493: The Les & Des roadshow

My old mate Les came to visit. We spent a couple of days in Salou and a couple of days in Granada. I wonder if between us we might have drunk Spain dry? What with beer, vermouth, G&T and wine.

Here we are in a restaurant in Cambrils, having walked there from Salou. Prior to that we played in a closely-fought chess match with Olena. She played simultaneously with us both and the result was Ukraine 2, Great Britain 0. Oh well, next time!

Up at 5.30 on Wednesday to catch a high-speed (AVE) train from Camp de Tarragona to Cordoba, where we changed to a slower train to Granada. We arrived mid-afternoon to be met with our mutual friend Howard, who had driven in, with a dislocated collar bone, from his hideaway in the Sierra Nevadas. That is dedication. We 'swung the lights' (military jargon for reminiscing over old times) for an hour or so before Howard drove home and we went looking for our hotel. It was very close to the bus station but our fears about being kept awake all night by bus announcements turned out to be groundless. We had a room each and each room had a double bed, a large-screen TV, and a very nice shower. Breakfast was included and it was very nice, apart from the scrambled egg which had probably been there since the muslims controlled the city The less said the better about last night's dinner in a nearby 'restaurant' Suffice to say they didn't get a tip and we went from there to McDonalds for ice cream and beer! No, honestly, ice cream and beer. A great combination.

The next day, since I'm still hobbling with a stick, we decided to take public transport. We got off the bus and walked up a hill towards Alhambra, Granada's famous Islamic fortress. And up and up. It was a walk of 2.3 kilometres and we called a halt just before Alhambra for a beer and a bocadillo in hotel Alixares. That beer, and the next, was more than welcome! Back to our hotel by taxi for an afternoon siesta, out of the 35 degree sun. Perhaps we'll visit Alhambra another time! 

This evening we plan to use our bus passes to visit the town centre and look for a half-decent restaurant that might be open before 7 or 8 p.m. Fingers crossed.

Tomorrow Les will fly back to UK and I will take high-speed trains back to Camp de Tarragona. Spain is such a large country that he will arrive home first!

Enjoy Luciano Pavarotti (RIP) singing Granada.