Courtesy of Sydnee Brooker

While traveling in Europe throughout the last six months, I visited one place that will stick with me forever. Here, you get free food with your beer, everyone is expected to take daily afternoon naps and you can explore one of the wonders of the world.

Walking along the streets I heard salsa music, smelled and tasted tapas from local restaurants, felt the 40 degree Celsius (104 F) air and saw smiles on many faces. The place I am speaking of is a town in southern Spain in the region of Andalusia about 70 km (43 miles) from the ocean where mountains meet plains. The place is called Granada.

I decided to go to Granada because my friend had been studying abroad there for a year. I had no idea what was in store. We traveled from the coast by bus through dry foothills, olive trees and grape vineyards until we came to a street called Gran Vía de Colón located in the center of town. Then we only had our feet to carry us through the cobbled streets and hills lined with brightly painted houses. The first order of business was to have a picnic of brie and tomatoes at Parque Federico García Lorca and then take a siesta in the grass. That night I had my first tapa, a small plate of food served with an ordered beverage, at a local bar that my friend and her foreign exchange buddies had become regulars at. After a few beers and before we left for Sugar Pop, the chosen dance club for the night, the Spanish exchange students raised a shot of honey rum, typical of Granada, to studying abroad and new friends.

The next morning, after some serious sleeping in, we did what girls like us do best &- shopped. The shops had names such as Mango and Birshka and can be described as sophisticated, foreign Forever 21s. It was quite an adventure, and I returned to California with a sexy new jumper I am sure no one in San Diego will have.

Although I enjoyed the Spanish shopping scene, it did not blow my mind like the Alhambra did. This palace and fortress that lies above the city was constructed in the 14th century and added onto by later rulers. Until 1492, the Alhambra was under Arab control and was described as “the Islamic paradise on Earth.” Eventually, Queen Isabel of Castile took charge and returned the Alhambra to Spanish rule. OK, back to my story.

Basically what the Arabs believed is true: The Alhambra is absolutely gorgeous. The architecture is a stunning Spanish style full of intricately carved arches and columns. Gardens adorn every level of the palace, and as I climbed the staircases, the views of Granada became more miraculous. What struck me was the staggering amount of time and effort that must have gone into every detail of the building. In a way I was sad because I realized in our country there is no historic palace or building that could be described as a piece of art like this.

After our visit to the Alhambra we were hungry and thirsty. We decided to go to a tapas bar called La Bella y la Bestia which can be translated as Beauty and the Beast. With our sangrias we were served berenjenas con miel, fried eggplant drizzled with honey, and empanadas, small potato and cheese pockets. As we ate, we watched Spain beat Honduras 2-0 in the World Cup and got a celebratory glass of wine from the bartender. La Bella y la Bestia became my favorite bar.

That Wednesday night we went to “reggae night” at a club called Afrodisia and danced for hours. The club was a bit slow at first but by 3 a.m. it was packed. The dance floor was huge and surrounded by two bars and a bunch of comfortable couches. That night was just one of the many fantastic experiences I had in Granada.

It is definitely a different lifestyle there, and I am so grateful my good friend invited me to experience it. When I asked my friend, Spanish senior Alicia Mitchell, what she thought of her year in Granada she said, “Studying abroad is an amazing opportunity that no one in college should pass up. Immersing myself within an entirely different culture and lifestyle than my own was one of the most terrifying and gratifying things I have ever done. My time spent in Granada will undoubtedly always have a place in my heart as one of the best years of my life.”

8212;Sydnee Brooker is a journalism junior.

8212;This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec.