Getting Lost in Granada – Granada, Spain

Getting Lost in Granada
Granada, Spain
I embarked on a journey to Granada on a small plane capturing a lovely view of the snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountain region. The Granada airport may be insignificant to many travelers, most people arriving by train or bus, but to me the view of the sun dancing on the small towns nestled throughout the hillside was the perfect beginning. With only one runway, the tarmac was home to four small two-seater planes. After we landed I walked across the tarmac toward a single building to pick up my luggage at the baggage claim. As I waited, a middle aged, frumpy-looking man stood against a single pillar smoking a cigarette. The sign directly above his head, was the international sign for "no smoking". Once I retrieved my luggage, I waited an hour for an information booth to open. Because this trip was a last minute decision, I had not bought a map of the city. But the information attendant gave me one and pointed me in the right direction. I left the airport by bus in search of a hostel.

La Alhambra in daylight

Once I arrived at the main city of Granada, I heaved my pack onto my back, feeling like an oversized, upright turtle – to fall over backwards would have been disastrous. The town was built on a mountain and the cobblestone ascent tested my balance. I located my destination on the map, a small street, "Calle Veredillas de San Cristóbal". The hostel was difficult to find with so few street signs and so many streets. After an hour of wandering lost through this steep maze of intersecting ally ways, I decided to ask for directions. I approached a man sitting on a wall that partitioned the street and a steep drop into some one’s property. From here I could see the town below and the surrounding mountains. After fumbling around in my broken Spanish, he said he had never heard of any hostels in the area. I continued to walk along the path.
I dropped my bags for a short break and hopped up on the wall. A man, working in his front garden close to where I had stopped asked if I were lost. Knackered, I welcomed the help and the English word. His name was Milo, he told me he was aware of the hostel and would point me in the right direction. But first, he invited me in for some juice, and some relief from the hot sun. Thankfully, I sat in his tree-shaded garden and relaxed. I listened to him describe the city of Granada, how he had arrived several years ago, and the calming affect that it had on him. Eventually, he sent me off in the right direction. He explained that I didn’t have far to walk and asked that I return for tea later in the afternoon. As I approached the door to my destination, I realized that this is where I had met the man on the ledge who had curiously never heard of any hostels.

CAPTION GOES HERE

After arriving at the hostel, I was offered the last available bed. I settled in to my new surroundings and returned to Milo’s for tea in the afternoon. He had his nephew and another guest staying over and the four of us sat in the garden drinking tea and discussing the highlights of Granada: their main icon, the fortress on the hill, best known as the Alhambra, as well as the friendly people and the quaint small town feel coupled with the bustling down town atmosphere. "La Alhambra" sits atop the city of Granada with an amazing snow-capped mountain as its backdrop, a tourist’s dream, but a traveler and local’s nightmare, marked by long lines, and crowded spaces. The locals I sat with in the garden said it was best to visit at night. Most locals never pay to enter the castle; instead they explore the area in the evening, and cherish the beauty of its design by the night sky and the lights that maintain its effervescent glow.
Most travelers are unaware of this nocturnal option; however, this is the way I chose to visit this magnificent, 9^th century castle. Later that evening I ventured out on a private tour hosted by the people who live in Granada. I might have missed the beauty found within the castle walls where the museum is located. However, I found the greatest reward of peaceful simplicity discovering the calmness of the castle as I sat on the ledge of a castle wall, gazing at the night sky and the lights of the town below.

Did you like this article?

    

 

Share it

 

Place a comment