Nerja Beach Trip

Nerja beach trip today! Woot woot!

We checked the forecast before leaving the house today and it was still supposed to rain at about 3 pm. We brought our umbrellas to be safe, but we wouldn't end up needing them! We walked to Neptuno to meet where the bus was and then we were off to Palacio de Congresos to pick up the other half of the group. 

We then ventured off to Nerja on an hour and half bus ride. Along the way, while I tried to sleep, German would describe what we were seeing and passing by. I had no interest in listening because I was so tired but I did catch that he was talking about the olive trees, artichokes  oranges,  and the terrain. He also told us the story about the king who used to rule Granada, (again) and the quote that his mom told him. "You couldn't defend the city like a man so you can't cry like a woman"

We got to Nerja and we first took an hour walk around the city. This boat is famous, supposedly, and it was in the parking lot that we got dropped off at.

We then walked to a plaza which was similar to a boardwalk and pier combined into one. At the end of the walkway there was a great view of the Mediterranean Sea.

We then walked on the beach to get to the beach that we were going to be staying at for the day. The sand was a bit rough with a lot of stones and pebbles but it was nice to be at a beach finally! (AGAIN!) We then walked to where we were going to be set up and relaxed. 

The water was a bit chilly, not quite as cold as in Portugal, but it was still a little colder than I would've liked it to be. I only went in up to my knees at first but I would return later in the day to enjoy the water some more once I was burning up. 

Part of the fun of the day was having a handstand and cartwheel competition with Tess and Evan and I. Obviously Tess and I, the cheerleader and gymnast, were outdoing Evan greatly but it was still fun and funny to watch him try! 

Beach volleyball was next up on the things to do for the day! We had a huge game going of 6 vs 6 and it was so fun. I forgot how much I missed playing volleyball. My team won and then the other team won but it was all fun and games. 

It was then lunch time! We went to the restaurant right across from the beach which is known for their paella, which is what we had! We ate and then German took us to the "kitchen" so we could see it being made! What a huge huge pot of paella and chicken.

After lunch we let our food settle and we relaxed before going to play some more volleyball. Sam and Ruth had left during lunch because they were going to the Granada soccer game tonight, so we were a few people short so we had to redo the teams. We ended up playing a whole 5 games and my team won 3-2! Barely sneaking by because we started off down 0-2. Comeback kids!

Soon we were leaving the beach and heading back to the bus to return to Granada. The bus ride back was a little rough because I tried to sleep but I could not get comfortable, at all! 

When we got back to Granada, Rachael and I returned home and we went to sleep until dinner time. After dinner we rested in our beds some more and then we went out with Michael, Chelsea, Amy, Leah, Maggie and Alex. We went to Emilio's bar and they had their mixed drinks in genie bottles.

I had been having chest pains all day so I took some medicine before leaving, and therefore I didn't drink or take any pictures of me drinking from the bottle. I am hoping that we are going to go back sometime before we leave Granada.

We returned home after being out for an hour and then hit the sack. 

Dia de Las Cruces

Today started off with a later start than usual because I slept in after going out last night. When I woke up, I ate breakfast, checked my Facebook and email and then read my book. I got pretty far on my book, so I feel accomplished. I finished the first section :) which is already 120 pages in!

After lunch I took out my last amount of money from the ATM so I am going to make it last. I ran up to the room to drop off a majority of the money before Rachael and I went around town looking at the crosses that were set up. I explained to her the apple concept with the scissors and then we were both wondering what the true point of the holiday was. Neither of us still know. 

The women of Granada were all decked out today in their dresses! And even the little girls, how adorable they were. Here is an example of the dresses. Sorry it is from behind, I had to sneak the picture to not seem werid!

Throughout our walking through the city we stopped at a few shops because we were looking for a T-shirt for me, but they didn't have the size that I wanted, and a tapas recipe book. We found the books but Rachael said that there is a better selection in Corte Ingles so we were going to head over there later in the day.

We stopped at Los Italianos for some ice cream and I got a cone with nata (whipped cream) flavored ice cream. It was super good and I want to know the recipe so I can make it back home. We sat in Plaza Nueva and ate our cones, enjoying the beautiful day.

After finishing up our treat, we went to the box store where my dad got his Granada box from because I wanted to get one for myself, but they were closed. What a shame! I guess I will have to return another day. 

From there we walked to Corte Ingles, but first stopped at a Mexican Restaurant to view their menu. They have a deal on Thursdays for 1 euro Margaritas so we were eying up what else they had. At Corte Ingles they only had tapas books in Spanish, which would be no problem, except I want my family and friends to be able to read the book as well. I will return to get the tapas book later on my own time as well!

We went to the grocery store of Corte because we needed snacks for tomorrow, our beach day at Nerja! I bought a huge bag of popcorn for only 1.50 euros! What a steal! We then headed on home and spent the rest of the day in our rooms hanging out.

We "wasted" 4 hours doing absolutely nothing. Our excuse was that it was raining, but really we were just being lazy. I even took an hour of that time to just lay in bed and THINK, think!? Who does that?! Me, I suppose.

Eventually it was time for dinner so we convinced ourselves to leave the room and go chow down. 

After dinner I was trying to plan how I was going to waste time away but Kristin texted me asking me to Skype! I Skyped with her for a bit and then once I hung up Karyn wanted to Skype. It was a skyping day of the sisters!

I got to see my car finally on Skype, which was awesome. Karyn gave me a tour :) We were also talking about her graduation party and graduation in general. These events are all coming up so fast it's hard to believe! All after I come home, of course :)

After finishing up Skyping with Karyn I went to bed and rested up for tomorrow! 

Day One for Ham and Cheese

The title, I will explain later.

Woke up for class and was ready for the day because I knew I would be able to get through it easily. Went to class and surprisingly a lot of people showed up. I'd say only about 5 to 8 were missing, which is shocking because I figured everyone would have taken an extra long vacation and skipped classes on Thursday. That was not the case. 

After class I came home and took my nap and then showered. It was really really cold showering because the room has been freezing the past couple days, to the point where Rachael and I wished that the radiator would turn back on! 

I caught up on the Amazing Race, Awkward., and Survivor today. I was a TV show watching machine. Ate lunch and then got ready for my intercambio with Asun. 

While I was waiting around, I noticed that the restaurant Chikito near Fuente de Batallas had a cross set up that was themed for Granada soccer team. Earlier, when I was walking home from class I also noticed that there was something being set up with flowers in it near Cafe Futbol. I thought nothing of it and continued on my walk home. I did not understand why this was there, but I did notice that there was an apple with a scissors in it. This confused me a lot, but I would later learn from Asun why this was so!

For my intercambio today, we went to Los Italianos, an ice cream parlor that has been in Granada since 1936. It is a classic. I ordered what Asun ordered, a torta which was like an ice cream cake slice in a cone. It was chocolate and whipped cream flavored with almonds. Very delicious, and I will be returning! 

After getting our ice cream we went on a walk next to the Darro River. The path was called Paseo de Los Tristes. We then continued up towards the Alhambra, and took a route that had a TON of stairs. Eventually we got to the top and we walked by the Alhambra. We were going to go a garden but it was closed until 6, and we were there at 5:30. We are hoping to return before I leave Granada. 

Throughout the intercambio, we were teaching each other expressions in our own language and I learned that because I leave Granada soon, it is said that  "Cuando despierte, ir" which means "When I wake up, I go". I didn't think that we had an expression similar to this in English. 

We continued walking away from the Alhambra and came out near the CLM, the stairs that we went up with SOL and the way that I took my parents up. We then took a detour and walked near a park that was getting ready for Dia de Las Cruces, Day of the Crosses, which is tomorrow. 

I don't know if you can see it in the picture, but there is always an apple with an open scissors stuck in it, in every display because older people call the apples "peros" which means "buts". There is a contest of who has the best display out of 3 categories, in the city, on a patio or in a shop window. The Ayuntamiento decides who wins and they always say "It is beautiful, but..." so the apple signifies cutting that out! Comprende?

After walking around for a bit we went to the Ayuntamiento to get the map of the crosses for tomorrow so I can go around and see all of them. From there we separated and went our own ways. 

On my way home I stopped at Oysho and tried on the swimsuit that I had eyed up in the window a few weeks back. Good advertisement on their part! I loved the suit and I am probably going to go buy it tomorrow or sometime soon!

When I got home Rachael was already at class so I had the room to myself. I just relaxed and went on the computer. I tried to Skype with Brynn because we each had stories to tell each other but our internet connection was very bad so the calls kept on stopping and it was just a mess.

For dinner tonight we had the ham and cheese patties. Hence the title. We are counting how many times this month, the last 22 days of the time here, that we eat this meal. So far the count is at 1!

After dinner I got ready to go out. Rachael was staying in tonight so I met up with everyone at Leah and Maggie's apartment. We walked to Chupiteria 69, where we stayed for a while, taking lots of pictures. On our walk there I ran into Lineth on the streets and she wasn't planning on going out tonight, only to a few bars, so I would be the last one home. This was a first! I was in charge of Michael's camera so I wasn't in many pictures, but I did make it into a few!

Wisconsin Pride!

While we were out, we received an email from the registrar regarding our grades transferring back to Winona. I think it might finally be figured out. This is what the email said

"When your official transcripts are sent this spring, they will include a grade equivalency sheet from SOL.  This grade equivalency table is a change from what has been used in the past.  It was decided by our office that we will use the grade equivalency table used in the past for those students who are in Granada this spring.  The NEW grade equivalency table from SOL will be used for students traveling to Granada in Fall 2013 and forward.  Please contact me if you have any questions.  Thanks!"

Hopefully this means that everything will transfer back as we originally thought. Before celebrating, we are going to email them again to ask for the table, just so we know for sure what the old table consists of.

Because we left Chupiteria 69 later than expected, we had to book it to Camborio in order to make it there by 1:30 so we could get in for free. Ruth, Maggie and I split off from the rest of the group because we were the most determined, and we ran parts of the way there. Maggie even took off her heels so she could keep up. We made it there at 1:34 ish, but they still let us in for free!! Thank goodness, otherwise I would've been really upset if we ran for nothing. 

The adrenaline rush of the night: Maggie had Alex's water bottle of Coke and Jack Daniels sticking out of her purse and the bouncers took it away from her. They left it by the tree near the entrance and the whole time she was flirting it up with another guard so that she could distract him while Leah, who showed up about 10 minutes later, could take the bottle back! Everything worked out smoothly and they got their bottle back with no issues. 

The club itself was very empty tonight so we only stayed for about an hour and a half. We all left at different times but Maggie and Adam left when I did.  When we got downstairs to where the bouncers were I was worried that they would catch Maggie for taking the bottle back but they didn't worry about it. We all walked home together. 

When I got home, I went straight to bed because I was tired. 

It's May!

Waking up at 12 noon without realizing how much of the day I just wasted was the start of my day. It was fine to wake up at this time figuring I went to be at about 4, so that was a solid 8 hours of sleep! Breakfast was still out when I woke up so that was a positive because usually Mila says breakfast ends at noon! I ate breakfast and then went on my computer, enjoying my day off of school.

Rachael and I were hoping to go to the Alhambra today, but they were closed because of the national holiday. We were then looking into going to the Parque de Ciencias, but they were also closed, so instead we had a lazy, homework completing day. 

After lunch time, Rachael, Lineth and I went for an hour and a half walk around the outside of Granada, exploring a new small town. We didn't see much but it was nice to have new surroundings and fresh air. Escaping the city life for just a few moments was awesome! It made me miss home because we aren't located directly in the city, but close enough so it is convenient. 

I Skyped with Haley today and it was nice to hear from her because it had been a while, a long while, since we talked last. Winona has finals next week so she was busy getting ready for those, but she made time for me :) Funny thing happened during our Skype session: the fire alarm went off and she decided to be rebel and stay inside and continue to Skype me through it all. She knew that the alarm was going to go off though because she saw the other building outside 5 minutes prior, so she knew it wasn't a real fire.

I finally turned in my paper, after completing my in text citations. I also did a lot of other homework so I don't have to do it on Sunday. It felt good to be productive.

This month there are a lot of things to be excited for! Karyn will be turning 18, Mother's Day, Sparky will be turning 13, my 20th birthday, Karyn will be ending high school and of course, I will be coming home! The excitement is building and I cannot wait for it. 

But before I can go home, I need to finish up school here and the last 2 trips that I will be taking (besides going home). I also am budgeting to figure out how much money I need to take out of the ATM to finish up my time in Granada and my trips, which is actually a lot harder than I thought it would be!

I finished up my night by reading my book and then went to bed.

Mae West

Today started off as every Tuesday usually does. Went to class and came home and took a nap. Then ate lunch. Same old, same old.

I had an intercambio today with Rachael and Samu and Cafe Varagua and we talked for an hour about our trip to Portugal and anything else that came up. After the intercambio I met up with Katie and we walked to our stamping workshop together. This was her first time going to the workshop because she wasn't part of the class the first week and the second week she had a hike to go on. 

We stopped at the scarf shop on the way there, and they had what I was looking for! Finally! I can stop my all our search now and just enjoy shopping. We then went to stamping and I did my second color for both of my works. Katie made her first one and colored that and then we both worked on another one until the end of the class so we were unable to dye them today.

After class was finished and we cleaned up, we walked home and then I ate dinner. Rachael and I then got ready because we were going to Mae West tonight! Our first night going! 

We got ready and we met up with Michael and Ruth outside our apartment. We walked towards Chupeteria 69, where we were going to be meeting everyone else, and I wanted to stop and get pizza because dinner did not fill me up. The pizza place was closing in 5 minutes and they didn't have any slices left so I was looking for other cheap food and I came across french fries. We saw other guys eating them in the street and they looked really good so we asked them where they got it from and they pointed us in the right direction. I got a half order of fries for 2.50 but but it was probably a XXXXL if you ordered it at McDonalds! The smothered them in salt, ketchup and mayonnaise and they were to die for. Delicious!

We then went to the Chupeteria 69, and ate my fries outside before we went it. When we went in, it was happening, so we claimed an area and eventually the rest of our group showed up. We spend around an hour and half there and then we were off to Mae West.

On our way to Mae West, my feet started to hurt because I was wearing heels. Stupid idea! We got there and there was a line outside but it wasn't too bad. We waited and then got inside, only after they tried to deny Evan from going in. Supposedly he caused drama last time with this friends but we all think its because they are racist. We checked our coats and got one of our free drinks.

** Tuesdays are usually free to get in to Mae West but not today because tomorrow is a holiday and there is no school and no shops will be open so everyone is going out. Also, the price to get in is 10 euros and you get 2 drinks included with that **

The place was packed and it was only about 1:30. That is really early for Spaniards, especially at Mae West.

We stayed until I couldn't bear the pain of the heels any longer. When we left, the line was probably 3 times as long as it was when we got there, and it was 3:30 in the morning! How late do these Spaniards stay out until!? Let's just say, it was an experience. It was a really fun place but I don't like having to pay to get in, because we are used to getting in for free at all of the other places.

We got home and pigged out and relaxed our feet. I read a little of my book and then we went to bed!

Can't Keep My Eyes Open

Jeeeesh! It seemed like I just went to bed when my alarm went off. I definitely needed more sleep that I got and from there I knew it was going to be a long long day. 

First class, Grammar, was rough. Went by so slow and it seemed like nobody was there. Second class, Islamic Culture, brutal. Plain brutal. Barely stayed awake and don't think I learned anything new because I was so tired. When I got home I slept for 30 minutes and then ate lunch. I even left late walking to my next class because I didn't even care, but I still made it on time. Between classes I accomplished nothing, as usual and then my last class I gave a presentation. Another brutality of the day. 

The good part of the day, I got to Skype Brynn! I am getting really excited to live with her next year! :)

After Skyping her I went to bed.

Short post. Not much to say, just that I was really really tired.

On a positive note, ONE MONTH UNTIL MY 20TH BIRTHDAY! WOOHOO!

Who is Tanner?

It was a slow start to the morning, only getting about 4 hours of sleep throughout the whole night. We woke up and got ready for breakfast quickly because it was closing in about 20 minutes. We hurried downstairs and grabbed a table and we were eating in no time flat. No coffee for me today because I didn't want to wait in line. At breakfast we stole a roll so we can make a PB&J sandwich for dinner tonight to save money. 

After breakfast we went to Katie's room to make our sandwiches and then we went back to the room to pack up our things. I ended up reading some more and then almost falling back asleep, but that would've been bad because we had to check out at noon. To keep my awake, I went down to Sam and Liz's room and hung out with them until I went down to the lobby at 12 noon for check out time. 

We were also meeting at 12 to go to the beach. Oscar tried to show us where there was a secret beach but he couldn't remember where it was so we just went to the beach that we were at the first day. This time, on the other side of the rock, so it was practically like it was a new beach for us!

We had a mini "competition" on who was tanner. Kelsey or the Indian. Here is the picture that we judged from, so take your pick!

Also at the beach we met two guys from California who had us watch their stuff while they went for a swim. They were also part of the DiscoverExcurisions, but they were in a different hotel. It is crazy how many people you can meet on these trips!

We all headed back to the hotel at different times, but Katie and I walked back together and then we changed and waiting in the lobby. We were hungry and we had seen other people had ice cream so we went and got some for ourselves!!

Oh was the ice cream ever good! DELICIOUS! 

It was time to load the buses up and head back to Spain though. We made it to the first rest stop and we ate our sandwiches there with other goodies that we still had leftover from Almeria and earlier this week. When we were trying to leave, the bus wouldn't start! It would go on and then turn off. I was a little worried but soon enough it was chugging along on the highway with no problems. Our next stop was in Sevilla to drop off the kids who were from there and then we made it a straight shot home to Granada with no more stops.

We got in at about 1 am and we instantly hit our beds and went to sleep. It was a fun filled weekend that sucked all the energy out of you but it was worth every penny of it and every sleepless night!