Granada to Capileira and the Alpujarras

We´ve left the heat of Granada behind and headed up into the Alpujarra mountains, to the lovely mountain town of Capileira. We are staying at a fantastic hotel called Finca Los Llanos, run by Fernando and his very friendly family. The hotel is beautiful and relaxing, with quaint gardens, a pool, and commanding views of the surrounding landscape. Our time here will be active, with some walks to nearby villages tomorrow and an ascent of the Mulhacén, Spain´s highest peak, on Wednesday. We will be hiking with local guides, and while the hike will certainly be a challenge, the rewards are sure to be great.

Our group was sad to leave Granada behind, as the students thoroughly enjoyed the hybrid Spanish - Arabic culture that is so evident in this charming southern city. On Thursday, we took a guided visit to La Alhambra, the beautiful and historic Moorish city and palace that brings so many visitors to Granada. We were able to visit the palace´s beautiful gardens, learn some history of the Moorish architecture, and see the room where Christopher Columbus met with Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand before his famous voyage to the Americas. Thursday evening took us to a Flamenco show, where we saw and appreciated more local culture.

Over the following days, we visited the Cathedral and Royal Chapel, where Isabella and Ferdinand are buried, took some time to relax by the pool, and had a fantastic Morrocan dinner complete with a belly dancing show. Following this dinner, the group took a nightime visit to the Arabic Baths, where we spent a relaxing evening in a historic setting.

Our remaining time was spent wandering Granada´s narrow, winding streets, learning about local tapas, and simply relaxing to beat the afternoon heat. All in all, it was a great city to visit and one that was enjoyed by the entire group.

Saludos,
Tim y Laura

Greetings from Albacete!

We are currently wrapping up our homestay week; tomorrow we head south to Granada. We have spent the past week in Albacete, a city of about 150,000 people to the southeast of Madrid. It is an entirely Spanish city, with nary an English speaker around, so everyone has been getting lots of opportunities to practice their Spanish!

Next we are off to Granada for five days, where we will visit the splendors of the Alhambra palace and take in a flameco show. All are excited to be reuniting as a group, although we are sure that many students will miss family life here in Albacete.

Until soon!
-Tim and Laura

Our journey in Photos: Llanes, Potes, and Madrid

Group photo on the Paseo de San Pedro in Llanes

Cheering on Spain in its game against Germany in finals of the Eurocup..

The group in Llanes celebrating Spain's historic win in the Eurocopa!

Soccer on the beach in Llanes with Spanish friends!

Surfing Lessons in Llanes

More surfing...

Group leaders Laura and Tim in the Picos de Europa

A break for a group photo in the Picos de Europa

Horseback Riding in Potes

more horseback riding...

Hiking in the Picos

What a find!

Our visit to the Real Madrid stadium!

Picasso, Paella, and Real Madrid

Saludos from Madrid! The group arrived here on Thursday afternoon and has been enjoying the excitement of city life as a contrast to the relaxation and outdoor focus of our time in the mountains.

On Friday we explored Madrid, with students dividing into smaller groups to learn to navigate parts the city and find information on specific areas of interest.

Saturday morning, we checked out the Reina Sofia museum, where we were able to see Picasso´s Guernica and a wide variety of other modern works from artists such as Dalí and Miró. After lunch, we split up into two groups, with half of us visiting the Palacio Real (Royal Palace) and the other half visiting the stadium of the Real Madrid soccer team!

The weather is beautiful here, with hot days and warm nights, and we are excited for our remaining three days in Madrid.

Until soon!
Tim and Laura

Adventures in the Picos de Europa

Greetings from Potes, a fun, adventure filled town in the Picos de Europa (Pyrennes) mountains. We arrived here yesterday morning after an exciting final night in Llanes, as we were lucky enough to be present for Spain´s historic victory in the Eurocopa futbol tournament. The streets were filled with excited Spanish fans, and we were able to celebrate our adopted (for a month) homeland´s victory alongside the locals!

After arriving in Potes, we took some time in the morning to explore the town a bit and learn about the local lifestyle here. The group split up for the afternoon, with half the students biking and half going horseback riding with local guides. Tuesday brought a challenging but rewarding hike, with the group completing a route of over 15km throughout the jagged peaks of the Picos. Tomorrow brings further adventure, as we will be canyoning (swimming and slipping in wetsuits through a series of rivers and waterfalls) with Gonzalo and Oscar, two local mountain guides and longtime friends of Putney. And then on Thursday morning, we leave Potes behind and head for the bright lights of Madrid.

Hasta luego,
Tim and Laura

Saludos from Llanes

Hello from Llanes, a small fishing village in the north of Spain. The group arrived here yesterday afternoon, after a long series of travels that had us arriving in Madrid on Wednesday, spending the afternoon and evening there, and then heading north via train on Thursday morning.

We are all happy and healthy, and adapting ourselves to the cultura espanola as quickly as possible. Last night the group spent the evening sampling some local tapas and watching the Spanish soccer team defeat Russia 3 to 0 to advance to the finals of the Eurocopa! The streets of Llanes were the site of much celebration afterwards, and the group got to see the true passion the Spanish hold for el futbol.

We are excited to have several more days here in Llanes--on Monday we head for the Picos de Europa.

Hasta pronto,
Tim y Laura

The group has arrived

We've received word from the leaders that the group has arrived in Madrid. The photo below was taken at JFK airport last night!