Gringa on the Go

Granada, Spain

April 25 to May 8, 2018

Granada was our final destination in Spain, a large city surrounded by beautiful countryside and located within an hour of the Sierra Nevada (home to Spain’s most southern ski resort) and within an hour of ocean beaches on the Mediterranean (we did not make it to the coast, but we could see it from one of the mountain towns we visited).

Outside of Granada, Spain

Sierra Nevada (from Granada, Spain)

Granada, in Spanish, means “pomegranate”. Consequently, pomegranate trees are seen in gardens and representations are found on the gate to the Alhambra, fountains in the park, posts along the streets, and artwork in the stores.

Gates to the Alhambra with 3 pomegranates on top (left), a fountain with 3 pomegranates on the upper base (right)

Of course, pomegranate ice cream was one of our favorites. We enjoyed the wonderful variety of foods everywhere we went in Spain, including octopus soup, tomato and mango salad, pork chops, and wonderful fruit deserts (with pomegranate of course).

Pomegranate ice cream

Clockwise from upper left: octopus soup, tomato-mango salad, pork medallions, fruit dessert

We spent a day walking the hanging bridges of Los Cahorros Monachil, a beautiful narrow canyon with a challenging narrow trail along a stream, especially challenging during the peak of spring runoff. We also enjoyed hiking around the town of Capileira, another wonderful canyon with a mountain stream, interesting arabic culture, and ibex climbing the cliff faces! There are so many interesting towns and areas to visit near Granada, we could spend a year and still not discover them all.

Clockwise from upper left: narrow canyon trail, water fall, Anita on the edge, swinging bridge

On one of our hikes, we found the importance of learning the local language and, more importantly, reading the signs.

There are many good reasons to visit Granada, although most tourists travel to Granada to visit the Alhambra, an ancient palace and gardens on the hills above the city. The gardens are by far the most extensive in Spain and a great place to spend a warm day. We spent several days and many hours walking pathways through the gardens surrounding the Alhambra.

gardens of the Alhambra

Anita continued to bother insects, getting wonderful photos of bees, flies, beetles, and more visiting the plants in the formal and wild gardens.

When your wife tells you “It will be fine to capture that beetle in the middle of the garden, the paths are there just as a suggested place to walk.”, don’t believe it.

Inside the palace we found more beautiful gardens and very beautifully decorated rooms. Many folks ask which palace is the most worthwhile to visit - the Alhambra in Granada, Alcazar in Seville, or the palace ruins and bridges of Cordoba. We would have to say that they are all worth visiting and all of them are unique in and of themselves. Of all the cities we visited, we would have to say Granada was tops, mostly because of the great variety in the surrounding area, but also the sites in the city itself.

inside a room of the Alhambra

decorated niche

There are many memorials and statues dedicated to Washington Irving. He is famous for his “Tales of the Alhambra”. We have not read the tales, being more familiar with “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle”, but it now seems that we should.

We truly enjoyed Spain, the beautiful countryside, ancient ruins, and especially the food and culture. Special artistic touches are everywhere, from intricate pebble designs in the sidewalks to beautifully designed stairs, and wonderful parks. The Spanish pay attention to artistic detail. We were sad to leave and enjoyed one more spectacular sunset before heading to London.