I woke up in undoubtedly the most beautiful AirBnb that I’ve ever stayed in. An excessively large place for only two people with its three bedrooms, two living rooms, two bathrooms, a sitting room extending from the master bedroom, and unique and artsy and vintage decor everywhere you looked. I slowly got ready for my first full day of vacation in Granada.

Granada, Spain is (and will most likely always be) my favorite place to visit in the world. Granada was the city I studied abroad in the spring semester of my junior year at Bradley University through El Centro de Lenguas Modernas (CLM), a part of Universidad de Granada. Granada was a necessary detour on a trip with friends to visit my friend Sojo, who was a Fulbright Scholar in Logroño, Spain. Granada was also the destination of the first international trip I took Daniel on (his first trip out of the country).

With our 2020 Spain trip previously cancelled due to the pandemic, I was extra excited to get back to my favorite place with Daniel. We had a late start to the morning because jet lag had gotten the best of us the night before. Daniel wanted to walk to Paseo de los Tristes (which a quick Google search will tell you is a melancholic name for a street that will win you over with its festive atmosphere and amazing views of the Alhambra.)

We made our way up from our AirBnb via Carrera del Darro, one of the oldest streets in Granada that is lined with little shops and restaurants. A shiny, hand-painted pomegranate (pomegranate translates to “Granada” in Spanish) caught my eye and I commented on it seeming new since our last visit. Many of the available souvenirs are ones I’ve come to recognize over my four trips. I continued to see more of these new-to-me, paperweight-like pomegranates as we neared our destination and asked Daniel if we should stop in one of the stores to check them out. He abruptly said “no” which was surprising because Daniel is never one to say no to a spontaneous stop of any kind.

Minutes later, at precisely 1pm, we made it to the landing of Paseo de Los Tristes and admired the view of the Alhambra. Daniel said we should take a selfie and then suggested we ask someone to take our picture. He pointed to a guy tying his shoe and said he’d be a good choice because he had a camera slung over his shoulder. (In retrospect I’m very glad that I didn’t suggest the closer girl walking towards us instead, as I would have ruined Daniel’s meticulous plan.*)

The guy took our photo and gave a thumbs up. Unbeknownst to me, the thumbs up was actually Daniel’s signal to propose. Daniel turned to me and said “this is it, this is the moment it happens.” He got down on one knee and revealed the most beautiful ring from Mineralogy**, one of the ones that we had looked at together months before. The guy, who turned out to be our lovely photographer Alex, quickly switched to his professional camera and captured the moment that Daniel proposed.

Alex had some extra time to capture this special moment because I initially responded with “uh-huh” and a nod. Daniel reiterated his question by asking “are you sure?” to which I properly responded yes. Daniel gave Alex the signal and he came over and hugged and congratulated us as well as informed me that Daniel had booked an hour photo session so we would now get to explore the area and take more photos together as a newly engaged couple.

We wandered through the Albaicín, with Alex knowing many perfect backgrounds for photos. Highlights of our hour together included Alex’s adoration of my pomegranate tattoo, complements of my Spanish pronunciation, and appreciation of my knowledge of Los Italianos (hands-down the best gelato shop in Granada). We worked our way towards the city center and stopped at a restaurant where Alex bought us each a glass of Tinto de Verano and ensured we got a very Spanish-looking tapa, which ended up being a seafood paella. We said our goodbyes to Alex and he left us to finish up our food and drink.

Given that it was a nice bonding moment during our photo session (and that anything ice cream related is my favorite), it was only natural that Daniel and I stopped at Los Italianos to get some hazelnut gelato to share before heading back to our AirBnb. As we walked back through the cobblestone streets, a street performance of La Vie en Rose romantically filled the plaza. We spent the rest of the afternoon sharing the news with our parents, shopping, and getting ready for a special dinner Daniel had planned.

If you know Daniel, you know that he is amazingly talented at finding the best bars, restaurants, coffee shops, etc. in any city he lives in or visits. His choice for our dinner spot to celebrate did not disappoint. Mirador de Morayma was tucked away in the Albayzín and had the most incredible view of the Alhambra (and we all thought that Paseo de Los Tristes was the best view). We watched the sunset behind the Alhambra as we enjoyed a chicken pastilla and beef tenderloin. We ended the night with a few drinks and tapas back in the city center and chatted with a few more family members and friends. It was truly the most perfect day in Granada for me.

*Since Alex (Photographer Granada) and Daniel had never met in person, here was their clever plan: Meet at Paseo de Los Tristes at 1pm. Alex would be tying his shoe by the fountain and that’s how Daniel would know it was him. Daniel would take a selfie with me and that’s how Alex would know it was us. Daniel would ask “someone” (Alex) to take our photo, to which Alex would pretend to take our photo with Daniel’s phone and then give Daniel a thumbs up, which actually meant it was time to propose. Alex would then slip Daniel’s phone in his pocket and quickly transition to capturing the proposal on his professional camera.

**Mineralogy offers a collection of limited edition and one-of-a-kind jewelry designed and handcrafted by Chicago metalsmith, Theresa Cowan. Always support local and woman-owned when you can!