Tapas and Pomegranates

We have arrived in Granada and my first impression is mixed.  The drive from the airport is through the suburbs, and it is unattractive high rise residential and showing the signs of the economic slow down in Spain.  But, on the positives, there is our taxi driver.  I have decided that not all Spanish men are hot, but when they are, they are very hot.

On the drive to our hotel as we enter the old city I am warming to Granada.  By the time we arrive at our hotel I am sold, and when the taxi driver drops us and points up the alley to our hotel and we drag our cases up the cobbled lane I am in love.

A typical Granadera[?]

Hotel Casa Del Capitel Nazari - even the name is romantic

Our hotel is a converted Renaissance palace in the medieval district of Granada, and it must be of genuine interest because a walking tour guide brought his tour into the inner courtyard this morning as we were having breakfast to extol the virtues of the building to his audience.  All in Spanish, which is a shame as I could have recounted it all to you now - but needless to say it is gorgeous. And despite its age and stone walls it has excellent wifi!

Granada was the last stronghold of the Moors in Spain.  Isbella and Ferdinand took the city in 1492 after a 10 year seige.  The then Sultan agreed to vacate the city on the promise that the Muslims could continue to live in the city unmolested and free to practice their religion.  Well, we all know what happened to that promise.  In fact we are staying very close to the Plaza Nueva where many of the Inquistion burnings took place.

El Alhambra from the Albaycin

Tapas

Having arrived early evening we did not plan an adventous night so headed to the hotel bar for tapas.  Red wine for Tom and a Clara for me - beer with lemonade!  Why is beer with lemonade so accepted in Europe and laughed at back home.  Leonie - we need to move to Europe !  We ordered a plate of jamon tapas to snack on.  Drinks arrive - all good.  Then out comes a plate with bread and a claggy looking thing on top, but the waitress has rushed away before we can query it.  We ponder for a bit and then call her back, with much menu pointing and gesturing.  But of course we are the stupid foreigners and this plate is the gratis tapas that comes with our drinks.  The paid tapas comes later.  And the claggy stuff was a fantastic patata frittata - my new favourite food.  I am learning to cook that when I get home.  So we wander around for a bit - stuffed with potato and ham and not really feeling like a real dinner and we opt for ice cream instead.  Bliss!

Friday is our first full day in Granada and we fill it with a visit to the Alhambra - but that is a another story and probably one best told by the 100+ photos Tom took.  So watch out for that blog.

Why Pomegranates ?

Granada is the Spanish word for pomegranate - hence the word Grenadine (French) for that lovely red syrup.  They grow everywhere here and it is the city's heraldic symbol.  They do not seem to be in season yet and I have not seen any available for eating or on the menus.  Guess I will just have to come back to Granada in pomegranate season.

A statue in Granada near the Cathedral

Here is a link to all our photos: https://plus.google.com/photos/108452355031701881537/albums?banner=pwa. You may need so sign up to goole+ to see them.