Having retrieved Pablo the Third from the underground car park where he had been residing for our stay, we were soon motoring south along the autovia. Granada, our eventual destination was about 10 hours drive away but we were breaking the journey in the coastal village of Denia, about halfway.
A fairly boring drive, it became quite interesting when we left the autovia for a smaller ‘national’ road for the last 30 kms or so. We saw a lady (in a bikini!) waiting on the side of the road for a bus…. or so we thought….we then saw another one (in a G string this time) and then another and then another…. Mmmm. We later found out that that they are prostitutes (mostly from Eastern europe apparently) who frequent the intersections and provide services for mainly the truck drivers and some tourists. We are not talking about street corners here, picture the intersection of Foggo road and Kangarilla Rd dear reader! Very rural! Anyway, eyes back to the road and we soon found our gorgeous little hotel facing onto the marina.
By this stage it was quite hot – maybe 35C and our very helpful front desk man, Ramon, directed us to his favorite beach a few minutes up the road to cool off. Not what I would call a sandy beach but a wet one which was the main requirement!
The hotel itself was great – very nicely appointed,a good price and importantly for Sam, a substantial breakfast the next day! An evening wander around the old town found us in a lovely restaurant with an outdoor courtyard and we sat down to eat (quite early for Spain) at about 9.30pm.
By the time we left, about 11pm, the place was very busy and people were still coming in to order dinner!
The next morning it was back to the autovia en route to Andalucia and Granada specifically.
The scenery was a lot more interesting today (no ladies on the side of the road though) and we arrived safely into Granada mid afternoon.
Now Granada was always going to a challenge ……. I had booked an apartment in the Albaicín district. This is a district of narrow winding streets and staircases retained from its Medieval Moorish past, charming on the Internet but largely inaccessible by car and so we had been given directions to the nearest car park ’15 mins’ walk away by the owner.
We found the car park OK, unloaded and set off, deciding that plugging our destination into google maps looked preferable to using our landlady’s mud map. BIG mistake – google maps makes no allowances for lugging 20kg of luggage UP multiple stairways! 45 minutes later, me looking like a beet root about to explode, we found our ‘charming moorish styled accommodation!’
OMG.. It took me about two hours to return to a normal colour (and that was after a cold shower) before we set off to explore, without luggage!
Under those circumstances, it was indeed charming – lots of ‘Arabian type’ shop fronts and restaurants selling everything from belly dancing outfits to water pipes.
It was actually just starting to come alive after the long midday siesta. Chairs and tables were appearing on tiny alleyways which had been all but deserted when we had previously trudged up them.
When I had been researching our itinerary it appeared that we would coincidentally be in Granada for Corpus Christi week – a very important Christian celebration, especially in this part of the world.
My Internet source had suggested that the procession would be held on the Saturday night and so I had booked an extra night so that we could witness this spectacle and associated festivities. (Our main reason for visiting had been to see the mighty Alhambra, more on that later.)
So, we were devastated (well I was) to learn from one of the many policeman around town that the road was blocked for cleaning not because it was about to happen but because the procession had been the night before!
It was obvious though that the town was still in party mode though when we witnessed many ladies, (both young and old) in their flamenco finery and there were stages and entertainment in many small plazas and lots of people milling around.
We wandered around, soaking up the atmosphere before gradually finding ourselves atop the Albaicín district at the Church of San Nicolas, a wonderful area to view the Alhambra.
The Alhambra, our reason for visiting Granada and apparently a “must see before you die” according to many travel guides. Grateful that I hadn’t died during the earlier uphill suitcase challenge, I was keen to get a look, even from a distance, of this much discussed monument.
It did not disappoint. All of us were gobsmacked when we saw it perched across the valley on it’s rocky outcrop, keeping watch over the city as it has done for hundreds of years.
The Alhambra is a palace and fortress complex that was constructed during the mid 14th century by the Arab rulers of the Emirate of Granada. The Islamic architecture combined with later Christian influences and stunning gardens that have evolved over hundreds of years and countless different influences mean it is Spain’s most visited attraction and the reason that I had purchased tickets online 3 months ago.
It has been described as a ‘pearl set in emeralds’ and on this hot summer evening it was impressive enough to get Sam reaching for his wallet to enable us to feast our eyes from the most advantageous but not necessarily most economical dining spot!
So, tomorrow at 0830, armed with cameras and full batteries we would see if the inside lived up to expectations!