The Alhambra

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Well, we got up in time for breakfast because today was the day to see the Alhambra. The Alhambra is a collection of palaces built by Moorish sultans and Catholic monarchs surrounded by fortified walls on the tops of two hills. The climbing up the steep hill was great training for the Camino but Madalyn could have done without the heat and high humidity. At the wall map by the entrance we met our fabulous guide, Margarita. It is important to get your tickets ahead of time because access times are strictly controlled to prevent tourists from over running the place and having our own personal guide was heavenly. There were lots of people but it didn't seem overcrowded. Margarita showed us the gardens as we strolled toward the Alcazaba, the oldest part built for military defense on the point. Lots of high towers with fabulous views of Granada where Gary got several good photos. The huge palace of Charles V was next, he was only ever there for his honeymoon that lasted six months. It has a huge circular open air colonnade embedded in a square building of stone. Next the Nasrid Palaces built by the sultans from 1314 to 1391. The carvings and calligraphy were beyond belief and pretty well preserved in most places. Some restorations had been done with mixed results especially on the Court of the Lions. (The picture in the blog is in the Court of the Lions.) Tons, literally, of marble from the local Sierra Nevada has been laid for the floors. One of the rooms is the actual room where Queen Isabella granted Columbus the means to voyage to discover America, of course he was really looking for a short cut to the Orient. You just never know what you are going to bump into. We meandered through more flower filled gardens to the Palace of the Generalife, the summer palace of the sultans. It was dangerous for them to go there because sometimes their enemies wouldn't let them come back to the more fortified parts of the Alhambra. Being a sultan was a dangerous business, they had a habit of being murdered by their relatives. We toured the Alhambra for four hours and we were saturated with history, amazing architecture and greenery. Margarita walked part way down the hill with us as we went off in search of a shady spot for a late lunch.

After lunch in a sidewalk cafe just by our hotel we headed for an ATM then came across a small bookstore where we found a copy of Washington Irving's "Tales of the Alhambra". The set of stories was mentioned in many plaques and monuments around town so we felt it worthwhile to see what it was about. Neither of us had read these particular stories in grade school ☺. The book has several color photographs of the Alhambra as well. We then hopped on the Albaicin bus (see yesterday's blog) to avoid another hike up the steep hills in 34° weather with the goal of getting to the Dar Al-Horra palace, "the best example of (Moorish) palace architecture outside the Alhambra". We found it okay, having become familiar with relating the lines on the map with twisting narrow roads, lanes, and paths of the Albaicin. After walking 3/4 of the way around the large building we found the small entrance door. The palace was closed despite the museum guide saying it should be open. Another couple came up at the same time, equally disappointed. Ah well, we headed downhill (on foot) and were blessed with some excellent views over the old and new parts of Granada. We came across one of the larger (still small) plazas in the Albaicin, that of San Miguel. It was delightful, so we stopped for water and coffee. You never know what unexpected delights await. Gary had learned how to ask for a glass of ice with the espresso, so he was able to have a cold coffee. It hit the spot. We went on down the hill, ending at the plaza by our hotel. We decided to go to our room and relax for awhile. For dinner (early, only 7:45) we headed to a Rick Steves recommended restaurant, said to open at 8:00, but with no signs of life we walked on to the Plaza Bib-Rambla. We picked one from the many open air restaurants and enjoyed the liveliness of the square, with many children running and having fun chasing each other, blowing bubbles, and riding a bicycle powered merry-go-round. Many adults were out for strolling shopping, and dining, too. Back at the room now we are packing for tomorrow's flight to Barcelona and our next set of adventures. Stay tuned.

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