El sol brilla en Granada

Today was the best day. I now understand why this city is known for being so vibrant and busy. The sun was unbelievably bright and totally changed my mood about this whole Spain thing. Everything looked so much prettier. The morning started off slow because I was up early and no one else seemed to be alive so I just kind hung out in the dark until my roommates woke up. I took a shower in the miniscule shower(if you can even call it that) and flooded the bathroom. The best way I can describe it is like an in ground pool, it drops off suddenly and there's no grip so you have to balance yourself perfectly. Neither the "deep end" nor the "shallow end" are big enough to completely stand in so its really uncomfortable. Then on top of that the shower curtain is non existent and if you hit the shower head(which is inevitable since it comes to about my shoulders) it falls off and sprays all over the bathroom. Describing this now I probably wasn't as quiet as I thought I was this morning.

We went shopping a little bit and I got a black leather jacket which I totally don't need but really wanted! Then it was time for lunch and then a meeting with ISA. We had a surprise exam which we were told was a small quiz and ended up being 80 multiple choice and got progressively more difficult as it went on. Supposedly it was to test our level of Spanish, I thought thats what the placement exam was for? Who knows.

Then came the best part of my time here so far, we toured the Albaicin/Alhambra. It's the arabic area of the city and it is so beautiful! It's narrow winding roads uphill and the houses are gorgeous. They are called "carmens" and they are gated in mansions with the most beautiful colors and decorations. We looked over some of the walls to see inside one of them and it was incredible. Like a tropical paradise hidden behind white stone walls. This was nothing compared to what was at the top though. You get to a small plaza with a white church and when you turn the corner you are above the entire city with the Sierra Nevadas and the entire Alhambra right in front of you. It's right below the gypsy caves so they come down with jewelry and scarves and dance and sing. There were two men sitting on the wall playing the guitar. It all seemed so picturesque and fake almost but that really is the life there. I guess if I had nothing to do all day I would sit in that exact spot too : )