Summer in the city

It’s for sure summer in Granada, no matter what the calendar says. Everything is green and blooming by now, and being outside for more than five minutes will leave you in dire need of an ice cream or Sangria break. It’s definitely tourist season, too, and even though the main streets are extra crowded now, all of the people bring a new buzz of excitement to the city and remind me how special and unique Granada is.

Last Friday I went to Alfacar, a neighboring rural pueblo known for two things: its ties to the Spanish Civil War and its delicious freshly prepared bread. I made sure I fit in a little of each in my trip, first going on a short hike to a wooded area where thousands of people were assassinated in the 1930s by nationalist militia. For years afterward, no one in the town alerted officials that countless bodies had been piled on top of one another and haphazardly buried throughout the hills. Finally, the government excavated the sites and designated much of the area as a cemetery and memorial ground. 

Because the famous Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca was killed in Alfacar for his support of the Popular Front, people leave transcripts of Lorca’s poems attached to trees and makeshift crosses. 

No one knows exactly where Lorca was shot nor what happened to his body, but some suspect he was assassinated near this olive tree in 1937.

Of course, I couldn’t leave without deciding for myself if the Alfacar bread was as good as it was supposed to be. We found a small panaderia and met Pepe, the 86-year-old owner who told us how he’d been in the bread making business all his life, taking after his father and grandfather. He was a very friendly, feisty old man, and clearly so happy to see a group of young people interested in his bread. I was talking to him about his life as a bread maker when he saw my camera and asked to take a picture with me! He was so concerned about taking a good photo that he had to clean his glasses quite well before my friend could take a couple shots and being reassured by me that they looked fine. Pepe’s bread did not disappoint either. We tried his chocolate-filled pastry which was delicious, the perfect balance of sweet and salty and baked to just the right crispiness. 

Pepe and me at his panaderia in Alfacar

Saturday afternoon, a couple of friends and I checked out an art and music exhibition at the Facultad de Ciencias at the main University of Granada. There were people making pottery, spray-painting graffiti, deejaying, dancing, making crafts, cooking food and two floors where all kinds of organization booths had been set up. A lot of the organizations were sponsored by the Juventud de Granada, the city’s pro-active youth, and it was interesting to see what the young people here take seriously enough to advocate in some other way besides a street-clogging protest. People advocating feminism, communism, techno music, Oriental culture, environmental sustainability, and organic farming shared the space with people petitioning against domestic violence, a breakdance demonstration, handmade jewelry vendors and kids making good luck charms out of yarn. It was noisy and busy and lots of fun. 

 Communism supporting is alive and well among Granada youth.

After hearing about it from several friends, I finally made it to the Sunday morning outdoor market. It’s known unofficially as the “gypsy market” and offers everything imaginable from fruits and vegetables to jewelry and sunglasses. It’s located out past the Granada’s main bus station, a very far walk made even longer when you don’t exactly know where you’re going. Luckily I had brought along some water to keep myself hydrated in the 80-degree heat. When I finally found it after asking someone for directions, I was surprised to see the market stretched along two parallel streets for what musr have been almost quarter of a mile. Although there were several booths selling the same shoes or clothes, they all had their own special prices and I couldn’t help not perusing through almost every one. I ended up buying some jewelry and a shirt, and I’m actually planning on going back next Sunday to see what other deals I can find.

Even though it’s only Tuesday, my last full week in Granada has been as enjoyable as ever. There are still a couple things I want to do before leaving, and I definitely want to walk to all the main sites one more time. It’s exam time, too, which is highly unfortunate, but after this Thursday I’ll only have one more and then I’ll be school-free in Granada once again.  I really need to study a lot for all three (especially since exams make up almost 100% of our grades!), but I’m thinking I can do that after tapas tonight. Or maybe I’ll just wait until tomorrow… :)