Paseos

Hola! In Spain, it is very common to take a paseo, which is a casual walk. Since my orientation class is so long, we take a paseo everyday. My teacher incorporates it into our lesson. For instance, we were learning about directions, so she gave each group a place and we had to ask Spanish people for directions in order to find our destination. Yesterday we took a paseo to a fish and meat market. It was inside of a large warehouse with little vendors set up selling whole fish and meat. It was quite an interesting experience. Lets just say you don't want to eat meat anytime soon after being able to identify exactly what animal is being sold. The smell was absolutely repulsive, but most of the people we talked to were very helpful. We had to ask for recipes for common Spanish dishes. I have noticed that I am able to comprehend Spanish fairly well, however, when I have to speak it, it is a different story.

After our time at the market, we walked by the cathedral. It is absolutely amazing with intricate details on every wall. Vendors sell tea leaves and spices from tables, which was a welcomed smell after the fish and meat market. Women also try to hand you rosemary, which you think is free, but then you have to buy it. One of the girls in my class took it by accident and then the woman was refusing to take it back. Thankfully our teacher stepped in, but after living in Chicago, I have learned to just ignore the people who are trying to give you things on the street. We then wound our way through small streets stopping to window shop. Most of the shops were definitely influenced by the Islamic culture. It is really interesting to see how the Catholic, Jewish, and Islamic mix together to create the culture of Granada.

This weekend I will be taking a trip to Ronda and Sevilla with IES. I am really excited and my host mom says that Sevilla is absolutely beautiful. After the hike in the mountains, I am ready for a more relaxed weekend.

Hasta Luego,

~Elizabeth~