Granada

This morning, in Granada, we set out to find coffee and the first thing we found was Dunkin. Since it was already very hot out and no one else seems to sell iced coffee, we decided it was probably the smart decision to stop and get iced coffee and bagels. It ended up being the perfect breakfast and gave us some time to deal with a lotion explosion that we had noticed while we were walking.

The first destination for the day was the main attraction in Granada: Alhambra. We took a bus to the top of the hill and started in the gardens of GeneraLife. We loved seeing all the different flowers and the gorgeous views of the palace and Granada. It was still early enough that it hadn’t gotten too hot and there were plenty of fountains to refill our bottle regularly. We were also very intrigued by the fact that there were fountains in every single part of the garden and water escalators supplying the water. Each of these fountains, surprisingly, had freezing cold water (despite the rising air temperature) which made the water perfect for splashing on our faces, necks, and hands to cool off.

After GeneraLife, we continued along the main path through Alhambra in the direction of the palace. We continued to look at the flowers, admire the views, and drink water as we walked. We reached the palace a little before our time slot, so we looked at a few of the souvenir shops while we were waiting. We also took some time to enjoy the shade before we could get in line. A little bit before our time, they let us into line and soon after we were admitted into the palace. The stone and tile work inside was incredible and it was really cool to see how much detail went into every room. It was also fun to see that the fountains continued to be a major part of the palace and that there was lots of courtyards and open windows with garden views throughout. Overall, I think we both had more fun in the gardens, but we were very impressed by the palace.

By the time we finished in the palace, we were hungry for lunch so we headed out of Alhambra and found a very cute Italian place where we ordered pizza and cannolis. It was delicious and the perfect, quick lunch. However, after we visit Italy, I’m not sure we’ll still be able to say that anymore. For the majority of the afternoon, we wandered around the Jewish District and some of the shops near the main road. We found some dried fruit and decided we wanted to drop it off at the hostel and get some more water. Once we got to the hostel, we realized that what we actually needed was a break from the heat so we relaxed, got some of our stuff organized, and cooled off for a bit.

A little later, we ran out for some groceries so that we could be prepared for breakfast and have some snacks for the train in the morning. After dropping them off, we headed to dinner. We took the suggestion of one of the receptionists at the hostel and went to a tapas bar a couple blocks away. In Granada, the tapas bars, almost exclusively, give you tapas with the drink you order rather than having you order tapas and drinks separately. This bar is in the minority of one’s that actually let you pick what tapas you get with the food. The food ended up being delicious and we ended up getting a lot of food and drink for less than we would get it for anywhere else. Below is the list of drinks/food we got in each round.

1.  Alhambra Especial and The Good Cider Pear 
⁃   Chicken in spicy Thai sauce 
⁃   Chicken in Coconut Sauce with polenta
2.  Estrella Levante (on tap) and The Good Cider Dry Apple
⁃   Spicy Piri-Piri Chicken Wings 
⁃   Portuguese Style Saltcod 
3.  Al Aldalus Amber (Ale) and Anchurón (Granada red wine) 
⁃   Chicken in Coconut Sauce with polenta
⁃   Skewer of grilled pork and pineapple 
4.  Al Aldalus Rubia (Pate Ale) and athe Good Cider Pear and water
⁃   Chickpea salad 
⁃   Spicy chicken liver with coriander 
⁃   Chicken in spicy Thai sauce 

Overall, that makes 9 tapas, 7 beers, 1 glass of wine, and 1 bottle of water. Any guesses on how much we spent? If you guessed 27€ then that’s correct. Each drink was between 2 and 3 euros and came with food which felt insanely cheap, but we were well fed and happy before we headed back to the hostel to pack our bags and get ready for the night.

In the morning, we got up early, grabbed our bags, and headed for the train station. We are currently back in Barcelona waiting for our ferry to take us to Rome! Italy, here we come!!