Valencia

Hello all!

Spain is wonderful! I am having such a fun time here, and I'm sad that I only have one month left! This two weekends ago, we were able to travel to Valencia. Here are some highlights for me from the trip.

Aquarium: We got to see the Valencia aquarium! I had never seen dolphins or sea turtles in real life before! We got to go to a dolphin show, and something that I really liked was how the workers stressed saving injured animals. I liked there was a huge focus on protecting nature and helping maintain its beauty. The aquarium was huge and had tons of animals! I loved the shark tunnel--there were huge fish and sharks swimming all around me. It was pretty incredible! I love aquariums because they help you to remember the importance each of God's creations.

Lladro factory: As a preface, LLadro is a famous sculptor. There are shops all around the world, but it originated in Valencia. We got to go inside the factory and see how each sculpture is made. First, they have artists that think and create the designs. Then, they have to make a mold for the new design. Because the designs are so intricate, they make the mold into separate parts. The mold can only be used so many times before a new one has to be made. After taking each part out of the molds, the pieces have to dry, and then the artists can begin the process of pasting each piece together. Then, the sculptures are painted--some can take months to just paint correctly. Also, there are artists that create the extra items that are attached to the piece (for example, flowers). We were able to talk with one of the flower designers at length about how she makes the each tiny flower. She has been working at the Lladro factory for over 40 years, just creating flowers! She had to train for awhile before she could start making the pieces. The Lladro factory created the Christus statue for the temple here in Spain. It was amazing to see all of the different sculptures as well as the creation process!

Beach: Need I say more? :) The water was beautiful and warm (but very salty), and we were able to enjoy a few hours there.

Holy Grail: There is a church in Valencia that claims that they own the holy grail, or the cup that Christ drank out of at the last supper. We got to see it, after a few priests were performing a ceremony in the room where its located. It is covered in jewels, and its a beautiful gold. I'm not sure if I believe that its the holy grail, but it was still cool to see it! As we were in the chapel, we got to participate in a knighting ceremony. You heard that right--the Catholic church still knights people! It was a huge ceremony; there were tons of priests, leaders, and people about to get knighted. It was a long ceremony, so we didn't stay for long. Its amazing to live in a country where practices that have existed for hundreds of years are still happening! It feels like you have been transported back in time at points. I love that aspect of Spain!

That was my week basically! I just got back from London, so I'll make sure to share my stories from there as well soon! :)
Photos: Dolphins, Fishes, Shark tunnel, Aquarium, turtles, holy grail, beach, local market, Christus, Aquarium

El Escorial, Valle de Los Caidos, La Granja

It has been a great two weeks! Life gets incredibly busy here, so I forgot about writing a post for last week. I can't believe that we have reached the halfway point of the study abroad! Time is moving way too fast--it will be over before I know it :(.
Week 5 was different because we didn't have an excursion. I decided to stay here and explore Madrid more. It was nice to just relax and take in the beauty that is around me. Traveling can be stressful or draining at points, so it was a great to be able to recharge my battery. Hannah Boyce and I had a great time together exploring the Medieval Festival that was here in Alcala. The city was changed into a huge market--there was food, games for kids, and plenty of souvenirs!
This last week, we only had school on Tuesday and Wednesday! It was Cervantes day on Monday, so the whole city of Alcala had school off to celebrate. On Thursday, all of Spain celebrated the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the Americas! We celebrated by attending a bullfight in Madrid. Though it wasn't my favorite thing to watch, it was definitely a cultural experience. It is a very controversial activity in Spain, so there aren't many people that still attend. Usually, the older generation and tourists come to the bullfights. I wouldn't go again, but it was definitely an interesting experience to watch the matadors try to outsmart the bulls. We almost saw a matador be seriously injured by one of the bulls, but he was able to escape before getting mauled!  After the bullfight, we found an amazing street taco place. REAL Mexican food. It was amazing!
On Friday and Saturday, we were able to explore El Escorial, Valle de Los Caidos, and La Granja. I'm going to explain each in length for my homework, so feel free to
skim :).

El Escorial: There are three rooms that really stuck out to me. First, the library as we first entered the Palace. It reminded me of the library of Beauty and the Beast! I just wanted to be able to read every book that was housed there. It was a beautiful room, and it definitely shows the idea of importance of all types of education. I loved the ceiling which had been painted to depict the many fields of education. For example, music, math, science, and religion were some of the subjects portrayed. Most religious buildings don't focus on other subjects, so I loved that many different areas were included.
Second, I really loved the Hall of Battles. It is so interesting to me to see how history is bent or skewed to help show the country in the best view possible. For example, not everything that each Spanish king did was honorable. But, in palaces, cathedrals, etc., you won't ever see the full truth about terrible events. The Hall of Battles was interesting because it showed war in a very honorable and masculine light, even though people were being murdered within the paintings. I could not believe the size of the room or how well the paintings had been preserved (they were painted in 1590). Lastly, one of my favorite rooms was the Panteon Real. This room is built under El Escorial, and holds the corpses of 26 kings and queens. Because we come from a country not ruled by a monarchy, it always amazing to me to see the amount of respect and care for royalty. We do respect our President, but I can't imagine preserving his body and building a special crypt for him and other past presidents. The first king that was placed here was Charles V and his wife, Isabel. The most recent body that placed there was Queen Victoria, the current king's grandmother. It was weird to be floors below El Escorial with the bodies of the past Spanish Royalty. But, I felt a great amount of respect from those that were visiting.

Valle de Los Caidos: What an interesting place! It was not what I expected at all. Valle de Los Caidos was a memorial built for the Spanish Civil War. But, it is very controversial because it was built by prisoners of the war, and contains the tomb of Francisco Franco. His tomb is clearly visible within the cathedral, but the graves of the fallen from the war are buried outside, and are visible. The cathedral is built within the mountain, giving it a different spirit than that of other cathedrals. For me, I didn't feel peaceful or happy as I entered this cathedral. There is no natural light, and the Savior is not a central part of the decorations. I definitely think that this cathedral is not a monument for those fallen, but was built to recognize Franco's power. In most cathedrals, light, bible stories, and Christ's life are prominent elements. I felt that fear and submission were the elements focused on. It was an incredible monument because of the size of the cross on top of the mountain.

La Granja: I've had the privilege to visit Versailles in France. This palace and gardens in La Granja took design elements directly from Versailles. I loved the long hallway at the end that was decorated with Greek statues and chandeliers. It reminded me of the ballroom in Versailles where King Louis would have lavish dances. The gardens in the La Granja were incredible! I felt that I could wander for hours and find new things at every turn. I thought that they would never end (in a wonderful way!). I loved all of the old tapestries, paintings, and sculptures that decorated each room. I especially liked the Asian influences that decorated some of the last rooms. It reminded me of the Royal Palace in Madrid--you can find some of the same influences there.

Here are some pictures!
El Escorial, Some of the Kings/Queens caskets, TACOS!, Bullfight, Medieval Festival, Valle de los Caidos, Remaining pics are of La Granja.

Granada, Seville, Cordoba

Can I just start off by saying that I am so grateful for my life?! Every week I am amazed by all I do and experience. I love that my life is surprising me every day. We started off the week by visiting the Prado again with Dr. Rosenberg. A lot of the paintings became more interesting to me as Dr. Rosenberg explained the context or the life of the painters. I was really grateful for his knowledge while visiting the Prado. We had a super long excursion this week! We left for Cordoba, Seville, and Granada on Wednesday. I had been to Cordoba and Seville before, but I had forgotten a lot about those cities. We visited a lot of sites that had been built during the Arabic regime in Spain. I love the architecture of these buildings—they are unbelievably detailed and filled with colors. In Cordoba, we visited the Mezquita which is a mosque that was built on top of a cathedral, and then later a cathedral was built inside of the mosque. It’s a great example of how Spain is built on a combination of many cultures. It is one of my favorite places in all of Spain. I love how you can see the mix of artists that designed the inside. Its hard to accurately describe! There are hundreds of white and red striped arches—they seem to never end. Cordoba as a city is beautiful as well; the houses are pure white with colorful roofs. I had forgotten what Seville was like, but I really enjoyed our time there! We visited the Plaza de Espana, which is where scenes of Star Wars II was filmed. We also visited the Alcazar, which is along the same design of the Mezquita. Its one of those places that you walk with your mouth wide open the whole time. It is hard to fathom how something so beautiful can be man-made! It is stilled used as a palace today!  We also visited the cathedral where the remains of Christopher Columbus are kept. You can’t see the casket, but you can see his tomb! That evening, a few of us found some amazing tapas (various Spanish appetizers), and we ate them along the river as the sun set. Basically perfect! We were also able to find a free flamenco show—Seville is known for putting on amazing flamenco shows. While in Granada, we were able to visit the Alhambra, which was nominated to become a new “wonder of the world”. The Alhambra was a castle built for the royal family, but because of its location, it could also function as a small city in times of war. It is influenced by Arabic design, and its jaw-dropping gorgeous. I love Arabic design because they tend to incorporate nature, light, and color into their designs. Cathedrals usually are designed to turn our focus to the Savior by using Bible stories. For me, I appreciate the use of nature and symbolism more than carvings or paintings. I wish we would have had more time to travel, but we do have to attend class at some point :). Below are some pictures and the rest of my homework assignment!

1.       The mihrab designates one of the holiest places inside a mosque. It shows the worshippers the direction of Mecca, or the direction that the individual needs to pray. There is no specific location designated for someone to pray within a cathedral—all places are open for someone to do so. Also, within mosques, there are areas to wash or perform a cleansing ritual before praying. In cathedrals, there are basins filled with holy water, but Catholics don’t perform washing ceremonies.

2.       Christopher Columbus is buried in the cathedral of Seville!

3.       Alcazar and Castillo both mean castle. Alcazar is an Arabic word, so the design of an alcazar comes from Moorish influences. Castillo is a Spanish word, so the design most likely will not be of Moorish influences.

4.       Andalucia comes from the Arabic word “al-Andalus”. This word sounds like “anda en luz” in Spanish.

5.       Granada is a city that was very important in Spanish history for many different reasons. For example, Isabel and Fernand blessed the city, and many believe that they gave Columbus permission to explore America within the walls of Granada. This city was also a sanctuary for those seeking religious freedom, specifically those of Arabic descent. Also, Granada was a fortress. It is almost impossible to conquer the city because of where it was built. The mountains surrounding it prevent armies from taking over the city with ease. It is also the home of the Alhambra, which one of the best surviving examples of Moorish history in Spain.

6.       The Alhambra was a palace built for the royals living in Granada. But, the Alhambra could also function as a small city in times of war. It is built directly into the hill, making it almost unconquerable. Unlike many of the other Moorish buildings in Spain, it was not changed or destroyed to support the Catholic faith. It is a pure and untouched example of Arabic designs.

7.       There are many similarities between our faith and the Muslim faith. For example, we and the Muslim faith believe in prophets, and specifically having one prophet on the earth at a time. Also, prayer/communication with God is an important concept in both religions. I also noticed that all of the religious buildings were filled with symbols and words to help those worshipping to turn themselves to God. Our temples are filled with symbols for that exact same purpose.
Pictures: 
1. Plaza Espana en Seville 2. Alhambra 3. Alcazar 4. Seville 5. Seville 6. En la Alhambra 7. Granada 8 & 9: Alhambra 10: Granada gelato en Granada (Granada means pomegranate in Spanish) 11 & 12: Mezquita en Cordoba 13: Plaza Espana