Granada, Spain May 2011

Driving into Granada from Seville, it doesn’t feel like much from first observations. But boy, was I wrong. Flanked by the mountainous Sierra Navada, Granada oozes with culture and lifestyle with a killer view to match. To paint the picture, Granada is to Spain what; Byron Bay is to Australia, Amsterdam is to Holland and what San Francisco in the 60s was to the world.

On one hand, Granada is similar to most Spanish cities, it has a high street littered with a Zara on every corner and a number of cafes and restaurants with menus representative of most countries in the world. Then, there is the Albayzin and Sacromonte. This is why you come to Granada in the first place and this is what you fall in love with. Albayzin is a hippies’ dream come true. The calm, easy-going nature of the inhabitants and the winding, cobblestone streets with a distinctly North African feel are alluring in so many ways. I, for one loved this area. Considering, I didn’t spend much time in Morocco, it was nice to participate in this culture one way or another. My days were mainly filled with cruising the many narrow streets, hiking (as Granada is set on a number of hills) to find the best view of the area, visiting caves where people live and sleep in, eating, and watching the sun set over the Alhambra (literally meaning the Red Castle in Arabic). There would be no words in the whole of the English language that would help me describe the view from Sacromonte, but let me assure you that it is, impeccable. The way the tree leaves twinkled in the golden afternoon sunshine and the snow-capped peak of the Sierra Navada glistened pink, was utterly humbling. The view took my breath away and enabled me to fully appreciate the world we live in and it’s natural beauty. If you are thinking about travelling to Spain, Granada should, without a doubt, be at the top of your itinerary. 

Photos taken by Roger & Jessica Rabbit