AndalucíaBy: Stephanie Lee and Emily Lundquist
Photo by: Brianna Jauregui
Leaving Madrid isn't easy--a student could probably spend an entire semester there without tiring of its museums, discoteques and cafés. But more than 70 University of California students got a wider and richer look at Spain during a recent weekend trip to Andalucía, the country's southernmost region. From February 6 to 8, we took a break from our studies at Universidad Carlos III to visit the enchanting cities of Córdoba and Granada.
And here was the Spain I’d been expecting to find all along: bumpy cobble stone streets, murmuring fountains, all awash in a glorious Mediterranean sun. Ideal, yes, but not idealized; this really is an accurate description of Andalucian Spain—and I have the pictures to prove it!
However, the charming atmosphere of southern Spain is thousands of years in the making, influenced by the movements of different cultures and religions through the region. The Greeks and Phoenicians engaged in trade along the coast, and the Romans grew wheat, olive oil and wine alongside the Río Guadalquivir. Furthermore, the region’s name comes from the word “Al-Andalus,” a title given by the Moors. In fact, the Moors gave Andalucía more than just its namesake: in control from 711 to 1492, they left a distinctive stamp of African and Islamic influence on Andalucía's greatest cities: Sevilla, Granada and Córdoba.
Córdoba, our first stop, has the feel of a labyrinth, with narrow, twisting streets that reveal courtyards, orange trees and flower-lined balconies at every bend. Don’t be fooled by its quaint appearance, though—this city was the hub of the Moorish Empire for three centuries, and once the largest city in Western Europe. The first site on our agenda for the weekend was La Mezquita; culturally, it is considered the most important Islamic monument in the Western world, and aesthetically, it is a stunning display of Muslim architecture. It boasts rows of granite and marble pillars topped by striped arches and intricate Byzantine mosaics, encased within cool walls and providing endless subject matter for the photographers in our group.
Despite the significance and cultural appeal of La Mezquita, the hands-down favorite aspect of Córdoba was the flamenco show, which took place Friday night. Andrew Dunn, a UC Santa Barbara junior, described the colorful espactaculo as a “dangerous sport,” a description that surprisingly fits the loud, flamboyant style of dance. Accompanying the dancers were several Spanish guitarists and singers, whose melodies added to the rhythm and energy of the evening.
“Flamenco was an interesting exhibition of the Andalucian culture. I was delighted by the musical and aesthetic quality of their dance. The sangria wasn’t too bad, either,” said Eduardo Villagrana, a junior from UC Riverside.
On Saturday morning, we scrambled onto a bus and headed towards Granada. Our journey was punctuated by a quick stop for some olive oil sampling, a taste test of the region that supplies much of the world’s other oil supply. When we arrived in Granada, a real treasure awaited us: the Alhambra, a grand fortress that overlooks the city from the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, and an entire afternoon to explore it. We walked through the various rooms of the palace, soaking up its decorative genius, from the walls covered in calligraphy and arabesques (series of repeated geometric forms that look like plants and animals) to the keyhole windows with views of flora and fauna. The rest of the grounds are dotted with carefully designed gardens, fountains, and reflecting pools. Unsurprisingly, the beauty and grandeur of La Alhambra has inspired many a writer over the years, including American author Washington Irving, whose "Tales of the Alhambra" was instrumental in introducing the site to Western audiences.
On Sunday, the last day of the trip, we took a walking tour of Granada. One of the major stops was Capilla Real (Royal Chapel), which houses the tombs of Ferdinand and Isabel. Another was the Granada Cathedral, which was designed at the peak of the Spanish Renaissance and took 181 years to build. After a quick bite to eat, we were back on the bus and headed home to Madrid. Exhausted but enamored with what we’d seen, arms full of souvenirs and postcards, we all agreed on one thing: it was a truly remarkable experience.
Photo by: Brianna Jauregui
Leaving Madrid isn't easy--a student could probably spend an entire semester there without tiring of its museums, discoteques and cafés. But more than 70 University of California students got a wider and richer look at Spain during a recent weekend trip to Andalucía, the country's southernmost region. From February 6 to 8, we took a break from our studies at Universidad Carlos III to visit the enchanting cities of Córdoba and Granada.
And here was the Spain I’d been expecting to find all along: bumpy cobble stone streets, murmuring fountains, all awash in a glorious Mediterranean sun. Ideal, yes, but not idealized; this really is an accurate description of Andalucian Spain—and I have the pictures to prove it!
However, the charming atmosphere of southern Spain is thousands of years in the making, influenced by the movements of different cultures and religions through the region. The Greeks and Phoenicians engaged in trade along the coast, and the Romans grew wheat, olive oil and wine alongside the Río Guadalquivir. Furthermore, the region’s name comes from the word “Al-Andalus,” a title given by the Moors. In fact, the Moors gave Andalucía more than just its namesake: in control from 711 to 1492, they left a distinctive stamp of African and Islamic influence on Andalucía's greatest cities: Sevilla, Granada and Córdoba.
Córdoba, our first stop, has the feel of a labyrinth, with narrow, twisting streets that reveal courtyards, orange trees and flower-lined balconies at every bend. Don’t be fooled by its quaint appearance, though—this city was the hub of the Moorish Empire for three centuries, and once the largest city in Western Europe. The first site on our agenda for the weekend was La Mezquita; culturally, it is considered the most important Islamic monument in the Western world, and aesthetically, it is a stunning display of Muslim architecture. It boasts rows of granite and marble pillars topped by striped arches and intricate Byzantine mosaics, encased within cool walls and providing endless subject matter for the photographers in our group.
Despite the significance and cultural appeal of La Mezquita, the hands-down favorite aspect of Córdoba was the flamenco show, which took place Friday night. Andrew Dunn, a UC Santa Barbara junior, described the colorful espactaculo as a “dangerous sport,” a description that surprisingly fits the loud, flamboyant style of dance. Accompanying the dancers were several Spanish guitarists and singers, whose melodies added to the rhythm and energy of the evening.
“Flamenco was an interesting exhibition of the Andalucian culture. I was delighted by the musical and aesthetic quality of their dance. The sangria wasn’t too bad, either,” said Eduardo Villagrana, a junior from UC Riverside.
On Saturday morning, we scrambled onto a bus and headed towards Granada. Our journey was punctuated by a quick stop for some olive oil sampling, a taste test of the region that supplies much of the world’s other oil supply. When we arrived in Granada, a real treasure awaited us: the Alhambra, a grand fortress that overlooks the city from the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, and an entire afternoon to explore it. We walked through the various rooms of the palace, soaking up its decorative genius, from the walls covered in calligraphy and arabesques (series of repeated geometric forms that look like plants and animals) to the keyhole windows with views of flora and fauna. The rest of the grounds are dotted with carefully designed gardens, fountains, and reflecting pools. Unsurprisingly, the beauty and grandeur of La Alhambra has inspired many a writer over the years, including American author Washington Irving, whose "Tales of the Alhambra" was instrumental in introducing the site to Western audiences.
On Sunday, the last day of the trip, we took a walking tour of Granada. One of the major stops was Capilla Real (Royal Chapel), which houses the tombs of Ferdinand and Isabel. Another was the Granada Cathedral, which was designed at the peak of the Spanish Renaissance and took 181 years to build. After a quick bite to eat, we were back on the bus and headed home to Madrid. Exhausted but enamored with what we’d seen, arms full of souvenirs and postcards, we all agreed on one thing: it was a truly remarkable experience.
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