'Andalucía With Fields Full of Grain...'

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June 18th 2008

Published: September 7th 2008

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Andy and Christine

Granada

No bull, Andalucia is the place to see!

'...I have to see you again and again'. Who could blame the Doors for writing those lyrics in their song 'Spanish Caravan'. They knew what they were talking about. Andalucía is a fantastic region, and once you've been there, you can't help wanting to return over and over again.

We left Madrid, saying 'see ya later' to the huge Spanish city on May. 25th. Leaving our budget hotel, we took a quick metro ride and then found the bus station. Problem was, we hadn't checked the times before leaving, and ended up waiting around for four hours to get onto the next bus, as the others were already full. Nothing a bag of candy, a greasy breakfast and a Spanish newspaper or two couldn't remedy while waiting at the bus station.

Riding on our first long distance bus in Spain was a great way to see the landscape. We passed fields filled with olive groves, sheep, bulls, flowers and the occasional crumbling stone building. As we moved closer to Granada, we noticed the beautiful mountain peaks of the Sierra Nevada looming off in the distance, the highest mountain range in Spain.

We got to the station in Granada,

Alhambra, Granada

Colourful and ancient tiles decorate the floor

then transferred to a sardine-packed local bus to make our way to the centre of town. It started to rain again, and after some minor confusion we secured a nice room with a balcony overlooking the street, close to Granada's famous Alhambra. We relaxed for a bit, then wandered outside for a while before heading off to bed. We wanted to be up early, to get in the line-up for the Alhambra.

We were up by 6:30 am the next morning, and left relatively early to walk the steep hike up the hill to where the Alhambra sits high over Granada. We had been warned by other travelers to line up early, or risk not getting in. By 7:30 am, we arrived, breathless, at the top, and already there was a line forming. We jumped in, realizing that we had made a wise decision to not sleep in.

The Alhambra began life as a red fortress, built by the Muslims in the ninth century. It was later converted into a fortress/palace in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, with a small town attached. It was during this time that most of the beautiful Islamic architecture was created. The Muslim

Alhambra, Granada

Andy loves the colourful tiles

rulers surrendered Granada and the Alhambra in 1492 when King Fernando and Queen Isabel took the surrounding region during the Christian reconquest. This began a slow decline, and by the eighteenth century the palace was abandoned.

Once entering the Palacio Nazaríes, or Nasrid palaces, arguably the most brilliant buildings in Europe, we noticed the intricately moulded stucco walls, carved wooden ceilings, colourful ceramic floor and wall tiles, and symbolic patterning everywhere. As far as palaces go, this was different than anything else we had visited. The views were incredible; windows looked out onto the forest, then to city far below. We wandered amazed, admiring bright courtyards, detailed alcoves and reflective ponds. Even surrounded by the crowds, the palace felt peaceful and relaxed.

We walked further, continuing on to the Alcazaba, the fortified town of the Alhambra. We enjoyed the many sights of this structure, such as the towers, walls and small crumbling rooms. The highlight was the great view of the snow-clad Sierra Nevada, seen from the terrace of the Watch Tower.

We took a lunch break before returning to see the magnificent gardens of the Alhambra. Known as the Generalife, or the Architect's Garden, it is

Alhambra, Granada

Pretty pillars and detailed carving decorates the Patio de Los Leones

really an agricultural estate. There were many courtyards filled with so many different types and colours of flowers, flowing fountains, pathways, ponds, trees and hedges. We couldn't help but be amazed, and looked around there for a long time.

The following day, we wandered the streets of Granada, looking in shops and admiring the local architecture. We decided to check out the Capilla Real or Royal Chapel. This Gothic building was commissioned by the Catholic King Fernando and Queen Isabel to be their final resting place.

Richly decorated altars surrounded the carved marble likenesses of the King and Queen. Their strange, plain lead coffins, along with their daughter 'Joanna the Mad', her hubby, and the miniature coffin holding their eldest grandchild, were all visible in a crypt beneath the marble. We also admired the riches in the museum, home to a silver crown and many paintings collected by Isabel, including a small but beautiful painting by Botticelli.

We left the Chapel, then went around to another entrance to check out the Cathedral. It is a giant Gothic-Renaissance monster of a building, which we had noticed from a distance while looking down from the Alhambra. It boasted some

Alhambra, Granada

Beautifully swirling Arabic script covers the walls

seriously large pillars, lots of gold and some high, lofty ceilings. We left there very impressed.

Another highlight of Granada was the Albayzin, which is the old Muslim quarter. There were many shops where you could enjoy a hookah, mint tea, or buy up many souvenirs reminiscent of some Arabic country, far away from Spain. At the top of the neighbourhood was the Mirador San Nicolas, or lookout. To get there, we huffed and puffed our way up steep, winding, narrow alleys to the summit. Once hitting the top, we had some gorgeous views of Granada, as well as a view of the Alhambra, the only one that to us seemed to show it's enormity.

From beautiful Granada, we took the bus down south to the Andalucian beaches of Malaga. We noticed many bull fighting posters papering the walls of buildings, as we made our way to the centre. Once there, we secured a room, after looking at a few, at a half decent hotel run by a nice gentleman. It had a little deck that we could look at a bit of the action on the streets.

First we ventured out to the beaches, just a

Alhambra, Granada

Flags blowing in the wind

fifteen minute walk from where we were staying. The beaches were wide, sandy, and surprisingly quite empty of people enjoying them. Perfect, just the way we liked them. The waves crashed in as we lay there in the sun, without a care in the world. Again, it was nice to escape the city chaos for a few days.

Since Malaga is the birth place of the famous artist Pablo Picasso, what better place to visit a museum of his work. At the Museo Picasso Malaga, there are over 200 works by the artist, all either donated or lent by his grandson and daughter-in-law. A huge collection of paintings, sketches and sculptures, spanning his entire career. There was something for everyone to enjoy, from the mildly curious to the serious fan.

Another sight of Malaga is the Alcazaba, a palace/fortress dating from 1057. Another really cool place to check out, with it's Arabic styled gardens, courtyards, and many photo opportunities from the various towers. We left the Alcazaba and continued on up a hill to see the breathtaking views from the Castillo de Gibralfaro, a castle built in the 8th century. We could see everything, from the coastline to

Alhambra, Granada

The cathedral looms large in the city in the view from the Watch Tower

the massive bullfighting arena far below.

We found out that Christine's grandma had a couple of friends that lived near Malaga, so we decided to take a long shot and leave a message with them, hoping to possibly meet up for coffee or even better, an alcoholic beverage. The very next day, we got an email reply, gave them a call, and before we knew it, we were getting picked up by them in town. A half hour drive later, we pulled up in front of a beautiful terra cotta tiled villa.

Pat and Sid were an older English couple, who had spent the past sixteen years living in their incredible house, with a lovely swimming pool and a view overlooking the sparkling Mediterranean. What a life! They were great hosts, well travelled, interesting and funny, and they spoiled us rotten as we chatted and drank champagne.

After a little while, they took us out for some delicious Spanish food and red wine. They sure knew their tapas, ordering without having to look at the menu. We talked for hours, ate fresh seafood and just when we thought it couldn't get any better, they took us for

Alhambra, Granada

Flower power at Generalife

some tasty Spanish brandy and coffees to top it off. They sure did live the life of sun and relaxation in southern Spain.

But it was getting late, and we were sad to have to say our good-byes. The time had gone so quickly, thanks to their great company and good conversation. They dropped us at the train station, and as we wobbled onto the platform, we soon realized that we were pretty... happy.

The train sped along the tracks and after about twenty minutes, we were back in town. We grabbed a quick bite and headed down to the beach to walk the sand. Our timing was good, and we just caught the end of an incredible sunset. A warm breeze, the sound of the waves and soft sand under our feet, how lucky can you get.

Malaga had been a perfect place for relaxation, sand and surf, which made it difficult to leave, but we were heading to a place that was possibly even better. The home of flamenco, art, architecture, bullfighting, tapas, and everything else that is Andalucian: Seville. We jumped on the train, and not long after found ourselves making our way to

Alhambra, Granada

The pretty Patio de la Acequia in the Generalife

the centre of Seville, to search out a hotel room.

We found an interesting place, with beautifully tiled walls and a courtyard featuring a pond with tiny turtles swimming around. It was only a few minutes walk down some extremely narrow, cobbled alleys into the heart of the city. Shops were filled with images of bulls, flamenco dancers and colourful, hand painted fans. Artists had their work spread out on the cobble stones for the tourists to admire and buy.

At night, the city came to life. People filled restaurants and pubs, spilling out onto patios in the streets, or standing with a drink in one hand and a tapa in the other. No one ate dinner before nine pm at night, and people would be dining long after midnight at many places. There was certainly a vibrant and lively nightlife in Spain.

The center of Seville is dominated by one of the largest cathedrals in the world. The style is mainly Gothic, and many stone creatures look down at you from the ornate decorative stone outer facade. Inside, some features include the tomb of Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus, the largest carved wooden altarpiece in the world,

Cathedral, Granada

See wee little Christine at the base of the pillar, this place is huge

gorgeous old stained glass windows and some great paintings. Definitely a place worth checking into.

Right next to this massive structure is another one of Seville's marvels, the Alcázar, or royal palace. It had been the residence of many different kings over the years, both Muslim and Christian. This is why it had changed and been expanded many times over the centuries. It wasn't as vast as the Alhambra, but the amazing array of buildings had more intricate detail, brighter paint, and some beautiful tile work, much like the rest of Seville. Not to mention the incredible gardens and fountains that we got to enjoy before exiting the Alcázar.

Seville had great food, including, of course, it's famous tapas. We went to one restaurant a couple of times because we loved their delicious fried sardines, squid, baked eggplant and a glass of beer to wash it all down. And after eating so many tapas, it was eventually time for a change, and we went to a good Chinese restaurant. The best part was a huge tank of tropical fish to watch while dining on chow mein and wonton soup.

One evening, we went out for a couple

Granada

Typical street scene

tapas and a jug of sangria, the delicious Spanish concoction of red wine, fruit and brandy. Somehow we started chatting with an Australian couple next to us, who were also touring around Spain. This is when we met Steve and Sally. After having another sangria, we decided to move to the pub across the street where we would have a few more.

We continued our conversations, and discovered that they were on their way to Portugal the next morning. This was somewhere that we had only just decided to visit too. The hours flew by, we were all killing ourselves laughing and in the end we had a great time.

We exchanged emails and decided that if fate had it, we'd try and meet up again in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, where our travel paths would most likely cross next. It is cool how Canadians and Australians just seem to hit if off. Must be the same strange sense of humour that we all seem to share. Late in the night we said our good-byes, and hoped to see Steve and Sal again soon.

Our plan was to catch the bus across the border of Spain

Granada

Christine at the Mirador San Nicolas, with the Alhambra in the background

and into Portugal. This was totally uncharted territory for us, as we hadn't originally planned to see Portugal. We also had no idea what the bus schedule was. Since we were close to the border, and Portugal sounded like an interesting destination, we made our decision. We would try something new; leave behind the beautiful country, friendly people and delicious food and drinks of Spain and head across just one more border.

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