Albaicín

Today began with our normal orientation session where we talked about different parts of Granada and the neighborhoods within. We had to go out to the streets and find different types of banks, grocery stores, pharmacies, news stands etc. and figure out different paths to them, all to help us understand the streets in Granada. The layout of the city is very different than cities in the U.S. Here cities are not planned out in grids, streets crisscross and go in every which direction. I am slowly understanding the layout of the streets even though there are many that I have not even seen yet.

Albaicín

After our orientation session this morning I came back home to have lunch with my host family. Marivi had made gazpacho, a cold tomato based soup, and chicken. For dessert we had ice cream cake :) After lunch I enjoyed a nice siesta, and then I was off to the IES center for a tour of a neighborhood called Albaicín.

Albaicín  is a neighborhood made up of gitanos and hippies, gypsies and hippies and rich people. It is very bohemian and is probably my favorite part of the city. It is a good hike from my house probably about 45minutes but that is the Spanish way of life. To them that is nothing. The buildings are set into the mountains so the streets are extremely steep. Nestled in between the houses are little cafeterías y heladerías,  coffee and gelato shops (my favorite part). I have already enjoyed gelato de fragolas y frambuesa, strawberry and raspberry gelato. Both were awesome!

La Plaza Trinidad

After our tour of Albaicín, one of my friends and I hit up the shops along the streets. You have to venture away from the main streets and the touristy areas to find the really good and authentic shops of Spain. In one of them I bought a leather backpack, either goat or cow not sure which but it smells like it was just made, the leather is really potent lol. After shopping we enjoyed our gelato en  La Plaza Trinidad and watched the many palomas, pigeons that circle around the trees. Then we found our way down a tiny street and met up with some more friends and had dinner in La Café Gracias. I enjoyed some paninis de tres quesos. It was a panini with three different cheeses, not sure what kinds, tomatoes and olive oil. It was really good.

Now I am off to bed. Tomorrow we have a 10 mile hike in Cabo de Gato, a city about 2 hours away from Granada. I probably wont up date the blog till Sunday.
So until then,
Hasta Luego,
Nathan