We woke up really early today and it sounded like a tornado outside. And when we actually got outside, bags in tow, it felt like a tornado. It wouldn't have surprised me if Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt had walked by us on the way to the bus station. Riding the bus out of town was pretty scary too, as we were on some mountain roads the the wind was definitely rocking the bus. I was glad to get off.
Had to use my scarf to protect my nose and face from the sand whipped about in the wind.
We walked across the street from the bus station only to discover that we had a replacement rail bus to Ronda and then we would take the train to Granada. The bus ride, while beautiful, was terrifying. Have you ever seen those roads during the Tour de France where you see the peloton just whip around these blind hair pin turns up in the mountains somewhere? Those were the kind of roads we had to take to get to Ronda. All I could think was, 'I hope this bus driver knows what he's doing.' After a nerve wrecking journey on the bus, we boarded the train (thank God), and carried on to Granada. The trip was really beautiful, and there were farms with acres and acres of olive trees all in neat little rows and I loved seeing them. As we approached Granada, I was shocked to see snow on the mountains that surrounded the city. Granada is in the heart of the Sierra Nevada range, but still. Snow, in April, in Spain? Weird.
The mountain road we took to Ronda. Scary much?
The beautiful olive trees.
Proof: snow in Spain.
So a journey that started at around 7AM ended around 4PM and by the end, Sandy and I were both knackered. We crashed out for a bit and then went to 'kebab man'. Sandy loves doner kebabs, and she saw the place on the way to our hostel and said, 'We have to go there.' Well, this was the only place we've found in Europe that has stuffed either of us. We were so full, and the food was so good. We told kebab man we would return.
Our hostel was in the Albayzin, or the old Jewish Quarter. At night, the place absolutely came alive and it looked very much like the old Europe you think of in your head. We went into a shop run by a guy named Hussein. Oh Hussein. The poor guy was from Syria, and could speak very little English or Spanish. However, in just 10 minutes in his store, he managed not only hit on both me and Sandy, but he also asked if we were gay. Bold little Hussein from Syria, you better watch yourself. I bought a tea pot to top off my tea set from him. But the rest of our time in Granada became an adventure in avoiding Hussein whom we unfortunately had to pass to get to kebab man. Granada is a fantastic city though, and it's got a really cool atmosphere, although there are definitely some people who have been hanging out with Peter, Paul, Mary, and Puff their magical dragon.
Sandy walking through Granada.
A light in Granada ... absolutely beautiful.
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