We had an all day trip to Alhambra planned, which involved two hours driving each way, and an eight am start.
After our late night and a bad night’s sleep, I just wasn’t up to it, so I stayed in bed while the others headed off. The Alhambra is amazing but I saw it last time I was here. Instead I filled my day with a couple of more relaxing activities.
First up were the Hammam al Andalus baths. These are traditional baths where you go between warm, hot, cold and then a steam room. There is traditional music and candles , it was very atmospheric. I also got the massage and the skin scrubbing treatment. Bliss. Everyone else at the ten am time slot was foreign, I enjoyed helping the baffled looking French and English people right up until I got told off for talking because it’s supposed to be a place of quiet and calm. The British couple kept sniggering, they were the ones really lowering the tone. My massage and body scrub was done by a man which did seem a bit odd but he was very good and professional although it was undeniably a sensual experience. Is it OK to say that?
I went back to the hotel for a nap after the baths, I was feeling so relaxed. In the afternoon I went to another flamenco show, this one was much more informal and just around the corner. The performers were equally talented, though. Cameras were allowed this time, there were several people videoing the entire performance.
I then wandered around the old town for a while, looking for a memento that would remind me of flamenco. In the end I bought this poster.
When everyone returned from their trip to Alhambra, we went out for dinner. We were booked into a restaurant our incomprehensible guide had recommended, but when we arrived, there was hardly anyone there. Looking for something a bit more vibey, we went to a tapas bar. Many of the restaurants here have a tapas section that you can’t book in advance. We were lucky and got a table at a very popular one. The intermittent pouring rain may have helped keep some people away. On our Devour food tour in Seville, we’d been given a list of twenty dishes we must try, and we managed to cross them all off the list. In the end I found one vegetarian dish that was nice, deep fried battered eggplant strips with molasses. Whether it was healthy or not I couldn’t say.