Gorgeous Granada
I have to confess I didn't know a great deal about Granada before we arrived. I knew it was close to the mountains, I knew it was home to the world famous Alhambra, and that it was a mix of Spanish and Moorish history and culture. Other than that, I had no preconceived ideas at all, which is rather a nice way to experience a city if you ask me.
Like every city or large town, the drive in usually leaves a lot to be desired, and Granada is no exception. But once we pulled into our neighbourhood, it was a completely different story. We happened to be staying in Albaicín, the former Arabic barrio and the oldest neighbourhood in Granada. Because of it’s medieval Moorish roots, Albaicín is a higgledy piggledy maze of cobbled streets and white-washed houses all perched on a hillside, with the most amazing views across the whole of Granada. I could have taken a thousand pictures the minute we set foot outside the door, which is always a good indicator of a beautiful city. Our Airbnb had the most breathtaking views from the lounge room and terrace and we were treated to a glorious sunset every night.
The best way to experience the neighbourhood, and Granada in general, is to just follow your nose, wander and wind your way through the streets at random and stop when you see something you like. Other than one dinner and tickets to visit the Alhambra, we booked nothing and didn’t really plan much. We just wandered, experienced, absorbed, Googled a few things, and then wandered some more.
We arrived late in the afternoon ahead of our special guest star Nicole who would be joining us the next day. Once we’d done battle with the world’s tiniest car park (our host actually said to me “oh wow, never seen a car as big as yours get in here before, good luck getting out”) we hit the town on foot to explore. We needed some provisions for dinner so we decided to divide and conquer. I’d head to the bar and order us both a drink and keep the Wonderdog entertained, while Mr T went to the market next door to get bread, milk and the usual staples. I sat down at an outside table and proudly announced to the waiter in my best Spanish “Una cerveza y un vermouth por favor.” I had heard Mr T order a beer for him and a Vermouth for me a dozen times so I knew the right words. But sometimes it’s not just about the words.
Waiter: “Umm cerveza si, y un…??”
Me: “Vermouth por favor.”
Waiter: “Que?”
Me: “Vermouth?”
He wasn’t getting it. Hmm. I even tried the English thing of saying it really loudly and slowly, but to no avail. I thought maybe I should try a little Spanish accent.
Me: “Vermut?”
Nope that wasn’t doing it.
Me: “Vermut rosso?”
That’s red in Spanish, that much I knew. He seemed to get it and off he went, only to come back a minute later.
Waiter: “Rosso, like tomate?
Me: “Oh no, not tomato. Vermouth, umm vermut…ummm. Look, never mind. Maybe just a hot chocolate then.”
Waiter: “Ohhh chocolate. Si!”
And that’s how I came to be sat drinking a bottle of kiddies chocolate milk through a straw when Mr T returned from his shopping mission.
Mr T: <baffled> “Ummm…”
Me: “Don’t ask me what happened. I ordered Vermouth.”
Mr T: “You asked for Vermut rosso?”
Me: “Yes.”
Mr T: “Really?”
Me: “True story. That’s exactly what I said. Must be my charming British accent.”
Mr T: “Unbelievable, it’s the rabbit thing all over again.”
Editors note: regular readers will remember the time I tried to order soup and ended up with ugly rabbit. Yep, just like that.
Then, just as Mr T takes his first sip of beer, back comes the waiter with a plate of chips and cocktail sausages on sticks and sets it down triumphantly on the table. I give Mr T a shrug. I'd given up trying to figure out where I went wrong.
Mr T: “I leave you alone for two minutes and you end up with chocolate milk and sausages and chips??”
Me: <through a mouthful of chip and sausage> “You’re welcome.”
Thankfully we all had more luck with Nicole in town, although we did “bless” her with our weather luck. The heavens opened on us at the Alhambra but we managed to stay semi-dry by huddling in the toilets with 30 of our closest Italian friends. A Kodak moment if ever there was one. The Alhambra was amazing though, despite the rain and the tour groups. If you don't know much about it (I didn't) it started as a palace in 899, fell into disrepair and was then brought back to life in the 11th century by the Moorish king. In 1333 it went back to being a palace for the Sultan of Granada. In 1492, it became the Royal Court of Ferdinand and Isabella and is where Christopher Columbus received royal endorsement for his expedition. Believe it or not, later on the place was abandoned and taken over by squatters (must have been the best squat in the whole world) before being rediscovered and renovated and is now one of the biggest tourist sites in Europe. Apparently two million people come to visit every year. If you plan to be one of them, make sure you buy your tickets online in advance to save any heartache (hat tip to Nicole for being so organised).
Later that day, we had an exceptional dinner at El Trillo restaurant where Guillermo our waiter steered us towards the most outstanding dishes and the best of the best local wines. I didn’t even know they made wine in Granada but the Calvente Rania Brut Nature sparkling was very good, as was the Calvente Guindalera red wine. This cozy little restaurant was a great find, you'll love it if you go.
After dinner, I had the good idea of topping the night off with some flamenco. It’s hard to come to Andalucia and not enjoy the excitement and passion of flamenco first hand. And as I told the team with a little too much confidence, I'd found just the place. I began to doubt my decision the minute we arrived, not only was it quiet, it was also 26 euro per person to get in. Mr T gave me the look that I’ve come to know means “HOW MUCH?!” but it was rather hard to say no when we were being led to a table. So for 15 minutes I apologized profusely as we sipped our 26 euro drinks, smiled politely at the waiters and tried to figure out an exit strategy.
Then on came the singers and dancers, and in an instant, I was feeling rather jolly pleased with myself. It was, my friends, an epic performance. Whether you’re a fan of flamenco or not, you can’t help but be in awe. By the end of the show I was on my feet clapping and stamping. Worth 26 euro of anyone’s money I reckon. If you fancy it, head to El Tempo del Flamenco on Calle Pernaleros Alto, and if you get the same group that we did, you won’t be disappointed. Everyone there seemed to be Spanish, not locals necessarily but definitely not tourists, and every single person was transfixed.
Talking of good local experiences, you’ll also want to head to a smashing place called Rosario Varela on Calle Varela in the San Matias Realejo part of town. Absolutely packed to the rafters with locals but still with a very friendly attitude towards tourists, the food and drinks here are sublime. Just remember that in Granada, whenever you order a drink, they give you free tapas, so bear that in mind when ordering unless you want to roll out of there wishing you had expandable pants on (no prizes for guessing which path we chose!)
With our time in Granada drawing to a close, we headed off for a day trip to the Lecrin Valley, or the Valley of Happiness as the Moors used to call it. With views of the Sierra Nevada mountains all around, and miles and miles of orange and lemon trees, I can certainly see how they came up with the name. We tried to go to the gardens in Niguelas but the gardens, and indeed the whole village appeared to be shut, so we headed off for Melegis instead for a mooch about and some delicious orange juice (and a 2kg bag for the road).
Interestingly, Granada has been one of our favourite destination so far. I say interestingly because it definitely has a little more gritty realism too it, like a little sharp edginess I'd say. Not unlike the Star Wars bar feel that I told you about in Cadiz. It feels passionate, fiery and a little more raw than say a Seville or a Barcelona. And that’s precisely why we loved it. It’s near the top of the list of places we’d like to come back to.
Now we’re off to Vilafranca del Penedes which is the heart of Cava country, before swinging through Barcelona Airport to pick up our next special guest star William. Then it’s off to France, first to Collioure, then Carcassone, and on to the mighty Provence.
