Granada
T’other day, I headed to the Andalucian city of Granada with two friends, in search of culture, diversity and a change of scene- and I’m really glad we did so. It’s a great place and certainly made up for what Marbella lacks (mainly ‘real people’).
The drive there was interesting. I hadn’t been that far inland before and so I’d not realised that a very large amount of southern Spain consists of arid, thirsty-looking land (I suppose that makes sense, since it gets so hot here) but there really is a shortage of greenery and what my Spanish friend had told me about a once-green Spain really made me wonder what else global warming has in store for us.
The road up there was stunning- cut straight through a mountain and looked down over numerous little towns and villages where I’m pretty sure nobody would have even heard of indie music- one of the main reasons I wanted to go to Granada.
As we entered the city, I saw posters for rock festivals and gigs - Marilyn Manson, Paul Weller, Travis… yep, I had definitely come to the right place.
It took us four exhausting attempts (plus a Pizza Hut break) to find the hostel. We drove in circles around the city and it was funny the second time but by the third we were getting worried. Did this place even exsist? So, by the fourth, I think we were all ready to kill someone. Funny it was not.
When we eventually found the hostel and shouted at the receptionist for lying to us about free parking and got out of our sweat-soaked garments, we wondered through the narrow streets, discovered picturesque courtyards and a wealth of historic buildings.
There was much more to see in Granada, like its spectacular Alhambra and its cave houses, however, with a severe shortage of time and money, this was unfortunately impossible.
The good news though, is that you can get fed for free as most bars in the city, provide you with free tapas whenever you order a drink! Oh- and if you listen carefully, you can just about hear the likes of Franz ferdinnd, Ladytron and The Pixies… heaven!
