We explore Granada

We decided to do a bit of a wander on foot to get to know Granada but then came across a little hop-on, hop-off train which takes tourists round the key spots of the city. Most major cities offer either the little trains or the bright re double-decker buses. Quite on the spur of the moment, and since we definitely weren’t going to be seeing the palace, at least on this day, we decided it was a good way to get a feel for the city. As it turned out we hopped off after a couple of stops, wandered round for a bit then hopped on for a second short ride. After that, we did it all on foot including the long steep climb back to our hotel.

While there are a few interesting buildings to be seen and a lot of attractive small squares and parks, we weren’t as inspired by Granada as we had been by Toledo and Madrid. Alhambra Palace is the only show in town and we really hope that we can score tickets, though our chances appear quite slim.

That night we decided that, rather than eat at the hotel we’d try and scout out a restaurant somewhere nearby. There weren’t a lot of close by and we didn’t fancy the steep walk down towards the city and then the stagger home afterwards. Purely by chance we stumbled across Jardinas Albertos just a couple of hundred metres away, and it was outstanding! A great outdoor dining area, impeccable service and fantastic tasty food. They offer some traditional Nasrid dishes, and ordered the chicken and the lamb, both of which were outstanding. The chicken is described as: “Chicken Medallions Stuffed with Spinach Nuts, and Honey Sauce with Rice and Sauteed Vegetables.,” and very flavoursome it is too. Mary’s lamb dish is, “Oven Baken Sliced Lamb Leg with Fried Breadcrumbs Baby Green Peppers and Yogurt Sauce,” and is every bit as good as it sounds. It wasn’t the cheapest meal we’ve had since we’ve been away but it was definitely the best. We might even get back for a return visit before we leave.Read more