Granada was absolutely magical. My weekend away seems almost impossible, but I swear to you dear friends, it is all true. About the only thing that wasn't perfect about the trip was the flu (or something) I must have picked up along the way. I have been ill for the past 24 hours (fever, soar muscles, upset tummy), but starting to feel better after sleeping most of the day.
After class on Friday I got on the train to Granada from Madrid. The ride was serene. No cities or roads in sight. Just endless hills with cyprus trees and row upon row of olive groves. As we approached the Sierra Nevada mountains, the train curved through rocks and over canyons. It was a beautiful trip. I felt calm, with no where to be, just letting the train and time carry me.
The train arrived in Granada at 11pm. I grabbed a cab (so cheap) to my hotel, which was near the famous Alhambra palaces. We climbed up and up a narrow road to my hotel, which was so-so. The room wasn't particularly nice and I had no view, but I just needed to sleep. I went down to the bar and had a beer while watching a little World Cup soccer with the bartender and her boyfriend, then headed to bed around midnight.
In the morning I was picked up at my hotel for a guided tour of the Alhambra. The Alhambra (Arabic for red castle) was a fortress from the 9th century, turned into a palace from the 13-14th centuries by Nasrid emirs. After the Christian conquest in 1492, the palace and all the buildings were occupied by Charles V. In the 18th century the Alhambra was abandoned and left to fall to ruins until the mid 1800s, when it was slowly restored and is now visited by 8,000 people a day! It is truly magnificent, and reminds visitors that during the dark ages of Europe, Moorish culture thrived. I took well over 100 pictures. Here are the highlights:
While on the Alhambra tour I met a very sweet family from Bangor, Maine. A rabbi, his wife and two sons. Turns out the youngest son is starting college at Northeastern in the fall in media studies! The five of us ended up hanging out together during the tour and eating falafel for lunch in the "gypsy" quarter of the city. The rabbi also mentioned that they own a cabin on Bar Harbor available for rent...
After the tour and lunch, I went back to the hotel for my bags. For my second night I booked a hotel closer to the center of town. It was MUCH nicer than the first, with a sweet courtyard, terra cotta tile floors, big comfy bed and free Internet! I headed out to explore the city, which was walkable in about 40 minutes. A couple of highlights: free tapas with a beer purchase, lots of flowers everywhere, Turkish tea houses and very friendly people. At one point I stopped at a small square to listen to some young people playing and singing music. While there I was volunteered by two adorable girls, 4 and 8, to play hide-n-seek. We couldn't really say much to each other except my name is and I am __ years old, but some games are universal and I do know how to count to 10 in Spanish!
Saturday night I found a restaurant that actually served vegetables and had a TV outdoors showing with World Cup. I got a Ensalada Alhambra, which doesn't really mean anything, but was full of fresh fruits and veggies! I'd been starving for nonbread, nonmeat substance. This salad was strange - tuna, hard-boiled egg, kiwi, bananas on a bed of iceberg (of course) lettuce. But boy did it hit the spot!
After dinner I followed the sounds of live music to a square full of people - young and old - dancing! Everyone was dressed up, some with flamenco-style dresses, dancing in the street. It was so uplifting to see kids in strollers as well as senior citizens out on a Saturday night. Our fear of growing old is so depressing, we hide our old people away in America, which is inhumane. God forbid we should have to acknowledge the elderly.
After dancing, my hotel concierge recommended a jazz bar for cafe and a late night snack. The Bohemia Jazz Cafe was a small dessert, coffee and cocktail bar in the club area of Granada. The walls were decorated with all sorts of Americana, mostly pictures of Hollywood stars from the 1940s, and the jukebox played jazz standards. Having eaten all those vegtables for dinner, I splurged on a coffee ice cream sunday with hot fudge and whip cream. YUM!
I spent Sunday walking around, reading a book in the Federico Garcia Lorca park, giftshopping and eating breakfast with three Kansas State University students studying Spanish in Granada. The train ride back was just as beautiful, and I returned to Madrid relaxed and happy. I didn't feel sick until Monday afternoon. Only 10 more days left here, then on to Eastern Europe. I'm getting restless and am ready to move on.
posted by ninabeth @ 9:16 AM
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