Once in Granada, we, again, were greeted by a lovely host who lived a short 15 min walk away from the Alhambra, another fortified palace that dates back to 889 AD. The structure that stands now was built in the mid to late-13th century and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1984. By time we were in Granada, our longing for Morocco had worn off a bit and we were happy with our decision to stay in Spain. The diversity of food options in Granada was a surprise to me. You could get paella, tacos, sushi, pad thai, pizza, and almost anything else you might be craving, but seafood is always a winner in Andalusian Spain. Much like in Malaga, we spent a lot of time just exploring the winding streets and alleys of Granada and of course, we spent a day at the Alhambra. The Alhambra was so beautiful that it deserves its own post, so check back in for that!
The day we were leaving for Madrid, Natalie wanted to go to the home of Frederico Garcia Lorca, a Spanish poet born in a tiny village called Fuente Vaqueros, about a 40 min drive from the Granada bus station. I was not as interested but part of travelling with a friend is compromise. Also, just the fact that Natalie really wanted to go made me think that it didn’t matter how long it would take or how much it would cost to get there. We lucked out with a really great cab driver who drove us to Fuente Vaqueros and offered to stay there and wait for us while we toured the Lorca House since it would have been near impossible to get back to Granada in time for our bus. We shared a cup of coffee with him and he even joined us on the tour!
The Lorca House was beautiful. It was quite large for standards in the early 1900’s, complete with a little courtyard in the center where they would tend a garden and keep animals. I’ve never read his poetry, I’m not sure how well it translates, but what I can say is that he seemed like the kind of person who was always happy and very passionate about what he was doing–be it poetry or putting together one of his plays.
Our next and last stop of our trip was Madrid. It was about a 4 hour bus ride up to the city, and then about 30 mins to our host. Our host, Wim, was so friendly and accommodating. We spent our evenings just talking to him on his beautiful patio about life and travelling both past and future. During the day we just about the same thing that we had been doing. We took a day trip to Toledo and then the rest of the days just chilled. We were tired from the constant moving and travelling by that point to be honest. I really enjoyed the day that we spent at Parque del Retiro; you can rent row boats and paddle around the pond while gazing at the Monument to Alfonso XII of Spain. Our favourite thing that we did in Madrid was seeing an authentic flamenco show performed by local gypsies who invoked emotion with every single movement they made.
Wim also took us (by request of Natalie) to the Valle de los Caídos, the resting place of Franco, the Spanish dictator. I was super reluctant to go. I didn’t want to see where this man was buried. Not to make this too political, but I personally don’t agree with the things he did and really didn’t care to “visit” him. Despite sharing my views on Franco’s legacy, Natalie really wanted to go because she felt it was important piece of Spain’s history. In the end, I’m happy I went since it was an experience for sure.
The drive up was beautiful. You can see the gorgeous basilica of Valle de los Caídos from the road and the views from the burial grounds were breathtaking. Still, something felt strange, almost sinister, as I walked the hall to the main concession area where they still hold daily mass. There were six tapestries depicting images from the Book of Revelations including the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Statues lined the walls, mostly of hooded figures. I felt like I was in a Doctor Who episode and the statues were moving behind my gaze. Checking my political views at the door, Valle de los Caídos was eerily beautiful and part of a history that I just don’t understand.
Spain is rich with history and I’m pretty sure that was one of my favourite things about being able to visit. Natalie really wanted to go because of her own personal heritage. For me, it was a subject that I hadn’t really explored prior to our travels. In preparation, I read a few books about the Spanish Civil War since we were planning to spend a large amount of our time in Andalucia Spain. Malaga Burning, was my favourite of the books that I read, because it told the story from a different perspective. Gamel Woolsey was an American poet and novelist who lived just outside Malaga at the time of the War and highlights the blatant differences amongst the classes and beliefs of the Spanish citizens during Franco’s ruling. Every city has its own story and reflects the different influences of the people that came before them. The Romans, the Muslims, Catholics and Christians, even the Jewish, all have a hand in crafting this Iberian Country.
And just like that, it was over. We flew back home to Canada through London and I learned so much about myself in such a short amount of time. I’m so grateful that my best friend was there to share that with me. I feel like that trip really prepared me for my upcoming adventures in the sense that I learned to really trust my instincts as well as what I might or might not need in my backpack. I was able to cope with some situations that we came across without panicking, too much, and felt really strong mentally after looking back on all that we had done. I also grew an even deeper appreciation for and connection to Natalie that I didn’t think was possible because I already loved her so much before our trip. After we got home, I craved adventure. So I decided to get packing and head to my next stop: Japan!
Thanks
–Candice
