La Vida LaLa: Rainy Day Adventures in Preciosa Granada

"It never rains in Granada," they say.

LIES they told me. LIES. In my experience, it always rains in Granada. True, my experience was about three days, so I guess that means a return trip is in order to lessen those odds.

I went to Granada, an Andalucian gem, by train with roommates-in-training Lauren and Emmeline in late February 2014. Between Whatsapp chat group activity, Facebook messaging and numerous bank transfers, we were ready and excited to visit one of the most beautiful cities in Spain and the home of La Alhambra, a 9th-Century Muslim palace and fortress complex set high on a hill. Moorish poets described it as "a pearl set among emeralds." Impresionante.

and this is why you come to Granada!

Amid all the beauty in Granada, we also booked a quaint Airbnb with a sweet kitchen - a double edged sword, as it were. Unfortunately, we spent the bulk of our only somewhat sunny day in the kitchen trying to chef up a good breakfast. Go figure.

Despite the craptastic weather that had us wrapping our feet in plastic bags before introducing them to our still-soaked boots and picking up corner-store umbrellas, Granada truly is beautiful. Old, narrow streets lined with fragrant orange trees. Alleys winding through lively mercados. Vibrant spices piled high in display windows. Stained glass. Butterflies. Waterfalls. Tapas the size of your head!

Here's a preview of my pictures, which you can view in full here. Proof that "there is nothing in life sadder than being blind in Granada" - see below!