A Day in Granada

WOW! Three posts in one morning. But you have to admit, it would have been quite a marathon if I had done them all in one post. At least you can stop and make a brew in between - I did!

Our son Tom had been out here for a couple of weeks holiday (until next Monday), and as he loves the city of Granada, he wanted to get up there for a day. It is a long drive, but with some company to chat to, it soon goes. Chris is not happy walking city streets so he opted to stay home and 'look after the animals', which meant that Tom and I could stay as long as we wanted to. Looking at the weather forecast for the area, it showed rain coming up by the end of the week, so we decided to go on Wednesday as the spectacular views really need a clear day.

Once we had parked up, our first port of call was a pleasant cafe on the main square. Ah, the decisions - what to have for brunch? Well filled, we wandered through the shopping area on our way to the Moroccan quarter. The streets were lined with lovely flower displays. I particularly liked these balls of geraniums.

We stopped to browse in a new shop since my last visit. It sold a wide range of loose teas, spices, essential oils, candied fruits and nuts. The smell was lovely. up until now these have been sold from open stalls around the cathedral, but, although there were still some there, many have now moved into small shops along the route. I would have loved to buy one of the little infuser teapots they had, but they were a bit too pricey for this time. (I shall remember where they are for another occasion though). 

We then began the steep climb up through the Moroccan Quarter. The narrow lanes are lined with colourful bazaars. Although they were shady it was very hot, and the ascent is steep. We had to stop to catch our breath a few times but we made it to the top.

Here there is a big open patio with wonderful panoramic views across a little valley. Immediately ahead is possibly the best view of the Alambra Palace.

To the left you can see the range of mountains that go on and on into the distance. In the winter these are all covered with snow, providing a quite different, but equally lovely, view.

To the right you look out over the city itself. It looks huge from up there, though it is quite possible to walk right through it in a day.

And by leaning round in the far right corner, you can see this view of the cathedral. You don't really see this from anywhere else as there are so many high building around it.

We sat under a shady tree on the patio, and listened to two men playing guitars and singing, traditional Spanish music.

This little girly was listening too, but I'm not convinced she was enjoying it much!

When we had rested we bought an icecream to eat as we made our way back down to the city centre. We went by a different route, passing by a little stretch of river that meandered along by a pretty 'old' street of colourful apartments.

From there we went on to a more modern road that was nicely shaded by tall trees. It was good to find them in a city. Cobble stone pavements meant they were not always easy to walk on, but they look attractive, and here there were smooth slabs as well, so we were in less danger of twisting our ankles!

Eventualy we found ourselves back in the Cathedral Square. The cathedral itself is an impressive building. We had intended to find a cafe for some tea but neither of us wanted to eat a big meal, so we found a tasty snack and a much needed cup of tea. (A pretty decent one by Spanish standards!). Then we were drawn to this icecream parlour where each tray was decorated with beautifully carved fruit. The apples were so pretty, but I really loved the big water-melon flower.

Being diabetic, I restrained myself from a second treat in one day, but Tom reckons he had a whole year's worth of e-numbers when he tried the blue smurf one!

It was a long drive home in the dark but we were home around ten, pretty tired but we had had a good day.