Birthday with the Gypsies in Granada

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Waking up for my birthday in Madrid, I knew I was in for a memorable day as I was going to be in Granada by nightfall, seeing the Alhambra Palace illuminated under the dark velvet cloak of the Andalusian night.

The first major stop of the day's journey was in the picturesque city of Toledo. Viewing the layout of this city from the famous perspective depicted in a painting by El Greco, I was immediately drawn to it and looked forward to exploring its old streets on foot. Toledo is surrounded on three sides by a river in horseshoe shape, providing a natural barrier from marauding armies of yesteryear whose sights were set upon this glorious city. The remaining side has an imposing centuries old city wall, complete with superb entrance gates that harken back to a bygone era. In many ways, the narrow cobblestone streets winding their way over the gentle undulations, combined with the slim ochre-hued bricks reminded me of wandering through Siena in Tuscany, complete with rolling hills in the surrounding countryside. The highlight of these wanderings was pausing in a church to gaze upon El Greco's masterpiece, 'The Burial of the Count of Orgaz', which is widely regarded as one of the finest oil on canvas paintings ever created. The ability of El Greco to paint transparent garments, allowing the viewer to see the shape and folds of the garment underneath the shimmering outer garment was quite remarkable. This aspect of the painting is what immediately captured my eye, before scanning the rest of this large composition. He even included a self-portrait within the painting, along with a depiction of his son at the funeral. Interestingly, these two figures appear to be the only ones not staring at the burial or up to Heaven, instead they are staring straight back at you, El Greco having a most penetrating gaze. Another place of note in Toledo was the unique synagogue. In the days of its construction there weren't any skilled Jewish builders, so they had to ask the Arabs to construct their place of worship. As the Moors were more familiar with constructing mosques, the end result was a distinctly Arabian interior design for this synagogue. Toledo was once a city where Muslims, Jews and Christians all lived together harmoniously and, in my mind, this synagogue was a reminder of those days. Even more so when considering it was later used as a Christian church.

After this brief interlude, I boarded the bus for Granada, my excitement palpable as I was finally going to see the Alhambra Palace, which had long intrigued my mind. I seem to be drawn to music that contains Arabic scales and it was due to this that I first became aware of this palace, due to an E.P. entitled 'Alhambra' which was released by one of my favoured bands from my teenage years, The Tea Party. Music has a powerful ability to influence an impressionable teenage mind which is starting to become fascinated by the world that exists beyond their own periphery. In an earlier blog I wrote of the Zapatista revolution in Chiapas, Mexico. This, too, I was introduced to via music, thanks to the political diatribes spat out by the vocalist for Rage Against the Machine back in the mid-nineties. But I digress...

My birthday evening in Granada turned out to be one of my most memorable nights of this trip and one I will surely treasure forever. The reason for this is that I went to a gypsy cave and was thoroughly entertained by the members of the gypsy family who reside there. The night involved a few drinks and I was completely swept up by the passion and intensity of the dancing and the music. The cave was long and narrow and had one section of floor that was wooden. The acoustics of this cave were incredible and when a heel, toe or stick was struck upon this floor, it filled your ears and resonated through your core. Whilst this impromptu dancing was taking place, a guitarist and singer provided the inspiration to drive the dancers ever onward. All other members of the family who were not dancing spent their time shouting and clapping, creating complex rhythms within rhythms that the dancers moved to. Occasionally a dancer would begin by beating out the rhythm that they were feeling within them, thus requiring the musicians to also display their skills at improvisation. The entire performance was spontaneous and wholly captivating. What I remember most clearly was the all-encompassing intensity that was displayed upon the face of whoever was dancing. The emotions seemed to range from painful ecstasy to exhilarated release. I was seated along the wall of the cave, which meant that I could hear every breath that was exhaled, every swish of a dress as it sashayed past me very see every bead of sweat that swelled upon an impassioned brow. These families generally consist of many children and I can understand why after watching them dance, for I was ready to give up my known life there and then and become a fully-fledged gypsy. Such thoughts soon evaporated, however, when one of the gypsy girls invited me to dance with her and I was reminded of how inept my own dancing is, which would surely not be adequate for someone of the Roma tribes.

The following day was a gift. I entered the Alhambra Palace before the crowds arrived and gazed at the finest example of Moorish architecture in Europe, found moments of tranquility by the reflecting pools and fountains of the gardens and let myself be transported back to the time of harems hidden behind temple walls. Granada was the last bastion to fall of the once vast Moorish lands that were spread throughout modern day Spain. As a result, the Alhambra Palace is still in remarkable condition and it is possible to gain a full appreciation for the craftsmanship they possessed. General citizens were not allowed within the walls of the palace when it was in use, so I regarded my visit as a privilege. The intricacy of the design is staggering, with every carved engraving, inlaid wood pattern and mosaic wall the result of innumerable hours of meticulous work. Some ceilings were designed to resemble the stalactites that would have been hanging from the roof of Mohammad's cave, consisting of many eye-catching formations. Many interior walkways were marble, whilst the floors were very simplistic, as they would have been covered with patterned rugs and carpets. The Generalife is the name given to the gardens of the Alhambra, which roughly translates to Gardens of Paradise. These gardens consist of ponds, fountains, shrubbery and tree-lined walkways, which would have provided moments of serenity for those who got to enjoy them without the intrusions of the world at large. Musical performances take place in these gardens during the summer months, which, in my mind, would be a wonderful event to attend.

So my birthday in Granada came to an end, but what a tremendous and memorable one it was. I have one night remaining in Spain before crossing to Morocco, where I will experience my next celebration - New Year's Eve.

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