In our last blog post, we wrote about the weekend of fun that was had in Moclín as the village managed to run the XIII Fusión Velillos festival. We have rather overlooked some of the other evenings we have spent out and about; times when we could easily have been forgiven for thinking that life had returned to normal.

Andrew’s birthday was on 2nd July which already seems like a lifetime ago. As a treat, we decided to go and spend a night in Granada and enjoy the city without worrying about driving home. I booked a night in the delightful Hotel Casa Morisca on the lower edge of the Albaicín. We have often heard good things about this small, characterful hotel and have frequently seen it as we have walked past, so this was a treat for us both.

The hotel is very traditional in its design, arranged around a galleried central courtyard where the cooling sounds of trickling water floats upwards towards the open sky. It’s quiet, peaceful - an oasis from the bustle of the city on the doorstep. From our room’s balcony, we could see the Alhambra to one side, and the Generalife Palace was just behind a mature cypress tree opposite. It was hard to imagine, as we lay on the bed looking out of the french windows at lush greenery, that we were in the middle of the city. This is a hotel for all seasons, and we remarked that we’d love to return in the autumn to relax in the cosy, timbered ambience of this charming old building. Breakfast was a delight, with tables set out in the old vaulted cellar. We were seemingly one of only two couples staying in the hotel and the cook/waitress appeared from the kitchen with a constant stream of plates; far more than we could possibly eat.

We dined in one of our favourite spots in Granada, at the Restaurant Mirador Carmen San Miguel at the top of the Realejo quarter and with arguably the best views in the city. The terrace is fabulous - spacious and irregular in shape allowing for diners to have their own corners without ever being on top of neighbouring guests. The food and service are always good, and there are very few more special moments than drinking a glass of very chilled white wine gazing out over the sprawl of Granada and to the mountains and plains beyond.

Before we left the city to return home, we visited the Casa de Zafra on the recommendation of a local author, Mario Villén Lucena who also happens to have family connections with Moclín. Mario knows a great deal about that period in history when the Moors and Christians were in constant conflict as the latter tried to gain the remaining corners of southern Spain. Mario’s latest novel, Nazarí, tells the story of a Moorish soldier caught up in the battles of the late 12th Century.

The Casa de Zafra is another beautiful example of traditional 14th Century Andalucian architecture, similar to the Hotel Casa Morisca. The lovely building is also home to the local history and ethnographic museum of the Albaicín, the old Moorish quarter of the city, and it provides fascinating insights into the culture, history and people of this area, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. The Albaicín, as I think we have mentioned before, is an area that does not give up its secrets easily. Climbing up the hill opposite the Alhambra, this is a network of irregular alleyways, often overhung with scented plants clambering over high walls. Behind these walls, there are beautiful ‘Carmenes’, traditional manor houses with exotic walled gardens. It’s impossible to gain access to every property, as most are privately owned, but a peek through a crack in an aged timber door, or keyhole, will provide glimpses of oases filled with fruit trees, jasmine, vines, water features and shaded courtyards.

There is no doubting that Granada is noticeably much quieter than normal. The tourists are just not there in any numbers, which is quite understandable. August in the city tends to be quiet anyway, as many residents use the holidays to seek cooler temperatures on the coast or in the mountains. This past week we really are not surprised as we have been hit by a heat wave bringing some of the highest temperatures on record. Since we moved to Moclín, we have not had this level of heat. As Granada tipped 45 degrees on a couple of days, we hit 40 and there is nothing to be done but to retire indoors, close all the windows and shutters and snooze until the temperatures begin to drop slightly with the advent of evening. That said, the weather has been so warm that even the evenings have not brought much respite. The pandemic continues to keep visitors away, but Granada continues to delight with summer events that lift the spirits and calm the soul.

On 16th July, we got tickets to see the jazz singer Ute Lemper in the stunning setting of the Palacio de Carlos V in the Alhambra. The concert formed part of the Granada Festival of Music and Dance. This year, the festival was a slightly slimmed-down version, lacking many of the international musicians and performers that this fabulous event normally attracts, but it was so encouraging to see that many performances were sold out. Yes, auditoria were reduced in size to allow for social distancing, but this certainly did not detract from atmosphere or enjoyment.

The mesmeric Ute Lemper explained that she had been asked to perform a repertoire of songs for midnight, given that the concert took place late at night and as we crossed over from one day to the next. The moon had risen, and stars pricked the fathomless sky. The circular central space of the Palace was full and from the moment Ute began to sing sultry jazz standards, we were transfixed.

Waiting for Ute lemper in the Palacio de Carlos V

During the summer months in Granada, the International Festival gives way to the International Guitar Festival that, in turn, steps aside for Lorca Y Granada en los Jardines del Generalife, a dance and music performance that celebrates the life and times of Federico Garcia Lorca.

As part of our Granada Concierge ‘Flamenco: Dance, Music and History’ course, we always like to include a visit to one of these summer performances to give guests an inside view into the contemporary cultural richness of this beautiful place. Setting the performance to one side for just a moment, it is an experience in itself to sit in the outside theatre of the Generalife, beneath the warm, velvety summer sky, looking at a stage surrounded by tall, slender cypress trees. Unbelievably, as we watched this particular performance, to one side of the stage the moon began to rise, and slowly travel upwards in danger of upstaging everyone and everything in the vicinity. El Maleficio de la Mariposa (The Curse of the Butterfly) was visually and musically very beautiful, and for our guests who were taking part in the Flamenco course, this was a magical highlight.

The summer season continues in Moclín and the neighbouring villages. Last Friday evening, it was the turn of Tózar to play host with a concert by local group D’Baldomeros; the lead singer’s family lives in the village. When we have had the time, we have tried to go to every event that has been planned this summer, not just to show support, but because we actually love these events. They are so much more than just the performance, and particularly this year. It has been quite emotive to be in village squares with neighbours and friends, putting aside the many problems that prevail in the world around us. Social Media and 24 hour news channels really are the most depressing places right now, with very little to lighten the day, so being able to lose ourselves in the comforting hubbub of village life has been revitalising.

The concert was due to start at 22:00, but we know from our own experience that these things rarely start on time. It was slightly worrying, though, that very few people seemed to be gathering. Those people who did wander into the square simply took the chairs that had been set out for the concert, moved them to a far corner and began to have a good old catch-up with friends. For some moments, we did think we might be the only people to be seated looking at the stage. However, there was a bar, so everything was fine. Who really cared whether or not the concert started on time? We were outside, we chatted to friends from the Ayuntamiento, we tried to spot the Perseid shower, to no avail, but we were quite happy just to be sitting outside, in a village square with life going on around us.

The band eventually did make an appearance and their electro-rock set was great - another group of very good musicians and a singer who had impressive range. Manolo, one of our friends from the town hall, pointed out that the woman in front of us was the mother of the vocalist, and there was something hugely heart-warming about watching a band that would not look or sound out of place in Camden’s The Roundhouse performing under the watchful eye of Mum.

Elsewhere, young children continued to run around after their small football, oblivious to the compelling music that filled the square.

Summer continues, and we find great solace in being in this warm-hearted community where so much is being done to show that life does go on, and that life is still to be celebrated and enjoyed. We find it a struggle that visitors still find it difficult to return to Spain, such are the confusing and muddled messages surrounding travel. Today, we realised that we are not alone when we read an Instagram post by a great cook and food writer facing cancellations for her own food tours; everyone is still having to battle on in their own way.

Outside, as I write this, rumbles of thunder and a few spots of rain suggest that we may soon be coming out of the current heatwave. We face a busy month ahead, with our creative courses, not really knowing if all the guests will be able to come or whether other external influences will, once again, dash hopes of visitors returning. We will just have to press on optimistically, because that is all we can do. Mind you, when you love a place as much as we love our home, it is all a lot easier.