Alright so I got back last night from my 9 night trip for Semana Blanca. I made the most of this week off, and was gone from the time I got out of school, to the night before I was supposed to go back. It turns out that I didn't go back today though. My host family let me sleep, and I am extremely happy that they did.
First, I took a 3 hour bus from Malaga to Granada. I met up with my host sister and an exchange student Fabien (he is French Canadian, and this trip was only possible because we both went). I stayed with my host sister for three nights and we had a lot of fun seeing the city! Then I stayed Monday and Tuesday night with Fabien at his host house. We went to a bunch of important buildings and sights, and saw almost every important landmark in Granada. Some of the particularly cool ones were the Alhambra and the Cathedral. I always seem to love the cathedrals here.
Then on Wednesday, Fabien and I took a 5 hour bus from Granada to Madrid. We arrived without too much difficulty and were staying with a family in a nearby suburb. I spent a lot of money on buses and metro this week, but it was all worth it.
We went into Toledo on Thursday. We had been told by nearly everyone that it was extremely beautiful and we would have to agree. They are really well known for their metal making, and it was cool to see them making some of it! I may or may not have bought a small sword... We also visited some of the various religious buildings located in Toledo. I think there are two mosques, a monastery, a cathedral, and a temple. It was raining by the time we left, but the city was still incredible!
The rest of the trip we spent in Madrid. I didn't take as many pictures as I would have likes, because my phone was all filled up! We visited tons of buildings and landmarks throughout Madrid, but there are a few we missed (such as the Real Madrid stadium!).
It was cool to hang out with other exchange students this week and just to see how their experiences differ from ours. I am going to try to visit more places and other exchange students, just to have fun and to make the most of this incredible experience. I spent a ton of money this trip on various things, but I wouldn't change a single thing about it. I think the only thing that could be considered a waste was the sword, but let's all be honest, its sweeeeet. It was an incredible trip and definitly something I will remember for the rest of my life. It's good to be back though..... just not in school...
There will be pictures on facebook soon,
CJ
