I wanted to start writing this the night before heading to Granada, but who was I kidding? The night before a trip you are excited and everything is chaotic, so definitely, it is not a good time to write.
Doing this trip as an ESA Mentor means a lot to me because I am in love with this city and I wanted to share this feeling with the UNE students. As I had foretold, the trip was marvelous despite of the fact we only spent one night there.
#1 Day: Saturday
It was extremely early in the morning and the weather wasn’t cooperating with us. However, our first adventure together (ESA Sevilla coordinator Rubén, ESA mentors and UNE students) had already started. After a three hours bus ride, we arrived in Granada. So, as soon as we got our rooms at the hotel we were ready to walk around the city and have lunch. Some of us decided to go for tapas to recharge our batteries: when you order a drink in Granada, you are given a free tapa. We had to try it! Then, the Alhambra and Robert, our wonderful tour guide, were waiting for us. The Alhambra is a Moorish palace and fortress where different Muslim emirs lived until the Catholic Monarchs (Reyes Católicos) reconquered the city. Every single detail in its architecture and gardens amazed us and we felt as if we had traveled through time.
Next stop: a walk around narrow and steep streets, full of leather bags, beautiful and colorful lamps, handicrafts... We felt like we were in Morocco, even haggling worked sometimes. At each corner, we could discover so many different features… from surprises and beautiful scenes for artsy pictures, to graffiti covering old walls. It was getting darker and it was time for dinner. We all had a splendid one together, after which we still had energy to enjoy Granada’s nightlife.
#2 Day: Sunday
A sunny Sunday ‘greeted us’ and invited us to enjoy our last hours in Granada. After breakfast, we went to the Paseo de los Tristes to admire the Alhambra from a different place. Then, it was time to be ready for hiking in order to arrive at Mirador de San Nicolás (Saint Nicholas viewpoint). Amazed by the spectacular view of the reddish Alhambra and the snowy mountains in the background, we stayed there a little while. Friendship started to be obvious in our group pictures. Finally, it was time to have lunch and say goodbye to this amazing and lovely city which fascinates people from any culture, country or age. But don’t worry, people from Granada have an expression: ‘if you go to Granada once, you will definitely go back’. So let’s believe this statement and we all will be back soon!
