Andalusia

Hey fam, remember this in the house!! I got the second one as a present from Nick years back.

Flamenco. Can't capture how fast their feet move, but it was something!

Arco herradura at the arab ruins.

In the Mosque of Cordoba. Artsy pic.

View of the Sierra Nevada.

It was so surreal being in Andalusia. I had been about 6 years ago to this province in Spain while visiting Nick, my brother, for his Spring Break. I had flashbacks every time we turned a corner. I remember walking into the cathedral and seeing a begger with a bloody gash in his leg. Nick said it was normal and that people will do that to themselves in order to get money. It is still so vivid in my mind.

The first day of the trip was touring Granada. We went to the Cathedral, as I said already, the Royal Chapel, where Isabel, Ferdinand, and Juana La Loca are buried, and we also saw The Monastery of Saint Gregorio. It is interesting to me now because I am studying these sites in my art history class; a picture hardly does these sites any justice. Day 2 we went to Cordoba. We saw a couple ruins, ate lunch in a garden, saw the Mosque (3rd largest in the world!), and The Jewish Corner which included a small synagogue. Day 3 we went to La Alhambra, which is one of the 7 wonders of the world. Somehow there was a miscommunication between our Prof. and the travel agent and La Alhambra staff and needless to say we didn’t actually get to enter the palaces. The gardens and the view were still quite something to see!

This weekend was difficult though because my oma Den Hartigh died. It was especially difficult because I wasn’t able to be by my family. We all knew that she would meet her Savior quickly and so it seems like a blessing. Even though we will miss her cute remarks, repeated stories, smile, and presence at gatherings, she has left a legacy for everyone she encountered. She was a faithful follower of Christ until the day He took her home. I am so thankful for the years that her grandkids could spend with her and know this of her. In my mom’s words, “I think each one of her grandchildren thought that they were her favorite”. It’s so true. There was a place in her heart for every single one of us and her face lit up each time we would see her!

I have posted a few pictures of the weekend. The rest are on shutterfly.com