Today’s exploration of Granada including a bit of wandering on my own followed by a Tapas Tour, which I thought was a great way to sample the local fare and pick up a few interesting facts/lore on the history of this Andalusian city. It was a delightful day for a walkabout, blue skies, sunshine, crisp air and moderate temperatures. I let my eyes and ears guide me through the streets and plazas of the historic center, knowing only that I had a 1 pm rendezvous with the tapas tour guide at Plaza del Carmen.
Starting the day along the narrow Carrera del Darro, which runs alongside the Darro River before the river plunges underground just before Plaza Neuvo
My wanderings took me to Plaza del Carmen, where I was to meet the Tapas Tour guide. I was a bit early, and migrated over to a booth with information about the 35th International Festival of Tango, currently taking place in Granada. I had been quite keen on attending one of the festival performances, and had even tried to book tickets online a month ago. However, the purchase required some type of identity code that I never figured out how to obtain. Imagine my surprise when I learned that there would be tango right on the Plaza del Carmen, from 1-3 pm. While I’d already booked the Tapas Tour for 1 pm, the woman at the booth strongly encouraged me to attend that night’s performance. I promised to do so, provided I could stay up past the 9 pm start! Not likely.
While waiting for the tapas meet-up, a group of tutu-clad women and men in costumes sashayed into Plaza del Carmen – obviously celebrating something. Just as they arrived, tango music began to fill the air. The party group started dancing, as did small children and elderly women in the crowd of onlookers. Most just tried to find a beat to the music, but they were soon joined by a few couples who were serious about their tango. It turns out that the tango event on the Plaza was not a performance by international tango stars, but rather an open tango dance for all folks who love to tango.
Although mesmerized by the dancing, I was keeping an eye out for the Tapas Tour guide and soon spotted him, recognized by his picture that accompanied my tour confirmation. There was a married couple in the group, Ilene (Dutch) and Jonathan (Brit), and after introductions and a short history of Queen Isabella, Ferdinand and Granada we headed off to our first tapas bar.
I arrived at Plaza del Carmen twenty minutes early for my Tapas Tour meet-up
The Tapas Tour turned out to be an informative and interesting afternoon – though much of the information imparted by our guide Ramon turned out to be more folklore than fact. We heard a lot about Ferdinand and Isabella, the Catholic monarchs responsible for the fall of the Nasrid dynasty, the unification of Spain, and the subsequent exodus of Jews and Muslims. Ramon recounted an entertaining legend wherein Isabella played a pivotal role in the invention of tapas, which were said to have originated here in Granada.
We visited four tapas bars, and in addition to eating a variety of tapas I discovered the non-alcoholic wine Mosta. Made from grapes, it’s a little on the sweet side but just add a little carbonated water you have a great spritzer. Conversations over food and drink were far ranging and interesting. Ilena and Jonathan spent their careers in working for NGOs in developing countries and shared some fascinating stories – they were stationed in Cambodia in the 1990s when Khmer Rouge still controlled parts of the country.
Mariana Pineda, a young woman from Granada who was arrested and charged with having a flag embroidered with the words Freedom, Equality and Law. She was executed in Granada on May 26, 1831 for not betraying her liberal compatriots who were fighting against King Fernando VII. After her death, she became a martyr for freedom and her life was the subject of a play by Federico García Lorca.
Granada abounds with ripening orange trees, but beware. These trees bear not the sweet Valencia oranges but the bitter Seville oranges. How can you tell - the double leaf is the mark of the Seville orange tree
The major event of the day was a trip to the Alhambra, the ancient fortress and palace of the Nasrid Dynasty. On the advice of Scott and Rachael, I booked an early entry time and had a memorable visit, which I detail in a separate post.
The other big item on the day’s agenda was reserving a hotel room for when I return to Granada in about a month’s time. I did not book a return stay at my current hotel, and the only room now available is a suite, which comes at a hefty price. I did some online searching last night and found something that might be suitable and so stopped to check it out after the Alhambra visit. All seemed fine and I booked a room with a terrace for half the price of my current hotel, which is nice enough to store my bike bag regardless of a return booking. I'll just have to schlep the empty bike bag the few blocks to the new hotel and pack it up on my terrace. And the best news was that a taxi to the airport can pick me up right outside the hotel door.
I was eager to put my newly acquired tapas knowledge to the test, so for dinner I headed to a nearby establishment with good reviews for fish tapas. I ordered a Mosta, accompanied by a small tapas of fried fish, and two items off the menu: grilled shrimp and an assortment of fried vegetables. When delivered, neither of the items were what I expected. First off, the size of each indicated they were meant for sharing – an interpretation reinforced by the presence of two forks on each plate. Second, I had visions of “shrimp on the barbie,” not a plate of lightly cooked prawns on a bed of salt staring me in the face. It appears that there are a few more things to learn before I perfect the art of tapas – good thing I'll have a month in Andalusia to do so.
Rich FrasierI feel your pain, Susan. We have struggled so much with ordering tapas. Spanish people just know how to do it, but the "rules" are really opaque to us, and it's never clear what you're going to get. After spending months in the country, you'd think we'd be better at it. But no....we still have an experience like yours every time we try it. Reply to this comment 1 year ago
