After the Alhambra

It was around 2200 on Tuesday.  I had tackled the eating and sleeping part of the Spanish lifestyle, but there was still drinking to be done, so Christian made up Sangria for Benjamin (new roomie from Connecticut, here visiting his girlfriend, a student), Andrew (visiting his sister, also a student) and I.  Then the classic SNL was broken out followed by a deep discussion of economics (no, seriously it was a real discussion about economics...after two pitchers of Sangria).  I finally rolled into my bunk around four.

I was not much good yesterday.  I tried to get up and move several times, thinking it was my last chance to hunt up a garnet before leaving, but I finally gave up and slept.  I was just getting ready to go out when Emma dropped by to see if I was still in town.  I recruited her for my garnet quest.  We headed down to the river by the Albaicin, the old Moorish neighborhood, where five year old homes sit next to five hundred year old homes.

We finally found a path down to the water, but had to navigate the fitness park first.  This park has fitness machines that use a persons' own body weight to create resistance.  It was way too much fun.  Then I became "that crazy American tourist" digging rocks barefoot out of the river.  I didn't find a garnet.  Of course, after I had arrived, I realized I had no idea what a raw garnet even looked like.

But I did get some stones to add to my rock from Montserrat.  So now I'm that crazy American tourist with no souvenirs, but carrying rocks in her pack...

We stopped for a yummy tapa of corn meal (I think) and sausage at Reca, then went for gelato.  Can you believe I have not had gelato since I came to Granada?  I tried mandarina (Mandarin Orange) and meca (Raspberry).  Almond and brownie are still the best flavors, but they don't have either one :(

Last night I went out for tapas with Joe, Lawrence (new Australian addition), Elina and Amanda.  They introduced me to a new tapas place with medieval decor (knights, armor and swords, oh my) and tasty bagel and hamburger tapas.  I really wanted to liberate one of the knights, but I resisted.

Joe & Lawrence

Elina