Day 5

Today was much more laid back, but we were able to get a feel for the Spanish countryside. We woke up very early and hurried to the train station to catch our train to Granada. The train ride itself was absolutely beautiful; it is quite easy to imagine Don Quixote running through the same parched valleys filled with sunflowers, chasing elusive windmills that seem to be just one step to far away. My first impression of Granada was its lack of Madrid's hustle and bustle. The pace of life is just slower, the streets aren't as crowded, and the architechture is much prettier. Speaking of architechture, Alhambra, the most famous Muslim fortress and Mosque in Spain, is here. Today we met Tino, who is the national geographic photographer assigned to teach us. He's such a great guy, and I have a feeling that the next four days will be the best of the trip.