Granada – Part II (The Alhambra)
After lunch, it was time to head to the Alhambra, the famed Arabic fortress like castle complex. It consists of several buildings, including the Palacio Nazaries (where Washington Irving wrote his famed Tales of the Alhambra), the Alcazaba, and Palacio de Carlos V. The Alhambra is also home to the Generalife, or “Archietect’s Garden.” Rumor has it that the gardens surrounding the Alhambra were designed to mimic the Garden of Eden and the Alhambra complex is supposed to be one of those sites that you should see at least once in your life. So I found a crowded city bus and off I went, to ponder its history, its vastness, and its enduring legacy as a tourist attraction not to be missed.
When you buy tickets to the Alhambra, you are given a special time that you are allowed to visit the Palacio Nazaries. After I got my tickets, was given my English audio guide (a lot of good that did me – it stopped working at #7), and was pointed in the right direction, I scarcely had time to notice anything before heading to the Palacio for my 3:30 entry. The entry time is taken very seriously and everyone queues up for 20 minutes before hand (if you go, make sure you have a bottle of water!). And as I’ve since learned, lining up, as a rule, is particularly difficult for Europeans, who prefer to crowd together in no discernable pattern, elbow you in the ribs, and rush in front of you under any and all circumstances. It’s pretty much a contact sport. It’s not for the faint of heart.
As I was enduring the ridiculousness that is a European line, I glanced into the Palacio and noticed a familiar face – my friend from earlier in the day, when I was lost in the Albayzin. She had entry tickets for 3:00, so she had just gone in. Turns out that even the biggest cities really are quite small!
Once I was let in, I wandered around the palatial rooms. They really are quite magnificent. Several of the rooms are filled with ivory carvings of such intricacy that they evoke an earlier time of craftsmanship, one which seems all but gone in the hustle and bustle of the 21st century. As you can see from some of the pictures I’ve posted, the carvings must have taken years, if not decades, slowly taking form in the hands of the slaves forced to chisel them out in such painstaking ways. I wish I was a better photographer, so you could see the true beauty of the art.
Unfortunately, there are parts of the Palacio Nazaries that are currently under construction, so I did not get to see the famed Palacio de los Leones. According to legend, it was the home of the royal harem and the fountain in the center is decorated by 12 carved marble lions. On the day I visited, however, there was no harem and no lions. In fact, there was some rather ugly construction equipment and it was right after this room that my audio tour cut off, so that is the last of the history of the palace that I know, outside of my guidebook! But wandering around the other rooms, I came across a citrus grove, which was quite a sight to see. Needless to say, not a regular occurrence in Philadelphia!
After leaving th Palacio Nazaries, I wandered into the Alcazaba, where I was able to climb all the way to the Torre de la Vela and was rewarded by stunning views of the city of Granada. You can see the entire city below you and all of the Alpujarras above you. Even though it was easily 80+ degrees outside that day, there were still snowcapped mountains gazing down on the city. It’s quite something and easily brings you back to an earlier time, when rulers had little else to do but gaze over their kingdoms and pick oranges from their groves. And when it’s 80+ degrees, it really makes you wish you knew how to ski!
There’s still so much more to see of the Alhambra, so after the Alcazaba I continued to wander in the direction of the Generalife. In the process, I came across a Catholic Church in the midst of this Moorish wonder: the Capilla Real. A beautiful church, the altar was extremely beautiful, covered in gilded gold decorations and intricate carvings. I stopped for a few minutes to say a prayer and lit a candle in honor of those who have gone before us. It was a lovely place to sit and contemplate the enormity of the Alhambra and Spain’s history. Indeed, it’s a lovely place to sit and contemplate just about anything.
After I had a chance to sit and relax, I decided it was time to visit the famed Generalife. The gardens, despite the late day June heat, were beautifully landscaped and lush and full of life. Shaded paths sit above the main gardens, where roses and flowering bushes line walking paths that are only broken up by intermittent fountains. Everywhere you look, you can see citrus groves, immaculately sculpted landscaping, and happy people meandering around and taking lots – and lots – of pictures. I have to admit that at this point in the day, it was hot, I was tired, and I was too lazy to take pictures. But I’m going to be visiting the Alhambra again before I come home, so I promise to take pictures next time.
When I had wandered the Generalife as much as the weather would allow, I decided it was time to head back to town and find a place to sit and hang out with some locals. I went back to Plaza Nueva, found a restaurant with a very large TV (hey, Spain was playing that night – this was an important game!), and used the time to catch up with the English language newspapers (next to impossible to find here in Almunecar). Somewhere along the way, I realized that the last bus back to Almunecar was leaving during the Spain game, so after walking around Granada one last time (and seriously getting lost – this appears to be a pattern), it was time to head to the train station and say goodbye to Granada for the day. Luckily for me, the bus driver was just as interested in the Spain game as I was, so by the time I got back home, I knew that Spain had beaten won! It’s kind of hard for me to understand spoken Spanish that doesn’t include a person who is speaking (preferably, one who is in front of me, so that I can rely on non-spoken cues to make sure I’m not insulting people), but generally, I understand GOAL! So that worked out for everyone!
When you buy tickets to the Alhambra, you are given a special time that you are allowed to visit the Palacio Nazaries. After I got my tickets, was given my English audio guide (a lot of good that did me – it stopped working at #7), and was pointed in the right direction, I scarcely had time to notice anything before heading to the Palacio for my 3:30 entry. The entry time is taken very seriously and everyone queues up for 20 minutes before hand (if you go, make sure you have a bottle of water!). And as I’ve since learned, lining up, as a rule, is particularly difficult for Europeans, who prefer to crowd together in no discernable pattern, elbow you in the ribs, and rush in front of you under any and all circumstances. It’s pretty much a contact sport. It’s not for the faint of heart.
As I was enduring the ridiculousness that is a European line, I glanced into the Palacio and noticed a familiar face – my friend from earlier in the day, when I was lost in the Albayzin. She had entry tickets for 3:00, so she had just gone in. Turns out that even the biggest cities really are quite small!
Once I was let in, I wandered around the palatial rooms. They really are quite magnificent. Several of the rooms are filled with ivory carvings of such intricacy that they evoke an earlier time of craftsmanship, one which seems all but gone in the hustle and bustle of the 21st century. As you can see from some of the pictures I’ve posted, the carvings must have taken years, if not decades, slowly taking form in the hands of the slaves forced to chisel them out in such painstaking ways. I wish I was a better photographer, so you could see the true beauty of the art.
Unfortunately, there are parts of the Palacio Nazaries that are currently under construction, so I did not get to see the famed Palacio de los Leones. According to legend, it was the home of the royal harem and the fountain in the center is decorated by 12 carved marble lions. On the day I visited, however, there was no harem and no lions. In fact, there was some rather ugly construction equipment and it was right after this room that my audio tour cut off, so that is the last of the history of the palace that I know, outside of my guidebook! But wandering around the other rooms, I came across a citrus grove, which was quite a sight to see. Needless to say, not a regular occurrence in Philadelphia!
After leaving th Palacio Nazaries, I wandered into the Alcazaba, where I was able to climb all the way to the Torre de la Vela and was rewarded by stunning views of the city of Granada. You can see the entire city below you and all of the Alpujarras above you. Even though it was easily 80+ degrees outside that day, there were still snowcapped mountains gazing down on the city. It’s quite something and easily brings you back to an earlier time, when rulers had little else to do but gaze over their kingdoms and pick oranges from their groves. And when it’s 80+ degrees, it really makes you wish you knew how to ski!
There’s still so much more to see of the Alhambra, so after the Alcazaba I continued to wander in the direction of the Generalife. In the process, I came across a Catholic Church in the midst of this Moorish wonder: the Capilla Real. A beautiful church, the altar was extremely beautiful, covered in gilded gold decorations and intricate carvings. I stopped for a few minutes to say a prayer and lit a candle in honor of those who have gone before us. It was a lovely place to sit and contemplate the enormity of the Alhambra and Spain’s history. Indeed, it’s a lovely place to sit and contemplate just about anything.
After I had a chance to sit and relax, I decided it was time to visit the famed Generalife. The gardens, despite the late day June heat, were beautifully landscaped and lush and full of life. Shaded paths sit above the main gardens, where roses and flowering bushes line walking paths that are only broken up by intermittent fountains. Everywhere you look, you can see citrus groves, immaculately sculpted landscaping, and happy people meandering around and taking lots – and lots – of pictures. I have to admit that at this point in the day, it was hot, I was tired, and I was too lazy to take pictures. But I’m going to be visiting the Alhambra again before I come home, so I promise to take pictures next time.
When I had wandered the Generalife as much as the weather would allow, I decided it was time to head back to town and find a place to sit and hang out with some locals. I went back to Plaza Nueva, found a restaurant with a very large TV (hey, Spain was playing that night – this was an important game!), and used the time to catch up with the English language newspapers (next to impossible to find here in Almunecar). Somewhere along the way, I realized that the last bus back to Almunecar was leaving during the Spain game, so after walking around Granada one last time (and seriously getting lost – this appears to be a pattern), it was time to head to the train station and say goodbye to Granada for the day. Luckily for me, the bus driver was just as interested in the Spain game as I was, so by the time I got back home, I knew that Spain had beaten won! It’s kind of hard for me to understand spoken Spanish that doesn’t include a person who is speaking (preferably, one who is in front of me, so that I can rely on non-spoken cues to make sure I’m not insulting people), but generally, I understand GOAL! So that worked out for everyone!
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