Highlights from my Granada, Spain trip

For the longest time, I have been longing to go back to Europe. Last week, my girlfriend Alexandra and I took a trip to Spain to visit family and go exploring.

The trip started early since we were flying out of JFK in New York City. We decided to take Amtrak to avoid the headaches of driving, traffic, and dealing with parking at the airport. I admit, I was a little skeptical at first being that there is a lot of moving parts, but I definitely recommend and will be doing this for future travel down to the city.

Amtrak takes you right into Penn Station in New York City and is about a 2.5 hour trip. Once you are at Penn Station you can take the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) to JFK. It does get a little confusing because you have buy a separate ticket from the LIRR to JFK via the Air Train. Once you know the logistics, it is quite easy to navigate.

Our flight leaving JFK was on-time and we were flying toward Dublin where would grab a connecting flight to southern Spain. The flight took about 6 hours and we had a layover for 3 hours. Alexandra and I grabbed a quick breakfast before boarding the flight.

We arrived in Spain at around 12 PM after a short delay in departing Dublin. Flight time was about 3 hours. Alexandra's family, who we were staying with for the week, picked us up from the airport.

After grabbing our luggage we departed and headed toward the coastal town of Nerja where we grabbed some lunch before heading to Granada. The town was bustling with people and it had amazing views of the Mediterranean.

Besides the beautiful scenery and striking views, the food and the history were all equally mesmerizing. There was a sense of community with people eating out at cafes and taking part in various activities across the city.

The food was so fresh and there was a sense of pride in what was being served. There was no pressure to leave or tip -- just you being there enjoying good company with food and/or drinks. It was a refreshing experience compared to the states.

There were fun and quirky spots to check out within the city including Mementomori (L) and the Bohemia Jazz Café (R).

While many people spoke enough English, I am a huge advocate to try and assimilate as much as possible. When traveling, I always try and get as much of a local experience as I can. This means you will likely be going to places that many tourists are not going. If you are in a non-English country, this means you will have to learn the basics of the language to be able to communicate.

I found even in the non-tourist areas I was able to get by with the little Spanish phrases I knew and my translate app on my iPhone. A little effort went a long way and the locals were more helpful when they saw you were trying to speak the language.

You cannot leave Granada without going through the Alhambra, a palace and fortress located in the city. The history and the views of the city are breathtaking. Alexandra and I took a guided tour, which I highly recommend since there is so much to see and understand. Tickets do sell out quickly so it is best to purchase tickets a few weeks prior to your trip.

We also checked out some churches, a Flamenco show, and enjoyed each other's company. It was great to get away for a bit and check out a new country and culture.

Alexandra and I could not have picked a better week to go. The weather was in the 70s during the day and in the 40s to low 50s during the night. Later in the week it was a little cooler and more breezy but still pleasant. The middle to end of April seems like the perfect time to go to southern Spain as it is less hot than in the summer months.

The week flew by and is a gentle reminder of how much I love to travel. Alexandra and I are already looking forward to our next trip to Europe in the near future!