Nerja and Granada
An hour drive through the scenic Spanish coast took us to Nerja. From an elderly couple we have met in this paradise like place, we learned that it is an area where a lot of Europeans like to retire. The sea, great weather, rich history, and diverse population indeed make it a wonderful destination.
Goofing with the hats 🙂
Balcony of Europe is a must stop for visitors. The views are amazing with perfect backgrounds for pictures. Although, our three-year-old Ashley didn’t really care about taking them. Vitaliy is not a big fan about taking pictures either, so I had to take one with the King Alfonso XII :).
Strolling trough the main streets of Nerja lead us to the back streets where one can always get a better feel for the local life and taste some of the Spanish sea food and, of course, french fries.
Real estate check 😉
After lunch, we headed back to the beach just below the Balcony of Europe. Lots of people were still enjoying the cool sea water but Ashley and I preferred playing with rocks and exploring the beach with its picture perfect caves. Here, we also met a young couple from Moscow who like to come to Nerja every year.
After soaking in the sunshine of the beautiful Nerja, we drove for another hour to Granada.
Below are some pictures of our Airbnb rental in Granada.
As soon as we got settled in our next home, we went to explore Granada following the Self-Guided tour from Rick Steve’s travel guide book.
This evening we had tried the Gazpacho soup and croquetas for the first time. I wasn’t a big fan of the gazpacho. Gazpacho is a cold soup made with tomato, cucumber, onion, olive oil, garlic and bread. It must be because I usually like my soups hot and I am not a big fan of tomato sauces ;).
Tomato sauce cans for flower pots make a great piece of decor 🙂
Meringue is a always my best choice for dessert.
May 11th was our second day in Granada and we celebrated our princess this day! The best part she loved about her gift was the card and the play dough from our shopping trip to the toy store. Threenagers aren’t that bad after all ;).
Exploring Alhambra complex was our task on the second day in Granada. After 2 weeks of Spanish sun, it was time to put a coat on again.
Waiting for the rain to pass, hiding under a tree.
From the Alhambra we took a city bus to the San Nicolas viewpoint, the most popular spot to view the complex from a distance.
Time for the birthday cake. Cafe casa pasteles just behind the San Nicolas Plaza was our place to celebrate. It seemed like a great cafe enjoyed by the locals and tourist as well. We came back there the next day as well.
Spanish tapas. So many choices.
One of my favorite entrances. You might see more door pictures in my posts. Each of them is so unique.
Spanish made shoes were a must buy deal. Such great quality for €25.
Meat shops are very popular in Spain.
Who needs a treadmill after walking those steps daily 😉
Back to the casa pasteles for hot drinks an sweets.
We spent our last Granada evening visiting the San Nicolas viewpoint again and wondering in the Albayzin neighborhood.
Dreams came true. Great memories made. Thankful for such a great opportunity. Beyond satisfied and ready for our last couple days in Madrid before flying back home.