On July 2, we had our first day of language training at Academia Hispanica in Córdoba. Upon arriving at the school, the 27 of us (there was another EIL group of 13 on the trip with us) were divided into three groups based on our levels of Spanish. I'm happy to report that I was in the highest level, which was even better because it was the best group of kids of the three classes. We also had a really good teacher named Rafa (right).
On Sunday (July 3) the two groups went to the great Mosque of Córdoba. The architecture and detail work were truly amazing, and I must say pictures do not do them justice. Unfortunately, I'm having some format problems right now with the pictures in this post so all accompanying photos, for this post at least, will be in the next post.
My first Independence Day abroad met with one major disappointment: minors are not allowed to buy fireworks in Spain. Over the next couple of days, we went to a public pool several times to fill down-time, which was a welcome way to fight the heat.
One thing that amused me about the heat in Spain was how much all the Northerners on the trip complained. Even though it was routinely forty degrees (102 degrees Fahrenheit), their was absolutely no humidity and several days felt balmy compared to the muggy heat of Tennessee.
As a part of school, we went to a gypsy market to learn to barter for goods, and I ended up getting two shirts for about eleven dollars. One night after I had recovered from some stomach pains, Chuck and I decided to skip the hotel dinner and go out to find a good local restaurant. Up to that point, we had been eating three meals a day at the hotel, which to us seemed like a huge waste of cultural opportunity. We settled on a quaint back alley place called La Abacería which turned out to be excellent. We even returned for tapas occasionally when we were in the area. Afterwards, we met three girls who spoke just enough English to make communication easy when we couldn't conjure the Spanish.
My favorite activity we did in language training was where we went out into the streets of the city to ask Spaniards about random issues. Being out of our comfort zones and having to rely on our Spanish was just really a fun experience for all of us (except for Chuck, because he doesn't even like to talk in English).
After dinner on the 11, about twelve of us went to the Arab baths, where we got to sit in the hot, warm, and cold baths. We also got some pretty awesome massages. The highlight of that whole excursion for me was neither the baths nor the massage, but the tea. They had kettle after kettle of the best liquid ever to enter my mouth. I swear I pestered every employee there for what it was but they refused to tell me.
Our last night in Córdoba was the 12, and we went out to a flamenco show. The dances were way more entertaining than I had anticipated, but the experience was slightly maligned by a stomach ache and the most uncomfortable chair in all of Spain. One of the best dancers seemed borderline crazy with how intense he got.
So these were the highlights of Córdoba. For all pictures related to this post, please see "Snap Shots of a City."
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