Hotel Review: Macia Real de la Alhambra

Background:
Last week we had the wonderful pleasure of heading to Granada for a 5 day conference. We stayed six nights in the beautiful city and had plenty of time to become acquainted with our hotel room and the breakfast buffet. We had chosen the Macia Real de la Alhambra because of the great rates and 4 stars, even though it is a bit outside of the "downtown" area (incidentally, I was made fun of when I used this term, "downtown", in reference to the center of the city; I was informed that Americans using the term "downtown" conjured visions of sky scrapers and high rises, not the historic and shopper-bustling streets of central Granada). In all, our stay was pleasant and comfortable, though for some reason our cleaning ladies couldn't grasp WHY we'd be using the winter-time extra wool blankets when it was only October, and kept folding them away each time they made our bed. When you come from Murcia, where summer is still in full swing, you need those extra blankets!

Review:
Hotel: Macia Real de la Alhambra (Granada, Spain)
Hotel class: 4 stars
Number of nights in hotel: 6
Method of booking: travel agent
Room #: 616

Breakfast:
Of utmost importance is that first meal of the day, to get you out of bed and out the door! Fortunately for us they started as early as 7 AM and ran until 10 AM, which was handy when we had to walk out the hotel door around 7:30 some days (and we weren't the only ones, there was usually a horde of assembled tour groups waiting when the doors opened). The breakfast is either included or an added extra, depending on your booking. They present a pretty good spread, with several cold meats, cheeses, various fresh, canned, and preserved fruits, yogurts, pastries, breads, and even some kind of mini-pancake or waffle. Juices, water, and hot drinks were also available.

My typical breakfast consisted of two slices of whole wheat bread (if you came late to breakfast, the whole wheat was usually already gone) toasted, and then drizzled in olive oil (they seriously misrepresent Spain by providing some of the worst olive oil I've ever tasted), and topped with grated tomato and a couple of slices of a hard sheep or goat cheese. This is a powerhouse and is a typical breakfast here in Spain. They had a small selection of nuts, so I'd top a canned peach or pear with a healthy sprinkling of almonds to try and complete the protein factor (I'm mostly vegetarian and don't usually consume normal dairy like yogurt). They also had plums, apples, pears, and kiwi, so I'd top the meal off with one of these. I'm a green tea drinker and while they had an okay selection of tea available, the green was rather bitter so I opted to bring my own to the table after the first day (standard practice unless I'm in Germany, where they usually have fantastic tea options).

Room:
My husband had originally booked a single, but because I came along, we asked for a double when checking in. No problem! The room was your typical nice hotel room, with two twin beds shoved together (the usual case in Europe), a desk, one comfy chair, a bathroom and closet, and a window looking toward the city center. The room was clean and in good repair. The bed was relatively comfortable (I slept well enough), and we made good use of the extra blankets. We didn't ever try to use the heating/cooling system, but just cracked the window the whole time and that kept us pretty cozy but with a fresh current in the room. The room is well soundproofed, we never heard noise from neighbors, and there wasn't much movement in the hallway. We were on the top floor, so no noise from above either.

Wifi was theoretically available and included (or "free" as they say, but this is a pet peeve of mine. It's not free, it's just covered under the costs you pay for the stay), but was tremendously slow in the evenings when we were in the room. I gave up and used data on my phone if I wanted to check an email. During the day when the large tour groups were off touring, the internet worked fast enough and I was able to access the web. So don't expect to upload all your photos of the Alhambra the night after your big tour! We were on the 6th floor, so maybe that affected us. A friend staying on the 2nd floor had no trouble making phone calls over the internet in the evenings.

Staff:
My husband did most of the interacting with people (he speaks Spanish fluently and I do not), but every instance in which I was present went fine and the staff were friendly and efficient. I did have to go down to have them print off my bus ticket for me at one point, and while the lady at the desk was initially confused by my request, she soon had it printed off for me (I just needed to email it to a hotel email address to complete this).

Location:
This is the toughest part about the hotel. It's pretty far out from the center. It's about a 35 minute walk into the historic city center along the Paseo de las Palmas (the shortest route but on a very narrow road), or a 45 minute walk at a very clipping speed along the Rio Genil to the Parque de las Ciencias (where our conference was at). On one hand, we got a good deal of exercise in last week with that 2 mile walk every morning (and the Rio Genil makes a lovely waking companion), but on the other hand, I could have done with the extra half hour of sleep. If you're exhausted at the end of a day of sightseeing, you might just spring for the taxi (about 7 euros from city center).

If you have your own car, the parking garage is a tad on the expensive side. We found street side parking fortuitously upon arriving, but availability was very scarce, so we didn't move the car again until we left. If you're just coming for one day to go see the Alhambra, the hotel is extremely well situated to head right up the road that leads directly to the Alhambra and you avoid all the city congestion (there are buses as well, though I never took one). The parking garages downtown are a nightmare (very, very tight), so I don't recommend trying to drive in to the city (if you do, stick with the public garages, which have a few more centimeters of wiggle room than the private ones).

Final thoughts:
A great hotel at a great price in a great city! It's not anything particularly special, but it's clean, comfortable, and well run, and if you don't mind the location, it will provide a great home base for your trip to Granada. If we go back to Granada just for leisure, I think I'd prefer to stay somewhere closer to the center in a more historic-feeling hotel. But that's just my personal preference. With a car and a tight budget for 6 nights, this worked out well.

Sunset view from the room

Review: El Naturalista El Viajero

Background: The Search

Comfort over style has become my manifesto in the shoe purchasing world. If I can't walk comfortably in it, I don't want to wear it at all. Problems with knees and hips led me long ago to give up any degree of heel in a shoe, and I have welcomed the fad of flats with open arms. This manifesto, however, has led me to some interesting choices in footwear when it comes to situations where I must dress professionally, and I have received more than one "umm, that's interesting" when querying hapless standersby on my current choice. My favorite pair of shoes is, hands down, my Merrell Pace Gloves. The originals, when fresh out of the box in a quiet black and lavender, accompanied me to more than one academic conference, where I hoped my charming smile would distract from the tennis shoes on my feet. Eventually I rejoiced in Merrell's production of the very comfortable Jungle Gloves. With their stately black suede and low profile, they slipped right under the radar with my dress pants. They were not, however, ideal for very long walks, as they provided none of the support of my Pace Gloves, and I prefer to keep them around for conferences and other low-walking occasions.

Well, fast forward to the fall of 2014. Moving to Europe I had optimistically decided that I could find a new pair of casual, comfortable walking shoes there. I was wrong. At least, for walking shoes that fit my criteria. I hunted down store after store in various German and Spanish cities before realizing that I simply could not find what I wanted for under 100 USD. The shoes within my budget range were flimsy and garishly bright, uncomfortable or unsupportive, and I just couldn't bring myself to buy them. I washed my Pace Gloves, which were now approaching their third year and beginning to come apart at the seams, and continued to put the miles on them. I have a very excellent pair of Lowe hiking boots for more serious walks, and pulled those out when necessary.

Last spring, the two week tour of Italy put the finishing touches on my Pace Gloves. Not only did it rain them into a soggy mess all through Venice, but the seams were completely disreputable and the heel was developing a hole; my traveling companion sighed with relief when I finally pulled out the hiking boots for the rain in Florence. They may have been a bit clunky for skinny jeans, but at least they weren't falling apart. I determined once again that a serious search for a new pair of shoes must resume.

My search, now over one year in the making, has finally ended. My criteria (in order of importance) were met: 1) comfortable, 2) under 100 euros, 3) good quality, 4) preferably locally made, and 4) nice looking. After many, many hours searching through forums and websites, blogs and Spanish fashion bulletins, I discovered that El Naturalista is a Spanish brand, made in Spain and Morocco, and often using Spanish leather. My husband has played "Boots of Spanish Leather" enough for me that I couldn't resist that small touch. I agonized over the abundance of choices and with assistance from my own Fashion Adviser (aka, my sister, though she is NOT to be blamed for when I deviate from her advice), I finally decided on a shoe from the El Viajero line. Touted as walker friendly, I placed my order and waited eagerly for their arrival.

Manufacturer: El Naturalista
Product: El Viajero NE12, in Denia Brown
Purchase date: September 2, 2015
Purchase location: Online Store
Online retail value: 99 Euros

Review:
The shoes themselves are wonderful. I'll review the purchasing process shortly, but the shoes have been worth all the hassle. They are comfortable, the leather is supple and soft and should wear in well, and they look as good on-foot as they do online. I immediately took them for a stroll around the block and can easily imagine myself strolling through my next adventure in them. They are well built and the leather is absolutely beautiful. I'm going to be doing quite a bit of walking over the next few weeks, and I will report back later for an update on their long-distance results. For now, I am very pleased with the comfortable fit of the shoes and their very attractive appearance. One interesting note, however, is that this line of shoes is produced for both men and women. I had a bit of trepidation over a unisex shoe in the matter of comfort, but it fits well on my narrow feet, so all is well.

Now, for the less superb part of the shoes: acquiring them. After doing the initial research online about the company and shoes, I used the online Shops finder to track down a good number of local shoe stores in Murcia that carry the brand (they don't appear to have any of their own stores, but are carried in lots of shoe stores here in Spain and around the world). In early September I headed to downtown Murcia to visit several of the shops that the Shop finder had mentioned. These stores did indeed carry the El Naturalista shoes, but usually only one or two, and they were all busy clearing out their summer sandals. They waved vaguely that they would be getting the fall shoes in, maybe in a few weeks, or perhaps October, and to return then. After my fifth or sixth shoe store, I gave up, and tried on some sandals to get an idea of sizing. I had read in reviews of shoes available in the US that people had trouble with sizing, and to not order your usual European equivalent (I am an 8.5 in the US, and have yet to figure out what I am here, as I've successfully tried on shoes ranging from 39 to 41). My walking adventures were to commence by the end of September, and as I noticed that the new fall line was quickly selling out online, I decided not to wait for another try in-store and so went home and ordered up the shoes. Their size charts noted that for a US 8.5, I'd want a Size 39. The Size 39 sandals I'd tried on had been a bit big on me, so I decided that 39 should work for me in boots, where you can wear big socks if necessary. I worked through the ordering process and began the wait.

I've noticed that shipping here in Spain is a speedy process. You order something and it often arrives in a couple of days. So I had full confidence that this would be a speedy and smooth process, and was sorely disappointed. Though their online FAQ page assured customers that they shipped by the next business day, my shoes took 3 business days to ship, arriving 1 week after purchase date. Oh well, at least they arrived. I pulled them excitedly out of the box and slipped them on my feet, only to be devastated to realize that instead of being a bit big, they were too small! Both big toes crammed up against the toe box in a most uncomfortable fashion. I walked up and down the hall a couple of times and decided I liked the shoes otherwise, so boxed them back up and began the lengthy process of exchange.

That day, September 8, I started the returns process. I included a short note that requested they waive the shipping fee, as I had followed all their advice on size ordering and was shocked at the difference in sizing between shoes. By September 14, I had still had no word on my order and was beginning to get worried that they wouldn't arrive in time for my next trip. I tried calling their phone numbers, only to hear a message that they were on vacation. In September? I figured the message was an old one from August that hadn't been updated. I finally got on their Facebook page and sent a message, asking about the office status. Someone replied quickly that they had indeed been on vacation the previous day, but were back in business. By the following day they had sent the paperwork for the return process, though they refused my request about shipping. I took the shoes down to Correos and shipped them back.

To compact the rest of the story, I had two phone conversations with the company over settling the rest of the matter. Both times I spoke to the same woman, and she was friendly and helpful, immediately answering my call and handling the situation quickly (you have to pay to call customer service lines here, about 10 cents a minute, but boy it zips you through the process). By the time all was said and done, I had another pair of shoes, Size 40, on the way, arriving September 24 (again, about a week after placing the return order). I am still surprised that this whole process took nearly a month, and wish that they had a fuller line of shoes carried locally so I could avoid the hassle of online shopping. They must have a fairly small company staff to require such long turn around times, so be aware of that. In the end, I have a pair of shoes that I love, and my first experience ordering, returning, and dealing with customer service in Spain. I survived.

Pros:

• Comfortable
• Good quality
• Good looking!
• I love them

Cons:

• The entire purchasing process.
• Not a great deal of arch support, though this isn't as noticeable as I might have expected, as there is good support otherwise for the foot.
• The tongue on one side rubs a bit against the foot, but I'm hoping that will stop as the leather softens. See update below...
• The lack of half sizes. Size 40 is nice and roomy, but something in between a 39 and a 40 would probably be a better fit. I don't mind the excuse to wear all my nice wool socks, though!
• The price is a bit steep, but I'm trying to become more realistic about the cost of good shoes.

What's in the box: shoes, shoe bag with divider, catalog, and a code for making a donation from your purchase price

Go pretty socks!

Low profile, nice room in the toe box 

Please ignore my ridiculously skinny ankles and focus on the lovely shoes.

UPDATE (Oct 8, 2015):

After putting in at least 15 miles on these last week in walking through Granada, I can now provide a bit of an update on how the shoes fit and feel. I walked 2 miles at a very fast clip every morning in these, and then was on my feet or walking smaller distances the rest of the day. They fit and feel great!! I was surprised. There was no more rubbing or irritation at all, no break-in time, I just tightened the laces and hit the pavement. They looked great with dressy pants for attending a conference, they dressed down superbly with my jeans, and they were comfortable and surprisingly supportive, considering they have no arch support. I wish they had a bit more arch support, but otherwise they fit like a glove, a roomy glove, and I was quite pleased. My one complaint is that they are thin soled, and so not designed for the rugged cobbled streets of the historic quarters of Granada. Anytime I had to walk for very long on giant cobbled stones and other non-smooth surfaces, I was walking gingerly. But on a smooth paved surface or sidewalk, they worked great. I was concerned about the completely flat bottoms not having good grip in wet weather, but they took a walk through the rain with ease, only slipping a bit on one particular pointed surface that gave no good contact. I survived, however! So, in conclusion: I am doubly pleased with my purchase!

Review: Signum Firenze Quaderni

On a recent visit to Florence, Italy, a friend and I stumbled upon the most adorable stationery shop while escaping the April showers one evening. "Signum" stood in bold letters above the door, and the large glass windows promised to contain a wealth of everything paper. We spent over an hour in the tiny shop, rifling through large printed sheets, flipping through innumerous notebooks and albums, uncapping pens, and enjoying the sensuous feel of ever-so-slightly textured pages beneath our fingertips. By the time we left, my friend had purchased a small sampling of the shop's wares, including a lovely memento of our trip for me, a small leather journal. Deciding which journal to select had been no arduous task, giving me a perfect excuse to finger and hold, open and breath, small notebook after small notebook. They came in several sizes and with many different designs, from Leonardo DaVinci's sketches to antique maps of Florence. But I surprised myself by selecting a richly floral design, gilt vying with fanciful greens, blues, and oranges for most brilliant vibrance. The notebook has since become the repository for all my thoughts and memories of our whirlwind tour of Italy, recording gelato in Venice, the terror of climbing Il Duomo in Florence, walking the underground Roman streets of Trento, and the hilarity of toilet haps and mishaps. It is a treasured reliquary not only for its contents, but for the intricate beauty of its exterior, a fine piece of workmanship.

Manufacturer: Signum Firenze
Product: Quaderni (Journal/Notebook/Guestbook) with blank pages, leather bound, and printed in Florentine floral design.
Purchase date: April 26, 2015
Purchase location: Borgo dei Greci, 40/r, Firenze
Online Retail Value: 42 Euros
Dimensions: 17.5 cm x 13.5 cm x 3.2 cm

Review:
This journal is fantastic. I have one requirement for journals, and that is that they are actually easy to write in. This requires a flexible spine and a size large enough for comfortable writing, but small enough for easy transport. This journal fits that description well. The leather keeps the hardback firm but the spine supple, allowing the journal to open flat (though it will only stay open flat if held open). The watermarked pages are a beautiful cream color and take normal ink well with no bleeding, allowing writing on both sides. I have already filled a sixth of its pages, writing either at a desk or sitting in bed with the journal propped on my knees. It is pure delight to both the eyes and the hand!

Pros:
Beautiful details, high-quality construction, long-lasting leather, good size.

Cons:
I'm concerned about the longevity of the paper cover with normal wear and tear, so I'm treating it with utmost care. The pages are not lined (there were lined options, but the lines were spaced so far apart and I like to maximize use of space with my small handwriting).

The beautiful floral cover papers are on both front and back 

The leather is supple and smooth 

The end papers are Signum's signature olive/forest green with a stamped logo 

Stamp detail