Yesterday I got a text message from Mustafa, a Morracan guy I'd met while waiting in line at the Comiseria de Policia (another story altogether about how I am still trying to obtain my foreigner ID number...) He was going on a hike with his housemates (an Italian and a Canary Islander) and asked if I wanted to come. I decided I was only going to go if I could convince someone else to come with me, because I didn't know him all that well. Just so happens Maya, the girl I work with, came in to Granada for the day, and was game to go along. [While walking around with her earlier we passed the Cathedral where there were stands of spices...gorgeous! I lowered myself to "tourist" status and took pictures... it was a holiday and there were a lot of tourists about anyway, and, lets face it...I'll never look like I'm from here...] So we met up in a plaza in the afternoon and headed up the hill beside the Alhambra.
Walked up a beautiful wooded path, and then crossed a bunch of parking lots and lines of people waiting to get into the Alhambra. Then across some fields (private?) And up a hill. I mean up. None of this follow-the-little-paths-to-switch-back-up... But once we got up! What a great view! Although it was very hazy and cloudy (the weather here has been very strange lately, and the air kind of dirty-- "desert winds from Africa") so the mountains weren't as clear as they normally are. Then we walked down and up again, to the next ridge (bush-wacking the whole way...) There was much more wind (and menacing clouds to the south) and the dirt was red, red. And I could see fields of olive trees and look over on the whole of Granada. And the monastary of Sacramonte.
Quite a lovely time. Getting off that ridge was a rather steep descent, and reminded me of trails in New Mexico. Once we got back into the city we sat and rested on a rock wall and chatted a bit, and Mustafa invited us to go drink tea at their house. Tea to him is a very sweet, strong mint ("not mint! its different!") tea, brewed on the stove in a cute little metal pot and served in decorated glass .. vases? cups? with sweets he stuffed in his suitcase and brought from home. All made with Almonds. Quite tasty. We got rather wet on the way to their house, but enjoyed out tea and when the rain stopped, Maya and I headed out again, she to catch a bus to go home, and me to walk. (I got rained on again.) It was a fun afternoon, and hopefully only the first of my outdoor explorations/adventures.
Yesterday I got a text message from Mustafa, a Morracan guy I'd met while waiting in line at the Comiseria de Policia (another story altogether about how I am still trying to obtain my foreigner ID number...) He was going on a hike with his housemates (an Italian and a Canary Islander) and asked if I wanted to come. I decided I was only going to go if I could convince someone else to come with me, because I didn't know him all that well. Just so happens Maya, the girl I work with, came in to Granada for the day, and was game to go along. [While walking around with her earlier we passed the Cathedral where there were stands of spices...gorgeous! I lowered myself to "tourist" status and took pictures... it was a holiday and there were a lot of tourists about anyway, and, lets face it...I'll never look like I'm from here...] So we met up in a plaza in the afternoon and headed up the hill beside the Alhambra. 
Walked up a beautiful wooded path, and then crossed a bunch of parking lots and lines of people waiting to get into the Alhambra. Then across some fields (private?) And up a hill. I mean up. None of this follow-the-little-paths-to-switch-back-up... But once we got up! What a great view! Although it was very hazy and cloudy (the weather here has been very strange lately, and the air kind of dirty-- "desert winds from Africa") so the mountains weren't as clear as they normally are. Then we walked down and up again, to the next ridge (bush-wacking the whole way...) There was much more wind (and menacing clouds to the south) and the dirt was red, red. And I could see fields of olive trees and look over on the whole of Granada. And the monastary of Sacramonte. 
Quite a lovely time. Getting off that ridge was a rather steep descent, and reminded me of trails in New Mexico. Once we got back into the city we sat and rested on a rock wall and chatted a bit, and Mustafa invited us to go drink tea at their house. Tea to him is a very sweet, strong mint ("not mint! its different!") tea, brewed on the stove in a cute little metal pot and served in decorated glass .. vases? cups? with sweets he stuffed in his suitcase and brought from home. All made with Almonds. Quite tasty. We got rather wet on the way to their house, but enjoyed out tea and when the rain stopped, Maya and I headed out again, she to catch a bus to go home, and me to walk. (I got rained on again.) It was a fun afternoon, and hopefully only the first of my outdoor explorations/adventures.
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