We Might Not Be Back: Our Granada Accommodations

Granada is a beautiful colonial city. After two weeks in Granada I confirmed what I’d realized last summer traveling on the east coast; my desire to live in an urban area is a thing of the past. I now like peace and quiet. I am tired and cranky and have little patience for dealing with crowds, noise and drunks (I find drunk american tourists to be a special kind of obnoxious). I have less patience for those things and my kids. Suburban kids are definitely lacking in a skill set when it comes to navigating public spaces and assessing strangers. I don’t mean being judgey. They are plenty good at that. I mean when someone is passed out drunk on a sidewalk my kids do not have the common sense to walk around them. Or when crossing a street full of motorcycles, taxis, buses, or people their response is not fight or flight; rather they freeze in the middle of the street to ask some completely annoying and irrelevant question. They also don’t know how to avoid staring and making eye contact. No amount of travel seems to be improving these things.

Given those issues, we probably spent a little too much time in Granada, except for the fact that I absolutely did not want to leave the family who hosted our airbnb. Prior to our trip the daughter-in-law, Mercedes, who manages the online listing was incredibly helpful with plans and transportation. Her in-laws, Carlos and Addys, who run/own the physical space are the reason I travel with my kids. I love taking my kids places because I hope it broadens their horizons. I want them to learn about history and geography, but more importantly about the kindness of strangers. Our hosts in Granada taught us plenty in that regard. They were phenomenal. Speaking with them helped me probably more than any class could’ve with Spanish. Gabby made fast friends with their granddaughter. Lottie loved running around with their grandson. Mercedes and her husband also took us to wonderful sights outside the city. She provided some normalcy for my kids by inviting them to play at TipTop (think KFC) with her kids. When I wasn’t feeling great she took them to her daughter’s school to see a dance competition. Addys and Carlos always had new fruit to try and accommodated the girls requests for salt and citric fruit. I am forever grateful that these people went out of their way for us.