A trip down south with Anni B Sweet
To Ana López or her alter ego Anni B Sweet, he loves to talk about Granada . From its corners and its streets. Of the bars and towns of that ** Alpujarra so close and, at the same time, so far away, where he loves to get lost **. But Ana always has a little room for Malaga, especially for Fuengirola , where she spent her childhood. “ I remember the beach, with my mother, going every few minutes to get an ice cream at the beach bar on Florida beach, the one closest to home . I also remember the little walk home looking at my flip-flops because I liked the noise they made against the ground and how the grains of sand jumped from my feet. From that time are her first memories of Granada, always related to Sierra Nevada . “My father took me skiing, feeling hot and cold at the same time with the ski suit, going up the chairlift and going down the slopes of the mountains. I also remember that when we left he would stop at the stalls that were on the road full of infinite curves to buy royal jelly ”, She assures.
Capileira, in the Alpujarras
Already settled in Granada, Ana takes the opportunity -when she can- to go to tapas bars in the center of the city. Choosing one is not an easy task: if there is something in Granada, it is an enormous number of bars . Therefore, she says she has several favorites. Among them is Bar Sancho, which she regularly attends, but also Bar Soria _ (Laurel de las Tablas, 3) _ next to Plaza de la Trinidad and a stone's throw from Granada Cathedral. "It is a small bar with a lot of charm and the owner, Fran, is a very good friend, whenever I can I stop by to have some beers with some very tasty tapas , he is very familiar”.
Also located in the heart of the city and next to the Botanical Garden of the University of Granada, another bar that Anni B Sweet usually goes to is El Botánico _(Málaga, 3) _, “ where the cuisine is always great and they have a lot of variety ”, besides being a place where “they usually have very interesting exhibitions”. There they serve a dish that Ana recently tried: the Moorish pastry . “It is very typical of Granada and has such a pleasant flavor and texture that it makes you want to eat a thousand of them. It has chicken, onion, cinnamon, tomato, icing sugar, cloves, salt, pepper, puff pastry, raisins and wine. Sometimes they make it in the form of a small flute and others have the shape similar to a dumpling. It is crunchy and fine, with a very good bittersweet point . And I have tried one of my favorites precisely at El Botánico, small and triangular in shape”.
El Botánico: art and gastronomy, guaranteed success!
Ana has been reunited in Granada with a dish that her mother made at her house and brings her back to that childhood between Fuengirola and Malaga. Is named The Soak forks a kind of salad made with oranges, boiled potatoes, cod, spring onion, olives and tomato , which is later seasoned with oil and salt. “It was one of my favorite dishes. I never knew it was a Granada dish until I got here and found out. It's fresh and healthy, I love it: I could eat this . Where I have tried it best has been at the Chikito Restaurant _(Plaza del Campillo Bajo, 9) _, a very mythical place in Granada”, emphasizes the singer. A good place, moreover, that allows you to get to know the Realejo neighborhood, which extends behind this establishment.
Granada is from the AlhambraS
To follow, Ana highlights two restaurants that she goes to for special occasions. One is called The Threshing _(Calle Algibe de Trillo, 3) _, in the heart of the Albaicín, with views of the Alhambra and where “the exterior is beautiful”. “My advice is to book on the patio or in the upper area of the restaurant, the food is very good and a very nice place to be ”. The second, somewhat further from the center and near the Sierra Highway , is named Ranco Bar _(Camino Nuevo del Cementerio, 17) _, near the Lawyer's Ravine . “Its terrace overlooks a ravine, as its name suggests, and has spectacular views of part of Granada. Whenever I go I usually order the grilled mushrooms or the aubergines, but everything is exquisite ”, Explains the singer, who to have some wines she opts for a small bar in the center of the city called The Wine Taster _(San Miguel Alta, 35) _. “ They put on some spectacular wines and very special mushroom tapas . I love that place, it's very cozy and quiet and the owner recommends the best he has. It never fails".
Bar Ranco (New Cemetery Road, 17)
Ana also highlights Lemon Rock _(Montalbán, 6) _, which has “beautiful decoration”. “It really is a hostel, but It has a bar where they play good tapas and good music in a very special interior place, with a patio where they sometimes have concerts. ”. And, “although it is not a meal”, Ana mentions the pakistani milk tea , "a very Moorish flavor, similar to Chai Tea". His favorite place to drink it is **El Merendero de Los Alayos (Carretera Fábrica de la Luz s/n) **, in Dílar, "not only for its tea, but also for its cuisine and for the place: it is a picnic area away from everything, near a river, a very extensive menu and everything I've tried has always been exquisite. It's one of my favorite places ”, She emphasizes.
At the Lemon Rock bar (Montalbán, 6)
In the three years that he has been living in Granada, Ana says that she has always stayed at friends' houses. For this reason, recommending accommodation is not an easy task for her. However, she tells that she has visited the Hotel Hospes Palacio de los Patos _ (Solarillo de Gracia, 1) _ “and she could say that it is the ideal place for her to spend a few days”. “It is an amazing palace, with a movie restaurant overlooking the gardens and the pond . The rooms are very charming and, in addition, it is located in the center”. Total, which has practically everything. Although Ana assures that if she were a tourist and she traveled to Granada to spend a few days of vacation, in addition to this hotel, she would seek the tranquility of La Alpujarra or the Lecrín Valley . “These are places much further away from the center of Granada, but they are places with very attractive nature and some houses have their own thermal baths and spas.”
One of the rooms at the Hospes Palacio de los Patos hotel in Granada
For the winter, Ana points to Sierra Nevada . "There are solitary apartments on the same mountain or, if you don't want so much solitude, a hotel in the area, but lost in the mountains, where you can enjoy that white snow that can be a very warm color from a nice room." Among the hotels, she highlights El Lodge _(Maribel, 8, Sierra Nevada) _: “ Wooden rooms with Jacuzzi and views of the mountains. She would recommend it to anyone who wants to spend a few days in this area ”. On a trip, Ana always takes hers “ idea notepad ”, as well as a pencil or pen, a book and “of course” the iPhone. "With all my music, applications and countless things that I carry there: my mother, my father, my brothers, my partner... When I travel I carry them all inside the Iphone! “.
Warm and snuggled up, here.
Of course, when she can, she loves to wander around music stores like Bora Bora _ (University Square, 1) _ and Pacemaker _ (Duchess, 6) _. "They have very good music and they usually advise me on new groups, I don't leave there without a new great discovery," says the singer-songwriter. Although to enjoy the city, Ana recommends a walk along El Paseo de los Tristes, next to the Darro River . "It's a good place to take a walk and lose yourself in the narrow alleys that leave the same promenade , from which you can see the Alhambra as you walk through it. It has this name because it was where the funeral homes passed to go to the cemetery. It has a very Moorish and melancholic aspect. The neighborhood that surrounds this promenade –the Albaicín- is very inspiring for me”.
Between the road, the breaks and the getaways, Ana continues to create new songs. Now in Spanish. “ I am always composing and writing. It's something I need to do even if then half of what I do never comes to light . But now I'm more prepared the new songs in Spanish are taking shape ”, Says the singer, who hopes that her new album will be ready next year. "At the same time, I don't want the tour of this last album to end Chasing Illusions . It is a very important album for me and It has meant many positive changes in my musical career ”.
Pacemaker: passion for vinyl
Ana studied Architecture in Madrid, which is why she always pays close attention to the fantastic buildings from very different eras that are found in every corner of the city. . "Of Granada, I would obviously highlight the Alhambra, but also the design of the promenades and the alleys, all very narrow, which place you in other times." "But if I have to choose one more in line with my style, I'll keep the Granada Forum : I like it a lot this very modern looking building designed by architect Carlos Quintanilla Moreu . Of course, he is still waiting for the construction of the AVE to be able to move more easily. “Because of my work, it is very important to have transportation to travel every week. At the moment I do everything by car. Granada, today, unfortunately is very poorly communicated. It's a shame - it has a lot to offer and should be easier to get to ”, concludes Ana. At least, by road it is now much easier to get to the Costa Tropical. That's why, although she says she misses the sea, she runs away whenever she can. “I have it very close. I have Almuñécar half an hour away, so when there's time we go and have a drink at the beach bar in front of the sea”.
Discover the 360º restaurant of the Granada Forum
If you want to see her play the songs from that album, you will soon be able to do so in Malaga: On June 24, she will perform at the Malaga Centro hotel as part of the Live The Roof series, with which she will also perform in Valencia (July 30), Barcelona (July 31, July), Donostia (August 1) and Madrid (August 7). Along the way she will pass through Pozuelo de Alarcón (July 9) and FIB Benicassim (July 14). And for the end of summer she leaves a very special place, the Castillo de Sohail, in Fuengirola, where she will perform on August 20.
And what is it like to play at home? “If I'm honest, she makes me more nervous than in other cities. Playing in Malaga, Granada and Madrid gives me great joy as well as very exaggerated nerves and tension . The whole family and friends usually come and that is always an added bonus to the nervous situation. Soon I have a concert in Malaga and the tickets sold out in days, this moves me a lot and makes me feel that my city supports me, the feeling is very tender and, at the same time, like relief and satisfaction”.
One of the best rooftops in the city