Once I started to let it sink in that I am actually here, I figured it would be a good idea to document the impressions that I have each day. What unique things I notice. I think this is especially important because we become so jaded in our lives and don't notice the most amazing things. Places that we pass every day on our way to work or school are beautiful, unique, and even ugly but we don't notice either way.
The last thing I want is to not appreciate every detail of this city. By the end, I still want to remember what it feels like to see the city for the first time and fall in love all over again.
1) Uniqueness of each building and each apartment unit above it
2) People look/dress a lot more similarly to Americans (I'd compare to what Chicagoans wear in the summer) than I had expected. What I mean is that I had the preconceived notion that I would come here and stick out like a sore thumb with my light hair, light skin, and blue eyes. Truth is, nearly all the people who live here are just as fair as I am. They might tan a bit better than I do in the summer (but then again, who doesn't?), but other than that, there isn't a huge difference in the looks and diversity of the city. They just look "European." As for the clothes, I thought I would feel an intense pressure to dress in the highest fashion at any given moment. I would say I go back and forth on how I feel about this. Everyone here really does dress well. The difference is that it's not obscene runway fashion; it's just like that really cute outfit that you manage to put together once every few months... but they do that every day. Another comparison is sometimes there seems to be that "one friend" in a group who is more fashionable than the others. Here, if a group of 6 girl friends walk past, they all look so put together and I can't decide which outfit I like best. Even the kids are fashion conscious.
3) The DOORS. They are amazing. I am planning to do a completely separate special entry about all the amazing doors I have found in Granada.
4) Water comes in glass bottles that you pour into a wine glass (same with Coke/Pepsi). There isn't "free water" or refills like there are in the US.
5) People smoke outside the restaurants at tables. My señora informed me today that it is also illegal here to smoke inside restaurants and bars.
6) There is outside seating everywhere. I am pretty sure that nearly all restaurants only have outdoor seating. The inside is for one or two tables and for the waiters and cooks. At the paellador, there were tables with umbrellas that misted water on us while we ate. Think of it like the misters in line for roller coasters at Six Flags and Disney World. It makes a lot of sense considering that the summer weather can easily surpass 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
7) Dogs just roam. People own them (they have collars) but they wander away and beg at at the outdoor seating tables.
8) The colors here are spectacular. It's pretty self-explanatory:
9) Musicians play on the plaza and then pester you for money while you eat at a restaurant outside. One of them came up to Elyssa and me on our first day at OhLalá. He spoke really quickly so we didn't know what he wanted. We asked him to speak more slowly. He just grumbled something and walked away angry. Sowwy mista. No Euros para ti.
10) Internet at the cafe, Mundo Manilo is wayyyy faster than at the hostel. I also got a cappuccino and didn't get charged the full price... only 1.2€ instead of 1.4€! Yay! It's really the little things in life that make ya happy.
11) The majority of the men that we see driving Vespas/mopeds are actually men in full suit and tie suits on their way to work. Mopeds are really everywhere. The movies didn't exaggerate that one bit.
12) By Day 2, I understood a lot more Spanish than I thought I would, especially quick phrases as I pass people on the streets. It was different at first to hear every person you pass speaking Spanish and knowing that I was the one speaking a foreign language.
13) People on the streets don't really smile at each other like they do in the U.S, especially the Midwest. They're not angry or anything... they just don't really go out of their way to smile at you.
14) None of the stray dogs that I mentioned earlier bark at people.
15) There was an adorable girl riding on the back of a Vespa with her mom on the way home from school.
16) Every detail of the city is beautiful. Even the cobblestone sidewalks and streets.
17) I think it's fantastic that I see dads picking up their kids from school. They're able to do it more frequently than dads do in the U.S. because the kids are finished with school at siesta time when dads have the break from work.
18) Everything. Is. FRESH. The market has individual specialized shops for everything. They don't do supermarkets. There is a flower stand. A tea street. A fruit and veggies stand. A meat market. A lace shop. A yarn store...
19) Overall, everything is just gorgeous. I still take pictures of everything and look like a complete tourist. For right now, I don't mind so much because the memories are worth it. However, I do want to start feeling less like a tourist and more like someone who lives and studies in Granada.
"Dar un paseo por la vida."
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