid fútbol stadium and the bull fighting stadium. After the bus tour we took a tour of another Royal Palace where a king of Spain lived. Each room was decorated to represent another country and serve a different purpose. On Friday, we were on our own to do what we wanted, and a group of us went to the zoo. It cost 19 euros to get enter, which I was shocked about and almost changed my mind about going. However, it had a lot to offer. There were many animals and an aquarium that was very beautiful. Friday night we went to a Spanish musical called "40 Musical," and they played top 40 Spanish hits throughout the story. Although I didn't understand a lot of what they were saying, I got the gist of what the plot was about. The musical was very entraining and the audience was mostly of teenagers and young adults. The following day, we took the bus to Segovia, Spain, which was an hour and a half away, and saw their historical sights and museum. Finally, on the last day, we visited Toledo, Spain to take pictures of the view of the city. After, we went into the city to see a few cathedrals and ate at McDonald's. I am not a huge McDonald's fan, but it was good. The hamburger meat was bigger than the bun and the french fries tasted like fresh cut potatoes. It was the best experience I ever had at McDonald's.

Since the paragraph described what we did during the day, I will now tell what we did at night. What we did at night is a completely different story. Madrid loves to party. They have, what are called, discotecas, which are like clubs but with live dance performances. These discotecas do not begin until after 12 a.m. or 1 a.m. We went three nights in a row, and yes, I was tired, but they were a lot of fun. We didn't get back to our hotel until 5 or 6 in the morning just in time for breakfast at 8 a.m. I was dragging through our afternoon adventures, but I was only going to be there once. Plus, I got a chance to meet people from different countries. If you decide to visit Spain, you must visit Madrid. The cost to stay there is expensive, but it is definitely worth it.

Arabic Spa

Tonight I went to an Arabic spa recommended from our program director. The student package was only 21 euros, and it included a massage and access to the three different temperature pools. The place was set up Arabian style with dimmed lights and marble walls and floors. They took us to the back to change our clothes then showed us the different areas we could experience. The first room was the ice bath. I didn't go to that one because I hate cold water. I can barely get into a swimming pool. The second room had a larger pool and, it was the hottest bath like a jacuzzi. Then the last room was the medium temperature bath, which was deeper, but the temperature was just right. Not too hot or too cold. Each of us was given a number, and when it was called, we went to the section where the massages were held. The masseuse called me over, and I laid on the table and received the best massage of my life. He used an oil that felt like a mild IcyHot. Once it was over I went into another room that had a large flat hot rock in the middle and laid on it for a few minutes. The whole packaged lasted for an hour and a half. Before exiting the spa area, we had mint tea waiting for us. That tea was the best tea I have ever drank. I'm going to find out where i can purchase it and bring some back to the U.S. It is amazing! The entire experience was absolute bliss. I am definitely going to be spoiled before I go back home.

If you are ever in Spain you have to experience this! I plan on bringing my mother when she comes to visit.

http://www.granada.hammamspain.com/index.php