Pomegranate

The bus was silent. A bus filled with 50 some college students. At five in the afternoon, the majority were sleeping.

I guess that means our trip to Granada was collectively good.

We made our way east this weekend, a caravan of four buses filled with students who probably shouldn’t have gone out Friday night. Nonetheless, we escaped the rain in Seville this weekend in favor of a little mountain pueblo called Granada, which means pomegranate. Drought considering, I was surprised to find the open terrain of Andalucia very green. The olive trees were plenty, as was the grass, trees… and as we made our way further east, there were mountains. Not much development, not many cars, just the simple beauty of nature.

The weather was dry for awhile. But the clouds became darker, and the streets got wetter, and as we curved our way further into the mountains there were hints of snow. Far off snow-capped mountain peaks you might see on your way to Las Vegas, and then closer hills painted with a layer of white. First there was rain, then sleet, then snow, and pulled into the white wonderland of hills and trees that frame the lovely Spanish city of Granada.

In many respects, Granada looks much like Sevilla. Of course, it snows about as often in Sevilla as it snows in San Diego, but as far as architecture goes, the plazas, fuentes, churches aplenty, and cobble-stoned streets all have a similar look. Granada’s claim to fame is that it was the last Muslim stronghold in Spain before being recaptured by the Catholics. The Middle Eastern ambiance of the city is unmistakable. A group of us piled into a tetería today and experienced an expansive selection of Arab teas, each order coming with a metal tea pot filled with various plants and spices and a little decorative glass a bit larger than a shot glass. We sat on cushioned benches around the perimeter of a tiny room with mirrors that we had to ourselves. It was Spanish, with the language, with the relaxed way of life, but the skinny cobbled streets were lined with colorful wares from Morocco instead of oranges.

With just barely 24 hours to explore, there was limited time to enjoy this important pueblo… but breve y bueno, dos veces bueno, right? (a Spanish saying that’s similar to “short and sweet”) The most magnificent part of the weekend was certainly Alhambra. On the list for the second wonder of the world, I believe, and by far the most diverse, most ornate, most beautiful collection of buildings, gardens, and views I’ve ever seen. I can’t quite explain it in English, because the experience was truly Spanish and truly in Spanish, but perhaps my photos can speak louder than my words.