¡Hola!
Friday morning we packed up our bags and said Adios! to our Cuenca friends. We were all pretty tired from the despedida party they threw us the night before, so we took advantage of the long bus ride to Granada to catch up on some sleep.
At the despedida (farewell party) with our Cuenca friends!
After unpacking our bags and learning a brief history lesson on Granada, we hit the streets to search for words beginning in “al” (alquilar, albahaca, almuerzo). These words are examples of the Arabic influence on the Spanish language. That night we enjoyed a spectacular dinner and flamenco show. We were blown away by the dancers’ intense movements and quick feet. It left us inspired to learn a few moves ourselves!
The next morning we were guided through the streets of Granada on a graffiti tour. We learned about the infamous graffiti artist, El Niño de Las Pinturas, and were able to decipher some of the messages in his work with the help from our knowledgeable guide. Just this past week, El Niño de Las Pinturas won a graffiti competition in East Village in New York! Later, we practiced past tense verbs by translating his fantastical biography from Spanish to English.
During siesta we wrote postcards thanking our families in Cuenca (We miss them already!). In the afternoon we were challenged to a scavenger hunt, Granada-style. It was competitive, yet fun! We were awarded with a delicious tapas tour!
Today we took a bus to a small, whitewashed village outside of Granada to go on an olive oil tour. We visited an olive grove, learned about the process of making olive oil, and taste-tested five different kinds. Favorites included the basil-infused oil and the orange-infused one, which we ate with bread and a pinch of sugar!
Group in front of the cold oil press on the Olive Oil Tour
Hasta luego!
– Nick y Tasha