We head out to begin our Granada adventures. We wander the local streets of Albaicin. All the roads are made up of small pebbled stones layed vertically which creates a jagged path underfoot. Even more amazing is the patterns that are in all the stone paths. So much work and effort. We head to the plaza de San Nicolas. The church is quite interesting but the view from the plaza to the east is the real star. From here the Alhambra opens up right in front of you. The terracing white houses with terracotta roofs in the foreground and the green cypress below the Alhambra play off with the earthy reds of the Alhambra buildings behind. The Sierra Nevada mountains in the distance beyond with their small peaks of snow provide an idyllic backdrop. What a beautiful view. Amazing.
We make our way down to the river, more like a small stream really. The streets along the way are so interesting. Some have cars, but most are small pedestrian paths and stairs. I love a hill town. Theres a beautiful ugliness to these old towns and historic quarters of cities we've seen in Europe. They are dirty, grimy buildings with haphazard cabling; plumbing coming out everywhere; and broken roof tiles with gutters and eaves in need of serious maintenance. Yet somehow this uglyness is beautiful. I guess it shows the importance of character to a place. When all these things combine, the old white terracotta tile with the stone streets and steps, you get a sense of place. Rich with charm and character.
We walk along the river on the Carrer del Darro, stopping for a really good coffee before making our way to the Plaza Nueva. We wander around the town centre. The streets are lovely once again. Lush tree canopies line the roads whilst shade cloths and sails hang over the streets, helping to cool the place down. We make our way into the large Catholic cathedral in the centre of town. It's the site of a former mosque, the Catholic church built over it in the 15th century after the Christians took control of Granada. It's now one of the bigger footprint cathedrals in Europe. It's impressive. The simple Whiteness of the interior allows it to be filled with light and the main alter area is a baroque masterpiece. It's an interesting church for all the different stylistic features done in different periods. Very layered.
We head out of the cathedral and into the square where there's so many old women trying to give rosemary to people. These are the Granada version of the rose guys in other European cities, pushy old Spanish ladies trying to hustle rosemary for euro.
We wander the surrounding streets. They're very pretty, lots of bars and outdoor seating. It's amazing the strong Arab influence down here in Andalusia. Even after 500 plus years of Christians trying to stamp it out it's still prevailing in the culture. Its in the buildings, in the food, in the stores and in the language. It's all still quite Arabic, with s Spanish flavour.
We stop for a drink and relax in one of the plazas. The cool thing about the outdoor seating is the watery mist they spray from the shade structures. Keeps the place pretty cool. Really does work too.
We wander the streets and small markets some more, going from the Centro sagrario area across into the Realejo area, another old part of town similar in character to the Albaicin. We head through its narrow streets, again a mix of car and pedestrian ones, passing through from narrow lanes into the open squares. I like to think of it as square hopping. It's now after 1:30pm and we peruse the numerous bars and restaurant menus looking for lunch. Everything feels the same in Spain. Most menus in each city offer the same thing. It's quite difficult choosing where to eat. You less go on menu and more on the vibe or character of the place. This doesn't necessarily result in the best food.
After lunch we head back through the Albaicin, there's lots of markets with spices, gypsy clothing and incense. Lots of gypsies around too.
It's quite hot now, and we get our first real sense of the Spanish siesta. Things start to close and shut up and the Plaza Neuva is empty. We head back for our own little rest.
At 4:30 we head back down to the Plaza Neuva to join a tour group for the Alhambra. All the tickets were sold today so we had to get a guided tour. A little more expensive but hopefully worth it. The tours also in the afternoon and evening so hopefully the light will be nice and not as hot too. We head up the steep hills on the bus and the tour starts in the Generalife, translated to the commoners garden.
It's a stunning space, so beautifully ordered and formal. The symmetry of the layouts of planters and hedges create a sense of rhythm. Vistas are created through the openings of cypress hedging with views to the Albaicin beyond.
It's very impressive. One thing that I love is the constant presence of water. It was the lifeblood of the early Arab community here and its importance in the gardens is always made centre stage. It's interesting that when the Christians took control and during the Spanish Inquisition the water features and in particular the public baths were the first thing they destroyed in an attempt to destroy and replace the culture. This is a common theme throughout the Alhambra and indeed Granada and wider Andalusia. Many of the buildings and palaces here were replaced and destroyed when the Christians took power from the sultan. It's quite an interesting and sad history. Many Jews and Islamic people were killed. This tour into the history of a place and it's people gets my mind thinking; thinking of how as time goes by and civilisation progresses, some things never really change. There's always been and always will be people wanting to take something from someone else. I guess it depends on who's writing of history you read as to who's good or bad. But the story of the Christians destroying the public baths and water fountains that were the lifeblood of Arab society here, reminded me of the attacks on the twin towers, built as the Rockefeller families desire for world peace through world trade. Very similar really, attack that which is the core of a society.
We finish wandering the gardens and head into the palaces of the Alhambra. These spaces blow my mind with detail. The extensive and elaborate carvings are nothing like what I've seen before, particularly the decoration of the ceilings. They are like stalactites in a cave. Finely crafted plaster carvings projecting down and painted in polychromatic colours to make the reliefs pop. The colour is nit presenting most due to age and destruction. The sheer amount of this ornate detail throughout the complex of buildings is astounding. The thing I most like about the Alhambra and indeed much of the Arab buildings we have visited is the relationship the garden has with the inside spaces. The indoor outdoor courtyards and colonnades are amazing.
After an extensive 3hour exploration of the Alhambra precinct we are physically exhausted. Lots of walking. Quite intense really how vast this place is.
It's now after 8pm and the evening sky is beautiful. We skip taking the bus back to town and decide to walk down ourselves. It's a beautiful walk through more lush garden forest, but man is it steep. Uncomfortably steep to be honest. Nonetheless it's been an amazing Alhambra experience.
We wander back through Realejo and then along the river until we get to Calle Chirimias, a pleasant plaza where there's a group of flamenco street performers dancing. We stop for 15 minutes and watch, also giving us a chance to rest our weary feet. Sim loves all the dogs that seem to be out now too. They are everywhere in Europe. Such a great dog culture here.
We then reluctantly head up the stairs and paths of Albaicin to the restaurants in front of plaza de San Nicolas. Sweaty and slightly out of breathe we head in for dinner on the rooftop terrace at El Huerto de Jaun Ranas, a beautiful location overlooking the Alhambra, which is now bathed in the setting suns light. The food is nice, the service not so much. It's like Granadas version of One Direction serving us. Takes a long time to even get a menu let alone a drink as they focus on their hair more than the customers. Despite this it's still an incredible spot to sit, have a drink and a meal and enjoy the evening. We watch the day turn to night as the Alhambra red walls start to glow with the artificial lights shining up on them.
We head back to the Santa Isabel around 11 and get some rest. Been a big day on our feet. Sims iPhone health app has us at 22km again and a ridiculous amount of stairs, 60 floors.
mat + sim
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