At the beginning of November, a group of 55 adults from Gran Alacant and the surrounding area set off on another meticulously planned and cost-effective trip to Granada, organised by the Dream Team AKA Neil Lloyd and Alison Clark.

Our Coach arrived promptly, and we made a swift getaway on our 4.5 hour journey to our Hotel – Gran Hotel Luna Granada.

Information provided by Alison and Neil pre-departure is concise, accurate and extremely helpful. Everything we need to be aware of is provided via social media channels and other less electronic formats – ie in the pub! Despite this attention to detail, we found ourselves merging onto the N332 out of Gran Alacant when (name withheld to prevent embarrassment) realised they had forgotten their identity document!

The decision was made to continue the journey in the hope that a photograph of said document on their phone would suffice.

As our dynamic duo had already provided all identification information to the Hotel beforehand, a crisis was averted.

Games of Bingo and a Quiz, helped to pass the time on the coach journey to Granada and a lunch stop in Gaudix enabled us to learn a little about this city in the Northern Foothills of the Sierra Nevada, where evidence of human settlement dates back to the Bronze Age.

On arrival at our hotel, check in was most efficient and all were more than satisfied with the rooms they had been allocated – except for 2 female friends who (despite their fondness for each other) did not wish to share a double bed! Staff rectified the situation hastily and a twin room was identified.

Further light entertainment was evident at the breakfast buffet in the mornings. Several of us queued for what seemed an eternity, posting our bread through the tostadora machine at least 8 times in an effort to have it resemble what we know as toast. The record for the number of rotations though the machine eventually stood at 9.

Day 1 of our trip allowed free time in Granada, where some of us opted for a trip on the Tourist Train for the princely sum of 4 euros and 60 cents. The trip lasted an hour and a half, took in the Cathedral and St Nicholas Mirador and was rather bumpy! We spent the evening in the bar, sat on cushions soothing our rears.

The definitive highlight of the trip was our visit to the Alhambra Palace on Day 2. A mere 15 minute drive away by coach.

The Alhambra is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of the historic Islamic world. Additionally, the palace contains notable examples of Spanish Renaissance architecture. The complex was begun in 1238 and built on an outcrop of the Sierra Nevada. The site was continually modified and the most significant construction campaigns took place in the 14 th century. The palace is the subject of Washington Irvings publication “Tales of the Alhambra” (1832), which brought international attention to the site. The Alhambra was one of the first Islamic Monuments to become the object of modern scientific study and has been the subject of numerous restorations since the 19 th century. It is now one of Spain’s major tourist attractions and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Unfortunately, the morning of our departure arrived all too soon. After a call for a group photoshoot, we set off for Gran Alacant with a short stop in Baza, a city founded by the Iberians in the 4 th Century.
The Sculpture of the Lady of Baza is a prehistoric artefact discovered in the area in 1971 and now on display in the National Archaeological Museum in Madrid (although there are a few replicas scattered around the town itself).

Not surprisingly, the bus journey home was a little more subdued than on the journey out. The silence on the coach only broken by the sounds of some catching up on their sleep!
Congratulations and thanks must go out to Alison and Neil for yet another excellent trip. A few places are still available on the next one planned for April to Marbella and Gibraltar. My seat is already booked!

For more info contact Neil on:
+34 626 65 19 65