Arriving in Grenada

Wednesday, we picked up a rental car at the Seville train station and, with the help of “Mindy” (the Garmin), it was pretty easy to get out of the city and start the 2+ hour drive to Grenada.  We had originally thought of stopping at either Cordoba or Ronda along the way but either destination would have added over 2 more hours of driving to our day.  As it turned out, it was the right decision as it was past 3 when we finally got there.  The countryside as we drove toward the Sierra Nevada mountains was quite desert-like with miles and miles of olive groves covering the hillsides.  At times, we could see the quarries in the hills and we also passed several white villages.  Again, it is clear, one needs more time to explore this area.  We got to Grenada and it was a bit tricky driving into the city but “Mindy” got us there.  We just parked in front of the hotel and a valet took the car away to park it.  It costs €17 a day but is well worth it.  The Dauro Hotel was a bit disappointing but okay for a 2 night stopover.  It is a 3 star - and that is being generous as it is a bit "tired".  After a short rest, we set out to explore the city.  We walked up the main boulevard and then into the pedestrian zone where we found lovely squares, lots of shops, and a ton of restaurants and tapas bars.  

We stopped for a glass of wine when it started raining.  We had seen a restaurant that looked nice for dinner so, after the rain stopped, we headed there.  We wanted to eat early as we were both tired.  In fact, we were so early that we were the only people there for quite a while.  It wasn’t like we were eating at 4:30 either; it was past 6, after all!  Later, when we finished dinner – which was lovely and included a complimentary glass of caramel vodka – the previously empty streets were throbbing with people.  Clearly, we are not on “Spanish time”! 

The Incredibly Yummy Complimentary Glass of Caramel Vodka - I Must Find Some!

Thursday our focus would be on the Alhambra and the guided tour we had booked to visit it.  More about that in the next blog.