Andalusia

I flew into Seville early in the morning, so I had the whole day to explore. I went on an electric scooter tour around the city and had a ton of fun. My tour guide was the cutest old man named Luís, and he zipped us around the town. I had a hard time keeping up with him because he went so fast; I felt like I was doing a workout LOL. The architecture in Seville is so unique and special. The city's rich history creates a cultural mix of Spanish, Moorish, and Arabic influences throughout the city. On my second day, I went to the Real Alcázar de Sevilla and HOLY COW. I had never seen something so beautiful. While the handful of castles I have toured throughout my life have been very elegant, it was always because of the vast rooms, embellished furniture, or fascinating paintings. On the other hand, this castle was magnificent just by being itself. There was no furniture or massive paintings - just beautiful mosaic tiles and stunning architecture. Even though it was over 100 degrees outside, I could have spent all day wandering around the gardens, which were equally as beautiful. For my last night in Seville, I went to Las Setas to watch the sunset!

My next stop was Cadiz, the oldest city in Spain. The town is known for a beautiful beach and Castillo de San Sebastian, an ancient fortress at the end of a long cobblestone path through the ocean. It's a smaller city with little to do; I spent my time doing some homework and soaking up lots of sun. I enjoyed my time in Cadiz; however, I wish I would have spent a few days in Cordoba instead because I prefer more activity. 

Granada was my favorite stop by far, so it was fitting that I spent the most time here. The city is situated at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. In addition, Granada was the last Arabic city in Spain, so the culture and architecture are very authentic; I tried so many delicious foods! 

On my first day in Granada, I went canyoning with two other girls from the hostel. We drove about an hour through the mountains to Rio Verde, which was so beautiful in and of itself. Then we hiked for another hour to get to the starting point. Canyoning was a lot of fun but also challenging. We had to wear these wetsuits, which I hated more than anything, and walk through the river. I was constantly climbing over and bumping into rocks. We did rappel down a waterfall and jumped off lots of cliffs which made it worth it. However, we were in the river for 4.5 hours, so it was a long day. I would have enjoyed simply hiking along the river and mountains more. For dinner, the hostel had organized a gypsy dinner, so we all walked up to the gypsy caves and had a typical gypsy dinner. It was interesting to learn more about their lifestyle and culture. 

My second day in Granada involved hiking Los Cohorres, a beautiful river canyon trail in the mountains. The hike was so much fun - there were times when we were clinging to the side of rocks, jumping in waterfalls, and walking across hanging bridges. The views were absolutely spectacular! My last day in Granada was spent 'relaxing' (I put that in quotes because there is no true relaxing in Granada - everything is an uphill walk). I wandered around the city and walked up to the palace, Alhambra, to explore the gardens.

Oh, Málaga, where do I begin? From the moment I got off the train, it seemed like everything that could go wrong did. From miscommunication with my Airbnb to homework not loading, everything seemed to mix with my exhaustion from traveling that I fell apart. So, if you saw someone sobbing in the train station, it wasn't me... I was determined not to let it ruin my second day here; I woke up early and was ready to explore the city. Murphy's law decided it wasn't done with me yet, though. Once I got to the metro, I realized I had forgotten my mask, so I had to walk back to the Airbnb only to return to the metro and pay to get on once more. Once I got downtown, my phone suddenly stopped working, and I couldn't for the life of me get it to work again. So, again, if you saw someone crying on the floor of Allehop, desperately trying to get her phone to work/charge, it wasn't me... After accepting my doomed fate and trying to navigate with my Apple watch (not the first time that little device has saved me), my phone suddenly turned back on. I could have cried right then and there, but I didn't have anything left. The next day I hiked El Caminto del Ray, a trail that leads you across bridges and through canyons. It used to be considered the most dangerous path in the world, so naturally, I knew I had to do this hike. Fortunately (more for my parents' sake), the path was reconstructed in 2015, so it's totally safe now. Nevertheless, the trail was thrilling; we walked along a boardwalk, hundreds of feet above the ground. After the walk, I headed to the beach, where I read my book and enjoyed the sunset. I am happy to say that the blue water, sandy beach, and tall palm trees helped change my opinion of the city. I flew out the following day with a good feeling about the city - I don't hate you anymore, Málaga.