Spain – Granada to Malaga: Day 5

 General, Meanderings Abroad  No Responses »
Jul 122009
 
View of Granada from hotel

As we had no need to rush to get Malaga, we had a lie in – becoming the custom – and then went to enjoy a traditional breakfast of chocolate and churros with our coffee at Gran Cafe in the main plaza.

Then, we walked around to see the chapels in the city based on a recommendation from a guy who offered information freely. I’m not a big fan of churches/cathedrals but sometimes it is nice to see the ostentiousness of the Catholic churches. The carvings, statues and paintings are indeed awe-inspiring. Though I think perhaps the churches in Peru were a bit more opulent.

Unfortunately, my back had started hurting from all the walking the day before. So I wasn’t up for too much walking therefore, we headed back to check out and start our journey to Malaga.

Sadly traffic was bad probably as it was the weekend it seemed that everyone was out on their way to the Costa del Sol. It took an extra hour in traffic and then we realized the resort is not actually in Malaga city but out past Fuengirola, another city about 12km past Malaga. After a few confused directions we finally arrived at the Club Cost Resort!

Our cabina is two-bedrooms with a fully setup kitchen and living space. We settled in and then hit the pool below. At last some true R&R is about to begin!!!

More to come,
-T
twaller99@gmail.com
Sent from my iPhone

Spain – Granada: Day 4

 General, Meanderings Abroad  No Responses »
Jul 122009
 

Due to the late lifestyle here, we are learning to start our days a bit later as well. So, we made a leisurely start to our day in Granada. We stopped at a nearby Cafe for coffee and croissants. Then
we headed for the number 30 bus to Alhambra.

The bus climbed up the mountain side showing us a lovely view of the city below. Upon arrival we picked up our tickets to enter the palace at 1pm and then went off to explore the other areas with an hour before our permitted entrance time.

The grounds and gardens were beautiful. My mom and aunt discussed yard projects for home to replicate the beauty of the ones there. Of course, I think they’d have to budget in a groundskeeper too!
The inside of the palace was spectacular with the Islamic carvings and designs. I took loads of photos – to be posted later.

 
 

After our walk around, we stopped for a quick bite to eat before returning to the city centre for dessert, more shopping and a rest. In the evening, we headed to Albazcyin to see the sunset and enjoy dinner with a night view of Alhambra. No crazy nights so far, but a relaxing time was spent by all in Granada.

 
 

We’re off to Malaga tomorrow!
– T
twaller99@gmail.com
Sent from my iPhone

Spain – Madrid to Granada: Day 3

 General, Meanderings Abroad  No Responses »
Jul 102009
 

We had a very long sleep last night as we haven´t yet gotten used to the lifestyle of staying out late and without taking a siesta like the locals, we´ve been exhausted!

So, we got up leisurely and then headed out to find Hertz to pick up our rental car to make our drive from Madrid to Granada. It was a bit of an adventure to walk and figure out how to get to Hertz. Of course, being the only Spanish-speaker in the group has meant that I have to figure out everything and navigate places. We managed to find the Hertz and after a long convoluted route to our car, we were ready to go.

Surprisingly, navigating out of the city of Madrid wasn´t too difficult, though I discovered differences in reactions of people in stressful situations. Good thing I am a calm person. ;D It was just a 5.5 hour drive from Madrid to Granada. We didn´t make any stops along the way, though I did take pictures of the countryside as we drove through. The random bull signs along the highway and the miles and miles of olive and perhaps tobacco plants created the scenery along the way. It was nice to see the non-touristy parts of the country, though.

We arrived in Granada around 3pm this afternoon and though driving around the small city was a bit stressful, we found our hotel – Hotel Dauro – relatively easily. After parking and settling in to our room, we headed out to explore the city. Other than a moment of near shutdown due to food deprivation, we enjoyed seeing the city and doing some shopping. We had a great dinner at La Castellana, where I relaxed with a couple of sangrias in my tummy.

My iPhone is charging now, so I hope to have some photos to post tomorrow as we explore Alhambra.

Until then,

T

error

Enjoy this blog? Please spread the word :)