Bare with me, it was a wacky trip. I'm still trying to catch up on what we did on the bus/coach trip.
Tarifa, the bottom of Europe
After Lagos we got off of the bus and there was so much wind! We stayed in a tiny town called Tarifa which is the most southern part of Europe and only 14km from AFRICA. The main reason why this little town was chosen was because there was day-trip offered to go into Morocco for an evening. Most everybody on the bus went but a couple of us stayed behind, including myself. Why didn't I go you ask? Well it seemed like a rushed trip and I'd rather go all out and see much more of Morocco. So I stayed back, had a siesta, and went into downtown with my bus mate, Guy, a kiwi, and had one of the best dinners so far. We ordered a simple meal of patatas bravas, chicharrones, and tinto de verronna (which is red wine and lemonade and surprisingly delicious). A group of mariachis played for us and the waitress complimented me on my espanol! We waited for the tour get back from the late ferry which just meant we got to do some sight seeing. We walked out onto a point which had the Mediterranean sea on one side and the Atlantic on the other and so much wind! Everything was warm and chilly at the same time. It was gorgeous. One of my more favorite days from the trip so far.
Ronda, the prettiest place I've seen
We made a quick stop on our way to our next hostel in Ronda. This is a city high on a steep cliff and is connected on both sides by a bridge. Originally this is where a bunch of oppressed people in Spain (Jews, Muslims, gypsies) made their home to get away from it all. It seriously is in the of middle of nowhere and very high up in the Serra Nevadas. But it has a sad past... a jerk king didn't like what they were doing so he had every person in Ronda killed. It makes me sad to hear about the oppressed people all over the world and how much they get screwed just because they do their own thing. I haven't traveled much but in the places I have it's always the same story (Spain, Scotland, Puerto Rico, ...). But back to the beauty of this place. I got the best sandwich here! A guy makes his own chorizo and cheese, puts it on a roll with tomato and olive oil. The homemade cheese was almost too creamy and the chorizo was almost too perfectly flavored. Sheer perfection. I took it to a gazebo which sat on a ledge that gave at least an 180* view. In the center of the gazebo was a guy playing the Spanish guitar. I don't think he was in it for the money or fame, he was just doing something he loved in a beautiful place. I sat near him, no one else was around, the wind was still but warm and it was heavenly. I haven't been in a place of that serenity in a long time. I want the moment to last forever but I got about five full minutes out of it until the tourists came back and I had to get back on the bus.
Grenada, home of the best idea ever: tapas
Our first night in Grenada we had a tapas crawl. You made have heard of pub crawls but this takes it up a notch. Traditionally tapas are a little something served to you gratis (free) when you buy a drink. It typically is only a couple of bites and you never know what you're getting but with the a mount of alcohol a person can consume in one evening having a little something in their bellies helps. The most common idea of why this became a tradition was back in the day a king went out for drinks but there was a lot of flies around. So he put a small plate atop his drink so none of those buggers could drown in his drink. But an empty plate atop a glass looked dumb so the cook put a little bit of food on the plate. Since the guy was the king and loved this it caught on and everybody did it. Eventually the plate started to be placed next to the drink but it still free and delicious. A couple tapas I received have been spanish tortilla, prawns, croquets, mini French fries, olives, jamon, fish salad. Wacky and delicious. You rarely need to buy a full dinner meal. The tapas crawl went all over but I didn't last long because I was still tired from the early morning bus wake up.
The next day was a very busy day. We went to the Alhambra, the most touristed spot in Spain. It was built by the moors a long time ago and is huge and beautiful. Lots of gardens that provide natural air conditioning, large rooms beautifully decorated, and amazing views of Spain. After a great tour there some of us went to an hamman, a Turkish bath house. Got a massage. Enjoyed quiet time. Drank mint tea. Relaxed. It was welcomed. Then after quick siesta (relaxing is hard work), I signed up for a flamenco class and show. An older lady with her hair in a tight bun and a cigarette in hand taught us the basic steps of flamenco. She was hardcore with little/no English so if we didn't do something right we got the death stare and was corrected on the proper step by being dragged to the correct position. After the class we saw a show by professionals who really know what they were doing. The show was put on in a cave on the hillside on the corner of town which is said to be the birthplace of flamenco. The dance was invented by the gypsies, Jews, and Muslims (see a trend forming?) to what I assume is to let out some of their frustration. Lots of stomping. Chanting. Gorgeous outfits. Piles of true passion for their art. It was all very inspiring. Granada was fun.
Holy Toledo Batman!
In Toledo I saw a cathedral and ate some food. Not too exciting.
Windmills in Consuegra
One of our last stops was in Consuegra which is home to the famous windmills made popular in Cervantes' Don Quixote. We had a photo op. I'll miss these crazy kids I've gotten to know the past week.
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