For the next two weeks, I will be staying with a young Spanish-Italian couple (found through Airbnb), who live in the Albaycín--the old moorish quarter of the city, and quite possibly my favorite neighborhood.
I slept 12 hours my first night in Spain; a shameless victim of jet lag. On Wednesday, I awoke, shocked that it was almost noon. Usually, I'm much more of an early bird. Nevertheless, I grabbed a piece of toast and some tea, and headed out for a run. It was my first glimpse at the city by day. At first glance, everything seems more or less the same; as if I'd never left. The weather is the first difference that I noted. It is more mild than when I was here last time, which apparently is not typical for December. It appears more Fall-like than Winter, with many colored leaves still on the trees. The nights are chilly, but the day warms up around 60 F. Still, the Spaniards dress as if it's 30 F (which I anticipated and packed accordingly). But all else seems familiar; the streets, the people, the vistas, even the smells--mostly of dog poop and marijuana, but who's to judge? I may have forgotten the street names, but I found my way around by recognition. That is, everywhere except the Albaycín--a neighborhood that is indeed a maze, lacking any rhyme or reason to its layout.
After my run, I meandered through the city with no destination in mind. I passed through the winding streets and "miradores" of the Albaycín, the city center, and of course, my beloved Plaza Bib-Rambla. The plaza alive with colored apartment buildings atop bars and restaurants. The plaza next to the Cathedral with the snow-capped Sierra Nevada in the background. The plaza that I called home for four months some time ago.
Eventually, I made my way to Plaza Nueva, home to my study abroad program, IES. I stopped first at the tiny kiosk, La Ventana, just outside the building to visit the owner, Lotfi--an old Moroccan friend. We caught up briefly before I left with a promise to return again soon. Just as I rounded the corner to enter the IES building, I crossed paths with none other than my program director, Javier. We chatted over a cup of coffee before returning to IES, where I saw one of my favorite professors, Ana. It's good to be back!
Later that night, I joined a group of IES students at Pilar del Torro to meet the British writer, Chris Stewart. He is author of the book, "Driving Over Lemons," which illustrates his journey to the mountainous Alpujarras of Andalucía, where he built a farm house and became a sheep shearer. 20-odd years later, he continues his life on the farm, filled with love, happiness, and passion. By coincidence, I read his book about a year or two ago, at Javier's recommendation. It was an informal discussion, filled with "life lessons", and accompanied by wine and tapas. Chris is a truly inspirational character, which fuels my enthusiasm and optimism for following in his footsteps someday (más o menus).Overall, an unexpected, yet enjoyable first day in Granada. Many people thought that I was crazy for making this trip without any plans, but I had this feeling that somehow things would fall into place... and so far, they are.
