Monthly Archives: June 2019
The house and neighborhood
We are staying in a little whitewashed house in the Albaycin (spelled a million different ways) neighborhood of Granada. A UNESCO world heritage site, the Albaycin is a jumble of ancient cobblestone streets dating back to Moorish rule during medieval times. There were settlements here even before that, but most physical structures date from this …
Hike, history
We had another great airbnb experience—a hike in the mountains along a river and across suspension bridges outside Granada. My parents decided that they’d like to do something really active before flying back, and this was our (rather gorgeous) solution. Trip was from 5-9pm, so the light was amazing. On the way back into town, …
Mac’s addendum
Mac would like to add that from school he misses Mrs. Read, Mrs. Warden, free play, and recess.
A quick interview with the littles and (not so) little…
The other evening while waiting yet again to be able to eat dinner (no dinner restaurants open till 8pm), we sat in a placeta around the corner from the house, having a cool drink, and I asked the kids some questions. -What is something you’ll remember about the trip so far? Sebastian: Xirimiri, (pronounced Shee-ree-mee-ree), …
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The Alhambra and Generalife gardens
Wow. You never know when a “must-visit” tourist draw is going to underwhelm, and when it will exceed expectations. The Alhambra in Granada certainly exceeded mine. Especially juxtaposed against the over-the-top ornate gaudiness of the Chateua de Versailles, where we recently were, I was astonished by the building’s grace, simplicity, and luminosity. The marble floors …
Hello again
Four nights ago I tried writing this post, but the internet went out. It just came back on a few hours ago. I normally wouldn’t much care, but with pending travel arrangements and the inability to keep to my writing schedule (kind of), it was frustrating. The upside is we are staying in a lovely …
Cordoba
On the way to Granada, we stopped in Cordoba for the afternoon to have a quick walk around, eat lunch, and see La Mezquita. We arrived via train from Barcelona, stored our bags at the bus station, and set off. Our only complaint was that it seemed like such a lovely town, we would have …
Friends
I remember Sebastian’s first day of Junior Kindergarten in Toronto like it was yesterday, though it was 9ish years ago now. After dismissal from the half-day program, most of the kids stayed around to play in the snowy kindergarten yard in their big puffy snowsuits. I came to pick him up with his one year …
Barcelona, more
Las Ramblas teemed with people, the Gothic charmed with its narrow streets and historic buildings. The Mediterranean put on its blue show. Lunch in a seaside restaurant. Food and wine so reasonable priced, especially considering the quality. Rests at the apartment. The kids took to the subway immediately—Saoirse was standing and reading her novel by …