17.04.17 — Travel

Granada

After hopping on a bus from Seville to Granada, I wound up landing in my third city mid-afternoon, whereupon I immediately set about finding my hostel. Once there my fifteen minute nap turned into three hours of shut-eye, and so I had to drag myself out of bed after dark and try and find someplace to eat in this new city!

My first proper look at the city by night

After wandering in a loop for a while (not that I was complaining, the city is beautiful), I found a little Venezuelan restaurant near my hostel and grabbed myself an arepa before heading back to bed to prepare for the next day, where my plan was to visit the unmissable (oh the irony) Alhambra.

Wandering the streets early in a morning
Wandering the streets early in a morning
The main street of Granada

With a bus back up to Madrid booked for 7pm that same day I knew I didn’t have time to faff around, and so made a beeline for the hill atop which sits the Alhambra palace complex. Anyone unfamiliar with it can begin to appreciate the beauty of the palace/fortress with a quick Google search.

Anyway, so I managed to find one of the few roads which lead up the ridiculously steep incline to the entrance, and began my trek hauling the entirety of my possessions for the trip in my backpack once again.

Cascading water by the Alhambra

The walk up to the entrance was much longer than expected and a lot more gruelling than I had predicted, but the views were lovely and the sun was out so I wasn’t for complaining. Once I arrived at the entrance though I had the shock of my life – there were no tickets left! Let this be a warning to anyone wanting to visit the Alhambra – book tickets online months in advance or risk being left out in the cold (well, extreme heat, but you know what I mean).

A view up to the Alhambra

Slightly deflated I sat down and ate some crisps for a bit, before deciding that for the rest of the day I fancied a spot of bar hopping, in order to see more of the city centre and enjoy some refreshing beers and snacks as I went. I began at a bar at the foot of the hill, and soon found myself in the city centre, full of cheese and chorizo and a few cañas for good measure.

Moorish architecture in the centre
The cathedral in the city

Around mid afternoon I sat down for a spot of lunch, ordering once again a menú del día, after which I just spent a few hours wandering the streets and visiting a few shops as I went. The city of Granada really is gorgeous, sitting in a valley and consisting of winding streets full of bars, restaurants, and shops, and I felt very relaxed just traversing the centre.

Floral decorations
Floral decorations
Colours of Granada

Sooner or later though it was time to head back to the bus interchange in order to catch my evening coach back up to Madrid, and in doing so leaving Andalusia and completing my tour of the south of Spain, which included Córdoba, Seville and Granada.

Looking back down the city
Farewell, Granada

As I said, I was disappointed not to be able to visit the Alhambra whilst down in Granada, but that didn’t detract from my time spent in the city. From its gorgeous surroundings to the bustle of its narrow streets and glorious architecture, I thoroughly enjoyed lazing around for the 24 hours I spent roaming around.

I will definitely have to revisit Granada in order to have a snoop around the Alhambra one day soon, and I think next time I’ll visit for a longer time – and not allow myself the luxury of a “quick nap”…