Photo by Dr. Haus
First Impressions - Day 1
I have finally arrived in Granada! I can't believe my 20-year dream of traveling to multiple Spanish cities is finally beginning! I have no words, just taking it all in as much as possible. I arrived in Granada about 2 hours late due to accidents and traffic on the roads. Pro tip - there are risks when you travel by bus. The train is likely more reliable but if you aren't in a rush buses are fine. Luckily I was in no rush so the delays didn't bother me much.
馃殞
Upon arrival at the bus station in Granada I noticed some AMAZING bike infrastructure (read: NERD ALERT!). There are so many protected bike lanes here. The style I have seen are bike paths that are not even on the road, they are a "level up" from the cars (the same level as the sidewalks) to prevent any interactions of bikers with cars/buses. They also have crossing lights for bikes at intersections and round-abouts:
Photo by Dr. Haus
I was able to see a few sights on my walk over to the hostel including someone carrying a cat tree through a plaza I was walking through. I feel like that person and I would be great friends - or my access to EU citizenship? Who knows? I didn't want to be a weirdo to tell some stranger I love cats and love that they are carrying a cat tree through town, haha! The hostel accommodations are great, much better than I expected - I even have a balcony in the room!
I am looking forward to tomorrow - it is the day I go to the Alhambra - a big part of my 20-year dream. I was also just offered sangria from the hostel staff as I type. What a country! I wasn't sure about working in the common area but have now realized this was the ONLY move. Chao for now!
馃嵎
The Alhambra - Day 2
I SAW THE ALHAMBRA TODAY! I remember learning about this monument 20-years ago in school and thinking I am going to go there someday. It was surreal finally fulfilling that dream and spending a good 5-hours at the Alhambra. I was able to see all of the different parts of the Alhambra and take in the beautiful views, architecture, and history.
Photo by Dr. Haus
The morning started with the walk from my hostel to the Alhambra. On the way, I stopped for breakfast at a cafe where I went for a protein-filled breakfast of a pork omelette with a black tea. This was a perfect choice as I knew I would lose track of time in the Alhambra and knowing I had a long day of walking ahead of me.
Photo by Dr. Haus
After a filling breakfast I started the trek up the mountain to the Alhambra. The walk was nice while also being difficult due to the steep incline. Thankfully, I was able to make it with some huffing and puffing. What was interesting to note on the walk up was that the water collected from the Alhambra drains out from the fortress walls into little creeks that feed into a bigger creek that flanks the outside of the walk up to the monument. The sound of the water and the fortress above me gave me the motivation to get to the entrance.
Photo by Dr. Haus
After arriving at the Alhambra, I started heading towards the Nasrid Palaces taking my time to view all the different architecture, gardens, and buildings leading to the main site. At the Alhambra, the Nasrid Palaces have a designated time you can enter and my time was 11:00am. I purposely arrived at the monument around 9:30am so I could view some of the other areas prior to my entry into the Nasrid Palaces.
After viewing everything outside the Nasrid Palaces except the Alcazaba, it was time for me to start my timed entry. The Nasrid Palaces had some of the most beautiful architecture I have ever seen. The palaces were full of mosaic tile work, arches, pools, and gardens. There was also a lot of restoration work being done on the palaces when I was walking through today. There were multiple areas that were blocked off but you could see the restoration work happening which was really interesting.
Photo by Dr. Haus
After the Nasrid Palace, I circled back to the Alcazaba. This was particularly fun because I was able to go to the top of parts of the fortress walls and see the amazing views of Granada to the south (?) and the snow-covered mountains to the north (? - I am literally the worst with directions). I was able to see where I had breakfast in the morning and thought I could see the general area where my hostel is located (again, terrible sense of direction but I am fairly certain I was correct in this instance).
Photo by Dr. Haus
Okay, now I need to write about something I thought I would never write about. I do not like pop or other carbonated beverages. About a week ago (while still at the farm), we went to a place to eat that only had carbonated beverages so I grumpily ordered a Fanta (lim贸n) and hoped I would like it. I remember a good Spanish friend of mine saying she LOVES Fanta in Spain and that it tastes bad in America. Well, I am officially a HUGE fan of Spanish Fanta - I may or may not have a problem. It is SO GOOD! I got a Fanta at the bus station yesterday on my way to Granada and today tried the naranja (orange) Fanta and can confirm it is just as good. So apparently I drink pop now? But only Spanish Fanta and yes, I do have a problem....at least its not a drug problem?...
Photo by Dr. Haus
After finishing up at the Alhambra I headed over to explore the Generalife which is outside the Alhambra walls. This area had so many beautiful gardens and a palace - I can't imagine how they would look when everything is in full bloom. Sipping my Fanta and exploring gardens - can't beat that!
Photo by Dr. Haus
One other important thing I noticed, there was someone walking around the Alhambra feeding all of the feral cats that live there. 1. That is awesome! 2. How do I get that job? I did see quite a few cats lounging in the sun and walking around the monument throughout the day, further confirming that if reincarnation is a thing I want to be reincarnated as a cat. In the Alhambra.
Photo by Dr. Haus
5-hours later I had finally seen everything the Alhambra and Generalife had to offer. At this point I was starting to get hungry and my legs were getting tired. I headed out from the fortress and into the Albaic铆n neighborhood to find a place with a men煤 del d铆a. This is the menu of the day where you get a three-course meal for 12 euros.
I found a great place called La Entraiya where I got salmorejo, pescado a la plancha, and a tarta from the region (I can't remember the name but the waitress suggested it as it is famous in Granada). I of course had a glass of wine because its vacation in Spain and I love a good red wine. Everything tasted AMAZING and I couldn't believe how much food you get for 12 euros! It also felt like a fairly healthy meal as each part of the meal had veggies with it. After finishing lunch, I continued walking up and up and up through the neighborhood.
Photo by Dr. Haus
As I kept heading upwards I found a strange area that I walked through that brought me to a hill above the Alhambra that overlooked the Alhambra, Granada, and the mountains. This was truly the topmost point of the city and I am so glad that I accidentally stumbled upon it. There were not very many people here but all were enjoying the incredible views. I sat in this area for some time taking in the views and resting my poor legs from the steep climbing.
Photo by Dr. Haus
After this adventure, I slowly worked my way down through the neighborhoods and streets until I got back to the hostel. I did a quick break in my room before heading out for an evening stroll around the surrounding area. This gave me the inspiration for my wandering for tomorrow, my last day in Granada. I plan to explore more of the city center and university areas tomorrow before leaving bright and early on Friday for C贸rdoba. For this evening, relaxing and resting my poor feet, haha!
Last Day in Granada - Day 3
Today is my last day in Granada - I leave bright and early tomorrow on a train to C贸rdoba. It was a nice last day in the city as I decided to wander around and have a more relaxed "go with the flow" kind of a day. I started the day with a great breakfast prior to heading to the opposite side of the city to where I was yesterday.
Photo by Dr. Haus
After a great breakfast I started walking and found a park that runs along the Genil River. I decided to follow the river on its way out of the city towards the Sierra Nevada mountain range and enjoyed the quiet of the water running over the rocks. I also met a super nice doggo! A day of wandering got me some yummy snacks, I found the university, I found the vet school, and I found the bull fighting ring. It was a great relaxing last day here before continuing the adventure in C贸rdoba.
Photo by Dr. Haus
No comments:
Post a Comment