Turkey success

The turkey dinner was a great success. Most of us arrived at Rachael´s before 9pm hoping to eat around 10pm. The turkey however took slightly longer than expected so we had extra time to catch up with each other and enjoy all of the bubbly beverages we had brought over to celebrate. We ended up eating in true Spanish style around midnight. There were just under 20 people in attendance. It was such a treat to have everyone there, especially Rachael´s roommates who were celebrating Thanksgiving for the first time. Rachael prepared a delicious turkey with gravy, sweet potatoes, rice, green beans and salad.

Above: Bill cutting the turkey
Above: the whole crew eating dinner.

I spy Madrid

Above: By a fountain in Retiro Park. I LOVE fountains!
Above: On gran via
Above: In front of the Palacio Real

Teatro Cervantes in a different light

Last night "C" took me to Teatro Cervantes to watch her boyfriend play with one of his bands. Obviously I was excited to go see live music again and I dont think I will ever pass up the chance to see a performance at the Teatro Cervantes. They were playing there to benefit an organization that researches schizophrenia. It was really fun and very informal. After his band finished another band went on and the lead singer spoke to the audience in the balcony and encouraged them to come downstairs and fill up the empty seats. No one hesitated. In fact practically everyone except for "C" and I made a b-line for the stairs to get closer seats. I could not believe it. It was a very nice gesture on the artists part, but sadly for the eager audience members, they were turned away by the theater staff and had to come back up to their original spots. There was tons of dancing in the aisle ways and it felt more like a concert in a park than a fancy indoor theater. Very refreshing!

XMAS Lottery

There has been a lot of talk around school recently about the upcoming "Christmas Lottery." It is a huge event here and not cheap to participate. At 20euro a pop you can purchase your ticket and hope to be one of the lucky winners. Why it is 20euro instead of just $1 like in New York I am not sure...but if I win you´ll definitely tbe able to tell-most likely by the termination of my blog and my move to the Caribbean.

Feliz Día de Acción de Gracias!

Happy Thanksgiving from the Malaga crew! The 4 of us are lucky to have several visitors from the United States meet us on Thursday in Madrid for a big celebration at Rachaels flat. It goes without saying that ham is the meat of choice in Spain, so I am extremely excited and interested to see how our turkey dinner will work out. Miss you all at home and see you so so soon!

Side Hustle...CHECK

I hustled and bustled and I finally got a side hustle! The first month I was here I browsed through Loquo and saw an ad that struck my fancy. A woman was looking for experienced English teachers to become tutors. I sent her an email and since my schedule was pretty hectic for a few weeks we had not been able to get a timetable worked out until last week. She acts as my "agent" and finds people for me to tutor through the English academy she works for. So far I have two clients and one on the way.

The TEFL course that I took over the summer has really come in handy. I went over most of the modules and used several of them to help plan my lessons. The women that I tutor have different levels of English. One has a lot of trouble with grammar and pronunciation especially with words ending in "-ed." I found this blog called esl-tutor which has been a life saver. The other woman I tutor reads and writes very well, but wishes to improve her conversational skills. This website is excellent for conversation topics. I highly reccomend both of them for esl teaching and tutoring!

Happy __________

I created my own Thanksgiving story book for my lessons this week. I printed out tons of pictures (turkeys, pilgrims, indians, feasts, and the Thankgiving Day parade) and wrote out a story about where Thanksgiving comes from and how we celebrate it today. My roommates gave me weird looks all weekend as I sat in the common room coloring the feathers of turkeys and Mayflower ships meticulously. After reading the story to my third grade students and quizzing them on some important Thanksgiving facts, I had one last question and it was to evoke the response, "Happy Thanksgiving." I said, "okay so for this holiday, what would you say to wish someone a happy one...kind of like 'feliz navidad...' or 'feliz pasuca...' " Then they all gave me the, "ohhhh I know what you mean" face, and in unison started singing, "happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..." It was hilarious. The other teacher and I completely cracked up and I almost didn't care that they completely forgot the TITLE of the lesson written in huge letters on the blackboard: THANKSGIVING.

Live from Malaga

I didn't realize my great appreciation and love for live music until I went to school in Nashville for four years and then moved to a city where it does not exist. Well at least up until last night it didn't. Last night Emily and I met up with "C," a girl I have intercambios with. She took us to ZZ Pub where her boyfriend plays every Thursday night with his band "El Trío del Saco." They play rock and blues and it was exactly what I have been craving since I've been here. A few Lenny Kravitz and Rolling Stones songs later and I knew I needed to become a regular. The bar has a different band every night of the week, except Saturday and Sunday. It's unfortunate there is only one bar with live music in Málaga, but at least I found it!

It's official

I'm a resident! I went to the Comisario today to pick up my residency card for "extranjeros." The picture is awful as is my signature, but I am so excited to finally have it! On the back it says:

ASPECTOS LABORALES O MOTIVO DE CONCESION

ESTUDIOS O/E INVESTIGACION

OBSERVACIONES

AUXILIAR DE CONVERSACION

CEIP BLAS INFANTE

I am loving the fact that I am legally here to "investigate."

This is creepy...

This past Wednesday I accompanied the students on a field trip to the Teatro del Carmen in Vélez-Málaga. Vélez-Málaga is a 5-10 minute bus ride away from Torre del Mar and where Clay and Emily work. We saw a concert with the students which included music from Indiana Jones and several Disney movies. After the concert, a teacher said she would give me a little tour of Vélez. We walked to the school that she attends at night (Clay is her teacher) and to a few churches nearby. On our walk I saw this statue pictured at the left. I was extremely freaked out to say the least. The teacher explained to me that while yes this is in fact identical to what the "KKK" wears in the US, in Spain these are the processional costumes worn during Semana Santa. Whatever, it's creepy.

"If you're healthy and you know it..."

Gripe A has arrived at CEIP Blas Infante and is showing little to no mercy. In my third grade class of 25 students, only 10 strong souls made it to class Thursday. Although I do not wish further illness upon any of my students, the intimate feeling with less students in the room was refreshing, kind of like private school...juuuust kidding.

We went over the "5 senses" and I threw in some reminders about staying healthy: washing your hands before eating, drinking lots of water and sleeping for at least 8 hours. In music class this week the teacher forgot the new song we were supposed to learn so I changed the words to "If you're happy and you know it..." to "if you're healthy and you know it..." Here are my SUPER creative lyrics:

If you're healthy and you know it wash your hands.... (with washing hands motion)

If you're healthy and you know it wash your hands....

If you're healthy and you know it and you really want to show it if you're healthy and you know it wash your hands.

If you're healthy and you know it brush your teeth... (with brushing teeth motion)

If you're healthy and you know it brush your teeth...

If you're healthy and you know it and you really want to show it if you're healthy and you know it brush your teeth...

If you're healthy and you know it sleep 8 hours...(with sleeping motion)

If you're healthy and you know it sleep 8 hours...

If you're healthy and you know it and you really want to show it if you're healthy and you know it sleep 8 hours...

If you're healthy and you know it eat good food...(with eating food motion)

If you're healthy and you know it eat good food...

If you're healthy and you know it and you really want to show it if you're healthy and you know it eat good food...

If you're healthy and you know it do all four...

(washing hands motion)

(brushing teeth motion)

(sleeping motion)

(eating food motion)

Marbella

Here are some overdue pictures from my trip to Marbella with my mom and Emily three weeks ago.

I no speak English

Recently I figured out the reason why learning a second language can be so difficult. You forget how to use your first. My American friends and I can barely communicate anymore in English. Our Spanish is not perfect which is acceptable because it's our second language, but our English has just become outright embarassing. We make horrible grammatical mistakes and it seems we all have that learning disability when you say a word or phrase that is totally NOT what you meant, but it has a similar meaning or sound to it so it somehow came out by accident...? I feel like there is a little man in my brain with a giant green GO sign and a giant red STOP sign controlling the traffic of languages into and out of my brain. Currently he is "greening" all of the Spanish vocabulary and grammar. He is not only holding up the "STOP" sign to my English vocabulary and grammar, but he is sometimes deporting them entirely!

On time

Spain is technically on CET (Central European Time), but I think it is worthy of having its own time zone. In Spain, when someone tells you to meet them at a cafe at 4pm, they really mean they plan on showing up closer to 4:45pm. I was warned about "Spain time" in a culture class during orientation, but nothing compares to first hand experience. Take today for instance, a teacher showed up to class not "on time." Meanwhile, I had arrived at exactly 11am and felt awkward just sitting there while the class turned into a zoo so I rallied everyone together to sing, "If you´re happy and you know it clap your hands" until there was NO WAY I was happy anymore. For an extremely anal New Yorker this has been... a challenge. It is my natural inclination to be "on time" because...well that is what I have done my entire life and I, as well as the person I am meeting most likely has overbooked their day and cannot afford to spare an extra minute. Given all of this, it is definitely a refreshing experience to have a lifestyle where I don´t feel the pressure to squeeze 36hrs of studying, errands, meetings and sleep into 24. Due to this I believe people here are significantly happier and healthier than they are in the United States, (or definitely at least in New York.) The long lunches, siestas, and lack of pressure to be out for the night before 10pm is something I would love to bring back to New York, but sometimes I wonder how things actually get done around here!

Thank you Facebook

I had not been out in Málaga for a while until this past weekend. Last weekend I was in Madrid and the two weekends before I was with my mom in the hotel or traveling. Here is a brief sequence of events from Saturday night after I came home:

2am: I call it a night and think I am totally not "aprovechar"-ing the nightlife here (this is generally the time people in Spain leave their flats to go out for the night, not the other way around.) Oh well.

5am: I would have to be half dead not to hear my French roomie and his friend who was visiting for the weekend return to our flat. They immediately head to the kitchen. Normally you'd think I would be lucky to have my room situated next to the kitchen, but in this case no. I can hear absolutely everything that goes on in there from the turning on of the gas to the running of the water to him opening a box of Pringles.

5:05am: I realize falling back asleep is not an option and am seriously cursing myself for not having already learned French. At least in that case I could eaves drop and see how their night was.

5:15am: Someone is banging on the front door incessantly.

5:16am: French roomie opens the door. Italian roomie has forgotten his keys. Italian roomie has THE deepest Italian voice ever, and I realize that when he's drunk it sounds like I am listening to a really bad opera.

5:17am: Italian roomie joins French roomie and friend in kitchen for some late night grub.

5:19am: I realize there are now 4 voices. Italian roomie has also brought home a friend with him.

5:22am: There is the most peculiar noise coming from the hallway. It sounds like they have spread newspapers all over the floor and are skating around on it. I think it will probably stop very soon

5:26am: The noise is just getting louder and I am starting to wonder if I should pull myself out of bed to make sure that my apartment will not be a graffiti covered, newspaper flooded alleyway.

5:27am: I decide to stay in bed. Since I can't decipher the foreign tongues coming from outside my room I am getting paranoid that they are discussing a strategy to make enough noise that it would be impossible for me not to wake up and open my door... or worse, barge into my room and pour cold water on me.

5:30am: Everyone must be too drunk and tired to continue the late night antics because the voices and sounds stop.

10:30am: I open my door. The newspaper covered floors were not there. There is no graffiti. The furniture is all in the same place.

10:31am: I notice the following new additions to our flat:

No one else is awake so I text Emily, laugh and forget about it.

5pm: I get a notification on my blackberry that the Italian roomie's friend has tagged me in a photo on facebook. I think it's probably an accident...

5:01pm: I check the picture...

My room is the door at the right. Until I can comprehend French and Italian I will have to rely on Facebook and its photographic evidence to help me piece together what goes on in my multi-cultural flat while I am sleeping.

Carrefour

Carrefour is the Costco of Spain. However, in typical Spain fashion, Carrefour is not exclusive to "members only" like Costco is. Anyone can enjoy the wide selection of items it has to offer. From bananas to bicycles to beds, Carrefour has it. The one down side is that it is generally located in inconvenient areas (meaning you need a car to get to it). Today I made the 25 minute walk to purchase a chair, blanket and aero-bed. I treated myself to a taxi home, but for future reference found out that the #17 bus goes there from the city center.

"Clandestino"

A few nights ago Emily and I decided to go out to dinner. I didn't really have a choice since the gas tank in my kitchen is empty and the company has yet to show up to replace it. We ended up at this restaurant called "Clandestino" on calle niño de guevara. They brought us a free tapa, which was bread with hummus-very yummy and I love free surprises. I ordered pesto pasta with vegetables, which I have been craving big time since I've been in Spain and even told my mom that it has to be the FIRST thing I eat once I get home (so maybe not anymore). Emily ordered a chicken teriyaki dish and was equally as happy. To top it off they gave us two chupitos after dinner. I am sadly hoping the gas company doesn't show up this week and I have a reason to go back to Clandestino for more.

"Intercambio"

An "intercambio" might sound like a "blind date." Two people meet through a mutual acquaintance (in my case, the website loquo.com) and without knowing much about each other or what the person looks like, arrange to meet up for coffee or a meal. I have been going on several "blind dates" with men and women alike... While I have yet to go on an American "blind date," I can imagine that there is oodles of anxiety and stress leading up to the meeting (what if he doesn't show up, what if he's ugly, what if he thinks I'm ugly, what if I need to leave immediately...etc). However, in an intercambio there is none of this stress because the purpose of the meeting is an exchange of languages. The full name is "intercambio de idiomas," but most people just say "intercambio." It is a fun, informal way of learning conversational skills in a foreign tongue. In some of my intercambios we pick a different theme for each meeting such as music or go try a specific food. I posted an ad on loquo.com saying that I was a native American speaker looking to exchange my English for someone's Spanish. While this was never something I thought to do in New York, it is an extremely common and popular practice in Europe. I currently have 4 "intercambios."

M: "M" was my first intercambio. She used to work as a flight attendant for Spanair, but is now getting ready to move to London where she can improve her English. Her nails are always perfectly manicured and she's muy guapa. She is slightly timid when speaking English ("¡alex, tengo verguenza!), so the majority of our meetings are usually in Spanish. Her boyfriend is training to be a pilot.

I: "I" is 26 years old and getting his MBA. He loves American TV, maybe too much so since he watches Hannah Montana just like my 1st graders. His love for the media also has him under the impression that every American college student is similar to a character out of the movie "American Pie." He speaks English decently well, but has a lot of trouble with pronunciation and longer words. He eventually wants to go into Marketing and hopes to work in the US or UK.

T: "T" is studying to get her Masters in Spanish and is also teaching Spanish to high schoolers. She studied for a year in Edinborough and speaks English very well. She is hoping to move to London or the US for a year after she completes her Masters in August. Her boyfriend works in Málaga and just opened his own tattoo parlor.

C: "C" just came back from Punta Cana and has her hair braided. She studied Tourism in college and is now working as an operator/secretary for a tourism office. She speaks a little French and Portuguese. She lived in London for a year as an au pair and learned English there. She is from Huelva, but moved to Málaga to be with her boyfriend. Her boyfriend works in Málaga and as a hobby plays the drums on Thursday nights at a bar. I might go see him play tomorrow.

Touché

I had a great conversation this weekend with none other than Rachael and her roommate Nicky about how there are some phrases/words in certain languages that simply cannot be expressed or translated into another language with the same effect. Anyone who is learning to speak a second language can attest that one of the greatest frustrations is learning how to translate idioms and slang. We came to the conclusion that everyone in the world (or everyone that we come into contact with) should know certain phrases, and they are thereby not considered "french" or "spanish" or "italian" they are just the only way to express that phrase. For example, the word "touché" is french, but Americans use it as if it were an English word because there is simply no English word equivalent. "Touché" essentially means "your point is more clever/wittier than mine," but HOW much better does "touché" sound??

Here are just a few examples of how French has influenced English. And how much better are the French words than using the exact English equivalent!?:

• art déco = "decorative art" (short for art décoratif)
• á la carte = "on the menu" (if you want something else (a side order) you order from the carte. Note that menu is a false cognate in French and English)
• au pair= "at par" ( a person who works for a family in exchange for a room and board)
• chic= "stylish" ( chic sounds much more "chic" than stylish)
• cuisine= "kitchen, food style"
• déja vu= "already seen"
• du jour = "of the day"
• en route = "on route, on the way"
• faux= "fake, false"
• fleur-de-lis= "flower of lily"
• hors douevre = "outside of work" ( an appetizer, something besides the main course)
• ménag à trois = "household of three" (sexual threesome)
• nouveau riche = "new rich"(disparaging term for someone who has recently come into money.
• papier mâché= "mashed paper" (used for art)
• petite= "small, short"
• protege= "protected person" (someone whose training is sponsored by a protected person)
• rendez-vous= "go to"
• risqué= "risked" (suggestive, overly provocative)
• RSVP= "respond please" ( comes from Réspondez si'l vous plâit)
• soirée= "evening" ( in english it refers to an "elegant evening")
• souvenir= "memory, keepsake"

There are many phrases in English that I love and use frequently, but have found a decent Spanish equivalent for. We determined that there is definitely no equivalent, at least not in English, to "aprovecharse." "Aprovecharse" means to make use of or to take advantage of, but the English translation just doesn't have the same effect as it does in Spanish! Anyway just how there are so many French words and phrases that we use everyday without even thinking that they are French I think it would be so cool if the world could collectively decide on a few words/phrases in each language that are arguably better said in that language than any other and then establish these as common words/phrases. ¿Me entiendes?

Mercedes

The first thing most people probably think of when they hear "Mercedes" is the vehicle. To me however "Mercedes" has quite a different significance. Mercedes was the woman that I lived with when I studied in Madrid. I had such a wonderful experience living with her and she really opened my mind to the idea of returning and living to Spain after college. I was so sad to leave her in Spring 2008 and even though she said she was going to try very hard to come to New York soon I knew I needed to take the initiative and just move to Spain so I could spend more time with her. For those of you who have met her you know how truly amazing she is. I was so excited and nervous to see her this weekend. Rachael and I had dinner at her apartment and then we went to a bar together where her daughter started working. Here is a little photo montage of our reunion:

Mad about Madrid

It has been almost two years and I haven't had a change of heart. Undeniably a rarity in modern day friendships and relationships.

While I have grown to really admire Málaga and its tapas restaurants, cute streets and proximity to the Mediterannean, it clearly lacks the sophistication and metropolitan feel that makes me weak in the knees for Madrid. Here are some highlights from the weekend:

Above: Rachael, me and Nicky

Above: Me and Rachael grabbing some lunch Above: Me and Rachael out at Penthouse

Above: Me with the roomies! Rachael, Me, Joy and Nicky Above: Me and my family friend Peggy
Above: I am not sure what is more telling that we are in Spain, the giant flag waving in the background or the oversized Zara bag...

I'm on a...bus...again

As if I don't spend enough time on the bus as it is, I opted to take the 6 hour bus to Madrid this weekend. Here are my observations and findings:

• 100euro cheaper than taking the train
• I ended up with two seats to myself on the way there, not so lucky on the way back
• The "pit stop" is made half way at the equivalent of dean and deluca. Not quite where you'd end up if you were on a road trip in the US
• Zero traffic
  

Here are some pics from "dean and deluca":

Mo money less problems

Since last Thursday when most of my friends got paid and subsequently were the happiest I've seen them since we arrived here, I've waited patiently for it to be my turn. Waiting. Waiting. Considering I've been compulsively plugging in my user name and password into my online banking page anticipating the change in balance, I'm not sure if "patiently" is the correct adverb...Either way, today is November 4th and I officially feel like an employee of the Junta de Andalucia because I GOT PAID! As far as I'm concerned it's just further reassurance that I picked the right weekend to make my big return to the place where it all started.

RW- We've waited long enough. ¡Hasta pronto!

Palacio Wok

Conveniently situated between the AC Palacio Hotel and The Cathedral lies Palacio Wok, an authentic Asian buffet that Emily and I tried out today. For 15euro you get all you can eat Chinese, sushi and wok ( you serve yourself the raw vegetables and meats you want and pick a sauce and they make a wok for you). We have all been seriously dying for some sushi and Chinese so needless to say this is our new Sunday tradition.

November, is it really you?

I don't think I have a favorite season...Obviously everyone loves summer because that means warm weather, tans, weekend getaways and for those of you still in school, an internship or summer program that you have spent your entire year carefully crafting so that it is secretly more fun than work, but will also make you look like an all-star on your resume.

Winter is probably the least popular. The shorts, skirts, dresses, white pants, and open-toed shoes have already made their way to the back of the closet and unless you really know your way around the sunless tanner aisle at Duane Reade you are pale...the worst. But being able to sport fur and go ice skating does have its redeeming qualities.

Spring is exciting because the snow starts to melt, the leaves and flowers come out again and you know its almost summer time. The rain however seems endless and you are constantly debating if it's better to ruin your heels so at least your legs still look skinny or just forget it and wear flats that will not only get your feet soaked, but will also ruin your chance of getting hit on.

However I personally am a really big fan of fall. Some people think fall is depressing because it is the end of summer (why does everything have to revolve around summer?) and means it's time to go "back to the grind." But I think although it is not technically the start of a new year , it is definitely the time to turn over some new leaves (no pun intended). You vow to start going to the gym again since summer really did you in this time, read more, work harder, and over all improve yourself. At least this is what I find myself doing every fall. The weather is starting to change so instead of panting up the subway stairs swearing, "I..will...never...ride...this sardinepackedhomelesspersoninfestedACbrokencontraption ever again to a date..." you are wearing your fall layers and are cool, calm and collected.

For so many reasons I cannot BELIEVE it is November. First and foremost the weather here is not what I am used to for this month. Every day it starts out pretty chilly, but by noon it is definitely time to pack your towel and head to the beach. As I have said before, my white pants are far from retired and my tan is only getting better as the days go on. I am by no means complaining, but is it going to be beach weather all year round?? November, I don't recognize you! For the past four years November has meant watching the leaves change color on Vanderbilt's campus (a national arboritum), coordinating which pashmina, pair of boots, dress and jacket looks best to the football tailgate and dying for midterms to be over so I could go home for a week to celebrate Thanksgiving with friends and family.

Even though the leaves here are not changing color I have kept true to myself and decided to turn over several "new leaves": consistent working out, intercambios, perfecting Spanish and learning French, just to name a few. I have been able to sport my leather jacket a few times even though I find myself perspiring if I wear it before 6pm. Weather aside, it is amazing to me that I have been here for a month and a half. Everything has gone by so fast, but at the same time I feel like I know Málaga like the back of my hand...Either way I feel very adjusted, but also so grateful and excited that I am here for longer than the equivalent of one semester so I really have time to perfect my skills and accomplish my goals.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

This past week in school my lesson plans included a bit of history as well as culture on Halloween and how we celebrate it in the United States. What I learned from my fellow teachers is that many people in Spain do not celebrate or recognize Halloween. The students were all very excited to learn Halloween vocabulary in English and to color in vampire and pumpkin pictures I brought in. I explained to them that in the US people dress up as whatever they want, not necessarily something scary. Many people go as celebrities (I told the girls they could be Hannah Montana which needless to say got quite the reaction) or as cowboys, superheroes etc. I taught my students the following vocabulary:

Bruja: Witch
Brujo: Wizard
Caramelos: Sweets
Calabaza: Pumpkin
Fantasma: Ghost
Gato negro: black cat
Vampiro: Vampire
Escoba: Broomstick
Disfraz: costume/disguise
Truco o trato: trick or treat

My personal experience last night proved slightly different from what the teachers told me about Halloween in Spain. EVERYONE was out and DECKED. The streets were packed with groups of bloody doctors, nurses, goblins, witches, pumpkins and phantoms. Although I did not bring this up in my elementary school I would have to say a reason why young men and women love Halloween in the US is because the female population searches far and wide for the most promiscuous yet flattering and "cute" costume idea while the male race anticipates the findings and then a night of debauchery and role playing ensues. However, last night men went as vampires while their girlfriends were their victims-their faces painted completely white with red streaks all over their mouths and neck...not exactly "hot." So even though Spanish women don't use Halloween as an excuse to dress up as a man's ultimate sexual fantasy like they do in the US, they along with the Spanish men looked fabulous and I was thoroughly impressed by the turnout. Below is a picture of my American friends with some Spanish phantoms standing in front of the Cathedral.

Alcazaba

After we ventured up to the Castillo my mom and I went to the Alcazaba. The Alcazaba is a Moorish fortification dating back to the 8th century. It was built to serve as the palace to the governors of the city. Fountains, flowing water, gardens, and stars are all symbols of the Arabi influence.

Above: My mom standing near one of the gardens
Below: Example of the flowing water throughout the Alcazaba
Above: Star symbol made from stones
Below: Me standing in the Alcazaba with a view of the Castillo de Gibralfaro behind me

Castillo de Gibralfaro

The Castillo de Gibralfaro is located just east of the historic center in Málaga. It was built as a military garrison and coastal vantagepoint in the Phoenician-Punic times. From 1487, the year of Málaga's incorporation in the Crown of Castile, until 1925 when a Royal Decree of Alphonse XIII handed the town over to the population, the castle was used exclusively for military purposes. There is a defensive barbican that surrounds the fortress and opens towards the Coracha, a fortified path leading down to the Alcazaba. Although there is a bus that you can take up to the Castillo my mom and I walked up the rocky path and it was quite the hike! Definitely worth it though for the great views along the way.

Above: Me standing on the rampart
Below: Me in the lookout turret