Granada: A city unlike any other
Subconsciously knowing that we would really like Granada, we ended up giving it more breathing space in our itinerary. It is hard to describe just why Granada was a fantastic city to explore. First, there is actually something to explore… a complex network of alley ways and sudden apparitions of graffiti (not just any graffiti, but lively and created by a skilled hand). The city is not flat but has a steep incline to where we stayed in our luxurious hostel.
Some interesting corners of the city:
We really struck gold with our hostel in the Albacin area of Granada, which is the old Moorish neighbourhood of winding streets and beautiful detail that I think makes Granada really special. It was a separate, private building of the hostel where we had paid for a double room that was the same price of two separate beds in a normal hostel. But since the main office and internet were in the main hostel building, this one was very quiet and felt more like living in a house. Our room was on the main floor with the living room and kitchen right outside the door. Upstairs and downstairs were bathrooms and the other two rooms in the building. Really quite a treat, and we were able to prepare a few very tasty meals there. Since we were living in the most interesting neighbourhood of Granada, it was easy to explore.
Double bedroom:
Living and dining room:
Kitchen:
Our time in Granada coincided with my having to choose my graduate school for September in Communication studies, a very difficult decision that put a little bit of stress on me during that part of the trip. I ended up being torn between York University in Toronto and McGill University in Montreal (who accepted me at the last minute after being on the waiting list)… in the end, I chose McGill - but it was very close.
Ah, the illustrious Alhambra, palace complex of Moorish monarchs, masterpiece of Islamic architecture. It was truly fantastic. But our journey there, not so fantastic. On the way we got a bit lost and ended up in a strange alleyway. On the way out, realizing the true direction, I was distracted and accidentally stepped into a grate in the street, which was just broken enough to trap my foot. It was a scary moment, where my friend Katie thought I had twisted my foot and I took a quick moment to assess what had happened, with a gasp of fear as I sat/fell down. With the help of a kind passerby, I managed to get my foot out. He put a stone where the hole was, so future pedestrians wouldn’t make the same mistake. Made me catch my breath a bit, but really nothing serious.
The grate of doom:
The Alhambra was breathtaking… full of painstaking carved details of Arabic inscriptions and complex patterns. As in every great building, every angle was a refreshing new work of art.
Since Granada is so southerly, they had a lot of Moroccan items in tourist shops, and a Moroccan market as well.
The graffiti in Granada was really interesting. Two of my favourites:
At one point, after exploring the Albacin area more, we heard that if you went to the very stop, there was an area where gypsies lived in caves in the mountain. So of course, we had to check that out. At the top at first we found what seemed like a very wealthy part of Granada with new, clean and white homes with a beautiful view of the city. Then as we went further into the more natural part of the summit, we finally saw the best view, and as rumoured, the homes of gypsies. We were too shy and a bit nervous to take pictures of the caves really close up, but they were so fascinating with their glass windows. Also, as we passed we could hear the strains of guitar music and could see people outside.
View:
Settlement:
As was typical for our trip thus far, Granada was not luxuriously hot. In fact, it was so rainy and cold that Katie and I were excited to buy mittens that we found in the market. Mittens, in Spain. In April. One day after stubbornly walking around in the rain, we stepped in from the chill to a luxurious meal at Hicuri restaurant.
Delicious vegetable soup I hope that I can recreate:
Couscous with vegetables in a tasty asian sauce:
All in all, I can highly recommend Granada and would go back. It was my favourite Spanish city, and probably the most interesting place I have visited to this point.
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