After years of dreaming, I finally made it to beautiful Spain. I started my trip in Granada where I spent two nights so that I could visit the famous Alhambra.
Malaga from up above
The Spanish countryside
Getting to Granada involved a few trips: first, I flew from Dublin to Malaga via Aer Lingus, and second, I took a shuttle from Malaga Airport to the bus station. From there, I bought at ticket from the counter (who would not take my nonsense that I couldn't speak Spanish) and caught an ALSA bus to Granada. I kept falling asleep on the ride over, but during the times I was awake, I was able to see the beautiful Spanish countryside. I clearly wasn't in Ireland anymore.
After 2+ hours, we finally arrived at the Granada bus station. I wasn't in the mood to be adventurous then, so I decided to take a taxi to my hostel. I walked up to the stand and asked for a taxi to Plaza del Carmen in Spanish. I was so proud of myself, and the taxi driver didn't seem to suspect that I wasn't "hispanohablante". We drove through the city, and I noticed that it was deserted and that most stores were closed. This was a change from Canada, where stores are open all week.
Song playing in the taxi aka the soundtrack of my trip
This first impression of Granada changed when we arrived downtown, which was lively and teeming with tourists.
Downtown Granada
I fell in love with the city instantly, and I couldn't wait to walk around and explore it. First things first though, I had to check-in with my hostel and drop off my luggage.
The washroom in my single room
Surprise! We have a breakfast room
Door to Plaza del Carmen
For less than $50, I was able to book a single room and a private bathroom at Nest Style Granada (Plaza del Carmen, 29 18009 Granada). It was located in the city centre and was within walking distance to the Cathedral, shops, and restaurants. I took a short break in my room before heading out for a short walk.
The Cathedral
My walk took me to Catedral de Ganada (Calle Gran Vía de Colón, 5, 18001 Granada), a beautiful church located on the intersection of Calle Gran Via and Calle Reyes Católicos. I would have loved to celebrate mass there and to see it all lit up, but I arrived too late from Ireland. In any case, it was still a nice place to visit. I had some time to reflect there before heading out to explore the city some more.
Just outside of the cathedral is a huge square where people could watch live, authentic flamenco performances. For someone who had never seen flamenco before, they were definitely a treat, and I often stopped my walks just to catch a performance or two.
Plaza de Bib-Rambla
After watching some flamenco, I walked around the area of the cathedral and stumbled upon some pretty cool areas. Plaza de Bib-Rambla was one of them, and it turned out to be the place to go for authentic tapas and churros.
The entrance to the Artisan market
Artisan crafts and souvenirs
I also stumbled upon the market above where you could see tourists on the lookout for some really unique souvenirs. I actually bought a few things from this area, including some make-up bags and a coin purse (which were not that cheap when you convert their prices in Euros into Canadian dollars! Hahaha).
Isn't Granada beautiful?!
I love this city!
After seeing both Plaza de Bib-Rambla and the market, I walked along Calle Reyes Católicos and saw more of Granada's lovely architecture. The buildings give a charming air, especially those balconies. I almost wanted to live there.
Waiting for dinner
Goat cheese and mango salad
Before I knew it, it was already dinner time. I walked around for a place to eat and ended up at a restaurant just outside of my hotel. Haha! I ordered a goat cheese and mango salad drizzled with honey–it was really delicious. After dinner, I went back to my room to get an early night in preparation for Monday's trip to the Alhambra. (Stay tuned for that post!)
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