Pastures Nuevos: Semana Santa En El Sud...

Just where has this year gone? It seems like only yesterday that it was New Year's Eve, then I blinked and suddenly it was Easter. Just over a week off school, it was time to go and explore another part of Spain.

The week got off to an awesome start, as I flew over to Malaga for my dear friend Gemma's hen party! We stayed in the nearby town of Benalmádena, where our apartment had pretty spectacular views. I've been on a few trips recently, but it's been a while since I've been on a proper holiday like this one. Benalmádena obviously caters for British tourists- with two Chinese restaurants and an Indian on the small strip, as well as numerous bars owned by ex-pats- but it was perfect for a weekend of blissful, unadulterated relaxation. Sunbathing, cava, and Uno...what else do you need? Apart from an Italian/Indian fusion restaurant, of course (actually pretty good! Where else can half the table get pasta, and the other half curry?). Big thanks to Amy, Charlotte, Becca, Ceri and of course the lady herself, Gem, for being such great company!

On Monday, it was time to say goodbye to the girls and head on a bus to Sevilla. As I was going to be alone for a few hours, I decided to go for a run. In 32 degree heat. In hindsight, not the best decision I have ever made- not all bad though, as the route along the river was lovely. There's something about running in a new city that is also quite freeing- especially for somebody as useless with directions as I am. Getting lost on a run can bring about all sorts of interesting sights otherwise unseen.

So, what were my first impressions of Sevilla? Compared to the muted greys and blacks of Barcelona's Gothic Quarter, Sevilla's buildings sung with sunshine yellows and deep salmon pinks, especially pronounced against the brilliant blue sky. The city seemed surprisingly serene, as we wandered about the old and new town, enjoying the odd cerveza here, the odd manzanilla (a pot-pourri tasting wine popular in the South) there. One particularly eccentric waiter that seemed to be serving around ninety tourists at lightning speed, all while trying to push as many dishes on these tourists as possible, added a touch of spice to our chilled-out afternoon. What struck us most was the prevalent greenery everywhere- orange and blossom trees brought a faint citrus, flowery scent everywhere we walked, that made the posh, well-dressed city seem just a little softer and friendlier.

We were soon to find out that this peacefulness was not indicative of Sevilla's Semana Santa experience. All three of us had separately been warned about the craziness of the religious procesiones- crazy costumes, people weeping at the sight of Jesus- but we only caught sight of the former. I say only- we caught an abundance of nazarenos wearing pointy, face-covering capirotes (which bear an uncanny resemblance to another group- you will know which one I mean as soon as you see these pictures). It was hard to avoid really- whichever street we walked down, we seemed to bump into another procession. All the nazarenos of one church wear a specific colour- we saw blue, white (!), black and red, black...every colour under the sun, really. Costaleros bear the weight of the floats that follow these 2000-plus nazarenos, with everyone moving incre-di-bly slow-ly...as I am sure that you would if you were carrying a weight that size. An impressive sight to behold- and quite the contrast from the chocolate-centric Easter celebrations I have been used to all my life.

It seemed that as soon as we were getting to know Sevilla, we were on a 3 hour bus to Granada, and being dropped off in the bus station which, bizarrely, is pretty far out of the city. We caught the first bus that was going to the city centre, quickly realised that it was going the wrong way, and jumped off to walk the rest of the route. The part of the city we had first glimpsed was full of new apartment blocks that look 1960s'-built...but as we got closer to the cathedral, we soon discovered the Granada that everyone had previously raved about. Cobbled streets along a rushing stream, trees with the brightest pinks and greens, and, way above, the iconic Alhambra, the Muslim fortress that looks over the city.

On that first night, we sat on the terrace and had our first sampling of the free tapas that come with every drink. For only €2, you got a caña and a plate of delicious food...all while sitting on a gorgeous terrace by the river. It was pretty easy to get addicted to this lifestyle, and tapas soon became a big part of our Granada visit. Just some of the tapas sampled include cerviche, stuffed tomatoes, fusili pasta, meat in a thick curry sauce, tuna and potato salid, little crepes, and many, many more! All the little tapas bars we visited, from the backstreets to the main strip, all had their own distinct character, and characters serving within them- from a lady with poker-straight black hair and a fiery attitude, to the guy that "accidentally" (up for debate) charged us for an extra tapa.

Of course, tapas is not all Granada has to offer. No visit is complete without visiting the Alhambra. Tickets always sell out in advance, so we were unable to go inside; however, I have always preferred admiring the majesty of a city from the outside. Often, an iconic building- the Taj Mahal, the Sagrada Familia, the Alhambra- arouses more emotion in me from a distance. It's as though the whole spectacle- the way these buildings fits into the landscapes around them- is more spectacular than viewing the buildings in isolation. Through our hostel's open rooftop, we could see the lit Alhambra partially hidden by the silhouettes of the surrounding trees...and it was mesmerising.

Speaking of our hostel, we had a bit of luck thrown our way. When we booked the White Nest Hostel on Kayak, we questioned the exceptionally cheap price. €25 each for 3 nights- during one of the busiest times of the year- seemed just too good to be true. Turns out it was. As soon as we got there, it was clear that something had gone wrong with our booking...and that there were not actually enough beds booked for us. Long and short of it was, the system had only booked for 1 person- even though it said 3 people. Technology has a tendency to screw up sometimes. So, they had to put an extra bed in an 8 person dorm...a fact that was not completely popular with our dorm-mates, but we only found that out by one of them drunkenly whispering at 6am. I would still recommend the hostel- they did not charge us any extra, and were able to put us up for the whole time, even if we were in two different rooms after the first night. Looking on the bright side, we got a pretty incredible deal- as someone who is obsessed with bargains, I was happy!

One more thing to mention about Granada- it was really interesting to see the Moroccan influence on the city. Having been to Morocco recently, there were some streets that felt like we were in Fes once again- except with better weather and less harassment. It really brings a unique flavour to this city though, as it mixes the best of Spanish and the best of Moroccan culture into one exotic mix.

So, the three destinations of my trip were definitely diverse. Relaxed, resort-y Benalmadena; posh, packed Sevilla; and hippy, happy Granada. Whenever I travel, I always think about whether I could live in the cities that I'm visiting...and Granada definitely ranks as one of those liveable cities. Only thing it's truly missing for me is the sea- but everything else is pretty much there. Then again, who knows what else I will discover; this country never fails to surprise me...and I can't wait to keep exploring it.