The Speed Dating of Andalusia

Things have been insanely busy the past few weeks and I simply haven’t found time to sit down and record my thoughts and updates on my trip.  So, although I am behind schedule I’ll take you back in time to the entry for Andalusia and do my best to catch both of us up and get us back on track.

It’s crazy to believe I’m already on week five of Spain and my semester in Salamanca is coming to a close.  It feels like just yesterday I was on a plane to Madrid, comprising guesses of what would transpire when I left normal and entered the unknown. I don’t think I’ve had such little sleep or large amounts of coffee in my life, but regardless of the crazy that’s ensued, I know the insanity has a purpose for its presence.

This past weekend we traveled to Andalusia (aka the Sahara desert).  Aside from the setting being an endless sauna, I would describe the behavior of the trip was a bit like speed dating, but with places instead of people.  Let me explain: You enter knowing you’ll see a million places, hoping you’ll connect with at least one, and just as you get to know a little bit about the character of contestant #1, it’s off to contender #2.

Our first contestant was the Alhambra in Granada.   The Alhambra stands on the hill of Sabika, one of the highest points in the city, strategically placed at this location to act as a military defense for outside invaders. After the Spanish Christian monarchs defeated the Moors and captured Granada in 1492, they used the Alhambra as their own palace.

The entire site is mystifying, containing an energy that hits you out of left field. From the outside of the castle you see strength and power through its towering walls and intimidating magnitude, but what lies within is an intricate complexity of overlaid spaces and gardens that become so much more than what meets the eye.  Every single space is covered with decoration, walls with rich ceramics and vibrant mosaics, arches covered with exquisite carvings, and vibrant flowers popping out from all directions.  You can feel the Arabic myths emanating from the walls and the tales of soldiers and rulers pouring out amongst the ceilings.

We headed off to contestant number 2: the Mezquita in Cordoba.  As soon as we walked into the Mezquita, long hallways took control, and rows of tall columns and symmetrical arches filled the atmosphere. One row after the other, the open space became a mirror with a continuous reflection of the same red and white stripe, creating an optical illusion for the eyes and a sensation of amazement for the mind.

The last contestant up was the city of Seville, and out of all three bachelors, his aesthetic proved to be most impressive. Rather than using wide spaces and modern architecture, the roads stayed narrow as the streets contained an artistic line of bright buildings, each portraying a unique personality trait within the press ins and pop outs of the guardrails and windowsills.

By the end of the weekend trip, each contestant of Andalusia meshed together and evolved into an accurate portrayal of what Spain has made me feel: amazement, exhaustion, and pure bliss all mixed into one. That’s the thing about speed dating: you learn a little about a lot, but in the process of having so much thrown at you at once, you come to know yourself the best, and uncover there’s more to who you are than what you thought before.