Road Trip Day 2: La Alpujarra and Almería

September 14th

We got up at 9:00 and piled back in the cars.  Today we were going to Antonio's vacation home in the mountains of Alpujarra and later to the coast in Almería.

It was about an hour and a half drive up to the mountains.  Our tiny Fiat had some problems getting up the hills, and Heiko had to seriously rev the engine in order to have enough power.

Antonnio's home was part of a small but gorgeous mountain community; quintissential white washed apartments set against the backdrop of the mountains.  Inside was perfectly decorated with a country theme.  The two balconies on the first and second floor looked out onto the olive groves and valley below.  We explored the little community and I met Antonio's grandparents who live in another house in the community.

We drove the 2 kilometers down to the river.  I felt like I had stepped into "Wild Strawberries" by Ingmar Bergman as we sped along the backroads filled with fruit trees and trickling streams.  I hung my head out the window and breathed the clean air as the sun splashed my face.

Down at the bottom, we explored the little river and surrounding woods.  Even though I had been in similar natural environments as this place, it felt different, as if even the natural geography became part of the different culture and country.

Back at the house, we started to prepare and cook for lunch.  I watched Antonio make fresh french fries in olive oil and helped Heiko clean the chicken which we put in a pot with olive oil, onions, spices, and a mix of vegetables.  We also had soup and fresh bread that we had picked up from a local bakery.  It was a lot of fun cooking with my new roommates and despite being helpless at home in California in regards to my culinary prowess,  I had indirectly picked up some of the cooking skills from my parents and younger brother and was able to help out a lot.

After lunch, Antonio helped me with some of my grammar homework that I had brought along.  It was really helpful hearing the explanations of grammar rules from an actual Spaniard.

We still wanted to go to Almería, so we got back in the car and drove the hour to the coast.  I fell asleep and woke up at the beach.  It was a nice beach with more small pebbles than actual sand.  We swam in the Mediterranean, it wasn't too cold, and then explored some rock formations farther down the beach.  We soaked up the last rays of the sun and then headed back to Granada. 

We had tapas on Gran Capitan and then I went back to my piso to finish my homework.  Overall, it was a fantastic day and I feel really lucky to live with such cool people.

All said and done, the divided total price for our two day road trip, including cars, gas, and shared food was 25 euros.