Granada anytime

“Have you been to Granada before?”

I was asked this question several times. It’s true I had visited Granada in 1992, but it was so long ago I always hesitated with my response, as if there was a statute of limitations on my memories. I have some recollection of my host but not of the city itself. It felt easier and more realistic to provide the same response as my husband who was travelling with me: “No, first time.”

On arrival, the train station certainly didn’t feel familiar. Nor did any of the plazas or streets. I could see the Alhambra from many stunning viewpoints, but had I truly seen it before?

My husband and I took a tour of the Alhambra on our second day. The red hued buildings of this magnificent Moorish complex sprawl across the hilltop with the snowy Sierra Nevada a dramatic backdrop. Our tour guide swiftly ushered us through the summer residence, manicured gardens, the imposing fortress, ornate palaces, inner courtyards with water features and more.

There’s a lot to see.

I had of course been there in 1992. You don’t visit Granada without visiting the Alhambra. It’s one of the most visited attractions in Spain. It was the last stronghold of the Moors before being expelled by the Catholic monarchs in 1492. It remains a rare and exquisite show of Islamic architecture in Western Europe. While it’s perpetually being restored and refreshed, the basics are essentially unchanged.

Yet it did not feel familiar.

Except….

One spot caught my attention as we walked by. An airy room amongst the orchards. It had window openings low to the ground, detailed mouldings on the walls and brown, black and white tiles on the floor. The space was roped off. You could not enter. But I was pretty sure I had stepped inside on my previous visit. I wanted to ask my guide if there used to be access but recognized she had not likely been born by 1992.

Instead, I snapped a photo for closer inspection later.

My memory is far from photographic but a photo doesn’t lie. I had been there. I had even taken a seat on a chair in the corner. The room had been much scruffier. It was now in pristine condition. The tiled floor clearly redone. I like to think my haircut has also been upgraded.

My other photos from 1992 show similar scenes as the ones I saw with my husband on this second visit. Facades may have been cleaned, fountains restored, gardens modified, but the photo ops are the same. And the sweeping views of the city are strikingly unchanged. Under perpetual blue skies.

Like my remembered moment in Seville it’s fun to stumble across these parallel universes. It’s a momentary reminder of the adventures of my younger self. The overriding feeling though is one of gratitude that my current self is able to return. Enjoy new travel experiences. Share them with my husband. I certainly didn’t eat as many tapas in 1992. My budget did not allow. That’s saying something as the tapas in Granada are free! You only have to purchase a drink.

My husband and I fully immersed ourselves in the tapas scene in Granada. We had to squeeze into tight spaces. The bars were jammed. Still, the servers were quick to take our order, even if the food didn’t always proceed with such efficiency. No matter, there was plenty to keep us occupied while we waited: the loud shouts as orders were relayed to the bar, small plates of food whizzing by, or a local showing us how to eat the seasonal lanky green beans called habas (lima beans).

When the free tapa arrived it was always a pleasant surprise: juicy pieces of fried fish, a saucy potato dish, ripe slices of tomato on toast, or a plate of garlicky grilled mushrooms. We would add some other dishes, like a bowl of tiny sweet clams, succulent shrimp (gambas) or tuna belly (ventresca) preserved in olive oil, then hop on over to another bar to continue the grazing. It all added up to a tasty meal, and a very good time.

We saw a fantastic flamenco performance in a cave in Granada, but the show of tapas is hard to beat. It’s a spectacle for the senses. Chaotic and delicious.

“Would you go back to Granada?”

When asked this question I do not hesitate with my answer.

“Absolutely.”