April 29, 2006
Our favorites: friends, restaurants, Albaycin, and ruins
I've fallen behind in my blogging. This one is from February when our friends, Brian and Michelle Gratch hauled their 4 kids across the pond for a "European vacation". You'll see in the photos that we're all in our winter jackets. Winter is definitely cold in Granada, but never THAT cold and really only lasts a few months. We had frost a few times and it snowed only once. Not too shabby.
This blog is dedicated to a 10 year-old friend who came all the way to Spain to have his appendix taken out. He taught us all about strength and stamina. He showed bravery and courage. He was a real trooper whose thresholds were put to the test and never failed. Simon Gratch showed up in Granada with his parents and three siblings in tow only to spend 4 days in bed in our house and then a few more days in the beautiful Spanish countryside feeling so sick before he was diagnosed as needing an appendectomy in Sevilla! Thanks to a good health care system and some wonderful people, Simon's surgery went well and they were able to bring him back home safely. Way to go, Simon! This is Simon and his dad, Brian.
The 2nd photo is our friend, Tony, trying to hunt down a restaurant in the Albaycin (old Moorish/Arab neighborhood) that could seat 12 people for lunch (Spanish dinner). Many of the restrants here have nice patios and big tables to seat large parties. On weekends, tons of people often flood the restaurants in parties of 10 or more. Eating out here can be really inexpensive and families seem to always eat their mid-day dinner together. Lots of restaurants look like they're set up for a wedding because of all the big tables set up in anticipation of the families coming to eat. Pretty cool how the family is such a significant part of the culture here.
The third photo (courtesy of Wynne!) is some gypsy musicians playing flamenco music at this "mirador" overlooking the Alhambra Palace and Fortress. The songs are often emotional and sad stories about love and loss. Not that I understand a word that they're saying, but that's what I've been told! The gypsies seem to be more of an ethnic group rather than lifestyle where they travel around in wagons, etc. There is a significant "gitano" (gypsy) population in Granada. Many of them are known for their talent with flamenco music and dancing. Granadinos are very, very proud of their culture--especially the flamenco. This lookout is a favorite, especially for tourists and local types selling handmade jewelry. It's like Christmas for Wynne who adores all things shiny and appreciates a good tune when she hears one!
Photo #4 is a regular stop, along with the mirador, on our tour of the Albaycin. This is Casa de Pasteles, a cafe/bakery, that serves up a mean "cafe con leche" (espresso with warm milk) for a dollar that beats the pants off any Starbucks creation. I'm not sure if it's the hordes of people you have to penetrate to get to the counter or the cigarette smoke that makes this place so charming. I suspect it's the pastry case and the company we keep. Here you can see our party of 12 took up nearly the whole counter. The littlest Gratches and Wynne had to jockey for their stools while the big kids (Alina Lozano White, Helen Gratch, Lydia and Reed were good sports and inhaled their treats wherever they could find room. No matter how chaotic the place is, one is always rewarded with something yummy (made with olive oil?) and delicious memories.
The last photo during the Gratches visit is all the kiddy-os outside the monastery at a nearby town, Moclin. We like this one especially for Helen's expressive pose and the fact that Simon was with us. Monasteries have become a dime a dozen for us here. Along with fortresses, castle ruins and cathedrals they have dominated our destinations ten times more than any place like shopping malls, Chuckie Cheese or a Six Flags Amusement park. Somehow, even though we have seen dozens of these types of places they are still fascinating and fun for the kids. They love climbing up the towers and running around the broken rooms imagining what it would be like to live in a castle or fight in a war. Nevermind the whole "hardships of life back then". Thankfully their imaginations and Spain's respect for these historic relics give us all a thrill!
This blog is dedicated to a 10 year-old friend who came all the way to Spain to have his appendix taken out. He taught us all about strength and stamina. He showed bravery and courage. He was a real trooper whose thresholds were put to the test and never failed. Simon Gratch showed up in Granada with his parents and three siblings in tow only to spend 4 days in bed in our house and then a few more days in the beautiful Spanish countryside feeling so sick before he was diagnosed as needing an appendectomy in Sevilla! Thanks to a good health care system and some wonderful people, Simon's surgery went well and they were able to bring him back home safely. Way to go, Simon! This is Simon and his dad, Brian.
The 2nd photo is our friend, Tony, trying to hunt down a restaurant in the Albaycin (old Moorish/Arab neighborhood) that could seat 12 people for lunch (Spanish dinner). Many of the restrants here have nice patios and big tables to seat large parties. On weekends, tons of people often flood the restaurants in parties of 10 or more. Eating out here can be really inexpensive and families seem to always eat their mid-day dinner together. Lots of restaurants look like they're set up for a wedding because of all the big tables set up in anticipation of the families coming to eat. Pretty cool how the family is such a significant part of the culture here.
The third photo (courtesy of Wynne!) is some gypsy musicians playing flamenco music at this "mirador" overlooking the Alhambra Palace and Fortress. The songs are often emotional and sad stories about love and loss. Not that I understand a word that they're saying, but that's what I've been told! The gypsies seem to be more of an ethnic group rather than lifestyle where they travel around in wagons, etc. There is a significant "gitano" (gypsy) population in Granada. Many of them are known for their talent with flamenco music and dancing. Granadinos are very, very proud of their culture--especially the flamenco. This lookout is a favorite, especially for tourists and local types selling handmade jewelry. It's like Christmas for Wynne who adores all things shiny and appreciates a good tune when she hears one!
Photo #4 is a regular stop, along with the mirador, on our tour of the Albaycin. This is Casa de Pasteles, a cafe/bakery, that serves up a mean "cafe con leche" (espresso with warm milk) for a dollar that beats the pants off any Starbucks creation. I'm not sure if it's the hordes of people you have to penetrate to get to the counter or the cigarette smoke that makes this place so charming. I suspect it's the pastry case and the company we keep. Here you can see our party of 12 took up nearly the whole counter. The littlest Gratches and Wynne had to jockey for their stools while the big kids (Alina Lozano White, Helen Gratch, Lydia and Reed were good sports and inhaled their treats wherever they could find room. No matter how chaotic the place is, one is always rewarded with something yummy (made with olive oil?) and delicious memories.
The last photo during the Gratches visit is all the kiddy-os outside the monastery at a nearby town, Moclin. We like this one especially for Helen's expressive pose and the fact that Simon was with us. Monasteries have become a dime a dozen for us here. Along with fortresses, castle ruins and cathedrals they have dominated our destinations ten times more than any place like shopping malls, Chuckie Cheese or a Six Flags Amusement park. Somehow, even though we have seen dozens of these types of places they are still fascinating and fun for the kids. They love climbing up the towers and running around the broken rooms imagining what it would be like to live in a castle or fight in a war. Nevermind the whole "hardships of life back then". Thankfully their imaginations and Spain's respect for these historic relics give us all a thrill!
