Granada

There was so much anticipation to visit Granada. I didn't know what to expect culture wise, as it is often said that people in the south of Spain are more friendly. During our three day stay, I can't say I felt people to be any more or any less friendly than here in Catalonia. I will say the food did not leave an epicurean food print in my mind. Granada, in my opinion, has little else to offer with the exception of the Alhambra. I took so many pictures of the Alhambra that I didn't want to overwhelm the reader with a deluge of pictures. Rather, the pictures for this post are to orient the traveler to see what lies in Granada, aside from the obligatory visit to the Alhambra. Pictures will follow in a different post. 

I was happy to see right off the bat a visual homage to Enrique Morente (a contemporary flamenco singer now deceased). I love his music as much as I enjoy his daughter's, Estrella Morente, who I recently saw live in concert here in Barcelona. We had relatively good weather and walked a lot everywhere. Here's a Granada caveat: be in shape because when you go visit the Alhambra you must walk up a steep hill! Boy our legs were so sore from walking to and from the Alhambra for a night and day visit. 

Another caveat: when you arrive to Granada by plane, take the J. Gonzalez bus into the city. It has a bus stop route that is posted on the bus. If you give the bus driver the name of the hotel you need to get to, he'll politely let you know which is the best stop.

Adeu!

Enrique Morente

The Cathedral of Incarnation

Love these geometric street lamps.

The ubiquitous pomegranate motif seen everywhere.

View of the city from the Alhambra.

Foggy morning.

This is the bus schedule to return to the airport for 3€ per passenger, I great deal!

An old gate entrance into Granada.

As soon as you exit the airport to go into the city you'll see this bus. Hop on and pay the 3€ bus fare. Don't take a taxi!

Maitea Taberna

There was no settling for a mediocre tapas bar. With a keen observation for my serious request, Ace got on with the task of finding a non-tourtist-non-gothic-quarter-tapas-bar. He found a taverna on Carrer Casanova, close to the hospital where we had visited his father, and in no way did I recall a tapas bar that had any culinary attractiveness. Doubt enveloped my mind, but Ace incessantly reassured me how much I would like this place located right across from Hospital Clinic. I admit the location of this tapas bar, way to close to a hospital to attract serious epicureans, did little to assuage my lingering doubt of the quality of the bar. 

Ace was correct in his affirmation I would like Maitea. It is by far the best tapas bar I have been to in a very long time. First, we ordered cold tapas and found them creamy and delicious. But the hot tapas were out of this world. They were so delectable, tasty, and left lingering flavors in the mouth. The bar/restaurant is free of pesky tourists and over anxious locals exasperated with overcrowded bars. We also ordered desert and it was absolutely fabulous!! We plan to return next month and dine in the restaurant section of Maitea. This place is a must if you want to enjoy basque tapas with friends.

Adeu!

Cold tapas

This was the so good! Pig cheek with quail egg.

Txacoli, a must beverage if you are to have tapas.

You MUST try the bomba tapa, Divine! It's the one in the back with the orangey sauce.

I would love to attend the San Sebastian jazz festival one day.

Paleta de cesta punta. Also called xistera in Basque.

Tools and artwork.

Maitea means "friend" in Basque.

Xurros and Xo Co La Ta

When I eat xurros (churros) and xocolata (chocolate), I think of my high school Spanish book, then called Churros and Chocolate. When I was in high school, I never understood why this book was called that, it just didn't make sense to me. Churros was a Mexican thing, not a Spanish thing. And the chocolate part seemed even more strange; what did chocolate have to do with churros? The mind of an untraveled high school student wonders at the inadequacy of the title. Since living in Spain, I see how culturally confused and mistaken I was. Churro and chocolate stands are ubiquitous corner sights or minuscule shops tucked between large shops here in Spain. They are winter food fare or the late night snack after leaving a night club and walking home at 6 a.m.

Our stand happens to be in a park next to kiddy bouncers and a merry-go-round. We set our motor bike helmets down, sat on the stools, and ordered a bag of ten churros with two cups of hot chocolate to dip the churros in. You dip each churro into the hot chocolate before eating it. When the fried, sugar coated pastry treats were gone, we drank the remaining dense, warm chocolate.

Adeu!

Blurry xurros, sorry.

See the chocolate covered churros hanging from the yellow ribbon? Not very appetizing decor. 

That is not me or my man, but another couple ordering xurros and hot chocolate.

Fall

Plainly, I have missed photographing my surroundings these past few months. I have completed my Master's and I am officially liberated from academic writing. Not my favorite type of writing to do. The completion of my Master's was followed by family crises. Life is like that, it pushes you off the road towards an unexpected road fork.

Today was the first day I was able to pick up my camera and go for an afternoon walk and photograph the tardor or autumn here in Barcelona. I didn't want the usual landscapes of foliage with autumn splendor. I instead wanted close up shots of leafage and other autumn representations often overlooked.

Gaudiu de les imatges!