A Vacation in Granada and Two Beautiful Visitors

I have had an absolutely incredible, albeit completely busy, last month of my life. So much has happened that I am positive that I will be unable to recall and recount all of the amazing memories and experiences that I had over the last month. Nevertheless, in the spirit of doing one’s best despite the impossibility of perfection, I will attempt to give a glimpse into and make a written record of my doings. 

Jesú and Ana, both social workers of different types
here in Spain

To begin, in early December I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to a city in southern Spain called Granada with Ana, the woman who works as a guidance counselor in my high school, and her family, composed of her husband Ángel and their daughter, Vega, whom I play with in English once a week. We left right after classes so that we could take full advantage of the long weekend we had here in Spain. We drove down to Granada from Madrid, a pleasant car ride of about 5 hours. Unfortunately, I was feeling quite feverish and ill, which is never an ideal way to begin a vacation. I had bodily chills and felt very cold despite the pleasant weather. When we finally got to Granada, we met a man named Jesú who was an old friend of Ana’s from her university days and with whom she and her family would be staying during our time in Granada. I had a hostel reservation near Jesú’s house, and my lodging was a cute, small private room in which I felt very comfortable, a great place to recover from my illness over the next few days. 

 

A view of the Albaicín as seen from the Alhambra

Granada is an astounding city. It was the last Moorish stronghold that was captured during the centuries-long Reconquest in which the Catholics slowly took the Iberian Peninsula back from the Berber and Arabic Muslims who had conquered it in the early 8th century. Granada, therefore, is a city with a beautiful mix of Muslim and Catholic cultures. In some ways, it felt very oriental and exotic. Even though we were there in winter, there were lots of citrus trees bearing beautiful fruit, such as orange trees surrounding some of the central churches and the cathedral. Granada also felt very stereotypically Spanish. The Albaicín, for example, is a beautiful neighborhood of white houses with red tile roofs that has a beautiful view of the Alhambra, the jewel of the entire city and the reason that most people travel there. From the Albaicín there are some breathtaking views of the Alhambra, the last Muslim fortress of the Iberian Peninsula that comprised a palace, towers, and other buildings. The Sierra Nevada (Snowy Mountains) can also be seen in the background, with their large, snow-capped peaks creating a fascinating contrast with the palm trees and summer houses of the Albaicín. 

The contrasts of Granada: the palm tree in the forefront,
the Sierra Nevada in the background, and the
Alhambra off to the right

The central buildings of the Alhambra seen from
the city of Granada below it

The Alhambra is certainly an impressive fortress and had a lasting impact on me due to its grandeur and the oriental intricacy of its architecture. Washington Irving loved it so much that he actually lived in a few rooms in one of its palaces and wrote Tales of the Alhambra in homage to the edifices there. Other artists of all sorts have been inspired by its enormousness, intricacy, and beauty. As a Muslim fortress, its architecture is distinct from that of the rest of Western European art, since Islam forbids the representation of humans or animals in its art. As a result, the Alhambra’s palaces have stone and woodwork of elaborate, repetitive designs that are breathtaking. The Alhambra’s gardens were also beautiful, and the trickle of the running fountains made the entire experience even more magical and memorable. 

Some of the incredible artwork as seen
in the Patio of the Lions in the Alhambra

The small town whose coastline brought me to tears

With Ana and her family, I also had the privilege of visiting a small coastal town very near Granada (whose name I can’t remember, though it might have been Motril), and it was stunning. I was feeling very emotionally open for some reason on the day that we visited this town, and when we walked to the limits of the town and looked down into the enormous, seemingly endless ocean down below, I was overcome with emotion and shed a few tears. I felt the immensity of the world, the beauty of everything, and yet the transitory, ephemeral nature of life, and it was beautiful. On the way back from Granada, we stopped in a small town called Almagro known for its theater house that performs plays from Spain’s Siglo de Oro (Century of Gold, when prolific and renowned writers like Lope de Vega and Calderón de la Barca were writing). We ate in a traditional Spanish restaurant there and then came back to Madrid. Oddly and beautifully enough, it felt like coming home to be back in my apartment in the center of the bustling capital. It wasn’t as intense of a feeling of returning home as I’m sure I’ll feel when I land in the USA again and see the Suburban parked in front of our Empinado house, but it was nevertheless nice to recognize that I have a growing connection to Madrid and that, given time and energy, I can make a sanctuary for myself in a city on the other side of the world from the place where I have the deepest, oldest roots.

Susannah in front of La Catedral de San
Francisco el Grande, dedicated to Saint
Francis of Assisi

Quickly after my trip to Granada, I had my first of two visitors for the holidays. Susannah came because she had a long break from her teaching and tutoring and wanted to visit me, see Spain, and be able to support me and be supported by me in person. Susannah and I had a wonderful time alternating touristic activities with great personal, one-on-one time. We walked around Toledo, for example, which is a beautiful walled city that was a capital of a Roman province and the capital of Spain under the Visigoths. In Toledo, we ate an amazing meal of cocido madrileño, Madrid’s regional dish made of garbanzos, chorizo, morcilla (blood sausage), chicken, tocino (nothing but the fat of a pig), and some vegetables, including carrots, potatoes, and cabbage. She and I also visited El Escorial, a huge, austere palace built by Felipe II in the mountains north of Madrid. We took a few guided walks throughout Madrid and read about some of the neat parts of its history as we did so, including the fact that Saint Francis of Assisi once visited the city (and now has a cathedral named after him) and that Cervantes died in an adjacent neighborhood next to the one where I live on the same day and same year that Shakespeare died in England. Europe’s history is full of curiosities, and for a nerd like me it is nothing but sheer pleasure to relish in the cultural wealth of its constituent countries, especially when doing so with a friend.

Susannah and I enjoy the cocido broth
while awaiting the heap of garbanzos, meats,
and vegetables awaiting us.

Susannah and I also had some great conversations about healing parts of our past, embracing the goodness and light that lies within all of us, and living our highest selves. We talked about some really important things and generally did so over really rich meals, including some great Indian food (with naan to sop it up!) and some homemade langostinos a la plancha (grilled shrimp, essentially). We talked about the past, present, and future, and it was so beautiful to have one of my best friends and one of the wisest, kindest people on this planet to be here with me for a week. Susannah and I also had the privilege of meeting Ricardo together for the first time. I will write more about Ricardo later, but for now it suffices to say that, after telling us about his interest in languages and his dedication to living a sustainable lifestyle, and after showing us his happy aura and open spirit, we were both extremely impressed and felt a renewed hope about the existence of people who are really aiming to be their best selves and make the world the best it can be.

After Susannah left, I shed a few tears because I realized that I probably wouldn’t see her again for months, and that can be difficult. The same thing happened when Laura left—I just felt a little down and in a state of heightened awareness and sensitivity, which isn’t a bad thing. Kelly and I had a conversation about this, and we both think that having visitors is the time when homesickness hits the hardest. In the day to day, I don’t feel homesick because I have a full, happy life here in Madrid and know that all of you, my loved ones, are okay back in the States. But when I have a visitor and then that visitor leaves, the absence in my physical life of my loved ones is felt more acutely. It is not a negative sensation but merely one of an elevated appreciation, tinged with a touch of sorrow, for the great people that I love back in the United States.

The last week of work before the holidays was wonderful, and after our last day of work, all of the school faculty and staff typically go out to a nice restaurant to eat together. I dressed up in a button-up, slacks, wing-tips, and tie, and I had a fantastic time at the meal. I sat next to Laura and Ana, some of my favorite teachers at the school, and I also made a couple of new friends with people sitting near me. We ate course after course of delicious food, including different breads, a stinky but delicious cheese melted in a sophisticated dish, olives and tomatoes, and a selection of red meats and fish. I felt like my Spanish was, for some lucky reason, top notch on that day, and I just had a blast. When I caught the bus home from Moralzarzal back to Madrid, the sun was already beginning to set (Spanish lunch starts at around 3:00 or 4:00, remember), and I was as happy as I’ve ever been. Behind me were the first trimester of Spanish school, a wonderful visit from Susannah, and an enjoyable feast with my co-workers, while ahead of me were two weeks of vacation, a visit from Laura, and the general mystery and surprise of life. I was blissful and just reveled in the sunset, my iPod, and the pleasant sleepiness that dining well and then being on vacation brings.

On Christmas Eve, I had brunch with Ali, one of my best friends and supporters, and Mike, a super bright, funny guy who is also here on a Fulbright scholarship. It was great to get some human connection for the holiday, and our conversation focused on education reform and great pedagogues of ours who have left an indelible mark because of their teaching. I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day alone, happily reading in my room, eating Captain Crunch Peanut Butter cereal (thank you so much, Susannah!) and waiting to talk to my beloved family back home. When Laura came on the 28th, I was so thrilled to be seeing family in the flesh. I waited for her in the airport with a small little sign and covered her in hugs (and was covered in return) when we finally saw each other.

The breathtaking Monasterio de El Escorial, with perfectly
trimmed gardens adorning the stark granite palace

Laura and I had a great time. We did quite a bit of travelling to different places close to Madrid. We visited the beautiful castle in the sleepy town of Manzanares el Real. We saw a very beautiful painting of El Greco’s in a small and crowded church in Toledo. We visited El Escorial and noticed the paintings of the Spanish royalty hung there, fixating our attention on poor Carlos II, the last Habsburg who was so inbred that he was pallid and infertile with a peculiar physiognomy and indented eyes. There in El Escorial, Laura bought me a book on Spanish history since I am currently quite into the subject, and we had a great time there in general walking around its beautiful gardens and imagining being nobility ourselves. She and I also had the opportunity to travel to La Granja de San Ildefonso, a palace surrounded by stunning gardens designed by the Bourbons to imitate Versailles. After La Granja we went to Segovia, one of the coolest cities I have seen yet, since it has a Roman aqueduct, a Romanesque church, a Gothic cathedral and a palace all along the same road. We were able to see these great places because Ricardo, in his generosity, offered to drive us in his car, cutely named Abundancia. Laura and I also visited the house where Cervantes was born in Alcalá de Henares with Ricardo, and in general it was so nice to have his fact-filled mind and his fuel-filled car to do some great tourism here in Spain.

Segovia's stunning cathedral

Laura and I prepare twelve grapes to eat
at midnight after talking and listening to
music together to prepare for a new year

Laura and I also had a great time talking and supporting each other in life. She talked to me a lot about my future and listened so well to me. We also had an enjoyable time doing some Spanish customs, like eating 12 grapes with the timed chimes of a bell on New Year’s Eve (I think we both started prematurely since the bell system is somewhat complicated) and eating a roscón de reyes on January 6, the Three Wise Men’s Day. The roscón de reyes is a fluffy cake with a pastry-like texture and a slight hint of lemon in the taste. In each roscón is a little ceramic figurine. The person who gets the piece with the figurine is supposed to have to pay for the cake. Laura and I ate a roscón with Ricardo and his friends at his birthday party and also ate one with Kelly and Luis, my roommates, the next day, and both days we both avoided the little figurine. (Whether or not there was subterfuge or trickery involved, I am not at liberty to say. :) ) We had a thoroughly Spanish Christmas season, I think, and we loved being able to be together and have a spend-the-nighter together every night for more than a week. I was sad to see her go but felt this unbelievable gratitude for her, for my family and close friends, and for Madrid as I walked back from the bus stop in the dark hours of night after seeing her off at the Barajas Airport in Madrid.

I will write more about Ricardo, my birthday (which I’m about to go celebrate in a few hours!), and my current thoughts and impressions in my next post, which I promise I will write in less than a month. Know that I am well and that I am so grateful for your presence in my life, my beloved family and friends. I am sending all of my love and well-wishing from Madrid, knowing you are all sending it right back to me.