Two weeks ago was my roommate's birthday. I decided to get tickets to a concert of one of her current favorite groups, and in doing so, take the opportunity to go on a mini-trip for the weekend.
On Friday after Alicia finished school, we took off for Granada. We arrived at our fancy, shmancy hotel which had an exact replica copy of the Arab Baths of the Alhambra! We wandered around the center for a bit, visiting the Albayzin, the small streets that still embody their Moorish past. The barrio is filled with little shops and tea rooms. We stopped in one of them and drank Moroccan tea while listening to the beautiful sounds that make you feel all the more like you have stepped into medieval Al-Andalus. Later on we met up with my good friend Marta. In Granada when you order a drink, they give you a free tapa to go along with it. (Good idea? No. Excellent idea!!) Ali, Marta and I went "bar-hopping" (if you can call it that), eating different types of tapas. Quite yummy if I do say so myself! The next morning Ali and I hit the Arab Baths; we decided on the Arab Circuit which follows this order: temperate water, hot water, freezing cold water, the Turkish steam room, and finally a rubdown with ice. It was excellent so we decided to do the circuit again. After the second round we sat in a dark, candle-lit room and drank delicious tea. We had such a great time that we decided we should return in another two weeks.
We left Granada around 2pm and headed to Alicante. While on the way, we saw all sorts of weather, and terrain: from tall, green trees covered in snow to big, beautiful white clouds in the bright blue skies. We stopped for a coffee in an enchanting little pueblo called Velez-Rubio. We continued on and stopped in Murcia for a quick visit with one of Ali's friends. He took us into the center of Murcia to see the Cathedral which has a magnificent facade. As the story goes, Alfonso X El Sabio went to Murcia and fell in love with the city. He requested that upon his death, his heart be buried in the Cathedral of Murcia.
From Murcia we continued to Santa Pola, a town about 30 minutes from Alicante capital. We ate delicious paella in a very local restaurant and later went to the Supersubmarina concert. The concert was awesome, loads of fun, and Ali had a good time. Mission Accomplished. The next day we headed to Alicante. The weather could not have been better! The sky was blue and the clouds, a stunning white. The water in Alicante was much more blue than here in Fuengirola, making the city even more picture-perfect. We started by heading up to Castillo de Santa Barbara, which is one of the biggest medieval fortresses in Spain. It's in excellent condition and provides views of the entire city. After many photos we turned our attention to our stomachs. We found a great little restaurant and ate fresh fish and paella. Yum! After our meal we wandered the streets of the old quarter and eventually found Barrio Santa Cruz. Absolutely precious! It's set up into the hill so you have to climb up the stairs to arrive at the top - no cars, only pedestrians. The "streets" are lined with painted pots and the flowers contrast with the stark white of the houses. As you walk higher and higher, there are ceramic tiles with poetic odes to the climb, to the Virgin, to Semana Santa. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to bring the Virgin down the stairs for Semana Santa or any other occasion... It was truly one of the most breathtaking neighborhoods I have seen in Spain. If you ever get the chance to go, Alicante is definitely worth a visit.
