Granada: Round two.

As you have already seen in my first Seville post, I really like Granada. It is my favorite city in Spain. And it doesn’t even have a beach.

I mean, maybe I liked it so much the first time because I didn’t have super high expectations. And I liked it the second time because I was already predisposed to like it.

It probably didn’t hurt that it was warm enough to just wear a T-shirt after being in slightly above freezing cold for 2 weeks. Kind of like seeing men after being a nun your whole life maybe? (Ok, slightly extreme example, but you get the idea). It was overcast and rained while we were there, but rained mostly at night and was surprisingly warm. I miss the warmth.

Today. . .my mamá said that I was going to convertirme en española—become a Spaniard. And I said I wouldn’t mind that—living in España, except that I would miss mi familia, mis amigos, y mi novio. And that it is less cold in California. That’s probably the main thing I don’t like about living in Valladolid. It’s cold. But I’m just a wimp and not used to it : )

Anyway. . .Granada. I think I also really liked it because of the company I was traveling with. More of the group went to Ronda, so there were only six of us who went to Granada that first night, which was a nice size group to begin with—small enough to do stuff as a group without being crazy, but I also like all the people individually.

Here’s us at our first tapas place:

 

Mary (my roommate), Tyler, Sammy and Sav, and Alan. The plan had been to buy fajita stuff and cook in our hostel, but our hostel was really a pension or hostal so it didn’t have a kitchen—so free tapas! We trekked through the rain to three tapas places, two of the places were places I had been to on my previous trip.

Then, because of the rain, nobody really felt like going out, so we stayed in our room and played pictionary telephone. Which, you know, makes me happy ^_^

The next morning, we got up to explore Granada. Granada is another one of those cities that looks bigger on the map. We walked to the Cathedral and then walked around it and took pictures and then went to the chapel that has the tombs of Fernando and Isabel in it. I thought the coolest part was getting to see Isabel’s crown and scepter and Fernando’s sword. 

Also, we saw these buildings that had these decorations painted on.

I already said this on facebook, but it's like they could only afford cheap decals.

I think after that we walked to the Albaycin and to the Mirador de San Nicolas where we took pictures of the Alhambra and Granada which just looked even more beautiful and dramatic because of the rain cloud backdrop. (Well I thought so. Me encantan rainclouds.)

 

This is a huge part of the reason I’m in love with Granada. Green, mountains, white buildings, Spanish. . .*sigh*

Then we kept hiking up to Sacramonte, which is like the side of the mountain, where there a bunch of caves that people live in. Some of them have been turned into restaurants and bars and some of them look like this:

 

When the other group came we met up with them for tapas and then we walked up to the Mirador again and saw the Alhambra and the city by night. Which was also beautiful, but I neglected to bring my camera *facepalm*.

The next morning, Tyler and I got up to explore the Jewish quarter: the Realejo, which was very similar to the Albaycin. Also very pretty. And we climbed up these stairs 

to see this view.

 

(Also, all the little street blockers look like granadas or pomegranates through the whole city)

 

Then we met up with the rest of the group to go to the Alhambra. Which is better told in pictures. Honestly I liked the Alhambra. But I think I like the Albaycin even more. Or the views of the city even more.

This is a great picture of Sam and Gabby and Alan. . .:) But I also like how Riley turned out.

Mmmmm rain clouds.

Pretty ceiling

Favorite favorite favorite!

This is a close up of a door.

This is a ceiling

Cannot get enough of this.

Mary and I in front of the cool background which is unfortunately washed out

Really like how the windows and doors frame the shots

Sav, Mary and Gabby in the Generalife

However, Mary and I have decided that we are going to get jobs (actually become palace servants) at the Alhambra. We already picked out our flat.

We had time to check out the gardens and the Generalife as well, which I’d already been to, but is still pretty. I was also very tired by this time.

Also, on the map it had said that there was an aquarium, which seemed a little out of place to me (remember, Granada is nowhere near an ocean) but a bunch of people in our group really wanted to go, so we walked down to where the aquarium was.

This was the aquarium:

 

-_-

At least it was on our way back.

And that was Granada :) the second time. ¡Ojalá que sea más!