Grazalema (check this city out on GoogleEarth for more photos)

This weekend 4 guys and I rented a little Peugot and drove to the pueblo of El Bosque (translated literally – the forest). It felt great to get out of the paved city for a little while and do some hiking. The plan was to do an overnight hike to the little town of Grazalema. Unfortunately a patroling park ranger put an end to that plan after about 3 hours of hiking because the trail was not only closed for fire danger, but also a private hiking trail. So we had to retrace our steps back to El Bosque and decided to drive to our destination. This whole area is beautiful – it reminds me of Yosemite with all the rock formations and mountains. And when we arrived in Grazalema that evening, we were blown away by the scenery. It’s a little town up in the mountains with incredible views, streets too tight to drive an American car through, and everything is built in typical old Spanish style with tiny little restaurants and bars surrounding a central plaza, and little homes, cafés, and shops extending out from there. All the buildings are white – giving the pueblo a unified, welcoming look. There was a wedding there that night, so everyone in the streets was all dressed up and on their way to a little restaurant on the side of a cliff where the reception was taking place. It was a beautiful little town to explore, and we’re going to try to come back sometime during the semester.

P.S. My new passport and debit card finally arrived here in Sevilla, which was a huge relief. Thanks for your prayers for that.