Family and friends descend on Lanjarón

Sleepy little Lanjaron played host to an historic visit this Easter weekend. My triplet brother Vartan, his long-suffering partner Jackie, and our old, old friend Carlos, who with us has been laughing at my brother's antics for decades, came to 'do' Granada and the Alpujarras. 

My (other triplet) sister Sosi has been a homeowner here, and having visited so often, she now attracts as much attention as an air-cured jamon leg at Arca de Noe.  But Vart, once heard to sum up Our Town as "two old men and a donkey," my prodigal brother Vart merits a blog.

Carlos survived three nights at tourist tomb Hotel Central, where old men with faded eyes and flat caps play savage games of dominoes at little tables in full view of the street.  Vart and Jackie stayed at the sybaritic Hotel Alcadima, which makes up in comfort anything it might lack in local character. 

For Granada read Alhambra.  I have steadily resisted visiting this over-hyped site since we first got here, but as it was Jackie's birthday, we all dutifully turned tourist.  The Generalife Gardens were lovely, though even they were planted thick with tourists.  But the Alhambra was all I had expected, and even less. 

Oh I shouldn't moan.  After all, I did discover a new word:  "the arch built across the upper angles of a square room to support a dome or cupola is...a SQUINCH."  Don't you love this word?  Doesn't everyone have a Squinch in their lives?  Anyway,  I earnestly followed the guide book around, staring at ceilings, tiles, gilding and such, only to trip over toddlers on plastic quad bikes, people sending text messages, necking couples, and stony-faced wardens.  In the famous Patio de Los Leones, the Leones were away at a day spa getting groomed, replaced by a large Formica and glass box so that you could see what wasn't there.  The Alhambra is other people.  The picture shows our visitors reviving over mint tea at the Alhambra Palace Hotel. (From left to right, Carlos, Vart, Jackie).

Actually, all our visitors were charmed with Lanjarón.  Vart loved the markets, the price of prawns, barbecuing on our rooftop and ordering café con leche in every café in town.  Jackie enjoyed 'silly shopping' for the Lanjaron look - it's loud and proud and must not contain any natural fibres.  Both of them enjoyed visiting Pampaneira, once they got over vertigo and car-sickness.  And we just spent a lot of time laughing at each other, but mostly at Vart, because he is funny.  See him below with four other donkeys....

On our way to Malaga Airport to dump them - sorry, I mean drop them off, we stopped off at Nerja Donkey Sanctuary just outside the town, which Jackie said was the real highlight of her trip. You are given a bucket, a donkey goodie bag of shredded lettuce, chopped carrot and carobs.  And you just go around doing a meet and let eat, getting to know each donkey's story - often very sad, but it's lovely to see them in clover now.  You can take dog chews to the rescue dogs, too.  There are even two turkeys, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.  They like bread sauce.  Only kidding.

This time when I overheard my brother talking about his stay, he was plotting how he and Jackie could come back and housesit for us in the summer. Get over here, guys!

Comments

[Dave]

I didn't know you were a third of a triplet, Arpi! The fact that you are one gives you a special position in my eyes. In fact, you are the only triplet I "know".

Can't agree with you about the Alhmabra though. We must have been there 8 or 10 times and I still find it entrancing - including the formica shrine to the leones that aren't there....

I guess I must be easily pleased.

[Fred Shively]

As usual Arpi forgot to tell you that if you click on the photos you'll get a bigger version...tsk, tsk. (Well after all I am the photographer!)