The Sierra Nevadas

Javier and Ana took my mom and I on a road trip to the top of the Sierra Nevadas today! It was a scenic drive through the mountains, and it was cool to see the terrain slowly change from greenery to snow. By the time we got to the top there were multiple feet of snow. Javier said that every time it rains in the city of Granada, the Sierra Nevadas get snow. And it has rained all week. He said he had never seen so much snow before, it was pretty sweet and made me feel less homesick.

Ana and I during the car ride up the mountain

And and her birthday present, her stuffed animal seal, Focki

Ana and I played in the snow for the majority of the day, going sledding and having snow ball fights. The view from the mountains was absolutely amazing. My pictures don't do it justice, I just wanted to stay there forever. It wasn't even that cold, the sun was so strong that I was actually sweating. My multiple layers of clothes probably didn't help but that's ok. Little Beatriz didn't come, so I got to borrow her snow pants. They fit in the length, but were too small in the waist so I had to leave them unzipped. It wasn't a problem until I tried to slide down the mountain on my belly and I got snow all down my jacket and pants. Oops.

Mom and her short sleeve shirt...dont worry, she eventually put on a jacket

Javier went sledding, Ana chased him

Me and Ana attempting to go sledding together...we didn't make it far

The end result...

We're a bunch of flojos (lazy people)

Selfie! I love my mom!

Lunch time on the slopes!

We packed sandwiches for lunch, so we sat in the snow and ate while enjoying the view. It was such a beautiful day out. We then drove down the mountain and into the ski town. Unlike at home, the Sierra Nevadas has one "ski resort." Little did I know, but it is a town that is filled with ski shops and coffee places, and the ski lifts are right in the middle of the town. It was the coolest thing. I felt like I was in the Swiss Alps because of all the lodges on the mountainside and the ski village. It felt like a movie more than reality. I was in disbelief at how pretty it was. Javier says the ski season lasts from about December to March, the same as at home.

While in the village Ana and I played in the huge snowbanks. We also stopped at Javier's favorite coffee shop for tea and crapes. The tea cups were so cool; they had a steeper in them, and a cover for the cups, which you then took off and put the steeper on. I got a crape with chocolate and bananas and whipped cream to share with mom, it was delicious. We sunbathed on the mountainside and enjoyed the view, and then made our way back down the mountain and into the city. It was probably one of the best days here so far, just because it reminded me of home (with a twist), and it was just so different than anything else I have seen here.

Sunbathing at the coffee shop 

I feel bad for whoever owns this car, it's gonna be a process digging it out

Crapes!