Hiking In Monachil And Tapas For All

March 25th,

I woke up at 8:00, showered and got ready for class talking to my mom before I left.  

I was glad I'd gone to class as Relaciones Internacionales was really interesting.  War and conflict.  Professor Sanchez is officially our new teacher as our original professor gave birth the day before.  I'll have to write about an international conflict for an upcoming project.

In Historia Politíca Social Contemporánea, I turned in my paper and enjoyed the lecture although it was very confusing.  Spanish politics of the early 20th century.  I literally ran home and saw my mom waiting for me on the balcony.

I quickly changed, dropped off of my stuff and picked up some picnic supplies as we left the piso and headed toward the bus stop to Monachil.  Down by the river, we stopped in the public library and then waited for the bus.  While waiting I talked to a social old man named "José Salinas," who told me about his time visiting California in the 60's.  Fun conversation.  We boarded the bus at 1:15 and took it the 30 minutes to Monachil pueblo to hike the "Cahorros," trail.  Trying to remember back from September, the last time I'd been there, we wandered through the town, eventually making it to the trail head after about a half-hour walk.  

The day was hot but it was nice to get out of the city.  I think my mom really liked the hanging bridges and hand hold leans over the rushing river.  We had a picnic of a pear at the start of the national forest, leaning against the wall in the shade.  We then climbed the exposed hill that eventually wound its way back to the town, not after cutting through miles of olive groves and farms being led by a black lab.  In the town my mom wanted to see goats and we were soon greeted by one of the most picture perfect moments I've had here in Spain.  Coming up the cobblestone street in the white washed village, a small, old shepherd with a jaguar hat, white collard shirt, khakis, cane and red eyes sunk into a leathered face, led a herd of goats that made noise and shined in the heat.  I snapped a picture as they turned up the street. 

Our "up hill both ways hike," ended well as we caught the 5:45 bus back to Granada just in time.  Back in Granada before stopping home, we walked up to Los Italianos for some ice cream that was good but not as good as the day before (such a difficult life we have here in Granada!).  We then stopped in the camera store.  I really wanted an SLR, but knew it would be foolish to get one here in Spain.  I bought another point and shoot.  A nice, 10 megapixel Canon.  In some ways better others worst than my old camera, it will be a good. I'll get to practice with it a little before Egypt. 

Back in my room the music of an accordion player listed lazily up to my window.  I'd been calling my friend Mónica for names of restaurants where my mom could take my roommates and me out for dinner, but in the end we decided to go for tapas instead.  

At 8:30, we all left the apartment, my mom and roommates, including Alberto, and went for a true Granada style tapas outting.  It was a lot of fun.  We stopped at 4 separate spots.  One new one on Calle Navas that was just ok, and then our well established favorites of La Pajuana and Los Diamantes and a new great one, Oklahim, for Egyptian food that I'll have to come back to again.  My mom talked with all of my roommates.  Alberto actually speaks fairly good English.  It took 7 months and my mom to come to Spain before we got a picture of all 5 of us together.  Outside on the street people were practicing for Semana Santa and inside los Diamantes there was a big bachelor party.  Little kids came with their parents to the bars at 11:00 at night.  Such is Granada.  Such is Spain.

My mom paid for all of the tapas and we headed back to the apartment a little after 11:00.  The bachelor party people had moved to our street and were running around.  Crazy.  Back home, we decided we wanted to go to Códoba and Sevilla for the next two days.  I booked three separate buses, Granada-Córdoba, Córdoba-Sevilla, Sevilla-Granada.  We'd spend all day in Córdoba, catch a bus that afternoon to Sevilla, spend then night and then come back to Granada the next day.  We slept fast as it would be another early day.