Granada's Bus and Coaches Station (Granada, Spain)

Carretera de Jaén, s/n
18013 Granada
Spain
Phone  +34 958 185 480
 
Granada, despite being a very small town, is a buzzing one, with lots of travellers moving in an out every single day.  People move basically by bus, so the station is always busy.

The station is located in the outskirts of the city, but well communicated by normal city buses (number 33, especially) and taxi, and has provincial, regional, national and international services. There are more than 25 platforms in the station, which shows the volume of travel in this small town. 

The building is very functional, as well as the whole structure of the station. You will find the services you expect to find in any station, but nothing fancy, as the movement is steady and you won't need to spend hours waiting there. So you will find the information and sale windows upstairs, an escalator to access the waiting area, café-bar and toilets, plus some tiny shops and shopping stands around. There are electronic information panels in the waiting area, as well. The place is kept clean.

The Station's sales windows can have long cues at pick ours or pick departing hours, if you arrive with not much time to buy your ticket, it might be too late. Buy you ticket online through Alsa's website or in advance.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
> Some of the services to Málaga Airport or to the big cities are always full. Depending on demand, there can be more than one bus doing the same route. This means that the volume of passengers in the cue in front of a bus can be humongous as the drivers need to check the tickets before passengers board and place their luggage in the luggage compartment. It would be great having another person doing just this, so the boarding is quicker, and people don't get confused or annoyed. 
> A better lighting for the platform area is needed!
> A few more coffee and snacks machines would be handy.

MIND
> If you are a foreigner holding an electronic ticket, the bus driver will request you to present your passport together with your online ticket. This is the law. If you are trying to jump about basic travelling regulations, you are just being obnoxious, are giving a terrible image of your fellow-nationals and are being a nuisance to other travellers. There was a group of fellow-Aussies doing just that, making demeaning comments on the country just because they were requested to show their passports! I felt very ashamed that we were holding the same passport.
> There can be some drug addicts and odd people begging around the main entrance at times. Do as you would do at home, ignore them with gentleness and keep an eye on your luggage. 

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Beaufort St 24hr Chemist (Mount Lawley WA, Australia)

    647 Beaufort St
    Mt Lawley WA 6050
    Mount Lawley
    Phone (08) 9328 7775
    Website

This is an icon of Beaufort Street. It has been in that spot for years, since I moved to Perth and Mount Lawley many years ago.

The shop is small and a bit crowded, but the space has been well taken advantage of, and you can buy most things you would want from a chemist, beyond prescription medication: organic body-care and cosmetics, perfumes, basic emergency kit items, condoms, over the counter basics, spectacles stuff (very convenient for spectacled people :))) cute little thingies that you might be tempted to get but you don't need...

The staff will let you browse around, if you tell them that is what your want, or  give you personalised attention. I have found this to be the case every time I have visited, no matter what I wanted was proper medication, over the counter medication or just hygiene or cosmetic products.

The major downside of the place are the prices, higher than in other chemist around for the same stuff. However, this is a 24/7 and we have to pay for the convenience of having them awake and open when we need them. Amen.

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Koko Black Perth (Perth WA, Australia)

140 William St
Perth WA 6000
Phone (08) 9226 3929
Website
Hours
  Mon - Tues 8:30am-5:30pm
  Wed - Thur 8:30am-10:00pm
  Fri 8:30am-11:00pm
  Sat 9:00am-11:00pm
  Sun 10:30am-5:00pm

  

The place is very functional and has a sleek contemporary design and vibe, still being comfortable and accommodating. Almost half of the place is occupied by the chocolate shop, with  display and sale cabinets. The rest is occupied by the café properly speaking and the open preparation area, which is very cool and quite large.

I love their seating area, so well thought and considerate, perfect for solo visitors, couples, families, groups. Whomever! Whatever!

The selection of chocolates and sweets is delightful and delectable.

The Chocolate Dome is absolutely wonderful in taste and presentation and not heavy on your stomach. A great mix of textures and flavours, and so aesthetically pleasant that you feel bad for breaking the visual spell with your spoon. My favourite thing in their menu.

The Alice Lemington is OK, a bit of a let down.

Their individual chocolates taste of what they are suppose to. Don't frown! This happens so rarely nowadays! All the chocolate pieces I have tried have been much of my liking, perhaps my favourite thing has been one of their simplest: the Orange Segment as orange and chocolate are like a perfect couple; use it as your coffee's date.

Their normal coffees are really forgettable, not barista quality. No no no! However, their iced coffees and chocolate are yummy. No surprise, no? Try the chocolate ice chocolate mixed with raspberry and bring your tongue and tonsils to heaven.

Service is fast and attentive, very welcoming and smiley. However, I found odd that during one of my visits I ordered an espresso coffee and the waitress did not know what that was (!)

Pricing is OK, a bit high for the individual pieces of chocolate and iced coffees/chocolates.

I would like their chart of prepared sweets enlarged, and also their normal coffees improved. They would make themselves a favour. Any chocolate needs of a great coffee!

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Delisio (Perth WA)

    703 Hay St
    Enex100 Shopping Mall, Level 3
    Perth WA 6000
    Phone (08) 9485 0055
    Website

 

I love pizza, Italian pizza, pizza that reminds me of what pizza is in Italy. Delisio does so perfectly with their pizza al taglio for takeaway or dine-in.

Wonderful simple pizzas that taste great with a base that is just heavenly crusty, not too thick, not too thin, not heavy on your stomach. You don't need 100 ingredients and sauces to make a pizza good, you need to prepare a pizza well with just the right amount of ingredients. Just an example, the white anchovy pizza, looks like and abstract painting of ingredients, you expect it to be blah, until you bite the first morsel and the flavour start riding your tongue with gusto. Everything I have tasted is good.


I have never tried their pasta, though as it is only available on weekdays and Enex100 is out of my way for lunches.

They have a mix of really Italian classics sweets (cannellini among them), and some cookies and muffins. The cookies I thought were OK. They prepare their own panna cotta and crème brûlée, as well.

They have a decent coffee (Fiori beans).

The Italian guys attending to the public are just lovely and very charming and welcoming.

This is part of the Enex100 complex, but  they are located in a secluded area beside the windows, a bit at the rear, which makes it a quieter and nicer place if you want to munch and/or talk to your company without disturbance..

Delisio is a reason for go to Enex100  more often.

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WTF Foodie moment 4: Cue

{I get to the last "it" restaurant, usually with kilometre-long cues waiting at the door. No cue today. Is this my lucky day? Plenty of tables available!}

< A table, please.
> Just for you?
< No, my friends are coming.
< How many?
> Three.
<How long it will take?

--> (He thinks I read minds. It makes me feel important.)

< Dunno. Very soon. 

--> (Click click click checking with my friend).

< About 10 minutes.

> Wait in the cue area.

--> (My jaw drops to the floor and bounces back.)

< Can I enter and wait for them inside?

> Wait outside, we don't have a table for three. 

--> (So many empty tables! I am first in an cue with one person, me! A cue of one person is a mathematical enigma).

--> (A couple comes, cues, and the waiter ushers them in before me. A second couple comes, cues, and the waiter ushers them in before me - again! Is this a cue?)

--> (A group of five arrives, and the waiter ushers them in before me. WTF is this cue?)

--> (I'm cueing on my own, again! in an empty cue. To cue or not to cue, I don't have a clue.) 

--> (A human river starts to arrive. They cue behind me. I feel the queen of this cue and we are all cueing together. This is a cue!)  

--> Finally I get my table, and I am allowed out of this WTF cue. 

(WHERE? Papparich Northbridge.)

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WTF Foodie Moment 3: Espresso

{I call the attention of the lovely young waitress}

< Can you bring me an espresso, please?

> Espresso? Uhmmm, what do you mean?

--> (Rolling my eyes anti-clockwise).

< Well, an e-s-p-r-e-s-s-o. A coffee, you know, an espresso coffee.

> Do you mean, that sort of coffee that is like a long black?

---> (Rolling my eyes clockwise. Perhaps I need to clean up my ears?).

< No, you know?, an espresso, just like a concentrated coffee, no milk,  in a small coffee cup.

> Ahhhhhhh, like a shot of coffee in those little tiny winy cups?

< That's right. That is an espresso.

--> (Really.... WTF!)

(WHERE? Kokoblack cafe, Northbridge)

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WTF Foodie Moment 2: The Wrong dish

{I order the pork belly dish. Before ordering I asked about other dishes, the egg dish included. I distinctly heard the waiter saying pork belly after I ordered. The food arrives like 20 minutes later}

> Here are your eggs. 

< I ordered the pork belly.
> Ah really, I thought you had ordered the eggs. 

--> ( I show a lovely knife sharp smile. I think, how on earth the sound of eggs and pork belly can be mixed up?).

< Well, no, I ordered the pork belly. 

--> (We are all humans. I expect a retreat and my pork belly start cooking right now. I am hungry and dangerous or vice versa).

> Do you mind if we change it? 

--> (I am rolling my eyes and breathing out some toxic fumes, fanned out in his direction by my nostrils).

< Well... I ordered the pork belly.

> OK, sorry about that. 

--> (Retreat. Fake smile. He seems to be disappointed in me wanting the dish I ordered. How weird of me! WTF!) 

(WHERE? Lot 20, Northbridge)

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