Crazy weekend! On Friday I walked with my friend Karen (Dutch) way out past Sacromonte in search of the Abbey. (Previously thought to be the Monastery, as told to me by little-old-fountain-man). It was a gorgeous day and we ended up walking for several hours- way past the outskirts of town into a very rural area starting to climb into the mountains. We saw tons of farms, gardens, and quite a few goats, horses, etc.
After a while we realized we had gone way past the abbey and had to double back and search for a road leading up towards it. We eventually found it! I am constantly blown away by the fact that buildings so old are still in use. This one was built in 1610 and still has inhabitants, as well as a loyal Sunday following. By the time we made it back into the city the sun was beginning to set. That night I went dancing with the girls, back to a club called Camborio up in the caves of Sacromonte.
Saturday was used in preparation for our big Melrose Party. The guys brought in all their theatrical lights (they were very impressed with my knowledge of Pars, etc) and sound equipment, as well as a few projectors to play 80’s movies on the walls of other buildings. We put little candles all over the roof, and had enough food and drinks for tons of people.
Just as soon as we had everything all ready, I snuck out to go and meet Gillian and her parents as they had an extra ticket for a flamenco show. As always, it was incredible. This one was a little different from the others that I’ve seen as there was a strong influence of classical ballet mixed in. I found it incredibly interesting. The back of the stage was all glass with a view of the Alhambra. I will never get tired of seeing it all lit up at night.
After the show I ran back to the party, which was in full swing. It was great to meet some new people, as well as practice my Spanish. Late into the evening a few of us ducked over to a nearby disco for some dancing.
Sunday I was picked up by a guy named Angel who works for the company that owns our building and is really good friends with the guys. He had invited me to his mom’s birthday party the night before, and it sounded like it could be, if not fun, at least interesting. As it turned out, I had a fantastic time. We rode out of Granada on his moto to his parent’s place; a gorgeous large home situated beautifully overlooking the outskirts of Granada. A large table was set up in the garden and there were about 30 people there, a few of whom I had met before. Champagne was poured and rounds of toasts were made. Some of the women had made incredible food- little “croquettes” that were breaded, cheesy meaty things, a salad with several unidentifiable fruits that was very sweet and delicious, as well as a giant pot of some of the best paella I’ve tried. Everyone was incredibly nice, and I was surprisingly able to keep up with a lot of the conversation. After the paella, Angels’ father passed around the after-dinner liquors and desserts were brought out- bowls of fruit, home-made cream puff things, flan, and truffles. Delightful.
Later that afternoon, Angel and I headed off into the hills on his moto and I got to see some stunning views. We stopped at a property he owns and affectionately calls “The Hippie House”. This is a structure where some dirty-looking fellows and a bunch of dogs live and hangout. When we arrived there were several guys playing guitars and some in the corner playing with kittens!! It was really odd to see a group of men with dread locks canoodling with a whole batch of teeny little kittens. We stayed there for a few minutes and then headed back to catch some more sun while it was still daylight. I have to admit, as much as I have always sworn to hate motos, I really enjoyed riding around on one yesterday. Maybe I will have to change my opinion.
SABES QUE…
The national anthem of Spain, La Marcha Real ("The Royal March") has no official lyrics. In 2007, the Spanish Olympic committee asked the public to submit lyrics proposal so people can sing instead of just hum when the anthem is played.
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