Of course we were wrong. Well, we did leave at night and get to Granada in the morning, but we did NOT sleep soundly on the bus. We arrived in rainy and sleepy Granada at 6 o'clock in the morning to the sounds of trucks splattering water as they drove by and the sight of cold mist which hung in the air and rose up the mountains to the magnificent Alhambra. In addition, my dear Lucy got sick- combination of chilly and wet conditions plus no sleep. Like the trooper that she is, she made it work, and we ended up having a lovely time exploring Granada then Malaga for five days.
We were in Andalucía at the right time of year. Lucy and I were able to experience El Dia de la Cruz, where people decorated their courtyards and public establishments with adorned crosses and flowers. We bought red flowers and peinetas to put in our hair. It was lovely- Olé!
Just stunning craftsmanship |
How cute are they!? They were dancing Flamenco ! |
The food was nothing to ignore. Granada's close proximity to Morocco made it an exciting hub for Arabic culture. This mix of Andalucian Spanish/Mediterranean cuisine and Arabic flavors and culture made for a colorful plate of bursting textures and flavors. The tea-houses, which lined the narrow cobbled roads that spiraled up to meet the majestic Alhambra fortress, were like portals entering into an old Arabian world. Some catered to tourists more than others, but they all had dozens of tea available for tasting at very reasonable prices for the pot. The mint tea was my favorite. We didn't taste any of the pastries, but they all offered bite-sized desserts on large platters. Since it rained a lot while Lucy and I were in Granada (and Malaga for that matter) we often found ourselves seeking refuge in warm tea houses.
Like I mentioned before, the Tapas in this regions are well-known throughout Spain. Not only are you able to find all sorts of varieties of Tapas at almost any establishment, the quality is superior and the small plates of finger food come out for free with any drink order. This is customary at any bar for example. With every round of drinks (not necessarily alcoholic) the table will receive una tapa. The more drinks you order, the better the tapas get...
Well except for this one, which Lucy and I named the WORST tapa in all of Spain:
It was so awful, we couldn't help but laugh. We ordered a "caña," which is a small glass of white ale beer with or without added citrus flavor, and with the two beers got this beauty of a tapa. Flavorless stale bread and two big RAW lima beans. It wasn't even salted. It was pitiful, but so funny when compared to something like this:
I was very surprised at how reasonable the prices were for any type of food in Spain, but especially in the South. You could get an entire "menu" or formula including an appetizer (entrée), main dish (plat), dessert and a pitcher of the house wine for 12 euros...! not bad at all. Lucy and I had several meals like this... almost all of them included some sort of pork dish... One must love jamon (jam) when in Spain.
Delicious and hearty pork stew with potatoes and carrots. |
Braised Chicken, fries... covered in a nice brown sauce. This meal felt very homemade... very hearty and earthy. |
For the big Barça vs Madrid game, Lucy and I went to a local tapas bar, and ordered this fried gem. Eggplant drizzled in honey sauce. |