SATURDAY, SUNDAY and MONDAY.

Three more days that were much of the same. Brian started the morning by trying to buy some mussels and prawns at the newest fish shop in town – the lovely Adriana’s but gave up after two attempts because all the women ignored him, including Adriana. He says it is like the butcher shop syndrome in Oz where men are usually ignored, and according to him are seen as the cart horse to carry the purchases home. After listening to his complaints, Di and I braved the fish shop, and Brian was right, there was only one man there, and he did carry the purchases! However, I was impressed by the friendliness and courtesy of the women who were there. They all knew that I spoke and understood only a little Spanish but when another came and was told by Adriane that there were no more mussels other than the ones I had my eye on, she asked me if I was waiting to buy them, the rest told her that she should have come in earlier.

Took our purchases back home and then Ian, Diane and I, tried the remaining bars we had not been to. We decided that the best tapas were at Bar Ochoa, but have discovered that it is not open as often as all the others. Ian found some animals to photograph in the Plaza.

Ian and Diane cooked up a great lunch of seafood, and then we had to have a rest before heading out for more bar crawling, finishing off with a pizza – which was only so so. Then out to see the English wedding party at the big church – were astounded to see some of the men in really nice outfits wearing thongs! And I’m amazed at how the girls manage the cobble stone streets in those really high heels!

Brian spent most of the day working out how we could play cards with the pack that he had bought on Friday. They are Spanish but have suits that are coins, swords, cups and clubs. When we came back around midnight, he taught us all the rules. Diane reckoned he was inventing them but she came out the winner so Ian and I don’t know what she had to complain about!

SUNDAY was motor cycle racing in Spain, so while Ian spent about 6 hours glued to the TV set, and Brian went back to the card game rules, Diane and I responded to the Church bells and went in for the first half of midday Mass.

Then off to the other restaurant at the end of the Gorge – El Pato Loco (The Mad Duck). Definitely the best restaurant so far. We had a parrilla (which is a type of BBQ or grill) plus a delicious red pepper salad and then Brian and Diane had desert.

Brian went back to the card rules and we went for a walk to the thermal pools at the opposite end of town.


MONDAY

We drove down to the coast to La Herradura to give Ian and Diane a look at the coast. It was a beautiful day. We drove along the beach, and then walked down to find the restaurant recommended in the Lonely Planet. It turned out to be very good, but muy caro (very expensive) compared to the ones in Alhama.








TUESDAY


Early morning start – up at 6.30 to leave for Granada at 7.30 so that Ian and Diane could get into the Nasrid Palace, at the Alhambra at their appointed time slot of 9.30 – 10.00.


We made it but Brian found driving east into the sun a bit difficult – we went later in the day the last time and then it was not a problem. However, Sofia got us there with time to spare.


We then checked into the Hotel Alixares which Ian had found and booked into before leaving home and then Brian subsequently booked a room for us... We had intended only to leave the car there, but the man on reception changed the room numbers we had originally been allocated and allowed us to check in at 9.30 instead of waiting until 2.00pm. We were very happy because they had all their heavy camping etc luggage in the car
We explored parts of Granada we had not seen last time and met up for dinner followed by drinks on the roof top of the hotel. It would be spectacular on a night when both the Alhambra and the Albayzin are lit, but that probably only happens on weekends.


WEDNESDAY


After breakfast, Diane and I went down to the Cathedral and a wander through the Albayzin. Then back to the Hotel and off to the airport. Sofia let us down this time and it was a pretty stressful trip through Granada. There is a warning that says that she is only an aid, and on this occasion she took us through down town Granada when it would have been much easier if we had gone another way. Just goes to show that you can’t beat local knowledge.