Spain 21 - It's raining again as we head into the Sierra Nevada

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It's raining again . Oh no it's raining again. I find myself singing the lyrics of Supertramps hit as I lie in bed at 6 o'clock listening to the bang, thud, crash and whallop of the rain pounding on Suzy's roof. It is not the gentle pitter patter of Pezenas but a heavy almost thunder storm. The sky is leaden as I look through her rooflights and the wind is blowing through the trees. We had hoped for a much needed lie in but somehow the bang, bang did little to encourage us to stay in bed. We only had a two hour drive ahead of us to our campsite Reina Isobel at La Zubia a suburb about three kms out of Granada. So we didnt need to get on the road that early. We lay there under the bedclothes thinking what a difference a day makes . Yesterday sunshine and a walk on the beach. This morning 10 degrees colder. It is easy to snuggle under for another hour when the weather is like this.

By 7 it was still raining . The old saying rain before 7 gone before 11 came to mind. Perhaps this would be the case today. We got up and still the rain fell, sploshing around on Suzy's roof. Breakfast eaten now 8 oclock and still no sign of abating . At home we would say it is in for the day. Despite the rain we needed to get on the road, but before that chores needed to be done. Suzy needed a brush and tidy up and the dog needed walking. We don't have a real dog but have christened our chemical toilet the dog and when it needs emptying which is once every three days we walk the dog. There is a point where you cannot keep putting it off and looking at it today was that day. Rain or no rain the dog needed walking.

We had paid our camp fees the night before so after the said dog was walked we set off for the hills . The sea to our right was leaden grey and uninviting. It looked more like Winter than summer. We passed by Malaga and wondered what the thoughts of holidaymakers were as they jetted in for a bit of sun and found wall to wall rain. An English grey day in fact. The temperatures have dropped as we moved closer to the mountains and we saw snow on the peaks of many of them. The bones of the snow as they are known in the welsh language were still there. The landscape changed and became much more dramatic with peak after peak as far as the eye could see. Fields of potatoes grew everywhere. All flowering and within a few weeks of digging up. We had the roads to ourselves.

We reached the campsite at lunchtime and were a bit horrified at the price . We knew it was ACSI but this week wasnt an ACSI week and we were forced to pay 25 euros 60 for the smallest parcel of land you could ever imagine. We had read the plots were tiny and that it was impossible to open your cab door or put up an awning but you take it with a pinch of salt until you see it with your own eyes. You couldnt swing a cat in it and the plot we had was dark and gloomy. We would have preferred to stay just one night but because we have tickets for 2pm tomorrow for the Alhambra we are rather tied to the site. There is a restaurant on site and you can buy bread at the small shop. The bus stops outside every 15 mins. The other campsites closest to Granada are about 12 km away so this one is certainly better for visiting but there are compromises as always.

After we had set up the van, put a washing load in we took the bus cost 1 euro 50 each way to the centre. It took about 15 minutes and there was much work going on building a new tram network financed through the European Union. At first we thought it had been abandoned part way through due to the crisis in the world economy but further up the road work was still underway. It is hard to say where the trams were going or when they would be operational.

We got off the bus and headed up into what looked like town. A long straight street with shops either side. Wide enough to be difficult to cross. We had read that the Alhambra complex was a good 800 metres walk out of town and uphill. Buses could be caught to take you up there as well as taxis. We walked slowly heading up all the time. You cannot see the Alhambra from the main town which makes it hard to guage where to go. We continued past the cathedral which we could see down a side alley. OUr plan to exchange our piece of paper for a ticket for tomorrow.

AFter 15 minutes walking we still had little idea where we going so carried on up the street until finally we found a bright pink sign pointing up a steep hill to our right . It stated Alhambra this way. The narrow street climbed steeply and even at 7 at night was heaving with visitors to the city. Small souvenir shops lined both sides of the streets selling magnets, cards, books about the Alhambra and Generalife , pashminas, bags and fancy trousers and skirts. They were doing brisk trade. At the top of the hill we came to a large triumphal archway/gateway and went through. To our left a sloping path went upwards. To our right steps . Take your pick they both go up so must get you to the ticket office. What a climb and it was getting hotter too. STill the visitors came down the hill and still more went up. Eventually we came out at the ticket office complex. There was one information desk manned by a young man and two ticket desks. A big sign shouted out "All tickets sold out". We stood behind three ladies who would not take no for an answer when they tried to buy tickets. Behind us another lady with her paper ticket waiting to exchange it. AFter five minutes of arguing the ladies gave up and took what tickets they were given and we exchanged ours . We are booked for the main building the Nasraid Palace for 2pm and then have until 8 to visit the Alcazabar and the Generalife. We checked where to go to get in which is hellishly complicated and picked up a map before descending the hill back to the heart of the city to catch the bus home.

Now thats another story - how to fail to find the right bus stop to go home. Moral ask where the return bus stop is before you get off the bus. We looked at the place we alighted and there was no number on the stand. WE crossed the busy road and asked if the bus for La Zubia stopped at this bus stop. We were told yes and waited. We gave up after half an hour as we saw the La Zubia bus going up but never coming back. Surely we must be at the wrong bus stop. In the end we flagged the driver down where we got off. He let us on and showed us the correct bus stop which was around the corner. We would never had found it.

We were so pleased we had our tickets and that we had worked the buses out and returned home for a quiet night. OUr neighbours a dutch couple in a panel van, an Italian couple with a young baby and an English couple retired who were travelling Spain before meeting their children next week in Barcelona. Looking forward to tomorrow - the Alhambra. I fell in love with it when I saw a picture of the lion fountain in an encyclopaedia my dad brought home for me to read in the 1950's . Tomorrow is a dream come true seeing the real thing.

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Comments

[Roy Ellis]

Follow your dream.
Hi Jen, I'm enjoying your blog immensely. Keep it coming so we can plot your progress. Follow your dreams because sod all changes in the UK. Take care both.

[JenGog]

follow the dream
LOL so the bastards are still in charge then. The sun shines here hopefully UKIP might have given them a kick up the rear end by the time the results come out. Thanks for the comments Roy. I rant a bit, I rave a bit but hell I am enjoying myself in the Spanish sun. Got to be better than Clay Cross on a horrible day. When are you off away next . You should try this blogging it gets addictive .