My Old Stomping Grounds

I spent almost six months studying abroad in Granada my junior year of college. It was...a test of faith in many ways, but I came home feeling like I could conquer the world. I'd visited Spain - not Granada - once in the intervening years and ever since, had had a hankering to stroll my old haunts and let the memories wash over me, see how the city that changed me so much has changed. 

First glimpses...although I honestly don't think I was ever at the train station way back when. 

We found our Airbnb and then headed out for two places I used to frequent. I'm not sure what happened to the color/light show at Triunfo Fountains, so that was a quick stop. Pictured above (and three more times before the end of this post): 2008 vs. 2024.

I HAD to order the "siesta" for old time's sake.

Happy Tuesday, Granada. Looks like a beautiful day for reminiscing.

My old apartment.

Maybe the place I used to meet a friend for churros con chocolate every Sunday before church?

Speaking of church...

And right across from church, Parque Federico García Lorca, as fun as ever. 

Spotted on my way to the language institute where I took classes multiple times per week: battery and cooking oil recycling!

Centro de Lenguas Modernas. 

How did Granada today compare to my Granada, you ask? I used to go wandering when I was bored or lonely, and I couldn't get lost if I tried. I barely recognized anything, though! I was frustrated with myself, craving familiarity. Did I even study there? Ashley gently reminded me to give myself grace: it was 16 years ago, and many restaurants and businesses were very obviously newer than that. 

Lunch hit the spot; it's gone up a few euros in price, but I've never had shawarma like in Granada. 

With my soul quieted by having done what I came to do, whether or not it lived up to the nostalgic ideals I'd imagined, I was ready for new adventures, like the pastry nuns!  

Looks like a shady drug deal...results in cookies!

We arrived just after two Filipino ladies and were going to watch them go through the process so we'd know what to do. In the end, we wound up translating for them, and they shared their treats with us. 

Ashley took this leaving the convent: the only picture I really need to tell you about what I did in Europe for two weeks :)

Guess what? We did a walking tour in Granada (#8/8 for me). We started in the city (below: one of  headed for the hills to Granada's oldest structures, an 11th century hammam, or Arabic bathhouse) but headed for the hills. 

I needed to make a happy memory at the  Mirador de San Nicolás to erase the one of getting my purse stolen (shortly after the photo on the left was taken). 

I was leery of taking Ashley to the quite possibly sketchy bar I'd been to for flamenco & drinks a couple times, so I picked the least touristy of the tourist spectacles in a cave in the Albaicín. The tinto de verano was disappointing; the show was not.

Plan A was to do an excursion to Gibraltar on our last full day. Plan B was to hike the Caminito del Rey, near Málaga. Plan C became a day trip into the Alpujarra, or foothills of the Sierra Nevada, simply because it's what was available. We paused at several scenic overlooks and quaint towns on our way to the final stop, Pampaneira, where we'd have a few hours to eat lunch and shop. 

Lanjarón

You think we stopped taking pictures by Christmas trees just because we left Madrid? Think again.

Órgiva was my favorite stop of the day, and honestly, a highlight of my entire trip. One of the guide's recommendations for the ~30 min. we'd be there was the public library and its world renowned Don Quixote manuscript collection. Ashley & I will forever be part of the newest addition to the collection!

The entire novel on a single sheet of paper (yes, there was a magnifying glass). 

Quechua edition!

The banner behind me describes the project of creating a version hand-scribed by Órgiva's "friends and visitors."

Pampaneira's Verónica Street is famous for the irrigation channel that cuts through the center. 

Ashley & tried the Alpujarra's typical plate for lunch: pork, sausage, French fries, and a fried egg. I was also too intrigued by an "almond soup" that had "Alpujarra" in the name to not order it. It wasn't what I expected at all!

We headed back to Granada on schedule, thus concluding an epic two weeks in Iberia for me. A thread that ran through the whole thing was my excessive wanderlust. It's a big world we live in, and I seem to have boundless energy for exploring it - even, or especially, on foot. I'm an introvert who's fascinated by people and their stories, and I met so many, from a Californian escaping to Lisbon ahead of Trump's 2nd term to an Ecuadorian Uber driver. I relished my few days solo but even more so, precious time with my dear friend Ashley who's not afraid to rein in my aforementioned boundless energy. 

I got home just in time for Advent, which seems to be alternating between fast forward and slo-mo. Current mode: fast forward. The week ahead feels jam-packed; watch for a December in the DR post soon. 

Until next time, blessings in Christ!