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We have been a family pulled apart by passions – travelling, studying, working, experiencing. It is not often we all get together.
And in that time, marriages have happened and babies have arrived. So for me as a mum and now a grandmother, the family get together was one of the highlights of the year, or in fact of many years.
After spending time touring in Portugal with Evan, Steph and young A, we arrived in Granada.
Hayden, Andrea and B were very quick to meet us at our AirBnB, near where they were staying with Andrea’s parents.
I had brought a small gift for each girl, one of those horrible googley eyed soft toys, to help them settle in to knowing each other. Of course B wanted A’s and A wanted B’s. That sorted we stepped out into the warm evening.
Andrea had arranged a restaurant for us that was near our accommodation. On such a warm evening, it was very special to be able to sit outside, and let the girls get to know each other.
Fortunately there was a large paved pedestrian area, which gave the girls plenty of space to run and jump. A manhole even became a pretend trampoline.
Next morning was boys’ haircut day, so we met in town. Bruce and Evan visited Hayden’s favourite barber while we watched the girls. Then it was a morning playground visit. Granada gets too hot during the day, so playgrounds are very much an early morning or late afternoon destination. We found coffee at Finca – where we had enjoyed coffee in 2016 after Hayden and Andrea’s wedding. Good to see it was still there and still serving good coffee.
We were given very stern instructions to go home and rest during the heat of the day. There were plans for the evening.
Andrea ordered a taxi for us, to show us their new home in Calle Zaharena. It is on a steep street and we were very impressed by the view over Granada. Their house was in a state of renovation, so we had to imagine the finished product. They hope to move to Granada in November. Thanks to COVID they are able to work from home, so are arranging with their employers to keep their German jobs when they relocate to Spain.
Of course, no visit to a new town is successful without trying the local brew. Hayden had booked us a table at Capitán Amargo, a brew pub with an impressive number of taps. The boys enjoyed their beers and the little girls were treated to ice creams. A very successful night out.
We met the next day for the girls’ long overdue haircuts. Steph and I visited a hairdresser suggested by Mamen. It was Pride Week and the hairdressers had decorated their shop with rainbow balloons, streamers and rosettes. Very colourful!
After the mandatory morning playground visit we returned to our apartment for the afternoon siesta. A siesta certainly makes sense in this super hot city, where temperatures hover in the high thirties for days on end.
We met at Plaza Nueva de Granada for a pre dinner drink, then meandered along to Carrera del Darro, alongside the Darro river for dinner. Another delightful outdoor setting, under trees with an amazing view of the Alhambra, Granada’s iconic tourist destination.
After dinner, already late in the evening, we returned to central Granada and the famous Heladería Los Italianos (Italian Ice Cream shop) in Calle Gran Vía de Colón, the avenue of Christopher Columbus.
It was here in Granada that Queen Isabela promised to finance Columbus’ voyage to discover the Americas. A statue celebrates that event.
The ice cream shop is open until 1:00am – life certainly runs later in the day here.
After a quiet morning we started planning our next moves. We were all heading off to Italy for Fran and Cam’s long delayed wedding. The wedding was to be held in Trevignano, north of Rome, but the logistics of reaching there from Rome’s airport were challenging. I was also finding it difficult to concentrate on the necessary planning.
Hayden and Andrea were staying in Granada for a few more days. Evan and Steph were going to visit Rome and we were going via Barcelona.
But the most important event today was a 3 year old’s birthday celebration. A few days early, but with all the family.
As typical in Granada, the invitation was for a 7pm start at Andrea’s sister’s home. It was mid summer so there was still plenty of daylight left and an inviting pool to cool off in. There were presents, for A as well from the Spanish family. They welcomed us warmly.
During these days I was not well. I couldn’t say why. I had no energy. Couldn’t even climb 13 steps without a stop midway. The heat was exhausting. I couldn’t sleep. But I had waited so long to have these two little girls together and nothing was going to distract these few precious days.
Sunday was a quiet day. We had to finalise plans, although by now my head was fuzzy and I couldn’t even add two simple numbers together, let alone plan flights, hotels and taxis. We wandered to the beautiful Federico park, where A was more interested in playing in the garden than on the playground equipment. We’d all meet again in Italy, so a quiet night was ordered.
