Words can't begin to describe how much I love Granada. What a city! Being the fat bastard that I am, the thing I love best is the tapas culture. With every drink you order, and it doesn't have to be alcoholic (although it usually is with me), you get a free tapa. Much of the time it's a pretty hefty portion, like a plate of paella or Iberian pork on a crusty baguette. Or mini hamburgers with a side of croquettes. Basically, it's fucking awesome and I've not had to pay for food since I've been here. They say nothing in life is free, but when you're only paying 2 euros a drink, I'd have to disagree! For anyone who is planning to go to Granada at any point, here are my must visit tapas bars: Taberna de la Tana, Bodega la Antigualla, Bodegas Castenada and Bar Poe.
The food aside, the city is beautiful. On my first day I had a trip to the Alhambra booked. I spent a good two hours wandering around the place, which for anyone who knows me, knows this is a long time for me to spend in a cultural attraction. I usually get bored and find the nearest pub. But the Alhambra is particularly amazing, and the countless pictures I took don't do it justice. It has to be seen to be believed.
That evening, I went on a date with a nice man called Angel who I met on one of the dating sites. We went to a few bars, had some tapas, chatted and then went our separate ways. Always nice to have some company when you're visiting other places. Especially when said company is 6"2 with arms to die for...
The next day was spent exploring the city. 15 miles of walking to be exact. There are two pretty amazing viewpoints which are worth the trek up the hill in 35 degree heat. The views of the Alhambra are something special. After wandering around the little cobbled lanes of Alabaicin, I walked to the small neighbourhood of Sacromonte. It's the traditional village of the Granadian gypsies and is filled with white washed caves housing bars, flamencos shows and dwellings. Set on top of the hill is the Abbey.
After hitting a couple of bars for some free tapas, I moved onto the Cathedral. Generally all cathedrals are pretty impressive, and they all merge into one. But I'll remember this one for the impressive organs. I'm sure going to mass in a church like this wouldn't be such a chore on a Sunday!
The evening was a bit of a dud. I found a language exchange online but when I arrived there was literally nobody in the pub. Later that evening I checked out two salsa joints my friend had told me about, and also found them both to be empty! However, Granada is a massive student town, and I'm told it's so dead because all the students have now left for the summer. So it's hope to bed in anticipation of the 4.5 hour bus journey back to Madrid in the morning 😒
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