Golfing at La Sella

Thursday 6/30/16
Well, we’ve been in Spain a week! Golf day for the guys. Deana and Blair up first making omelets and coffee, and Tim and Leila up just after. After the guys ate, they went happily off to golf at a place about an hour away. Deana had a sleepless, uncomfortable night so went right back to bed. Leila did a bunch of house cleaning – dishes, laundry, sweeping – then went down for a swim around 9. I (Leila) met an older man who had been swimming but was searching the rocks for (as he explained) his keys! I had recognized him from our apartment complex and he was able to explain that when he picked up his towel he forgot about the keys. So we searched together and Voila! I found them for him. The look of relief and gratitude on his face was indescribable. He thanked me and kissed me on both cheeks and I felt like a hero!
After the swim, Leila took a trip to the masymas (supermarket) for a water and more eggs so Deana could have her omelet when she woke up as she selflessly used all the eggs for the guys.
When I got back Deana was up and we are taking it easy and waiting to hear from Bettine as we had plans to hang out with her while the guys were golfing.

Blair here—the golf guys left at 7 for an 8.40 tee time at La Sella, a resort/real estate Development type course designed by a well known Spanish golfer, Jose Maria Olazabel.  Nice course in good shape—Tim played better golf than Blair in lovely weather—only hot for the last two holes.  On the other hand, $8+ for two Cokes seemed a bit steep.  The course was entertaining, albeit almost impossible to navigate in places as the cart pathes didn't always follow intuitive routes. The course was comprised of three nine holers, and one was closed for the day. We required an escort from the ninth hole to the start of our second nine, which was a circuitous passage following the white haired guide around and about, pausing for a chat with some grounds keepers, and then depositing us at our 10th hole. The back nine was more pictureskew with mountain vistas and various encounters with golf course fauna, including some cute ducks splashing around near the tee, swans, and some very cute snowy egrets.  Tim was enthralled with a water lily flower that was pink, as opposed to the Georgian bay white. The picture of the golf ball resting against the pin, essentially in the hole, was a swell putt by Tim from off the green...highlight of the round for him.

A putt from off the green, at least 25 feet, snuck into the hole. Shot of the day for Tim.

As usual, Ms Google had her own ideas as to the appropriate routing, taking us on a short-cut through some orchards instead of staying on the main road going to the course and through the middle of a small town on the way back,  We also got lost on the golf course a couple of times, adding to our lengthening string of navigational entertainments.  I am sure that we get lost at least three times a day to this point—the next few days should bring the average down, because we don’t plan on going anywhere…  By the way, I have not posted our scores because I don’t know how to count in Spanish (Tim was in the low 80’s, thanks in part to some generous rulings from the marshals.)

Granada Day 2- Alhambra

Granada Day 2
We are definitely getting used to the late nights of eating and to bed close to midnight- there was daylight well past 10pm. Slept well in air conditioning, in fact a bit too cold (at least for Leila’s taste anyway). Got up for an early 7am breakfast at the hotel, packed and checked out. We were able to leave our bags at the hotel while we ventured off to the Alhambra. Started up the road our hotel was on as Blair chose an excellent hotel that was closest to our destination. It was a steady up hill for about 15 minutes mostly in the shade of well kept trees and greenery – very pleasant. Our ticket to enter was for 9:30, so we had a little time to look around the exterior before we got on line to enter. The palace was amazing – best described in pictures. It brought back (for me, Leila) a taste of the palaces and mosques I saw in Iran. What was more significant is that the same detail of ornate tiles and architecture and the availability of water that must come from under ground  springs that created such luxury, was all  built on top of a steep hill top. In Iran (of 45 years ago-yikes!) many of the palaces and mosques seen were still intact and the bright colors of the tiles still vibrant, but these were not built on a high precipice. The Alhambra’s views were grand and the grounds grander…
After viewing the palace we wandered around and up the grounds viewing gardens and areas where the “general life” (of the grand people!) lived and luxuriated. Pictures represent the general overwhelmingness of this place. They don't do it justice, but here's a large sampling:

This guy was behind a screen restoring a fountain. I squeezed my phone through an opening in the screen and caught him at work.

This pigeon flew in and perched on the vertical face of the wall

Reflecting pool

This vaulted ceiling was damaged, so one is able to see the construction...fascinating to one such as I.

Deana and Leila deciphering Arabic writing on a wall panel.

New hat

The Arch of Misdirection, so named because it lured us onto the wrong path and we had to back track.

Lots of these labyrinthine constructions that were not identified. Deana thought maybe bathes. Tim suggested some kind of market place, or pens for animals. Never found out.

 The day had started out cool but turned very hot and by mid-day we were tired and hungry. We stopped at a restaurant (another tourist one) at the top and had drinks and shared some food. We had planned to have a real lunch later, but in the end we just wanted some ice cream to get us through. We anticipated seeing more of the grounds and other palaces on our way back down, but the heat drove us on, and we ascended the hill – straining knees and calves – till we arrived at our hotel. We gathered our bags, had our ice cream on route to the car and took off by 2pm with Deana at the wheel.
The trip back was uneventful, thank goodness! Deana and Blair (with the Google lady’s help) got us out of Granada and on the highway quite easily. Leila took over driving half-way at a rest stop, where snacks and drinks were purchased for sustaining us for the rest of our return trip. Tim bought a bag of potatoe chips that tasted like they had been soaked in motor oil. Chips were tasted and rejected by all but Tim, who persisted in sampling them until even he, the garbage disposer of the crew, couldn't stand them any more. They were relegated to the trash bag and we all tried masking the aftertaste with anything, but the residual remains of the motor oil persisted for most of the way back to Altea.  We arrived at Altea shortly after 6. Tim, Blair and Leila immediately took off for a swim. The waves were quite high again, but we managed to get in without difficulty. However, Tim in attempting to ride the waves in, landed on the rocky shallows on his bum again and got tossed by at least 3 good waves before he could stand up. Blair commented that there were 4 life guards on duty just to watch the 3 crazy old Americans get tossed by the waves.
We then decided to have dinner next door at The Columbus which was recommended to us by several people. We sat on the terrace outside and decided we could really get used to this kind of easy life! The food was ok, some better than others…Deana’s shrimp were not very satisfactory, Blair’s steak moderately good, and Tim’s pasta was excellent as was Leila’s paella.
We came back to the apartment and managed one round of Euchre that T & L actually managed to win, amazingly! Then to bed for an early rise for the guys to play golf in AM.