Gorgeous Granada

Thursday 8th October

Most importantly we have achieved the task of getting tickets to visit the Alhambra, which is THE attraction in Granada, and Spain.  There is a very tight ticketing system which limits (!) the number of visitors to 6, 000 per day. Most people book online months ahead but as we had no idea about when we might be here we didn't. You can also buy tickets for that day by lining up earlier than 6am to get them so,  although we weren't keen to do that, it seemed our only alternative as the online ticketing system was booked out until November.
But .......when we met the woman who manages the apartments we had booked, she was able to get tickets for us from a travel agent she knows who has allocated tickets. We paid 20 Euros extra but it was worth every cent to not have to get out of bed so early.

So tomorrow afternoon it is!!!

After arriving yesterday we did the usual wander around to get our bearings.  Granada is a big city of 125,000 people and we are staying in the central oldest suburb.

Today we decided to do a free walking tour.  These are a great way to see a city: you join a group of people with an English speaking guide and walk around the city for a couple of hours. At the end you pay him or her whatever you think appropriate based on the quality of the tour.

Our tour guide was Alberto, born and bred in Granada, and he was very enthusiastic and informative about his city.  For more than 2 hours we walked through the area known as Albayzin or the Arab Quarter,  one of the oldest and most significant areas in Granada.  Of course it had to be up a hill - cobblestones, narrow streets and very steep.

The greatest surprise was the amazing views across to the next hill on which was nestled the Alhambra. You can really appreciate the size of this ancient complex from a distance.

He took us into a hotel which has kept a crumbling 11 th century wall and water wells as part of the decor, and whose terrace gave us a beautiful view of Alhambra and the whole city.  We went into a couple of Carmens or private homes so we could appreciate the privacy, waterpools and gardens that the muslim culture considers essential.

One of the carmens was owned by the University of Granada, which has lots of campuses, many based in similar historical buildings,  and many foreign students.

It wasn't until 1492 that the Christians forced the last Sultan to surrender and took over Granada.  Since then they've done a great job of converting simple elegant Muslim buildings into Catholic churches by adding bell towers or ornate facades which totally ruin the design (I think!). Or a statue of the Madonna or the Crucifixion has been added to an ancient wall or well.

None of the Muslim mosques were left,  despite a significant population even today. In the early 2000s,  when a group of Muslims wanted to build a mosque next to a church on top of the Albayzin hill there were serious challenges,  not the least of which was  that the entire area is a UNESCO heritage site.  It was eventually built - very plain,  white and with a lovely fountain and cool garden terrace.  But it wasn't allowed to be higher than the neighbouring church of course.

The time went very quickly and it was so much better than just wandering around trying to make sense of the complex history ourselves.  It was also a great way to get some understanding of the important role of the Alhambra as fortress,  palace and government.

We definitely needed sustenance after all of the thinking and walking. One of the interesting practices in Granada is to get free tapas if you buy a drink at a bar.  Tapas was originally created as a way of bar owners enticing drinkers to drink at their bar,  but has developed into a whole style of cuisine of its own. 

We found ourselves at one of the famous La Bella y La Bestia bars. Ewan ordered a beer and suddenly a plate of 3 tapas appeared: chips,  small hot rolls with ham and cheese, and olives.  Ewan ordered another beer and the same appeared again!  We ordered a salad to share and that was lunch done! The drinks weren't expensive,  and admittedly the tapas was simple but I'm not sure how they make any money!

After  a rest we set off for a coffee in a Square which is famous for its churros con chocolat.  I just want it to be known that I didn't have any! So full from lunch I couldn't squeeze any in - so sad!

Then we steeled ourselves to go to the Cathedral and see the tombs of Ferdinand and Isabella, King and Queen in the 1500s. I have to say that without a doubt this enormous Cathedral was one of the ugliest we have visited.  It had a mixture of different styles from different ages, but the baroque sections made Franco Cozzo look the doyen of good taste!

Unfortunately cameras weren't allowed,  so I have no photos to prove my point. The basic structure of the building with beautiful wide arches and plain white walls was elegant, but every bit of ornamentation was so over the top it spoiled the architecture.
I think we have officially seen too many churches/basilicas/eglises/cathedrals and one can only marvel at the amount of money they cost and the size of them,  often out of all proportion to the population at the time they were built.

The tombs were unusual and more interesting. Made from sculpted marble they showed a life size figure lying at peace on each huge sarcophagus.  In fact the remains were in small lead boxes in the crypt below,  including one box for a baby of unknown origins.

After a wander around the shops we decided to get some Arab food and ended up in a tiny shop where the owner appeared to be the cook,  salesman and waiter. It was all a bit chaotic but entertaining, and we had some simple couscous which was delicious.  Payment proved to be very complicated as we had ordered drinks we didn't receive, so I think on the end we didn't pay enough. ..but who knows?

Home to a cup of tea and baklava. Off to bed to prepare for a big day tomorrow

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