November 10, 2007 (cont)

After La Alhambra, a little downtime. I jogged along the east bank of the River Darro below La Alhambra, on a paved path that turned into a dirt trail as I went north. I expected a fairly flat course, but instead it rose to at least 100’ above water level. I got the impression that this was some kind of tourist attraction that had run out of funding. There were occasional blocks of stone bearing metal plaques engraved with Spanish language text of various authors, the only name I remember was Emily Dickerson. The trail became paved again and I could make out a cul-de-sac and small stone building in the distance. As I approached, I saw 10-15 young hippie-types performing some sort of strange ceremony/ritual. It was all a little weird and I decided to make a u-turn and get out of there, just in case they were looking for a human to sacrifice! Back at the hotel, we all headed out for tapas, including one that served both Guinness and Stella Artois (the beer with the tag line … reassuringly expensive). Then on to a place that advertised Flamenco. Throughout this trip, I had been turning up my nose at Flamenco, preferring Segovia-style classical guitar. Fortunately, I went along. We were entering the bar as the whacked-out, dred-haired, druggie crowd was clearing out. The different and more mixed Flamenco crowd of 85-100 filled the windowless, cave-like room. There was a €10 cover charge and we were definitely packed tight, with seating on tiny flat folding chairs and many standing. I struck up a conversation with a male Arab/Irish CLM student from USA. He understood Flamenco and explained some aspects, advising me to pay particular attention to the guitar and the clapping. This really helped enhance my enjoyment, based on a little ‘insider information’. Soon the music started; a longhaired, 50 year old male acoustic guitar player in a white shirt, a 40 year old ‘rhythm’ guy who clapped and sang, a 25 year old Asian female violin player and a 30 year old costumed Asian dancer. They did two 30-minute sets. This was not a tourist attraction in a hotel lounge, but a much more genuine event by performers who clearly loved their craft, surrounded by a wildly appreciative audience, all conducted in a gypsy cave. I truly enjoyed it, and it reinforced my growing feeling that I would be glad to live in Granada.