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The view of the Alhambra from el Albaycín.
modern part from the older half of town, called the Albaycín. In the old part, the only way to go is up. We climbed hundreds of stairs and cut through cobblestone streets too narrow for cars to drive through. Tiny paths that looked like they had no end suddenly opened up into squares of restaurants where families were having lunch, people were playing Spanish guitars and everyone’s happiness converged and created a bubble of security around the town. We reached a ledge where the whole Alhambra could be seen below us, and ate lunch overlooking this Muslim relic. Later on, we walked up into the mountains, where a path led us all around and then back into the city. We saw the river and the Alhambra on one side, and Flamenco caves on the other side. Then we sat in a tiny café that had been built into one of the caves and drank some tea. The tea shop had been decorated with colorful, Arab tapestries and smelled like mint from the Hookahs people were smoking. Sitting there, sipping tea and hearing bits of conversations and laughs all around me, I couldn’t stop thinking about the small characteristics that make one place special, and the magic and beauty that every single place has to offer if only one opens their eyes to it.
I never imagined how different Granada would be from my home in Madrid. Suddenly, what was meant to be a break from reality turned into an eye-opening experience. Visiting this city made me realize how much we undervalue the beauty that surrounds us, whether we see it every day or once in a lifetime. The obvious impact that the Muslim reign had left on Granada made it unique, a place where the past was mixing with the present at every moment. People travel thousands of miles to see new cultures and to experience different lifestyles, yet sometimes, these things can be seen very near home. Instead of searching for beauty, it is important to begin appreciating it when it is right in front of us. As Jack Kerouac once wrote, “The world [is] suddenly rich with possibility,”and it may begin right outside our front doors. Victoria Campa is a high school student in Madrid, Spain, who will attend Barnard College next fall. Her interests include photography, travelling, writing and playing the guitar. In the future she hopes to see the world and document her experiences through photos and words. Some of her work can be seen here: www.flickr.com/vwcampa.
APRIL 2013
27