Rain

I wouldn't normally dedicate an entire blog post to rain. But, seeing as how it's a pretty big deal here in Granada, it seems more than necessary.


What to do in case of rain in Granada:

1. COVER YOUR HAIR. It doesn't matter if you're a man of 70 with hardly any hair left--cover it up! It also doesn't matter what you use--if you don't have an umbrella, just stick a plastic bag on your head. Note: Even if you are at an outdoor flamenco show, whip out the umbrella/plastic bag. Covering your hair is of utmost importance; the people sitting behind you will understand. It is also acceptable to leave at the first sign of a sprinkle, even with 5 minutes left in the show.

2. Make sure you're wearing shoes with traction. The tile sidewalks of Granada aren't meant for rain, and will be quite slippery when wet. They are usually already squeaky clean, due to the high frequency of street cleaners (on the main streets), and thus you can't rely on dirt for added friction/traction.

3. Don't wear a rain jacket, unless you have one that is more fashionable than functional. Although this seems counterintuitive, a true rain jacket just screams that you are a foreigner, from a place where it actually rains more than once a year.

4. Don't fret about not having an umbrella on hand. The street vendors are psychic--they always know when it's going to rain, and they come prepared with umbrellas for sale. Either that or they look at the weather forecast. But rest assured, there will be at least ten umbrellas in any house you go into, in an umbrella stand right by the door.

5. Head on home. When it's raining, it's kind of hard to go socialize at an outdoor café. So, just head for shelter.

6. When you get home, make sure you take in any clothes that are line drying, or else, well, they'll be even more wet than when you hung them. Or, alternatively, use the plastic trick again: hang a giant sheet of plastic over your clothesline, thus allowing you to keep your clothes outside.

7. Take a moment to celebrate. It's not every day that it rains in Granada. In fact, it NEVER rains here. It's kind of like a special holiday. So make some tea, curl up in bed, and read a book as you listen to the rain fall.