Coffee + breakfast + coffee had us nearly ready to face the day, and we motored out in search of Granada.
An hour or so down the motorway saw us feeling peckish and we exited towards a small town off to the left. Boasting a couple of streets with rusty facades and geriatric mariachis, it lacked only tumbleweed in the main street to complete the stereotype.
A helpful petrol station attendant directed us over the road to a decrepit structure that had a single sign hanging at at precarious angle that alleged it was a bar. When we pushed through the heavy door into the dim interior we found a lovely friendly little restaurant that was nearly at capacity with customers. Surely the entire population of the town (all twenty of them) must have been inside. The vibe was great, with busy staff and welcoming smiles from nearby customers.
English was not an option in this establishment, so I simply pointed at the guy next to me and said "I'll have what he has ordered". This resulted in a generous serving of Iberico ham with fresh crunchy bread warm from the oven and a delicious provolone cheese. Topped wit cracked pepper and eaten by hand, it was absolutely delicious.
Ty and James were still deliberating the menu, when the chef popped out of the kitchen with an enormous plate of seafood paella. This is obviously the crowd favourite, but they both managed to secure a plate and it was four happy campers sitting around the table for an hour or so.
Light entertainment was provided by Gary midway through the meal, when he managed to confuse his caballeros with his senoras. Both doors were in full view of everyone in the restaurant and there was a collective bated breath as Gary paused between the doors looking from one to the other. He glanced back at our table for guidance, whereupon James said 'caballeros' - and Ty just as firmly said 'senoras'. It's fair to say that Gary learned a valuable (but embarrassing) lesson about not trusting Ty today.
The motorway to Granada traverses a smallish mountain range that had been threatening rain since lunchtime, but we were astonished to come through several passes to find ourselves amidst snow capped peaks and being pelted with small hailstones. The contrast with the sunny morning weather was extreme, so we exited the motorway to enjoy it fully. Moving first to small village road, then eventually open fields, the scenery was delightful. One of the villages had streets so narrow that the bikes barely fitted between buildings, and streams of water cascading down the steep cobblestones made for an interesting ride.
In previous blogs we have commented that Granada was one of our favourite places on the planet. Of course, we meant Granada in Nicaragua. Granada in Spain is also delightful though, with a myriad of small squares each lined with restaurants and small bars. Service is relaxed and informal, with conversations shouted across and between tables. Pasta and beer make a great combination, and a fitting end to an enjoyable day.
Tomorrow is the last 'easy' day on our trip. All things going well, we will board the ferry at Tarifa towards lunchtime and should be in Tangier, Morocco in time for dinner.
