Tapas | Chilled at Sunset

Well, I can tell you what I got up to on this chilly Spanish Sunday morning. I went with our neighbours Kay and Mike to the nearby port of Garrucha. We parked at the marina opposite the dry dock where currently, there is an old 34 metre yacht, formerly named the ‘Jazmine’. It had been deteriorating for 15 years a few kilometers up the coast in Aguilas. Richard Burton bought, the once luxury yacht, from Aristotle Onassis as a gift for Liz Taylor. Just one of a number of their yachts, when they were arguably Hollywood’s most famous couple!

But it was a time when glamour and mystique went hand in hand, with the public having only the occasional glimpse of the legendary couple, not like today with 24/7 news on social media.

I guess for the younger readers of this blog, they were the George and Amal Cloony of the 60’s and 70’s.

We took a short stroll to the huge marquee erected in one of the marina car parks, where Gastro Festival de la Gamba Roja was being held. Such a great way to try tasty tapas, including the famous local catch of the Garrucha prawns.

Local restaurants had prepared their specialties and the aromas, the hustle and bustle of visitors made for a wonderful atmosphere.

For the first time I tried a typical local tapa of deep fried aubergine with a crispy coating and sticky honey, delicious. Kay and Mike chose seafood and bacalao (cod) tapas, also equally delicious!

In fact, Almeria has recently been confirmed as the new Spanish Capital of Gastronomy for 2019! With over 300 gastronomic activities already planned, it will be a very busy city. This will also be great for tourism, really putting Almeria and the province on the map. Currently León is the Spanish Capital of Gastronomy.

After a couple of hours wandering around the huge marquee looking at all the gastronomic delights on offer, we finally sat down with our ‘cafe con leches’ and we all agreed it had been a very civilized and chilled way to spend a Sunday morning.

How was your Sunday?

When so many people tell you a place is great, there is always a chance that your expectations will be too high but Granada doesn’t disappoint at all!! Set in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Andalucia and only a two and a quarter beautiful drive from us.Of course, we stopped on route for our Spanish breakfast of tomato toast, freshly made churros and coffee with our friends Geli and Ezequiel.

There is so much to see and do aside from visiting the famous Alhambra palace and fortress. The once Muslim City was taken over by the Christians led by Queen Isabel of Castile in 1492, so the architecture at the palace and throughout the city has strong Moorish influences. The old part of the city is made up of narrow streets with small shops, tapas bars and restaurants all buzzing but still with a relaxed atmosphere. We will go back as two days was just not enough!

Strolling along to Alcaiceria the Arab district of the city and close to Granada Cathedral.

Then time for tapas and drinks……followed by a long lunch. In the evening we amble along Paseo de los Tristes (the sad walk), the place to be! We are in and out of little souvenir shops, stopping for more tapas and people watching, while Steve and I struggle to speak Spanish . It’s amazing how good beer and wine helps the fluency, well we thought we had improved as the night went on!!!

Day two after not much sleep as so hot, we start walking up the very steep hills to El Albaicin, the Moorish quarter of the city. Stopping several times on our climb, not sure if we were gasping for breath or at the stunning views!

Walking back to Paseo de los Tristes for lunch, Ezequiel, spots in one of the narrow streets a guitarist. He explains that Steve would love to hear traditional ‘Spanish guitar’so we just chill and listen for half an hour.

Late afternoon we visit Alhambra Palace, I don’t want to give you a history lesson, so enjoy some of the many photos I took. And if you haven’t or cannot visit, then ‘google’ Alhambra, it really is ‘wow’!

Inside there are a lot of beautiful mosaics and carvings but on a hot July day maybe too many to really appreciate!

Then back outside, phew!

A fantastic trip and can’t wait to go back. We were exhausted, happy but our poor old brains aching after all that Spanish ‘chatting’. Mind you, not as tired as our dear Spanish friends having to listen to us. Maybe that is why we stopped for several tapas and drinks?