Megan in Spain, Part I: Granada

This week I had the pleasure of my friend Megan's company in Granada and Cadiz with two nights in Madrid at the beginning and the end. Since there was so much to see, I am starting with Granada. We rented an apartment there, and it pretty much made our trip. As previously mentioned, the owners gave us a discounted rate on the penthouse apartment complete with a rooftop terrace. It turns out that the owners are a married couple, the wife from Seattle and the husband Spanish. The woman wasn't that much older than us, and they were both so nice and adorable.

Our first day in Granada, Megan and I celebrated our birthdays with a full 2.5 hour lunch at a restaurant with a lush patio and attractive wait staff. We ordered every course and were very Spanish about things. There's a photograph of each dish below. Afterwards, we enjoyed our terrace with beer, strawberries, and brie before venturing out for tapas, which in Granada are free with the purchase of a drink. Afterwards we had the best gelato I may have had anywhere. Dark chocolate and hazelnut. Amazing.

on the way to lunch

getting ready to celebrate

the patio

our first appetizer, a spinach salad

our second appetizer, tabouli with eggs, shrimp, and a curry sauce

my entree, garlic cod with potatoes

and chocolate crepes for dessert

the terrace

snacks

a self-timed photo on the terrace

a cafe and the cathedral; note the cloth that is hung to keep the street cool in the summer

Our second day in Granada was spent at the Alhambra, the Moorish palace. We toured the main palace and walked around a little bit before eating lunch outside again and returning to our terrace. Just before sunset, we climbed the hill of the Albaicin, a picturesque neighborhood of white washed houses on a hill that faces the Alhambra. We made it to the lookout after quite a hike, and then made our way down to the Realito, the former Jewish quarter. It was an adorable neighborhood with several cute tapas places where I ate migas for the first time.

approaching the Alhambra

in the palace

I wish you could see the scale here; this arch is maybe 1.5 feet tall so the carving is small and of course extremely ornate

me and the city/Albaicin from the Alhambra

the Alhambra from the Albaicin; behind us were several groups of hippy-types weaving bracelets or making charms out of coins.

from our table at a Realito tapas bar

Granada might be in my top 2 favorite places that I've been in Spain this year. Still to come: Cadiz and a last day in Madrid.