Today was a nice and peaceful day. It wasn't raining when I woke up - very exciting.
After breakfast I headed out to explore. A bunch of artists were in the little squares selling paintings. I'm a sucker for artwork so I bought a litle acrylic painting. It's not too touristy but it is of a woman dressed in a flamenco dress walking with a man away from the viewer. It's tasteful and more subtle than most.
With all the museums I've visited and local artists I've seen, I'm excited to start working on my large white canvas I've had hanging for almost a year. Finally decided what I want to paint.
Once I got to the river I walked along it a bit past kids having fun at a skate park, and sat down on a bench overlooking the river. Other people were walking their dogs, reading the newspaper, and people watching. I read my book in the sun, soaked up a healthy amount of vitamin D, and then headed for the shade.
A guy named Victor came and shared my bench with me and wanted to chat. He was nice, told me what sites I should visit in his broken English. He was embarassed but felt better when I told him his English was a lot better than my Spanish. I have enjoyed the fact that very few people (especially waiters) here speak English. After about ten minutes he said goodbye and wandered off. And then about an hour later when I was walking down the riverfront he caught up to me and gave me his digits, in case I wanted to do some sight-seeing with him or to grab a drink. I told him I was leaving tomorrow but he didn't seem to care. My little collection of numbers and email addresses has grown quite a bit over the last few cities. While the Spanish men are less flirty than the Italians, they sure are quick to give out their info unsolicited.
I spent a few hours by the river. Lots of crew teams and kayakers floating by. I got a little sad while I was there thinking about my mom so I opened up my notebook and drew a bit of the scenery. A little art therapy if you will. Dia de la Madre is celebrated the first sunday of May here, and it is advertised but luckily not as much as it would be in the U.S. My mom loved to travel and had plans to do a large family trip to Europe. So every trip I take I feel like I'm honoring her in a way. Happy Dia de la Madre to all you mothers and soon-to-be mothers out there.
I hopped in a Starbucks, not to buy a coffee, but to see what they call the sizes here. Sure enough they call them "tall, grande, and venti" like in the U.S. Interesting. While I wouldn't support Starbucks here, I could see myself buying an iced coffee there in the brutal heat of summer, since that's not something you can get at the local shops.
After a while I had to use an aseo, so I headed to find a little cafe. I ordered a glass of wine and asked her what kind of vegetarian tapas they had. She said they had two - patatas bravas and something called Salmorejo Cordobes, which she explained is a local cold soup, very popular. I looked over and sure enough the people next to me were eating it. So I said vale!
I didn't like the soup or the angry potatoes. But the wine was good and I got to use the aseo.
I then walked through the Parque Maria Luisa. That's when it started raining. At first a nice drizzle but then it got pretty strong. Not as bad as yesterday though. I found a little pond and was on the lookout for some water turtles when all of a sudden a bunch of ducklings appeared. Made me so happy watching them for about ten minutes. Took a cute little video of all 9 of them getting out of the water to follow their mama. Happy Dia de la Madre to her too.
Along with my land turtle I want a duck someday.
At the end of the park is the Plaza de Espana. It is quite impressive, took as many photos as I could in the rain. I then sauntered back to the hostel to regroup before my flamenco show.
All the stores were closed today except for the souvenir shops. I did find one sweatshirt (most shops just had t-shirts) that had a small bull silhouette and 'Sevilla' written in small letters underneath. Not too tacky. I was going to buy it, but they only had small & medium. The medium sleeve covered about half of my forearm. Oh well. Maybe the weather will get nicer.
The flamenco show was 6 times more expensive than the one I went to in Granada, and about 20 times better. It was very professional and had lots of dancers. I got there about a half an hour before it started so got a good seat. The cheap seats are 36 euros and include a drink. The more expensive seats are at tables and include either tapas or dinner, but they sit behind the cheap seats. So it doesn't really make sense to eat dinner there, if you ask me. It didn't look or smell very good either. It was a fun show. Kind of reminded me of the tango show I went to with my parents in Buenos Aires. I took a few short videos if anyone is curious.
A few random notes:
1) My hostel is next to a church, been fun to hear the bell tower every hour.
2) Fifty German students checked in yesterday. Made me think that I'd like to be a parent chaperone someday. To cool locations only though. I remember my mom really enjoyed going to the Pantanal with a group from Ang's class.
3) Musicians - I love to support street musicians when it's my decision to watch and listen to them. I don't like it when you are stuck in the metro or sipping a coffee and they walk by your table and expect you to give them money. Especially when they don't have talent. No gracias.
4) I've noticed a lot of all white pigeons here which I find odd. Speaking of pigeons, the Spanish ones have been kind to me.
5) Spanish beer - while I'm sure you can get all the types everywhere - there seems to have been a particular one advertised the most in each city (on umbrellas, napkins, and in bar windows etc). Mahou in Madrid, Estrella in Barcelona, Alhambra in Granada, and Cruzcampo in Sevilla. I must say that Estrella has been my favorite. The most popular cocktails seem to be mojitos and caipirinhas.
I donated Madame Bovary to the hostel. Will start my next book on the bus ride tomorrow (the one that Andrew gave me). Bus leaves at 7:30am so will leave the hostel around 6:30. Will probably pack tonight and sleep in my clothes so I don't wake people up that early.
It's about a 5 hour bus ride to Portimao, my first stop in Portugal. Pretty excited!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Vale
The guy above me was snoring last night so I put in my earplugs. Only problem is I slept through my alarm. Didn't hear it at all. But it's ok, I only slept in an hour later than I wanted to.
As I was eating breakfast downstairs it started down-pouring. Hard. So I dilly-dallied a bit trying to wait it out, but it wasn't letting up so I decided to brave it and head outside. Luckily my rainjacket is roomy enough that I can zip it over my little backpack - sporting a hunchback look if you will. After about a minute my jeans were completely drenched. A free wash perhaps. The way this trip is going I'm just happy that my jeans still fit. Although I will admit that as I type this blog entry my button is undone.
I walked to the Reales Alcazares which is a royal palace, originally a Moorish fort. Apparently it is one of the best remaining examples of the mudejar architecture. A lot of the designs and decor reminded me of the Nasrid palace in the Alhambra. I'm scared to admit this because the Alhambra is supposedly the most visited place in Spain - but I was more impressed by the Alcazar Palace. It also helped that there were mallards chilling in the rain, as well as a random squawking peacock.
I got there about an hour after the palace opened and there was no line! Am sure the rain helped. They took my student card and I got in for free, so I splurged on the audio-guide tour. Glad I did. The upper section of the palace is where the royal family still stays when they are in Sevilla. Pretty cool. I would have stayed and read in their beautiful gardens for hours if it wasn't raining.
I then walked the short distance to the Catedral de Sevilla. There was a long line. We all stood in the rain not impressed with mother nature. The guy behind me kept hitting me in the head with his umbrella. The cathedral charges an entrance fee. I had to enter in as an adult, they only give free access to students under 25. Discrimination I tell you. Because of the 8 euro charge I didn't get the audio-guide tour, out of principle. It is a very nice cathedral and huge. My camera battery died mid-cathedral exploration and when I went to change to my other battery that one was also dead. Ugh. It's ok, most photos inside churches and cathedrals don't come out well anyways because of the dark lighting.
I sat inside for quite a while taking in the decor and drying off a bit. I have decided that it might be time to buy a new raincoat. This one wasn't keeping me as dry as I'd like. Apparently they have a shelf-life. I'll keep it for light drizzle type days, but I think I need a new one for days like today and my travels. I also think it's time to get a new camera. A part fell off the other day. I get attached to my things and I don't graduate to better technology until necessary. I think the time to retire my cute little blue Nikon might be fast approaching.
Since I had ran out of batteries I thought it a good time to find some lunch. I went to an Italian restaurant. While I love tapas and snacking all day, I felt like a pasta dish. The restaurant that I chose was quite hopping, had to wait about 20 minutes for a table which was fine. Once I was seated I ordered some delicious soup cause I was cold, and my favorite pasta dish - Arrabbiata. They make it a bit different here, was still scrumptious. Only problem was that the portion was huge - I think it's a family-style restaurant. I knew asking for a box is a no-no, so I tried as best I could. I also took my time, probably my longest lunch by myself ever. Was nice. I didn't want to go back outside just yet!
After I finally did leave the restaurant I started to head home so that I could charge my camera batteries. I strolled into El Corte Ingles to see if I could find a comfy sweatshirt or sweater. It's cold enough that some of the stores have their heaters on, but all the boutiques have spring/summer clothing out so I was hopeful I'd find something in a department store. No such luck. My fleece is warm but I've been wearing it everyday and I'd like something cozy for hostel time, and maybe even to sleep in. While I walked around they were playing the song San Francisco. While I haven't seen many people in SF wearing flowers in their hair - lots of ladies do in Sevilla. I also saw a bunch of women in fancy dresses, shoes & cool old-fashioned hats today. El Corte Ingles also had a whole section of flamenco dresses, similar to the section we'd see in the U.S. of prom dresses. I had no idea it was so common-place here. I thought I'd just see it at the flamenco show.
Anyways, I struck out at El Corte Ingles. Also no luck at Zara, Mango and H&M. I might have to suck it up and sport a "I heart Sevilla" sweatshirt, or a faux University hoodie. Harvard or Baltimore? Desperate times may call for desperate measures.
Speaking of the flamenco show, I picked the tablao I want to go to and headed over there at 5ish to book a ticket for tomorrow. I knew they wouldn't be open yet, but I didn't want to risk hanging out in the hostel. Depending on the day, if I take a siesta I often have a hard time falling asleep at night. So I've been trying to power through today without one. It was still raining so I sat in a bus stop close to the tablao and read my book. I had some nice exchanges with people that way. Kind of fun.
Once I booked my Flamenco ticket for tomorrow I headed home and have been booking hostels and trains for my Canada trip that starts in a little over two weeks!
Random tidbits:
1) Andalucia is not as prideful as Cataluyna is. There aren't Andalucia flags around everywhere like there were Cataluyuna flags in Barcelona.
2) I'm finally acquiring a taste for olives.
3) Every weekend people here are selling branches/twigs outside of churches. I tried looking it up; can anyone enlighten me to the religious significance of that? Am curious.
4) Vale - I thought that people were saying "bale" to mean "OK" or "I understand". I finally asked someone. I was right in what it means, but they aren't saying 'bale' - they are saying 'vale', but it definitely has a b-sound to it.
5) Since it's not customary to tip here, I haven't been. It's been a nice break from math. Map-reading can be challenging enough at times!
As I was eating breakfast downstairs it started down-pouring. Hard. So I dilly-dallied a bit trying to wait it out, but it wasn't letting up so I decided to brave it and head outside. Luckily my rainjacket is roomy enough that I can zip it over my little backpack - sporting a hunchback look if you will. After about a minute my jeans were completely drenched. A free wash perhaps. The way this trip is going I'm just happy that my jeans still fit. Although I will admit that as I type this blog entry my button is undone.
I walked to the Reales Alcazares which is a royal palace, originally a Moorish fort. Apparently it is one of the best remaining examples of the mudejar architecture. A lot of the designs and decor reminded me of the Nasrid palace in the Alhambra. I'm scared to admit this because the Alhambra is supposedly the most visited place in Spain - but I was more impressed by the Alcazar Palace. It also helped that there were mallards chilling in the rain, as well as a random squawking peacock.
I got there about an hour after the palace opened and there was no line! Am sure the rain helped. They took my student card and I got in for free, so I splurged on the audio-guide tour. Glad I did. The upper section of the palace is where the royal family still stays when they are in Sevilla. Pretty cool. I would have stayed and read in their beautiful gardens for hours if it wasn't raining.
I then walked the short distance to the Catedral de Sevilla. There was a long line. We all stood in the rain not impressed with mother nature. The guy behind me kept hitting me in the head with his umbrella. The cathedral charges an entrance fee. I had to enter in as an adult, they only give free access to students under 25. Discrimination I tell you. Because of the 8 euro charge I didn't get the audio-guide tour, out of principle. It is a very nice cathedral and huge. My camera battery died mid-cathedral exploration and when I went to change to my other battery that one was also dead. Ugh. It's ok, most photos inside churches and cathedrals don't come out well anyways because of the dark lighting.
I sat inside for quite a while taking in the decor and drying off a bit. I have decided that it might be time to buy a new raincoat. This one wasn't keeping me as dry as I'd like. Apparently they have a shelf-life. I'll keep it for light drizzle type days, but I think I need a new one for days like today and my travels. I also think it's time to get a new camera. A part fell off the other day. I get attached to my things and I don't graduate to better technology until necessary. I think the time to retire my cute little blue Nikon might be fast approaching.
Since I had ran out of batteries I thought it a good time to find some lunch. I went to an Italian restaurant. While I love tapas and snacking all day, I felt like a pasta dish. The restaurant that I chose was quite hopping, had to wait about 20 minutes for a table which was fine. Once I was seated I ordered some delicious soup cause I was cold, and my favorite pasta dish - Arrabbiata. They make it a bit different here, was still scrumptious. Only problem was that the portion was huge - I think it's a family-style restaurant. I knew asking for a box is a no-no, so I tried as best I could. I also took my time, probably my longest lunch by myself ever. Was nice. I didn't want to go back outside just yet!
After I finally did leave the restaurant I started to head home so that I could charge my camera batteries. I strolled into El Corte Ingles to see if I could find a comfy sweatshirt or sweater. It's cold enough that some of the stores have their heaters on, but all the boutiques have spring/summer clothing out so I was hopeful I'd find something in a department store. No such luck. My fleece is warm but I've been wearing it everyday and I'd like something cozy for hostel time, and maybe even to sleep in. While I walked around they were playing the song San Francisco. While I haven't seen many people in SF wearing flowers in their hair - lots of ladies do in Sevilla. I also saw a bunch of women in fancy dresses, shoes & cool old-fashioned hats today. El Corte Ingles also had a whole section of flamenco dresses, similar to the section we'd see in the U.S. of prom dresses. I had no idea it was so common-place here. I thought I'd just see it at the flamenco show.
Anyways, I struck out at El Corte Ingles. Also no luck at Zara, Mango and H&M. I might have to suck it up and sport a "I heart Sevilla" sweatshirt, or a faux University hoodie. Harvard or Baltimore? Desperate times may call for desperate measures.
Speaking of the flamenco show, I picked the tablao I want to go to and headed over there at 5ish to book a ticket for tomorrow. I knew they wouldn't be open yet, but I didn't want to risk hanging out in the hostel. Depending on the day, if I take a siesta I often have a hard time falling asleep at night. So I've been trying to power through today without one. It was still raining so I sat in a bus stop close to the tablao and read my book. I had some nice exchanges with people that way. Kind of fun.
Once I booked my Flamenco ticket for tomorrow I headed home and have been booking hostels and trains for my Canada trip that starts in a little over two weeks!
Random tidbits:
1) Andalucia is not as prideful as Cataluyna is. There aren't Andalucia flags around everywhere like there were Cataluyuna flags in Barcelona.
2) I'm finally acquiring a taste for olives.
3) Every weekend people here are selling branches/twigs outside of churches. I tried looking it up; can anyone enlighten me to the religious significance of that? Am curious.
4) Vale - I thought that people were saying "bale" to mean "OK" or "I understand". I finally asked someone. I was right in what it means, but they aren't saying 'bale' - they are saying 'vale', but it definitely has a b-sound to it.
5) Since it's not customary to tip here, I haven't been. It's been a nice break from math. Map-reading can be challenging enough at times!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Sevilla
Train from Granada to Sevilla was about 3 hours and seamless. This train was called Media Distancia. The journey types all seem to have different names, but all sold by the same company - Renfe. My seat was backwards this time which I don't like. Partially because I prefer to see where I'm going instead of where I've been.
All my seats have been in the caboose. Not sure if the guy at the Madrid train station had it out for me or what. I put on my little eye mask and plugged in my ipod for most of the journey because there were little old couples that would not stop chattering. It was endearing for about five minutes.
When I got to Sevilla I hopped into the tourist office in the train station, picked up a map, and had the info desk guy point out the area where my hostel is. While the hostel gives directions for a bus and short walk, walking the entire way was nice and easy.
I checked in, threw my stuff in my room, made my bed (which is always the first thing I do) and headed for the bus station which is across town from the train station, my hostel being somewhat in the middle of the two. I wanted to buy the bus ticket from Sevilla to southern Portugal since there are only two buses a day. I can only buy the next two bus tickets I'll need once I get to Portugal.
Speaking of Portugal, am pretty excited to try and speak Portuguese there. The bartender in Barcelona from Portugal and the Brasilian I met in Granada both told me that it'll be harder for me to understand Portugal Portuguese than Spanish. I find that so odd. I do remember my freshman year advisor from Mozambique telling me he had a really hard time understanding the Portugal folks as well, but we could understand each other just fine.
Anyways, once I booked my bus ticket for Monday I went to a nearby market and bought some juice and snacks for the next few days to store in the hostel fridge.
It's been raining here off and on. I took a siesta in the hostel after my snack to dry off a bit. I scored another bottom bunk (some hostels assign you a bed number like this one, sometimes it's first come first serve). However, the bed is on the floor which I don't love. I'd almost rather the top bunk here. Grass is always greener. The girl from Hong Kong I met last night showed me a photo of her hostel room in Granada - they shove so many people in each room that they have triple-decker beds! Crazy. Apparently the middle bed is the best because it's the only one where you can sit up.
Before I forget - two more things about Granada:
1) To clarify, most of Granada is actually pretty flat, but the cool old part of town close to the Alhambra and where I stayed is very hilly.
2) Yesterday I took a little siesta and was woken up pleasantly by a guy singing and playing the guitar. After I booked my flamenco ticket I walked back towards my hostel to try and find him. Turns out there was also a guy tap-dancing next to him, kind of adding a drum sound to the music. I sat and watched them for about an hour sipping some tinto de verano before the flamenco show.
My stroll today around Sevilla was nice. I walked around just getting the lay of the land, not really paying attention to the sites just yet. Although some you couldn't avoid wondering what they were. I walked through the Centro and El Arenal neighborhood. Headed down Avenida de la Constitucion, passed the cathedral that I'm going to visit tomorrow, and then a large structure that I thought might be the Alcazar palace (which I also want to try and visit tomorrow) but it turned out to be the Universidad de Sevilla and apparently this building used to be the royal Fabrica de Tabacos. Really pretty.
After a quick view of the Plaza de Espana I headed towards the Rio Guadalquivir to check that out. Looking at the map and the layout of Sevilla reminds me of Roma with the flow of the river and all the bridges. Sevilla is also much larger than I thought it was going to be.
I walked past tons of flamenco shops. As tempting as it is I don't think I'll be purchasing a flamenco dress. But I definitely have to get to a show here. The one in Granada was very nice but small and I couldn't see her fancy footwork, just heard the noise her shoes made.
Walking by the river down the Passeo de Cristobal Colon there were lots of policia directing traffic. Some event either just happened or was about to happen. I then stopped where tons of people were standing outside a circular building. TV cameras everywhere, so I naturally had to find out what was up. About a minute after I approached the building there were loud cheers and I could see a guy walking out. I could just see his arm waving and head - and I could tell he was wearing a fantastically flashy bullfighter outfit. So I asked a woman next to me and sure enough she confirmed that he was a famous torero. After walking a bit more I could see the sign of the building - Plaza de Toros.
On cue after the torero got into his little van it started pouring. Everyone flipped open their umbrellas and started scattering. I ducked under a thick shrub and sat on a bench for a few minutes. I managed to stay dry but thought it best to start heading back to my hostel. Am going to try and get up and start sight-seeing early. Unfortunately it's supposed to rain all weekend.
All my seats have been in the caboose. Not sure if the guy at the Madrid train station had it out for me or what. I put on my little eye mask and plugged in my ipod for most of the journey because there were little old couples that would not stop chattering. It was endearing for about five minutes.
When I got to Sevilla I hopped into the tourist office in the train station, picked up a map, and had the info desk guy point out the area where my hostel is. While the hostel gives directions for a bus and short walk, walking the entire way was nice and easy.
I checked in, threw my stuff in my room, made my bed (which is always the first thing I do) and headed for the bus station which is across town from the train station, my hostel being somewhat in the middle of the two. I wanted to buy the bus ticket from Sevilla to southern Portugal since there are only two buses a day. I can only buy the next two bus tickets I'll need once I get to Portugal.
Speaking of Portugal, am pretty excited to try and speak Portuguese there. The bartender in Barcelona from Portugal and the Brasilian I met in Granada both told me that it'll be harder for me to understand Portugal Portuguese than Spanish. I find that so odd. I do remember my freshman year advisor from Mozambique telling me he had a really hard time understanding the Portugal folks as well, but we could understand each other just fine.
Anyways, once I booked my bus ticket for Monday I went to a nearby market and bought some juice and snacks for the next few days to store in the hostel fridge.
It's been raining here off and on. I took a siesta in the hostel after my snack to dry off a bit. I scored another bottom bunk (some hostels assign you a bed number like this one, sometimes it's first come first serve). However, the bed is on the floor which I don't love. I'd almost rather the top bunk here. Grass is always greener. The girl from Hong Kong I met last night showed me a photo of her hostel room in Granada - they shove so many people in each room that they have triple-decker beds! Crazy. Apparently the middle bed is the best because it's the only one where you can sit up.
Before I forget - two more things about Granada:
1) To clarify, most of Granada is actually pretty flat, but the cool old part of town close to the Alhambra and where I stayed is very hilly.
2) Yesterday I took a little siesta and was woken up pleasantly by a guy singing and playing the guitar. After I booked my flamenco ticket I walked back towards my hostel to try and find him. Turns out there was also a guy tap-dancing next to him, kind of adding a drum sound to the music. I sat and watched them for about an hour sipping some tinto de verano before the flamenco show.
My stroll today around Sevilla was nice. I walked around just getting the lay of the land, not really paying attention to the sites just yet. Although some you couldn't avoid wondering what they were. I walked through the Centro and El Arenal neighborhood. Headed down Avenida de la Constitucion, passed the cathedral that I'm going to visit tomorrow, and then a large structure that I thought might be the Alcazar palace (which I also want to try and visit tomorrow) but it turned out to be the Universidad de Sevilla and apparently this building used to be the royal Fabrica de Tabacos. Really pretty.
After a quick view of the Plaza de Espana I headed towards the Rio Guadalquivir to check that out. Looking at the map and the layout of Sevilla reminds me of Roma with the flow of the river and all the bridges. Sevilla is also much larger than I thought it was going to be.
I walked past tons of flamenco shops. As tempting as it is I don't think I'll be purchasing a flamenco dress. But I definitely have to get to a show here. The one in Granada was very nice but small and I couldn't see her fancy footwork, just heard the noise her shoes made.
Walking by the river down the Passeo de Cristobal Colon there were lots of policia directing traffic. Some event either just happened or was about to happen. I then stopped where tons of people were standing outside a circular building. TV cameras everywhere, so I naturally had to find out what was up. About a minute after I approached the building there were loud cheers and I could see a guy walking out. I could just see his arm waving and head - and I could tell he was wearing a fantastically flashy bullfighter outfit. So I asked a woman next to me and sure enough she confirmed that he was a famous torero. After walking a bit more I could see the sign of the building - Plaza de Toros.
On cue after the torero got into his little van it started pouring. Everyone flipped open their umbrellas and started scattering. I ducked under a thick shrub and sat on a bench for a few minutes. I managed to stay dry but thought it best to start heading back to my hostel. Am going to try and get up and start sight-seeing early. Unfortunately it's supposed to rain all weekend.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Bright orange
Woke up to rain in Granada. The 30 minute walk to the train station will be a bit less fun, but I'd rather walk than take the bus. AND I'm excited to finally bust out my bag's rain jacket. That's right. It has one. And it's bright orange. :)
Tu hablas?
The Spaniards are so friendly. Can't get over it.
Last night was fun. The tapas tour starts every night at 9pm, but we were delayed two hours because we had to wait until the end of the Real Madrid/Barcelona game. I love watching futbol. I do. But these two teams are playing four times while I'm here...and I'm a little over it. When I watched in Madrid they tied. When I watched in Barcelona, Madrid won (would have been much cooler to be in Madrid). And then watching in Granada, Barcelona wins (after I just left Barcelona).
I was rooting for Real Madrid in Madrid, Barcelona in Barcelona, and I didn't really care who won last night. Everyone here were rooting for Barcelona. I must admit that I've developed a little crush on the Madrid coach. Google image search Jose Mourinho if you're curious. So cute.
Anyways, once the game was over we headed out with our hostel tapas tourguide Christian - an Italian from Milano that has lived in Spain for four years, Granada for one. He was really nice and friendly. There were seven of us, including Christian. A guy from Israel, a guy from Scotland, and then three Brits. They were all very nice. Although the guy from Scotland is my bunkmate and also snores...
We went to two tapas bars. Everywhere here you just order a drink and the tapas are free. I had the 1925 "reserve" Alhambra beer, very good. It comes in a pretty green bottle with the label as part of the glass (not glued on). If you know me well you have already guessed that one of those bottles is already in my pack as a free souvenir of Granada.
Christian communicated to the bartenders that I didn't eat meat so they made sure to bring a veg option, which was nice. I felt bad for the girl that was allergic to gluten. She was too embarrassed to say anything.
On our way to a cocktail bar we ran into several of Christian's friends who were heading to a house party. He gave us the option, and while I wanted to go to the bar, everyone else was into the house party. It was a hike up to the top of Granada (it's extremely hilly here) to this house. Among the group of newfound friends was a Brasilian who has lived here for a year, about to head home. He was super nice and shared his 40 with me (and not with any other tourists). I couldn't say no. Once we finally got to the party it was a super cool old house with a little open-air foyer with old columns. Christian said it was from the 17th century, like our hostel. No one at the party was from Spain. They weren't tourists per say, they all live here but are from all over the world. Only thing they had in common was that they were hippies. Lots of dreaded hippies in Granada in fact. Dreaded as in dreadlocks, not as in a sense of fear or apprehension.
After about 10 minutes I decided I wanted to go home. Since it was an impromtpu house party none of us were prepared with BYOB so it got not-fun pretty quickly. My bunkmate (forget his name) and I headed home sans map. I had one in my bag but we just headed downhill towards the Alhambra and were able to find our way. This morning we found out that everyone else left about 20 minutes after we did because the cops shut down the party. Definitely more quiet here. On the walk home all the restaurants were closed, was surprising to see after being in Madrid & Barcelona. But also a nice change of pace.
This morning I got up and decided to just wander around all day. Even with a map you'll get lost so for the most part I walked around without one, and backtracked a few times so as to not get too turned around. The Alhambra was my guiding light, as long as I knew where it was I was ok.
I managed to find the Mirador San Nicolas which has a great view of the Alhambra. I've been told I need to return there at dusk or once it's dark.
Granada is full of souvenir shops, more than you'd imagine for the size of the town. There are also lots of tea houses and shisha bars.
After hours of walking and once I was ready for a snack I stopped into a bar on a little alley near the Plaza Nueva. I didn't want to be on the square with all the tourists. This little place was fabulous. Not only were they showing a more local futbol game, but they also were playing Spanish music!
I ordered a 1925 reserva and they brought over a free tapa, which of course had meat. So I asked for the tapas menu and ordered some cheese and the tortilla espanola. Probably the best tortilla I've had. When I ordered a second beer I was hopeful that they weren't going to bring me another free tapa. But they did. So as politely as I could I said no thank you, and explained that I was a vegetarian. He smiled and said - 'yes I could see that since you didn't touch the last tapa and ordered the two tapas we have without meat. So I had the chef make you a mushroom and cheese sandwich.' This blew me away. In Madrid and Barcelona I told the waiters I was a vegetarian but they would often still bring me the free meat tapas. Which is why I didn't bother saying anything here. The fact that he could tell and went out of his way to have the chef make something special for me was above and beyond nice. It was also delicious.
The tapas are a bit different here - instead of a slice of meat, cheese, or even a hotdog on a slice of bread like in Madrid & Barcelona, they give you a little bagel looking sandwich.
I've also decided that all the sneezing is seasonal allergies. You can't smoke in bars or restaurants here which is much appreciated, but pollen is flying around everywhere.
Last night other hostel guests told me about a flamenco show nearby that was only 6 euros. While I've been saving the flamenco show for Sevilla (since I'm told that's where it started), I figured it couldn't hurt to check this one out since it was so cheap in comparison to all the other ones I've seen.
It was fun. Tiny tiny place and about 50 of us were packed in tightly. I shared a table with a nice girl from Hong Kong and three Aussies.
No new roommates today. Just me and now three guys. All very nice but the snoring is too much. At least I'm the first one to bed tonight so I'll hopefully get some quality sleep before they stumble in.
Off to Sevilla in the morning!
Last night was fun. The tapas tour starts every night at 9pm, but we were delayed two hours because we had to wait until the end of the Real Madrid/Barcelona game. I love watching futbol. I do. But these two teams are playing four times while I'm here...and I'm a little over it. When I watched in Madrid they tied. When I watched in Barcelona, Madrid won (would have been much cooler to be in Madrid). And then watching in Granada, Barcelona wins (after I just left Barcelona).
I was rooting for Real Madrid in Madrid, Barcelona in Barcelona, and I didn't really care who won last night. Everyone here were rooting for Barcelona. I must admit that I've developed a little crush on the Madrid coach. Google image search Jose Mourinho if you're curious. So cute.
Anyways, once the game was over we headed out with our hostel tapas tourguide Christian - an Italian from Milano that has lived in Spain for four years, Granada for one. He was really nice and friendly. There were seven of us, including Christian. A guy from Israel, a guy from Scotland, and then three Brits. They were all very nice. Although the guy from Scotland is my bunkmate and also snores...
We went to two tapas bars. Everywhere here you just order a drink and the tapas are free. I had the 1925 "reserve" Alhambra beer, very good. It comes in a pretty green bottle with the label as part of the glass (not glued on). If you know me well you have already guessed that one of those bottles is already in my pack as a free souvenir of Granada.
Christian communicated to the bartenders that I didn't eat meat so they made sure to bring a veg option, which was nice. I felt bad for the girl that was allergic to gluten. She was too embarrassed to say anything.
On our way to a cocktail bar we ran into several of Christian's friends who were heading to a house party. He gave us the option, and while I wanted to go to the bar, everyone else was into the house party. It was a hike up to the top of Granada (it's extremely hilly here) to this house. Among the group of newfound friends was a Brasilian who has lived here for a year, about to head home. He was super nice and shared his 40 with me (and not with any other tourists). I couldn't say no. Once we finally got to the party it was a super cool old house with a little open-air foyer with old columns. Christian said it was from the 17th century, like our hostel. No one at the party was from Spain. They weren't tourists per say, they all live here but are from all over the world. Only thing they had in common was that they were hippies. Lots of dreaded hippies in Granada in fact. Dreaded as in dreadlocks, not as in a sense of fear or apprehension.
After about 10 minutes I decided I wanted to go home. Since it was an impromtpu house party none of us were prepared with BYOB so it got not-fun pretty quickly. My bunkmate (forget his name) and I headed home sans map. I had one in my bag but we just headed downhill towards the Alhambra and were able to find our way. This morning we found out that everyone else left about 20 minutes after we did because the cops shut down the party. Definitely more quiet here. On the walk home all the restaurants were closed, was surprising to see after being in Madrid & Barcelona. But also a nice change of pace.
This morning I got up and decided to just wander around all day. Even with a map you'll get lost so for the most part I walked around without one, and backtracked a few times so as to not get too turned around. The Alhambra was my guiding light, as long as I knew where it was I was ok.
I managed to find the Mirador San Nicolas which has a great view of the Alhambra. I've been told I need to return there at dusk or once it's dark.
Granada is full of souvenir shops, more than you'd imagine for the size of the town. There are also lots of tea houses and shisha bars.
After hours of walking and once I was ready for a snack I stopped into a bar on a little alley near the Plaza Nueva. I didn't want to be on the square with all the tourists. This little place was fabulous. Not only were they showing a more local futbol game, but they also were playing Spanish music!
I ordered a 1925 reserva and they brought over a free tapa, which of course had meat. So I asked for the tapas menu and ordered some cheese and the tortilla espanola. Probably the best tortilla I've had. When I ordered a second beer I was hopeful that they weren't going to bring me another free tapa. But they did. So as politely as I could I said no thank you, and explained that I was a vegetarian. He smiled and said - 'yes I could see that since you didn't touch the last tapa and ordered the two tapas we have without meat. So I had the chef make you a mushroom and cheese sandwich.' This blew me away. In Madrid and Barcelona I told the waiters I was a vegetarian but they would often still bring me the free meat tapas. Which is why I didn't bother saying anything here. The fact that he could tell and went out of his way to have the chef make something special for me was above and beyond nice. It was also delicious.
The tapas are a bit different here - instead of a slice of meat, cheese, or even a hotdog on a slice of bread like in Madrid & Barcelona, they give you a little bagel looking sandwich.
I've also decided that all the sneezing is seasonal allergies. You can't smoke in bars or restaurants here which is much appreciated, but pollen is flying around everywhere.
Last night other hostel guests told me about a flamenco show nearby that was only 6 euros. While I've been saving the flamenco show for Sevilla (since I'm told that's where it started), I figured it couldn't hurt to check this one out since it was so cheap in comparison to all the other ones I've seen.
It was fun. Tiny tiny place and about 50 of us were packed in tightly. I shared a table with a nice girl from Hong Kong and three Aussies.
No new roommates today. Just me and now three guys. All very nice but the snoring is too much. At least I'm the first one to bed tonight so I'll hopefully get some quality sleep before they stumble in.
Off to Sevilla in the morning!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
The Alhambra
When I told my great uncle John that I was going to Spain his first response was "you have to go to the Alhambra".
The Alhambra is a walled-in city above Granada in the foothills of the snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains. It is supposedly Spain's most visited monument and they limit the amount of visitors daily so advanced reservations are pretty much necessary.
I booked my ticket when I was in Madrid via a 3rd party since all the tickets sold directly from the Alhambra were sold out. I was a little skeptical both during my research and booking, but sure enough a group of us met at the Plaza Nueva and were taken in a little bus up to the Alhambra.
I then joined 29 other tourists for an English speaking group. Every day there are 130 guides in all languages walking groups around, to give you an idea. It was a 3 hour tour, not sure if my tour guide was giving another one later or not.
The Alhambra is a palace and fortress complex constructed during the mid 14th century by Moorish rulers. The Moorish palaces were built for the last Muslim Emirs in Spain and its court, of the Nasrid dynasty. After the Reconquista by the Catholic Monarchs in 1492 some portions were used by the Christian rulers.
We walked through the palaces and the Generalife gardens. The interior palace walls were covered with hand-made ceramic tiles and stucco with Arabic inscriptions. Was very beautiful.
After the tour ended I walked around Granada's town center a bit in search of a nice little lunch spot. I came across a restaurant called Kasbah which was a fusion of Arab, Indian, and something else. It was ok. I already miss having a guidebook. I'll have to wing it here and in Seville, or ask the hostel folks for recommendations.
As soon as I walked out of the restaurant it started to sprinkle and then developed into a nice little thunderstorm. Short and sweet but I thought it was a perfect time to head back to my hostel for a little siesta.
The sun was really strong earlier today before the rain. While I kept my leggings and fleece on all day I have seen lots of sunburned faces and arms. Might have to dig my sunscreen out from the depths of my bag.
Speaking of bags - it's been relaxing already being in a smaller town and less worried about my belongings. Alegria would not be pleased but I wore my bag on my back most of the day. Except for in the palaces where you are actually required to wear your bag in front of you so you don't accidentally touch the walls.
Tonight I'm going to do the Tapas tour guided by the hostel. Am hopeful it'll be fun.
The Alhambra is a walled-in city above Granada in the foothills of the snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains. It is supposedly Spain's most visited monument and they limit the amount of visitors daily so advanced reservations are pretty much necessary.
I booked my ticket when I was in Madrid via a 3rd party since all the tickets sold directly from the Alhambra were sold out. I was a little skeptical both during my research and booking, but sure enough a group of us met at the Plaza Nueva and were taken in a little bus up to the Alhambra.
I then joined 29 other tourists for an English speaking group. Every day there are 130 guides in all languages walking groups around, to give you an idea. It was a 3 hour tour, not sure if my tour guide was giving another one later or not.
The Alhambra is a palace and fortress complex constructed during the mid 14th century by Moorish rulers. The Moorish palaces were built for the last Muslim Emirs in Spain and its court, of the Nasrid dynasty. After the Reconquista by the Catholic Monarchs in 1492 some portions were used by the Christian rulers.
We walked through the palaces and the Generalife gardens. The interior palace walls were covered with hand-made ceramic tiles and stucco with Arabic inscriptions. Was very beautiful.
After the tour ended I walked around Granada's town center a bit in search of a nice little lunch spot. I came across a restaurant called Kasbah which was a fusion of Arab, Indian, and something else. It was ok. I already miss having a guidebook. I'll have to wing it here and in Seville, or ask the hostel folks for recommendations.
As soon as I walked out of the restaurant it started to sprinkle and then developed into a nice little thunderstorm. Short and sweet but I thought it was a perfect time to head back to my hostel for a little siesta.
The sun was really strong earlier today before the rain. While I kept my leggings and fleece on all day I have seen lots of sunburned faces and arms. Might have to dig my sunscreen out from the depths of my bag.
Speaking of bags - it's been relaxing already being in a smaller town and less worried about my belongings. Alegria would not be pleased but I wore my bag on my back most of the day. Except for in the palaces where you are actually required to wear your bag in front of you so you don't accidentally touch the walls.
Tonight I'm going to do the Tapas tour guided by the hostel. Am hopeful it'll be fun.
Granada
Yesterday was mainly a travel day with a few things to mention.
The first train from Barcelona to Madrid was a very nice Ave high speed train. I sat next to a very nice businessman. I could barely keep my eyes open. Since I had already done this train trip I felt ok sleeping. I leaned against the window until my neck started hurting, and then put my tray table down and was trying to fluff my little fleece up to make a pillow. That's when the nice businessman tapped my shoulder and when I got up he put his very big and comfy pea coat down to add to my pillow. Who does that?! So nice. I had no shame and used it, and slept like a baby for hours.
I had a little over an hour in the Madrid terminal so I grabbed a little snack and people watched.
Train number two was an Altaria train and not so high speed or fancy. It was clean and all but a bit on the rickety side. So rickety that when the train took a wide turn my seat and the one next to me came off their hinges and rotated almost to a 45 degree angle. The chick next to me and I basically floated the rest of the way to Granada. I had to keep my feet planted and kind of holding on to the floor to keep it from moving. She was no help since she was about 4 feet tall and her feet didn't touch the floor.
I was glad I slept the first train and not the trip from Madrid to Granada because the scenery was so gorgeous and picturesque.
We were supposed to arrive at 9:30pm but for some reason we delayed a few times and ended up arriving after 10pm. I wanted to try and follow the hostel's directions by taking a bus and then walking to the hostel. But for some reason they don't allow check-in after 11pm, even though there is reception all night long. So I didn't want to risk getting lost and not finding the hostel in time. I hopped in a cab.
This hostel (White Nest) is very nice and seems to pride itself in its decor, at least more so than any other hostel. Will take some photos. There are six beds in my room but three of them are empty as of right now. Just me and two guys. I've stayed in five different shared rooms this trip with several roommates coming and going in each. So I guess I've been lucky that this is the first completely brutal snorer I've encountered. The only upside is that he got home at around 6am, so I got a good four hours of sleep beforehand. Brutal even with earplugs.
The first train from Barcelona to Madrid was a very nice Ave high speed train. I sat next to a very nice businessman. I could barely keep my eyes open. Since I had already done this train trip I felt ok sleeping. I leaned against the window until my neck started hurting, and then put my tray table down and was trying to fluff my little fleece up to make a pillow. That's when the nice businessman tapped my shoulder and when I got up he put his very big and comfy pea coat down to add to my pillow. Who does that?! So nice. I had no shame and used it, and slept like a baby for hours.
I had a little over an hour in the Madrid terminal so I grabbed a little snack and people watched.
Train number two was an Altaria train and not so high speed or fancy. It was clean and all but a bit on the rickety side. So rickety that when the train took a wide turn my seat and the one next to me came off their hinges and rotated almost to a 45 degree angle. The chick next to me and I basically floated the rest of the way to Granada. I had to keep my feet planted and kind of holding on to the floor to keep it from moving. She was no help since she was about 4 feet tall and her feet didn't touch the floor.
I was glad I slept the first train and not the trip from Madrid to Granada because the scenery was so gorgeous and picturesque.
We were supposed to arrive at 9:30pm but for some reason we delayed a few times and ended up arriving after 10pm. I wanted to try and follow the hostel's directions by taking a bus and then walking to the hostel. But for some reason they don't allow check-in after 11pm, even though there is reception all night long. So I didn't want to risk getting lost and not finding the hostel in time. I hopped in a cab.
This hostel (White Nest) is very nice and seems to pride itself in its decor, at least more so than any other hostel. Will take some photos. There are six beds in my room but three of them are empty as of right now. Just me and two guys. I've stayed in five different shared rooms this trip with several roommates coming and going in each. So I guess I've been lucky that this is the first completely brutal snorer I've encountered. The only upside is that he got home at around 6am, so I got a good four hours of sleep beforehand. Brutal even with earplugs.
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