As our time in Italy came to an end we had a lot of excitement on our minds as we planned our long road trip across the continent to Spain. About a month prior, we made plans with our good friends Sam and Max to meet us in Madrid and spend a week there together. Before we were to pick them up at the airport, however, we had to make the long drive from Rome. We brought the spirit of the American road trip to Europe with the cross-country drive that began in Italy’s capital and - following our first long day of driving - brought us to a small resort town in the South of France. We had been on the go every day since entering Italy, so we decided to take a full day of rest in Port des Issambres, France. I still can’t stress enough how you need to build days of rest into long-term trips if you expect to make it. Another full day of driving followed it and brought us to the edge of Barcelona. There, we spent the night in the guest bedroom of a wonderful Catalan man. He was gracious enough to allow use of his kitchen while he tended the garden behind the house. Finally, after a 3 day stint on the road, we made it to Madrid and stayed at a hotel near the airport. This allowed us to conveniently pick up our long-awaited friends in the early morning.
Granada
An airport reunion, a few cups of coffee, and on the road again we found ourselves on the morning of 19 December. Fortunately, this day of driving would be much shorter than the previous few. We easily made it to Granada in the early afternoon and dropped our bags at our apartment. We then set out to explore the picturesque town wedged between two hills at the foot of the Sierra Nevadas. Many centuries after discovering these beauties, Conquistadors would lay eyes on the mountain border between present-day California and Nevada and bestow the upon them the same name.
Following our brief stop at the apartment, we picked up some groceries for breakfast and lunch and then set out towards the Mirador San Nicolas. The previous note about Granada sitting between two hills is no minor detail. Lest you decide to pay for the public bus trip to the top, reaching some of Granada’s top attractions requires a bit of leg work. The Mirador San Nicolas sits on a hill opposite of La Alhambra and features a public square where locals and tourists gather at all times of the day, but most frequently during sunset. We reached San Nicolas after climbing the winding roads and staircases that lead the way, but quickly realized it would remain too cloudy to enjoy a sunset that evening. Instead, we headed back down the hill and set out to discover what I will rave about until I take my last breath - tapas.
You may think you know tapas, but until you’ve been to Granada, you don’t. This is one of the few places in Spain you can still enjoy tapas in the original tradition. Sit down (or stand) at any true tapas joint in Granada and simply order a drink. Along with it will come a small plate of food from the kitchen. While each restaurant specializes in a certain cuisine, you never know what will be coming out. That said, I can promise that you won’t be disappointed. Places catering to tourists will post large menus in English outside their doors which seem to indicate that tapas in Spain are similar to tapas everywhere else. You’ll be implicitly encouraged to order separate plates of food for the whole table to share. Don’t be fooled. These places only exist to prey upon your ignorance. Even at the touristy restaurants, skip the menu and order a drink. You’ll be served an accompanying tapa without having to request it.
Order a drink, get free food. Order another, get more free food. Yes, this does sound to good to be true - but it isn’t. Once you figure out the not-so-secret system, a whole new world awaits you. On the beginning of our journey that evening, we were roped into one of the more touristy restaurants featuring the large English menu. Sam’s command of the Spanish language, however, cut through the marketing and afforded us some cheap drinks and free tapas on the patio of a cobblestone street. From there, we committed to only going into the restaurants the locals themselves dined in. In that spirit, we shuffled through the narrow streets of the old town until we found ourselves at a table in Restaurante La Sitarilla. Beers were ordered and more free tapas were enjoyed. The restaurant was densely packed and lively with conversation. The four of us couldn’t help but smile. My own excitement came from being among friends again. Happiness only real when shared.
The next day in Granada started with a tour of the Granada Cathedral situated in the center of town. I’m spoiled with cathedrals at this point, so I’m not really the person to ask. It was beautiful, but I’ll defer to Sam and Max on this one since they viewed it with fresher eyes. Following this, we made our way to the Moorish District. In the 8th Century, the Moorish people crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and conquered the entire Iberian Peninsula. They were slowly driven out by the Crusaders, but Granada remained their last stronghold until the 15th Century when they were defeated in Europe entirely. Despite this, their heritage still remains. This is seen most notably in the public street signs which feature both Spanish and an Arabic translation. The Moorish District is a series of connected alleyways in Granada that feature shops and teahouses indicative of a society gone by. It’s an interesting place to sit down, relax, and pick up some souvenirs.
After enjoying an afternoon tea, we slowly followed the Calle Gran Via de Colon as we made our way towards the second attempt at a sunset viewing at San Nicolas. Neither the journey or destination disappointed. Once at Mirador San Nicolas, many locals and tourists alike gathered on the square and picked out a spot to witness the end of the day. A local man with a guitar played traditional tunes while another crooned out the lyrics. As the sun dropped behind the horizon, red and orange light flowed across the hills of Granada with La Alhambra in the foreground. Behind it rose the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevadas. Here is where I fell in love with Spain. I lost track of how long we stayed at San Nicolas. It’s funny how that happens when time’s most visual reminder is slipping away right in front you.
After we had finally wrapped up there, we again made our way into town and found ourselves just in time to see Meson Rincon de Rodri open its doors. We had a lot of great food in Spain, but this place topped it all. Meson is a seafood restaurant whose proprietors personally go out and catch what they’re serving that week. It is hands down the best seafood experience I’ve ever had in my life. From cod to calamari, there just wasn’t a dish here that was anything less than excellent. The plan was to eat here and continue onto another joint. Instead, we ate enough to last a few years and then dragged ourselves home for the evening.
Our final day in Granada started out exploring its number one attraction, La Alhambra. Formerly both a fortress and a palace, it served as estate of the Moorish Sultans from the 14th to the 16th Century until the Moors were conquered by the Holy Roman Empire. Alhambra and the Generalife comprise a vast and beautiful complex that can be explored at your own pace. It’s still delicately cared for and offers not only numerous opportunities to explore the attractions on its grounds, but also spectacular views of Granada, the Sierra Nevadas, and the Spanish countryside. After spending half of the day walking around, we made our way back into Granada to pick up some souvenirs in the Moorish District.
As is tradition in Spain, we took a siesta at the apartment before the evening began. We decided our last night in Granada was going to be done right by hopping into as many tapas joints as we could. The night began at Chantarela, a sort-of pub with brick interior walls. While we were there, Lexi and Sam met an American studying abroad in Spain who recommended another tapas restaurant down the street. After a few drinks and tapas at Chantarela, we moved on down the street and found ourselves at Bar Poe. Run by a British expat, Bar Poe was unique from the other tapas joints. At Poe you’re able to select from a short list of tapas they have on the menu for the night. Two or three more drinks, and just as many tapas, later we moved on to the next place. Bar La Goma was next on the impromptu tour of Granada’s alleyways. Inside we had a few more drinks and, of course, just as many accompanying tapas. Did I mention this whole night of eating and drinking for the four of us cost less than $60 total? Oh, now I’ve got your attention.
Late in the evening we began to stumble home, but not before stopping on the patio of our final stop for the evening, D’Platos. The food here wasn’t as good as some other places we had been, but at this point it didn’t really matter. Tapas hopping is a lifestyle, and in life, there’s always ups and downs. There’s so much natural beauty, history, and artwork to enjoy in this great country. But if for no other reason, you should go to Granada to experience the tapas food culture. Every other restaurant experience in the Western world before and after Granada has felt like a ripoff. Granada will ruin food forever for you in the best way possible. After enjoying our final evening, we headed back to our apartment and prepared to leave for Madrid.
Madrid
We backtracked our path from Granada to Madrid, with a brief interlude that included a debate over whether “Gasoil” and “Gasole” were synonymous with diesel fuel. Upon arrival, we had just enough time to squeeze in a late lunch at a local dive. We then headed to the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía to check off the first of our primary destinations in Madrid. Our attention had turned from enjoying the food and drink of Granada to the art and history of the nation’s capital. The Reina Sofia primarily focuses on the prolific artwork of Spain’s modern masters, most notably Juan Gris and Pablo Picasso. The climax of almost anyone’s trip here is Picasso’s Guernica. Following the massacre on the eponymous Basque village during the Spanish Civil War, Picasso painted this larger-than-life mural to put on display the atrocities of war. An overwhelming sense of dread and helplessness is palpable when standing before it. I’ve never seen another cubist painting - or modern work in general - that so powerfully uses its style to convey its message. If you ever find yourself here, don’t miss the exhibits on the opposite wall. Through primary evidence, they tell the fascinating tale of how this massive work made its way around the world in the second half of the century before finally coming home to Spain.
On our second day in Madrid, we again started out by exploring another one of the city’s world class art museums. The short trolley ride from our apartment took us right to the doorstep of the Museo Nacional del Prado. In contrast to the Reina Sofia, the del Prado focuses on Spanish and other European artwork prior to the turn of the 20th Century. Highlights here included Titian and Rafael, Diego Velazquez, and Hieronymus Bosch. Of all of these fantastic artists, Bosch was probably our most anticipated. Though he has a relatively small number of works here, they are all his most impressive. The focal point of Bosch’s room in del Prado is The Garden of Earthly Delights. This highly vulgar (for 15th Century standards) triptych can be marveled at for an hour without seeing all that’s going on within it. An added bonus to witnessing the triptychs in person rather than in class or online is the ability to examine the exterior of the panels. Another favorite Bosch I visited on this day was the Table of the Seven Deadly Sins. As the name suggests, it lays flat and is viewed from above.
After several hours, we wrapped up our time at del Prado and began a walk around the historic center of Madrid. This led us through the famous Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol until we reached the Royal Palace of Madrid. After a full day of standing and walking, we stopped off at a small restaurant near our final destination for the night to rest and eat. Despite being late December, the weather so far had held up great and made for beautiful afternoons and evenings. After our dinner, we made our way to Tablao Flamenco. When we entered this small club, there was a bar that offered a complimentary sangria before we made our way down a circular staircase into a tight basement. We then turned to the right and stepped under an arched, brick entryway with a curtain. Inside, a semicircular set of chairs encompasses a tiny stage. When you sit down, you feel as though you might either get Flamenco or a one man hobbit show. The lights drop down, and a mixed band of young and old men bring in their instruments and begin the rhythmic music. One older gentleman wails the lyrics to the music and he beats upon his chest. Eventually, a handsome man and stunning woman appear. They fill the next hour with provocative and awe-inspiring dance. Flamenco is a highly emotional performance art that is said to evoke powerful feelings of romance. You could watch this for hours on the internet, and you’ll never know what it’s like until you’ve experienced it in person. Unfortunately, there’s no pictures from the performance. We couldn’t remove ourselves long enough to think of capturing any.
Our first order of the day on Christmas Eve was to drive a bit out of town to a large supermarket in order to gather supplies for a feast the following day. Lexi and I spent the rest of the day walking a bit, but mostly relaxing from an accumulated six months of constant travel. Sam and Max continued their tour of Madrid on their own. I don’t recall whether we did much on the morning of Christmas Day as all my current memories are preoccupied with the feast that Lexi and Sam prepared that night. Not much more can be said for this other than that having good friends join us halfway around the world, cooking an American-style smorgasbord, and sharing time together in small, two-bedroom apartment in a foreign land was one of the highlights of the entire trip for us.
Barcelona - Sitges
We awoke the day after Christmas with the unfortunate realization that it was time to return Sam and Max to the airport so they could make the journey back to Oklahoma. It wasn’t as difficult as it could have been, since Lexi and I both knew the end of our own international excursion was coming to its conclusion as well. We packed up our rental car - with its newly cracked windshield from an undeterminable source - and made the 6 hour trip to Sitges. Instead of staying directly in Barcelona, we decided instead to opt for an apartment in this small but lively resort town a little less than an hour from the city.
While we did stay for a few days in Amboise, France before dropping our car off in Paris, for all intents and purposes Sitges and Barcelona were collectively the final destination on our sixth month journey abroad. If you were hoping for a climactic end, I’ll have to disappoint you. We only spent about a day and a half in Barcelona, and we didn’t even go inside its most famous attraction. La Sagrada Familia is unlike almost any other cathedral you’ll come across in Europe, but our poor planning and lackadaisical attitude prevented us from seeing the interior. During our time in Barcelona, we still made an effort to visit a number of the city’s other attractions. These included the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, Cathedral de Barcelona, and Parc de la Ciutadella. In addition we were able to see the Gaudi-inspired houses that sit next to each other on the grand avenue which cuts through the city. When we weren’t in Barcelona, we spent the rest of our time relaxing along the coastline of the Mediterranean in Sitges.
Truth be told, Lexi and I decided we would rather the last week of our vacation be spent slowing down instead of running around. If you’re looking for advice on visiting Barcelona, we aren’t the people to ask. It suffered the fate of being our final destination. It’s truly remarkable the amount of history and culture we were able to experience the past six months, but part of this trip was an exercise in slowing things down and finding out what really matters on a personal level. That’s really what we spent the last week doing, more or less. Reflecting and discussing.
This final leg of our trip helped us realize so many things about the nature of ourselves and our relationship. Sam and Max joining us during this time was an unexpected blessing. It brought home the lessons we had learned in a way that likely wouldn’t have occurred otherwise if we hadn’t shared the experience with true friends right as they came to fruition. Oftentimes, we can wrap ourselves up so tightly in beliefs of self-determination regarding our lives and futures. It’s easy to become so convinced that our own actualization is something that is achieved alone when, really, half of the ingredients come from the harvesting of each other’s gardens. Lexi and I would never trade our wonderful experience on this journey together for anything, but our time in Spain proved to us that happiness we’ve been seeking is only real when shared.