Sweet Odyssey: Granada

We reached Granada around sunset and therefore we had some time to sit back and relax at our accommodation before going for dinner. The weather was chillier than Seville which was surprising to me. I came here once before in the summer somewhere in August and the weather was too hot to handle (36C celsius) that I didn't notice its differences when I travelled to both Seville and Granada. I suppose being located not too far off from the coast and near the Sierra Nevada mountains, Granada enjoys both warmer and colder climates.

After getting ready, we went on to celebrate the surprise birthday party from the night before with a proper dinner. We went to a very nice little restaurant called Restaurante Sevilla. The food was fabulous and we really had a good time there.

The next morning, we walked the town a bit before visiting Alhambra. The town was quite hilly and the roads were narrow and covered with pebble stones. After an hour walking the pebble stones path, my feet started to ache. Every time I stepped I felt my feet were massaged by the stones. The town itself was quiet. There was a small local market selling food, fruits and vegetables, clothes and bric-a-brac where the locals traded among themselves. We visited the remains of the old city gate and at one point when we reached the top of the hill, we saw a view of the city and a spectacular view of Alhambra. It was magnificent.

A visit to Granada is not complete without visiting Alhambra, a palace and fortress complex that whose buildings and the designs around it was incredibly beautiful. The one thing that was very outstanding of Alhambra (compared to other palaces I visited in Spain) was the carving. Every walls and ceilings of each buildings there were carved beautifully into very detail. It must be taking the artists very long time to finish them. And looking at the results, I think it's worth it. The carving is definitely the highlight of Alhambra. Of course, there were other places worth noted as well, such as the pool of the El Partal Palace, the Alhambra reflections and there was a courtyard near the exit of the palace that was very lovely. I still remember enjoying the serenity while sitting at the courtyard.

Even in our very tight schedules, we still had time to go street shopping. Our accommodation was located in Albayzin (also known as Arab quarter) where it is famous for its original houses since the 16th century. The streets were narrow and winding and full of small shops selling Arab's influence souvenirs, clothes, shoes, or trinkets that you can bring home. I was happy to have found two bubble pants for myself.

It was another chaotically short but still a very memorable visit to Granada. We visited Alhambra, which was the most touristy place in Granada and had a chance to walk the town in attempt to grasp the essence of the town. We even had a chance to enjoy free tapas in a few tapas bars around (Granada is one of the few cities in Spain that offers free tapas for every drink you order). It was all very good. This is the last story of the Spain Trip as this was the last city in our trip. After Granada, we headed back to Barcelona to do souvenirs shopping before catching our plane back home.