Map Granada, Spain News and Updates

AIFS in Granada: Notes from Campus

RD Journal: AIFS Excursion to Gibraltar, Sevilla, and Córdoba
AIFS in Granada Videos on YouTube!
Student Volunteers in Granada
Photo Safari Contest Winners
Intercambios
If I Could Turn Back Time...
Ideas para el Puente de la Inmaculada...
Navidad, Navidad, Dulce Navidad

 

RD Journal: AIFS Excursion to Gibraltar, Sevilla, and Córdoba

On Friday, February 19th, all AIFS Spring semester students plus Adam and Max (our full year students) and Assistant RD Inma Arenas and I departed Granada early for our three-day excursion to Gibraltar, Sevilla and Córdoba.

St. Michael’s CaveWe lucked out on the weather! The temperature in Gibraltar was in the mid-50ºs, and we all enjoyed the sun. After crossing the border into their British territory, students were able to get some lunch and enjoy some shopping on Main Street. Everyone here is bilingual - fluent in Spanish and English!

Student and Barbary ApesAround 4pm, we were picked up by Calypso Tours and drove in mini-buses around (and into!) the Rock of Gibraltar. Our first stop was the lighthouse of Europa Point. We had a clear day and could make out the coastline of Morocco (Africa!) for miles and miles. Our next stop was St. Michael’s Cave, a gigantic cave of stalactite and stalagmite formations (photo above). From there we went on to meet the Barbary Macques - the apes of Gibraltar. Students enjoyed posing with them, and there was even a little “monkey business” going on when one reached down a female student’s shirt for a peanut!

Seville's Plaza de EspañaWe spent both Friday and Saturday night in Sevilla in the Hotel Virgen de los Reyes and enjoyed their famous “churros con chocolate” for breakfast. Our tour of Sevilla lasted most of Saturday morning. We enjoyed the Plaza de España and seeing Columbus’s tomb in the Cathedral of Sevilla. We even got to see a typical wedding Sevillano-style in the Cathedral! Most of the students climbed the Giralda tower of the Catheral (36 ramps!) for the gorgeous views and then spent the afternoon strolling along the Guadalquivir River bank or visiting the Maestranza bullring or shopping in town.

CordobaThe rain came back on Sunday morning, but it didn’t dampen our visit to the Cathedral/ Mosque of Córdoba. We enjoyed an informative tour by local guides Juan Carlos and Maria. We visited the 13th century Synagogue of Córdoba, the Judería neighborhood and the 9th Century Great Mosque.

AIFS in Granada Videos on YouTube!

Staff in Granada have posted some new videos fromGranada. Watch them now!

AIFS in Granada Student Volunteers

In Fall Semester 2009, eight AIFS students participated in the AIFS “Solidarios” volunteering project. Students chose from one of three different volunteering opportunities: being a “teacher’s helper” at a grammar school or pre-school, accompanying an elderly person for an afternoon, or feeding the homeless. By spending two or three hours one day per week at their “jobs,” students were able to integrate into Spanish society while also giving something back to the city that hosted them for four months. Read about some of these students' volunteer experiences: www.aifsabroad.com/articles/march10newsletter_granada.asp

Photo Safari Contest Winners

AIFS students were invited to enter a photo contest in Granada. Here is the winning entry, along with comments from the RD!

Gracias a los dos grupos que al final participaron – ¡fue una decisión muy, muy difícil!

¡Enhorabuena a Emily, Colby y Max!

 

 

Intercambios

We are happy that many of you have been finding intercambios and meeting
with Spanish students to practice your Spanish, but we want to encourage
ALL of you to get at least ONE intercambio. Think of it like this...getting to know Spanish students and speaking all the Spanish you can from now until December 18th is your JOB! So get moving. It takes effort and persistence on your part– BUT YOU CAN DO IT!

Stop by the AIFS office – our tablón de intercambios is full of interested Spanish students – or by the secretaría in the Centro and sign up for the servicio de intercambios.

We know that making new acquaintances in a new culture is not always easy — but as the viejo dicho goes: "el que algo quiere, algo le cuesta." ¡Suerte y al toro!

If I Could Turn Back Time...

Sometimes we spend so much time focused on home and what we miss that we forget to enjoy the present – where we are and all the advantages that this “reality” has to offer. Other times we are so busy with the “fun” part of Granada that we forget to explore other facets of this experience.

Believe it or not, we have just four weeks to go until finals week and the clock is ticking. It is important to remember your “goals” (why I came, what I want to achieve, be able to do, etc.) and to work toward them.

We have compiled a list of students’ answers to the question “what would you do differently if you started your study abroad all over again?”. Our motivation is not to make you feel bad or feel guilty (you know who you are!); we want you
to take advantage of your time in Granada.

“I would not have relied on people at home so much in the beginning when my homesickness set in.”

“I would have forced myself to speak Spanish with my friends from the beginning and I would have called my intercambio sooner.”

“I would separate myself from the Americans.”

“I would have stayed here for a year, and would have made more of an effort to meet Spanish friends and speak more Spanish.”

Ideas para el Puente de la Inmaculada...

Planning on going somewhere for the long weekend in December, but not sure where? Make your reservations soon– all of España is on holiday and if you wait until the last minute you may not get reservations.

Here are a few ideas of places to visit in Andalucía or España.

Ronda, a lovely town in the mountains of Málaga has the oldest bullring in España still in use. The town itself is also lovely – separated into parts by a 1000ft. ravine offering a half-day’s hike down and back up.

The city of Valencia has an amazing Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias including the largest acquarium in Europe (Oceanográfic) with over 500 species of marine animals.

Take a walk up to the Camino del Sacromonte to visit the Centro de Interpretación. For 5€/person you can visit several caves and learn about what life as a troglodyte is all about.

Navidad, Navidad, Dulce Navidad

Navidad in España brings us another aspect of Spanish gastronomy that is of the high calorie and truly delightful variety – o sea, the best kind! Don’t expect to find too many candy canes or gingerbread men around Granada as the holidays come near. Traditional Christmas treats are made out of the typical ingredients used in Spanish cuisine – almonds, honey, chocolate, walnuts, etc. Following we have listed some of the typical treats that you can purchase in any grocery or specialty store.

Mazapán – Soft cakes made of thick almond paste and baked.
Turrón – Hard candy made of almonds.
Mantecado – Powdery cakes made of ground almonds. They often come in flavors such as anis, tutti frutti and coconut or covered in chocolate or sesame seeds.
Trufas – Little dark chocolate balls covered with cocoa powder
Bolitas de Coco – Coconut balls covered with dark chocolate
Polvorónes – Similar to mantecado, come in bars

A typical place to purchase all these treats are in the convents. The cloistered nuns spend all year preparing their specialties to sell during the holiday season. The Convento de Santa Catalina on Carrera del Darro has a door open during business hours for selling dulces. Once inside the vestibule, you will find the list of items (usually in kilo or ½ kilo). You should ring the bell and hear a window slide open be-hind a dark screen, but will not see anyone. Once greeted by the nun you can make your order. You should then place your money on the sliding door and in turn will receive your treats and the corresponding change.

University of Granada