We're Here!

When we arrived in the Madrid airport yesterday, Phoebe and Andy found a vending machine that sells Fanta Limón, Phoebe's favorite flavor of Fanta soda, which they don't sell in the US. She turned to me and said, "Mommy, this is one of the things I love about Spain."

Phoebe with her Fanta Limón at the Madrid Airport

Here are some other things we love about Spain (especially Granada):

1. The weather. It is so pretty every day. There is very little rain. It is always sunny but not too hot (until July/August, when we're not normally here!)

View from our hotel (my first panoramic picture)

2. The view. Granada is surrounded by the Sierra Nevada mountains. There are many old churches and buildings, too.

3. The culture. While many things are the same here as in the US, there are some differences, too. As I mentioned earlier, on NYE, the tradition is to eat 12 grapes at midnight. At one of the stores we went to yesterday, we found that they sell small cans of grapes to eat a midnight. How cool is that?

4. The food. We'll definitely post more about this later, but last night we went out for tapas at Bar Damasqueros. We ordered pinchitos de pollo (grilled chicken pieces covered with a traditional spice blend) and french fries, red wine and juice for Phoebe. Not only was it delicious, but the total cost was 21 euros (about $22). So crazy cheap! (Can you imagine going out for drinks and snacks in the US for around $20?)

Two weeks out!

We leave in a little over two weeks, on December 28. With the holidays close by, the end of school, and getting ready to leave, we are very busy and emotions are high. Phoebe has been sad about leaving her dad, her friends, and her dog, and I feel the same way. That said, we are both very excited to start our new adventure.

Phoebe will be attending a private elementary school called Colegio Maria Nebrera. While she is in school (school hours are 9-2!), I will be working on my research and hopefully volunteering with some organizations in Granada.

We have found our home for while we are in Spain. You can see photos of it here. It is a great location and seems very spacious. If anyone would like to write to us while we are there, our address is Calle Estepona 1 primero derecha, 18009 Granada, España. Here is the GoogleMaps location:

One of the things I am really looking forward to is spending New Year's Eve in Granada. I have never been in Spain during New Year's and I'm not sure what to expect. The tradition in Spain is to eat 12 grapes as the clock strikes midnight. According to the city's website, there is a big party with live music and around 10:00 at night they pass out bags with grapes! Here's a photo of the Plaza Carmen where the festivities take place:

I hope to post pictures of us all there eating our grapes! Wish us luck as we start packing.

Our Great Granada Awesome Plans!

This blog will be about a mother and daughter who spend the semester together in Granada, Spain. Phoebe is a third grader, and Katy is a Spanish professor. Together, we will take on a new adventure in Spain, leaving our dad/husband and dog back home, although we will see them frequently throughout our adventure. We hope that you will follow our posts and enjoy them. Please comment!

Granada is in southern Spain, near the coast.

This is us by our backdoor on the steps.