La Palacio Real de Almudaina

Sorry for not writing! This past week I was here by myself helping take care of the dogs, so my schedule had to be a little more regular. That meant less long adventures. BUT in the past two weeks since I posted anything, I've visited a palace, eaten some great food, and traveled to some different beaches nearby. 

Spanish school is going well! I'm enjoying the challenge, and today, I spit out a sentence in Spanish without having to think about it. And the woman I was speaking to understood me! Some days I feel like I'm not getting it, but little victories like that are encouraging.

Last week, the school took those of us who were interested to see La Palacio Real de Almudaina. We got to take a tour of the 14th century palace for free! Our teacher had us take the tour in Spanish of course, and while I didn't understand much, I really enjoyed it!

The palace is right next to the cathedral and is quite beautiful. Walking the big stone halls really made me feel like I was stepping back into the 14th century. There were large rooms with huge wooden tables, servants' quarters, areas to lounge in. Giant tapestries hung on the walls, depicting scenes of conquest and weddings. The ceilings were intricately painted in some rooms.

As we got to the center of the palace, we stepped outside into a courtyard. There was a pool in the middle with a lion statue spitting water into it. Palm trees stood around the pool. As we walked through the courtyard, we reached the palace cathedral. It was small but breathtaking.

Looking up, I saw stained glass windows and impressive arches. There were paintings and sculptures of various religious figures in the church, and at the back of the building was a room with a small glass box inside it. Large golden statues stood around it. Inside this glass box were the bones of a saint. A locked gate prevented us from entering this sacred room, but we were permitted to take pictures.

While many of my classmates were bored by the end of the tour, I was still in awe. I have no shame in saying I'm a nerd. I love this kind of stuff!