Granada. Where they gave birth to Spain... and danced in between Beer Pong

When reading the list of cities along the way through southern Spain Granada was the city where I thought I would be having a rest day. Granada isn't on the coast, and doesn't rate a mention as a place you would normally fly into Europe to. So what's with the 2 nights. Well Granada has a lot to offer really. And well as I now understand it's the birthplace of Spain. The holdout of the Moors when everything had turned Christian. The city then provided the knowledge that made the development of Spain possible when everyone was fighting over religion and the dying thanks to dirty water during the dark ages. With its aqueducts, purposeful design, and thin streets this place prospered.

Luckily royalty liked the palace when it finally fell to the Christians. Otherwise it all would have been made into another church. It would of been such a shame to have lost all of the mesmerising patterns.

Nights in Granada were spent not just eating and drinking Tapas. We were whisk away for a night of Flamenco in the Sacramento region where the gypsies were kings and we were their willing attendees. I myself wasn't so interested in the dancing itself but was in awe of the traditional singing and guitar when accompanied the dancers. I can see how this music combined with the music of southern France to then be transported into the Gypsy Jazz i had liked in New Orleans on Frenchman Street years earlier (Vavavoom).

After our night of local music for the tour group it was a night we could safely party and off to the club on a pub crawl we were. It was though a night where it was hard to find a venue. So into an Irish pub we were herded. No to worry for many as they found Beer Pong was something to create entertainment for all.


The next day included the most important issues of Granada. A visit to a Hammam baths to soothe the weary legs, and then a tour of the Alhambra. Such a great city overall. In the middle of nowhere. But somewhere I could visit again.

Dracula retired to Tangiers

One of the little side benefits of doing a tour as opposed to doing it myself is that I was able to complete more. And by more I also mean places I would never had attempted myself. Busabout's Iberian Adventure crossed the ditch over to Tangiers, Morocco. I've now been to Northern Africa cool. Be it only overnight, and no camel trading for wives area. Or well we didn't see it.

Tour completed this by leaving Seville heading to Tarifa. It's just an hour long ferry ride from there. A very bumpy one at that on the way there. The memories of 2007 in the Greek islands, and lunch were about to come back if it went any longer. Needed only a bit more smell of spew and everyone would have been down. The staff had even started passing out little blue baggies to the woosey looking.

Anyway Tangiers consisted of a combination driving and walking tour of city, and the Kasbah markets. Of course we had the obligatory pressure sales display of bundles of skin, perfume, and cooking herbs. Felt like I had been placed into an Avon meeting. Only not presented by someones mum. The presentation was by a very old Dracula stunt double. He did have some freakishly long fingers and a delivery style developed by watching "the count" from Sesame Street for years. If someone had of started bleeding he would of sucked the blood out, whilst rubbing hand cream onto their arm telling us the third one was free. I just wanted the Saffron. It sounded cheap as. For the rest I needed only sit around finding the ladies in the group praying on third persons to split purchases with. By the end of it I felt like a commodities trader from the stock exchange. No idea who I had deals with. But knew I had plenty of some products with Argan in them, Sounded impressive at the time. According to Dracula Argan cures everything.

Bunkering down in Munich

After the disaster of a ski day I needed a new plan. Of course I could have stayed with my friends in Austria but then in some ways I didn't want to feel like a burden being injured, and well I was half way across the world. I needed to see and do things. And as skiing wasn't an option I decided to return to what I know and what I felt comfortable with. Hence a return to Munich was inserted into the agenda.

I've visited Munich twice before. Once on a Contiki tour which in included Oktoberfest, and once after as a destination as I hadn't seen Munich. So this time I knew I didn't necessarily need to do the free walking tour. This was good as I could neither walk fast, nor far. Alas the weather also came to haunt me on my arrival into Germany. All of a sudden it decided to get cold after such a mild winter and it was snowing in Munich. Not so welcoming when the day before you've sprained your ankle and you're carrying a backpack.

After a slow snowy walk on slippery sidewalks from the bus station to my hostel accommodation I wasn't up for too much. I wanted comfort food. I wanted warmth. Which was in part why I chose Munich. Home to the Oktoberfest, and the traditional beer halls. Nothing better for a moaning traveller than comforting beer and pork knuckle in a beer hall. So it was off to the Augustiner Bräustuben for Dinner.

I had asked the accommodation staff to suggest a convenient beer hall, different to my previous Munich Beer Hall experiences of Hofbräu and Paulaner. It was though a familiar name none the less having visited the Augustiner brewery in Salzburg just days before.

The next full day I had investigated a trip to see Neuschwanstein Castle. However that proved to be me dreaming of days when I had full mobility as it was confirmed there would be a lot of stairs and walking. So instead I laid low with a trip to the city centre and a return to the Glockenspiel in Mairenplatz.

Was Bonn...

During this trip I took the opportunity to schedule in a visit to Bonn.

In part because it was a return invite from a former couchsurfer. And well it just fitted in better to train from Strasbourg on my way towards Brugge to London.
 
It had been talked up as a potential visit city also because I had already been to Cologne. I'm always after somewhere new.

Bonn itself was good for the day visit. I really didn't realise before visiting it's importance in the life of Beethoven. But by the time I left I understood how he means everything to Bonn Tourism.

However the highlight for me was actually staying with my former couchsurfer and her family. I did learn how little German I have picked up over the time of my course, and how easily second language knowledge disappears when you don't have any practice. But still I found the experience enjoyable. Incidently this wasn't their place. It's just a historical building from their village. Yes the photo worked out perfectly.

Of note I also found a school near the university. It seems legitimate. Didn't meet any of the students.

Chillin' to the Jazz in New Orleans

New Orleans has always been a destination I've always wanted to get to. The whole Hurricane Katrina issue did originally put a halt on the idea of completing the idea on this trip. But then I got thinking that this would probably be my best chance. And I knew that the French Quarter, the main historical centre and party area of New Orleans, wasn't affected by the floods and storm surge.


Getting to New Orleans has been an adventure. But the goal has been worth it.

The French Quarter lived upto expectation. Although as a single traveler I didn't get into the drunken debauchery of Bourbon Street as much as others did. And before anyone asks no there was no flashing for beads done by anyone in the street. Although it could of happened I didn't see it. But anyway that partying on Bourbon Street is just a part of what makes New Orleans. What I was there for was the Jazz. And the history of it which is very interesting in itself.


First day I arrived into New Orleans I checked into the Hostel and head straight for the Quarter and Jackson Square. Around Jackson Square I happened to luck upon the National Parks Service having a National Park dedicated to the history of Jazz. Cool. Not only was I again in a 'Free' National Parks tour, but it was on Jazz. The national parks Jazz History tour is unique. Usually you associate a National Parks Ranger with either hugging a tree, or hugging a monument, not being a musician dedicated to talking through the history and development of Jazz. Alas my concentration span for the Jazz history was not as long as the actual talk on the development of Jazz. That's the cost of catching those overnight buses to destinations. So I don't know the technical aspects of Jazz after their movement from work songs into the early jazz. ie Before Louis Armstrong.

Of course to protect myself from the spirits I also took the opportunity to consult the Voodoo Reader.


The second day in New Orleans I found another of the 'free' National Parks Service tours. Heck give me a chance I'll sniff them all out. This time it was a walking tour of the French Quarter. The French Quarter is the historical district of New Orleans. New Orleans for much of the early settlement period was a French colony. Until the Louisianna Purchase. Of course there were a few times that the colony came under the Spanish, the British had a crack at it, and gees I think the Dutch even had their hands in there too. Heck New Orleans was popular with its positioning right next to the Mississippi.

Other than this, I really didn't acheive much of note. Heck it was too hot and humid to do much more.

There is one more place though I really enjoyed. A simple as it was I found this cool little Pancake House near the hostel. They fed me well there the 2 days I visited, and more importantly I received great 'Southern hospitality'. They even made sure I tried the Gumbo.