Thursday night I had loads of fun experiencing Granada’s crazy night life at the discoteca Mae West. It’s one of the most well-known “clubs” in the city, and it’s especially unique since it’s decor is all from the United States. The walls are covered with movie posters and Hollywood paraphernalia, all featuring the actress Mae West or her very American contemporaries. It’s kind of amusing dancing to the latest Spanish pop-techno music while being surrounded by pictures of a 1900s movie star from New York.
It’s the norm in Spain to spend all night at a discoteca -- any day of the week -- and then dash home for a quick nap before starting another day of work or class. I don’t mind a late night every once in a while, but after four hours of dancing in a smoky room with music blaring, I’m ready for more than a quick nap.
As far as I’m concerned, the novelty of a three-day weekend will never fade beyond recognition. Last Friday my friend and I spent the afternoon lounging in the nearby park after picking up a couple of pastries from one of our favorite pastelerias. I opted for a sugar coated, flaky crusted dessert empanada that was filled with some sort of marmalade. I tried asking what kind of filling it had, but all I understood was that some sort of complicated fruit was involved. Looking back, I should have just stuck with the chocolate variety, but it’s hard to go wrong with anything from a Spanish bakery.
After some healthy window shopping that required navigating through the crowds of swarming tourists (now presumptuously spotted by us “semi-residents”), we stopped at an outdoor cafe in Plaza Nueva for a snack and some refreshing sangria. Along with savoring the delicious spinach empanada I ordered, I really enjoyed the simplicity of sitting outside in the warm sunshine chatting and people watching, sipping sangria and taking in a unique view of one of the Alhambra’s towers.
Next door to the cafe was one of Granada’s many Döner Kebab where the famous Turkish schwarma is sold, something I like to describe as the Middle East’s burrito. Wrapped in pita bread or something similar, these super filling wraps are filled with shaved meat of your choice, vegetables like carrots, tomatoes, beets, onions, and peppers, all mixed with a special, unidentifiable white sauce that reminds me of sour cream’s younger and far more desirable cousin. My friend ordered the steak schwarma, which was unfortunately slathered with far too much ketchup(!?) to be entirely edible. (I feel it is necessary to point out that ketchup does not belong on schwarma.) Despite the disappointing food choice, we had a pleasant conversation with our friendly multiligual waiter who was from Asia's side of Turkey. In addition to educating me about basic geography, we discussed Spanish meats, Granada’s population of Middle Easterners, business ventures of the Turks and Japanese, and a little bit of everything in between. Another reason to adore this city: meeting people with fascinating life stories who don’t mind carrying on a conversation in more than one language!
A fifteen minute walk lead us to a clever little tapas place, owned by an English woman my friend had met in a grocery store one day. The place was painted a deep blue, and inside jazz music drifted around lit candles and colorful pillows. There were several English speakers enjoying late afternoon tapas, many of whom were practicing their Spanish with a woman who happened to be one of my friend’s teachers. Seeing one of my professors from Clemson away from the confines of a classroom would have made for a potentially painfully awkward run-in, but in Spain, such an occurrence seems so natural, as if we could have easily pulled up a chair and joined in the conversation.
We had originally planned to stop by the cafe for a drink prepared with fresh strawberries (rare in Granada), but the bartender lacked fruit. Instead, he offered us a twist on the popular tinto de verano drink, normally a simple combination of red wine and a flavor of fruit soda, but this time served “blanco” and unmixed. We weren’t entirely sure what we agreed to drink, but it was appetizing and aesthetically pleasing, and was accompanied by a delectable Moroccan style tapas -- rice with vegetables in a slightly spicy curry sauce. In the meantime, an English patron had requested fish 'n chips, cooked fresh and served hot by the owner herself, reminding me of my lovely stay in London so many months ago.
On Saturday, while strolling through the city, I found myself walking among rows of book stands, selling every kind of book imaginable, from ancient Greek history text books to the latest fad diet cookbook. All were in Spanish, of course, and rather expensive, so I opted to browse and not buy anything. In one of the city’s main plazas, various organizations had set up information booths and artists meekly attempted to capture Granada on canvas. I stopped to listen to a peculiarly dressed man and women act out a story to a crowd of delighted children. El Día del Libro was Thursday, so I can only assume these festivities, and similar events throughout the week, were in honor of the “holiday.”
One of my favorite stands consisted of a large white poster board that posed the question “What are you fed up with?” Available markers invited passersby to visually express whatever frustration they may be dealing with. There were the predictable responses, “my school,” “the government,” “the police,” but my favorite had to be the poor soul who has had enough of the woman who “wears heels in the apartment above”!!
Saturday night involved more food, this time incorporating an East Asia flavor with tapas at a Chinese restaurant. This could easily become one of my favorite tapas places in Granada. We could choose from three varieties, but since my friend is a vegetarian, all three of us decided to go for the option “sin carne.” The heaping portion of noodles was delicious and a nice change from all the typical Spanish food I’d been eating.
Afterward, we went to Hicuri, a vegetarian friendly restaurant that serves the best tinto de verano I’ve ever tasted. They serve a medley of tapas, and we ended up trying dishes of rice and steamed vegetables and couscous, both of which were a perfect substitution for a traditional nighttime meal.
Lastly, a lazy rainy Sunday ended the weekend, with a couple hours stolen out of the evening to spend at Mae West once again. Inside the discoteca it’s impossible to tell if it’s noon or midnight, but Sundays tend to have a more relaxed atmosphere, and we appreciated squeezing in a little beat-infused exercise before dinner.
I love that I’m still finding new things to see and do (and eat and drink) in Granada after being here for four months. I really don’t see how I could grow tired of a place that offers so much every day of the week. The lack of any more grand traveling plans had me a little disappointed after returning from such an amazing spring break. But now, I’m super excited about getting to spend more time getting to know Granada even better in these last few weeks before I leave.
These are all the reasons why I love Spain (and in particular, Granada) so much! Enjoy your last few weeks soaking up the awesomeness because I only wish I could be doing the same :)
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