The Spanish Coast

Spain is known for its beautiful beaches. For years, northern European tourist have flocked to Spain--especially to the southern part--for the sun and sea. Each of Spain's coastal areas has its own name: the Costa Almería, the Costa Blanca (White Coast), the Costa Brava (Rugged Coast), the Costa Cálida (Warm Coast), the Costa Del Azahar (Orange Blossom Coast), the Costa de la Luz (Coast of Light), the Costa del Sol (Sunshine Coast) and the Costa Dorado (Golden Coast).

http://www.charmingvillas.net/blog/tag/spain/

Granada is near the Costa del Sol, and several weekends ago, we went there with a visiting friend. The beaches in the Costa del Sol are beautiful, rocky beaches. (In Spanish, the small rocks are called chinos, meaning pebbles or stones). Check out Rick Steve's review of the Costa del Sol. The water of the Mediterranean was VERY cold, so we (adults) didn't get in, but Phoebe put her feet in and splashed a bit.

We ate lunch at a famous chiringuito (beach bar) on the beach called Chiringuito Ayo that offers all-you-can-eat paella. Although the location was amazing, the paella was rather bleh.

http://denerja.es/chiringuito-ayo-nerja/

We spent last weekend with our students in Cádiz on the Costa de la Luz. This beach was an enormous golden sand beach. (It wasn't quite this crowded when we were here!)

Playa Victoria de Cádiz (Foto: Trekant Media)

Along with the beautiful beaches, Cádiz has tons to offer. The food was amazing, so much seafood of course, and even the prices of food and drinks along the beach were reasonable. Cádiz is the oldest city in Western Europe, and we were able to see Phoenician ruins dating back to 1100BC, a watchtower dating from the 17th century, and a beautiful cathedral, built in the 1700-1800s.

http://www.onthepulse.es/spanish-guides/guide-some-oldest-cities-in-spain-150605

Día de la Cruz

May 3rd is el Día de la Cruz in Granada. According to www.lovegranada.com, "The festival was first celebrated in Granada in the XVII century, when an alabaster cross was erected in 1625 in the district of San Lázaro, and all the locals celebrated by singing and dancing around it". Today businesses, churches, schools, and other groups of people decorate crosses around the city. Here are some examples:

Campo del Príncipe

There is a competition run by the city council that awards prizes to the best crosses. The crosses are decorated with flowers, and the areas around the crosses are decorated with all sort of things, such as pottery, guitars, coins, etc. One typical decoration is an apple with a pair of scissors in it. Phoebe learned at school that this is a way of warning people not to say the word "but", as in "This cross is pretty, but...". In other words, you should not criticize the way the cross is decorated.

Scissors in an apple

Many people (especially children!) dress up in typical dress of Andalucía, called moda flamenca, that flamenco dancers also wear.