Granada

Forget about the dark skies, the cooling air, the periods of rain. (Last week -- 84f/28c; today -- 45f/7c). Forget about processions, goldenrod buildings, mushroom squares and buggy rides. Our attention on this day is on the Alhambra.

I don't usually get awestruck by castles, palaces, homes of sultans and their wives. But when I first visited the Alhambra, well, my eyes watered. I had read that it was nominated for one of the Seven Wonders of the World (when the updated list came out). It came in 8th. The locals were incensed. I dont know about the politics of nomination, but it hardly mattered to me. The architecture, the setting, the gardens, the art of it -- I felt I had stepped into something out of this world.

The Alhambra has plenty of Spanish Renaissance elements to it. But first and foremost, it is a tribute to Islamic architecture, perhaps the best preserved example of it. The colors, the detail, the courtyards -- they are beyond stunning.

The Alhambra was for the most part built by the Nasrid Dynasty (1232 - 1492) -- these were the last Muslims to rule in Spain and each of the rulers added his own extravagant piece to the complex. The Alhambra isn't just one building. It is a compound of many.

It takes time to walk through it, to look at all that detail. But I put off our visit until the afternoon. The crowds start to thin out then, and the light is really exquisite. This, of course, would have been the case had we the very typical Andalusian sunshine on our backs.  On a wet day? It hardly matters. Still, as I noted earlier, you cannot buy tickets at the last minute. This is a "months in advance" kind of thing. And of course, we are constrained to travel during school breaks. So, an Alhambra visit is set for this day, no matter what.

We start the morning leisurely. Breakfast is downstairs, in the "garden." Closed to the elements, thank goodness. Even so, it's cool there.

(these pastries are of the holiday, and of familiar Arabic traditions: lots of honey, nuts, fried dough)

(she sticks with her croissant, Iberian ham and pineapple. every day. same thing.)

(in Andalucia, you notice the tiles...)

Afterwards? Well, I coax her into going out to the commercial center of Granada. We find a Corte Ingles. We shop for brothers and cousins. I'm saving the walk through the old town for tomorrow. 

(passing by the one item that unravels my pescaterian's resolve...)

And here's a very tiny miracle! The clouds break up! Not totally, but just enough to occasionally reveal a bit of blue. It's unexpected and weird and so very very important for us, because really, the Alhambra in a downpour would be ... difficult to understand. But we're not there yet. Right now, we're just bouncy from this bit of blue!

Alright. Time for our big excursion. First -- I booked a lunch up the hill, close to the entrance of the Alhambra. Jardines Alberto. It's mostly Nasrid cuisine, but with a nod toward Italian as well, so that the girl can fill up on her beloved carbs. It's an uphill hike!

Arrived!

Calamari and pasta for the girl, some egg and veggie mixture for me. 

 

 

 

At first, we are alone on the heated patio. But the waiters keep sending people away, saying that they are completely full. In half an hour, I see why: a big group of Korean travelers arrives. As does the music. 

I'm not surprised -- we are so close to one of the Alhambra gates. And I dont really mind, even though I know for a fact that none of the songs they play are Andalucian. Indeed, perhaps not even Spanish

 

At 3 pm we meet up with Miriam. Again I opt for walking through these incredible places with a local person who can inspire Snowdrop to think more broadly about what she is seeing. Miriam runs her own Granada "walk with a local" gig and she is good! She takes it all out of my hands: the decisions as to where to go first, what to bypass, where to really take a deep dive into the artistry and architecture.

And once more I will post pictures and be sparse with the commentary. I should note that there are several structures here that stand apart from all the rest -- the Palace of the Lions and the Palace of the Comares and, too the Hall of the Abencerrajes. Both appear below. [To appreciate it even more, you'd have to know that the Alhambra was taken over by the Spanish Royals at the end of the Islamic rule (it's back to Isabella and Ferdinand who got comfy here in 1492), and, too that the entire complex was then abandoned and damaged, falling into disrepair in the 17th and 18th centuries. The restoration was in great part encouraged due to the writings of the American author Washington Irving, who visited Alhambra and produced the wildly popular Tales of Alhambra in 1832.]

(first climb: the bell tower, and yes, you can see through the haze the snow-capped mountains to the north!)

The first wow is always the entrance into the Nasrid complex.

(Yep, Palace of the Lions)

(this is why you need the sun here...)

(oh, the courtyards!)

(and the reflecting pools...)

(and the Alhambra cats!)

(from Generalife, you get the views)

(Miriam plays skipping games with Snowdrop)

(oh, but the views!!)

(and the blooms: roses and wisteria)

(the Summer Palace)

(one last breathtaking moment)

(and down the hill we go, returning to Granada, with this one good bye from a place that did its utmost to get us to notice!)

Tell me that there was not magic to this trek up to the Alhambra!

We eat dinner at the hotel. After a full day and a cool day, nothing is better than staying close to the hearth.

It is our last night in Andalucia. I'd say we had an intense time here! Lots to think about, to remember and cherish.

with love...

from Seville to Granada

Seville, without doubt, is the heart of Andalucia. Nevertheless, some would argue that the star of the region is Granada. (Laura would dispute that. She told me -- Sevillanos are open, curious, friendly. Granadinos, she said, are more Castillian. Closed off. Fewer emotions on display.) In my visit to Granada with Ed, I wasn't taken in by the city so much. Interesting, but without the golden beauty of its cousin. A mere 250 kilometers away from Seville (155 miles), it feels a world away. Nonetheless, I have to say, the Alhambra of Granada is a palace so exquisite, that I was absolutely determined to bring Snowdrop to it.

Unfortunately, the weather is completely wrong for this excursion. Tomorrow -- the time of our visit there -- will be very wet and very cold. And no, we can't change the time of the visit. Tickets to the Alhambra are sold out months in advance. I bought ours in the summer!

First, though, we have to get to Granada. 

We pack up, we eat one last breakfast in our very lovely hotel Colon, with the gorgeous glass dome that dates back to the early years of this building (1929)...

 

And we take a taxi to the train station.

I can't say that I am relaxed about this trip. We need to change trains in Cordoba and we have the usual bags, packs and... Aubrey. Moreover, the Spanish train company (Renfe) is upgrading something or other along this route, and so I am concerned about delays and a missed connection. We have a somewhat tight switch in Cordoba. I went with it because it was either that or having a very long wait at a cold and impersonal train station. 

We survived!

 

 

 

And arrived on time in Granada. We cab over to our hotel, the Palacio Gran Via, and I exhale! From here on forward, things should be easy, if a bit cold and wet!

At the check in, they ask us if we want one of their essential oil fragrances in the room and if so, which one? Snowdrop picks jasmine. The hotel is in fact lovely. Our room is small, but it has a fantastic glassed in balcony adding light, even on this dark day.

What's the plan for today? Honestly, not much. I'm not a fan of souvenir shopping, because some modicum of equality demands that if one grandkid gets something, so should the others. The worst image is that of Snowdrop returning from a special trip loaded down with new stuff while her brothers look on. Besides, I already have Aubrey to carry with us on all segments of our trip. I do not need more baggage. 

To think this through, I go down to the small hotel cafe, while Snowdrop rests in the room (her choice). 

(coffee and fried apple pockets with goat mild ice cream; incredibly good!)

One thing is clear: I don't want to spend the entire afternoon at the hotel. Sure, there's the rain, but this is going to be our weather pattern for the remaining days in Spain. So we go for a walk. A wet walk! Where to? We begin with a look from the hotel rooftop toward the Alhambra. It dominates Granada and you have to start drinking in its structure early on.

 

 

Then we walk to the Alcaiceria. This is Grananda's old silk market -- dating back to the centuries of Muslim domination.

(on the way: ice cream pause!)

It's not as it was back then of course. Fire destroyed it a couple of hundred years ago, the trade shifted to local artifacts and Granada souvenirs. Nonetheless, it has Arabic features that you wont find elsewhere in Europe. Well, maybe in Istanbul. In any case, it's a first for the girl.

And I should mention that overall, Snowdrop really likes Granada. You'd think otherwise, given the weather. Perhaps it has something to do with where we landed and the experiences we had on our walk. Looking out of our glassed in balcony, she says it reminds her of other parts of Europe. I can see that!

Too, it's not overrun by procession craziness. (Our hotel person said that people look forward to this week all year long, when sunshine is abundant and then, perversely, on Holy Week it rains and processions are cancelled one by one.) And there are inviting pastry shops and candy stores everywhere. In fact, we got seduced by one where they sold chocolate strawberries and candied grapes.

The clerk flooded us with free samples of fruit pates, marzipan and who knows what else. A successful strategy to get us inside? Yep. We walked away with some chocolate for late night cravings, strawberries for her, and a grape for me.

 

I steer her up the hill a bit, along the Carrera del Darro. It's a pretty walk that hugs the river and borders the older sections of town. And everything is in bloom!

(Western Redbud)

The show stopper is, of course, the Alhambra, which towers right above us.

We pause then. The rain has soaked my shoes and besides, we've had a day of travel and shifting perspectives. We could do with a brief rest.

Dinner is at Los Manueles. This may be the last of the local Andalusian eateries on our trip, since our next days are complicated, with a bizarre mix of essential sights and travel demands and hotel-based meals. Los Manueles seemed,  on entering it, hugely chaotic to me, but then every place here is packed, with lines streaming out the door. The hotel had booked a table for us and I'm not arguing. Happy to have food on this Holy Week night.

 

 

The waiter spoke zero English. I mean, not even "still water" and "no sauce" -- essentials, as far as the girl is concerned. But he had his phone and asked me to speak into it so that it would translate my words for him. In the end I ordered fried eggplant, friend calamari, garlic shrimp, a salad and a bowl of noodles with cheese, just in case. 

It was fantastic! If my love for restaurant food embraces the fresh and honest, this was supremely fresh and honest. Despite the chaos, the loud scrape of chairs against the tile floor, the many moving parts (ordering with QR codes is far more ubiquitous here), they got everything right! 

A good ending to a full day. Despite the plummeting temps and the rain. Honestly, the weather never bothered us!

Tomorrow, we focus in on what draws so many here. Yes, the big A. We'll explore it together. Tomorrow.

Seville once again

If yesterday we soaked up the feel of this incredible city, today we zero in on the Royal Alcazar of Seville. With Laura, who knows the palace like I know the farmette lands. Perhaps even better than that.

But first, breakfast.

It's still warm outside, but you can tell the weather is about to change. Storms will rumble through and from there it's downhill all the way! A forty degree downward spiral. But why worry about that on this day, when the skies are overcast, but the air? Like a summer delight.

(walking to the Alcazar)

To understand and really feel the beauty of the Alcazar, you have to recall the history of Andalucia. I'd gone over this with Snowdrop already and the walk with Laura certainly reinforced it. A quick review for those who are curious: after the fall of the Romans, southern Spain was conquered by the Islamic rulers of Northern Africa. It remained an Islamic stronghold for hundreds of years. Only in the Medieval Era are these dynasties weakened, and Andalucia, along with Seville, fall under the rule of the Castillian Catholic monarchs. At first, they allowed the Muslims to remain and practice their religion in a limited way, but pretty quickly those noble feelings fizzled and the persecution and forced religious conversion of the Muslims (as well as other non-Catholics) began.

All this explains the Alcazar's incredible architecture. I remember being floored by it back when I visited Seville with Ed. Today is no different.

The building began as an Islamic citadel in the 10th century. From there it morphed into a larger Islamic palace. But that's not the end of it: after the Castillian conquest of Seville, the palace was rebuild. Gardens were added and the palace was ornamented in the Mudejar style. (The Mudejars were the Muslims who remained here after the Christians took over. This was during the rather short-lived period of peaceful coexistence between the two religious groups in the mid-14th century.)

Similarities to the Alhambra in Granada abound, but let's put that aside for now and concentrate on the splendid elements of the Alcazar. Again, I'll refrain from detailed explanations. Just take it all in -- the plaster ornamentation, the tile work, the sculpted ceiling, the arched, horseshoe doorways, the courtyards, fountains and plant life. It's a beautiful place! As Laura would say -- you could almost forgive Peter the Cruel his murderous inclinations, because he left behind Alcazar -- arguably one of the most beautiful palaces in the world. (I suppose movie goers flock here as well, because it reminds them of the Game of Thrones, which was filmed on the premises, I'm told.)

To me, the gardens are equally exquisite.

 

Peaceful and contemplative.

And then there is the Labyrinth. Snowdrop just loved the Labyrinth!

Not at all easy to navigate. Laura and I were a bit unnerved by it, but the girl eventually lead us out.

Laura lingered with us after our Alcazar visit, suggesting we go back to Plaza de Espana (we buggied through it yesterday) and the Maria Luisa Park - a gathering place, a green space, with an architecturally impressive building, and with the iconic bridges that symbolize the four kingdoms of Spain -- Leon, Castilla, Aragon, and Navarra (with 48 benches representing every province of Spain).

And here's where we part ways. Snowdrop and I have quite the walk back to the hotel still before us and I do not like to push the little one too much, because it all then falls apart for her, for both of us.

Of course, it is Sunday. The first official day of Holy Week. Yesterday's procession? Just a wee Holy Week Eve thing. Today, everyone is dressed to kill. Men in navy suits, with ties, the women in high heels. Laura had said that the point is to wear something brand new and yes, heels are de rigeur! But of course, to an American, it's the brotherhood outfits that are absolutely disconcerting, for obvious reasons.

We haven't any intention of crowding close to a procession, but you cant avoid the Sevillian throngs, even if you're to the side of the routes where there will be the drums, the candles, the Christ bodies. The Sevillians seem to have completely succumbed to the demands of the week. (Normally, Spain has some rules about street photography that would have me hesitate in taking many closeups of people, but the rules state that there is an exception for festivals. Well now!)

 

Snowdrop sees all this of course, but she also sees the cheerful side of having festivities at every corner.

Me, I'm fascinated by the dressing up that has happened here -- to a degree I've not seen in a long time anywhere.

Well, and those hoods...

Young boys in dress shorts... old fashioned, or what!

It's after two. The girl and I are in need of a lunch. We get some help for this at our hotel. They make a call to a place that is in the opposite direction of a church, so that we would not be swallowed up by the crowds. Still, there are people. Everywhere.

But yes, it's a quiet enough spot, though crowded with locals. La Cayetana. An Andalusian "bistro." They literally brought out a table and placed it by the curb so that we could eat here, to the tune of buses and cars whizzing by.

(Snowdrop enjoys a text exchange with her mommy)

And again, she loves much of the seafood. We've established the mushy croquettes (sooooo Spanish!) are not her thing. But the shrimp in garlic and olive oil and the fried calamari? Yum!

We walk back to the hotel (a tourist today is easy to spot! dressed for the everyday, unlike these guys...).

 

... and once again the girl asks to swim.

... while below, you can spot a fragment of the procession, just one procession, making its way along the narrow streets of Seville.

As I've said before -- the weather is changing. We're leaving Seville tomorrow morning and we'll be entering a period of unusual cold for this part of the country. Because of this, I've somewhat reworked and modified our itinerary. More on this later. For now, I'll just end with our Italian pizza supper at La Piemontesa. It's a great way to end our unusual, but perhaps very predictable set of days in beautiful Seville. It still remains my favorite city here, in Spain. And hey, they even have great pizza!

Good night, on a drizzly night in goldenrod Seville.