GRANADA

Granada - have so much to share about Granada and so hard to express it by words. For it, at first I put this song of SPANISH GUITAR to catch the atmosphere of South Spain, especially from Granada. ;-)

 I came to Granada at night, passed 3 hrs in train, travelling from Sevilla. I was there to visit my old friend whom I met in Galicia in summer, so everything goes much more easier when you know some local people but to Granada I went for first time and had no contact, so it was really "a virgin travel" for me :D I decided to stay at Residencia Ziri as I was looking for some cute, safe and enough calm place to stay and do some studies as well. This room in Residencia Ziri (C/ Cardenal Mendoza, 4) was marvelous and fulfilled all my needs and expectations. There was everything you need and the balcony opened you a view on never ending story: what is going on on street. Here are some pics to you could get some imagination how is was ;) One room for 1 person costs right 20 euros.

Calle Cardenal Mendoza where Residencia Ziri took its place ;-)

The breath of night atmosphere with view on wooden blinds ;-)

I was in Granada just after Festival of Three Kings on beginning of January, so even in Granada it was cold, so central heating was needed. Actually Granada is quite cool (in meaning cold;-) even in the summer or let;s say cooler than in Sevilla and other parts of Andalusia because of mountains Sierra Nevada. Among others, there is well known Mulhacén, which has 3478 metres above sea level. I really do appreciate this location of mountains because they are really near to Granada. And I took a day trip by foot from Residencia Ziri straight to the mountains which are situated behind Alhambra complex ;-) I put some photos from this foot trip. I found really nice places, for example "cave flats", Maroccan tea house and at the end of day so powerful sunset... :

"Welcome in my living room": say the house on right side ;)

Trying local "sisha" as the only customer invited by very kind Maroccan owner before regular opening hours ;-)

The Mirror in Maroccan "tea house" in Granada. I recommend you to visit this place. It is on the left side of Alhambra if you walk there from city centre on main road ;)

Firstly climb up to have such a view. In almost every new place I used to climb up the nearest hill juts to see the city I am in from up, it gives up another perspective to see all human swarm from distance and then you return into it already changed ;-)

Have you ever heard about "cave people" from Granada?  Me not, but I was really amazed by these caves, so at first I was thinking that maybe some seasonal workers live like that because accommodation is quite expensive in Spain generally. But then my friends from Palautordera told me that it is quite an opposite that living in cave is much more expensive than living somewhere else because it is kind of speciality and it began to be lucrative and even you need to pay it (i do not know whom:-), to pay monthly rent to live there, funny this world... Let;s see some pics: 

The "cave houses" are well done as you can see on this window ;)

 

On the other side, where I walked, there were another cave flats ;)

Continue walking on foot all around, found this stuff:

Playing with morning dew ;-)

Walking on this nice EARTH, just counting how many shadows have already passed ;-)

Old Sun dial ;-)

SIERRA NEVADA

And on the end of - my ONE DAY foot journey - I got such unbelievable surprise from heaven. ;-)