We went to Granada for 4 days. It's a huge city. The older part is up on a mountain and down below is a sprawled out city. The roads are made with rocks and pebbles and some have designs in them. There's a huge castle called the Alhambra up top of the city built into a ridge. Behind the Alhambra in the rolling hills, the Gypsies built cave homes. They've created small communities and sell homemade items in the streets. There's a lot if beautiful Muslim architect all throughout the city. In the Muslim quarters, they have shops filled with bright colors of ceramics, clothes, leather purses, spices, loose leaf teas, and much more. There's delicious restaurants and hookah bars. Granada is one known for it's tapas. Tapas are tiny appetizer size. Simple and delicious. The deal is, if you order any alcoholic beverage, your served a tapa. If you have 4 people, sometimes you only get 2 tapas for the table. 3 is the magic number, then you get 3 tapas. It's fun to have one drink, eat the tapas, then move into a new place. That way you can sample all kinds of different tapas. A lazy tapa is potato chips and olives.
We stayed in a Airbnb right in the old part of the city. We got a 1 bedroom with a queen size bed, a twin bed, and a couch that turns into a bed for 30 euros. On Airbnb you get the whole place to yourself. Their usually someone's vacation home or just used for Airbnb. We've stayed in beautiful places for cheap. Especially for 4 of us, it's a better deal than getting a hostel. Plus you get a kitchen that's usually stocked with spices and your basic needs. A washing machine and sometimes a bath tub to relax in come with most all the places too. Airbnb is a website anyone can use all over the world to find a place to stay.
We did a lot of walking around Granada while checking everything out. Unfortunately for us, it rained every day we were there. Our shoes were soaked but we had rain jackets on. We hiked up in the windy road neighborhoods and saw beautiful views of the city. There's lookout points all over hidden in between the streets. We tried to get tickets to go inside the Alhambra but it was sold out for the next 3 months. Who knew to book it that far in advance. Missed out on that one. We checked out the vintage thrift shops, record stores that had tapes, books, old school posters in it, English book store, and second hand shops.
Our friend Judith that we met at Isla Bonita, met us in Granada. It was fun catching up with her and hanging out. Joe's friend Mathew showed up the next night and met us so we had a full house. We went out and checked the nightlife scene. There was some live music at a bar but it wasn't all that great. We left and hit up a hostel that has a full on bar down below with cushy chairs n couches. Our tapas were a cream base with mushrooms and chunks of ham, served with bread. Good music playing and fun times. We stayed out late and had a blast.
Joe and I had a day together. We went to cathedrals, art galleries, and cruzed the city. Somehow we kept going in circles amongst the windy little roads. We sat in cafés and ate pastries while gawking at the beautiful sites around. In the meantime, Seth and Chris went on a huge hike up a steep mountain behind the Alhambra. They discovered a cavern and walked, then crouched down into a long cave that led into complete darkness. Chris only had his cellphone light so they didn't go all the ways down.
On the day we had to leave, the sun came out and so did the buskers. Music of all kinds played throughout the streets. The Gypsies selling their art and handmade items at all the lookout points. Tourists everywhere. Fun to see the city liven up with the sun out. We had an amazing time in Granada minus the rain.
