a southern lady in granada

After a very easy train ride from Sevilla, we arrived in Granada mid-afternoon and we were ready to see our Airbnb apartment and grab some food! I really can't say enough great things about our accommodation. It was right across from Centro Nueva where there were loads of restaurants. It was also very near La Alhambra (more on that later).

beautiful granada

Once we put our things away, got settled into our apartment and freshened up, we were ready to head out into Granada and grab something to eat. We found a pizza place with a very clever name, Oh La La! Once we had our fill of pizza, we walked about the Mercado Artisan and saw all the Turkish and Arabic goods. It was really cool to see what a high influence this culture has had on the city of Granada. We walked around the city and saw a wedding at the cathedral but it was scorching (40 degrees C) and we decided to make our way back to the apartment to cool off. We stopped by the supermarket and picked up some snacks and wine for the rest of our stay in Granada. We enjoyed our wine and food on the terrace of our lovely apartment, and chatted for hours in the shade. We decided to head out and take advantage of free tapas (one of the unique things about Granada!) so we went to Carmela Restaurant right around the corner. We sat down, ordered a glass of wine and they brought over the tapas. You don't get to choose what it is because it's considered a little gift, but we were never disappointed with any of our tapas while in Granada!

We woke up bright and early Sunday morning and made our way to La Alhambra. We took the bus up, and at 8:45 there was already a queue. Alhambra was absolutely stunning. There were several times when it took my breath away. It's incredible to think that it was first built in 883, and there is so much history and cultural influence. I would recommend that you GO EARLY as it gets very hot in the afternoons, especially since it's on top of a mountain. But it was one of the most beautiful places of the trip (and of my many travels)!

                                     
                                     

scenes from la alhambra

After we left Alhambra, we came back to our apartment for food on the terrace and naps (we were tired from waking up early and walking in the heat!). We ventured back out around 4 but only made it as far as the bar/restaurant downstairs called Los Diamantes. This place is so popular - tons of people and it's very common to stand and eat your tapas here. but we got lucky and grabbed two seats right at the window. Our waiter Jose was the best; we got free tapas and wine! We walked around the city but most things are closed from about 2 to 6, so there wasn't much to do. We ended up back at the apartment and relaxed while getting ready for dinner. We went back to Carmela and I am so glad we did. once again our food was great and the service was excellent.

our terrace snacks

On Monday morning, we went to get a cafe con leche at the cafe across the street in the Centro Nueva and grabbed some healthy snacks for our VERY LONG coach trip to Valencia! We had a great time in Granada and I would suggest going to La Alhambra if you go to Spain. It's an experience you'll never forget!