Andalucia III: Granada

Granada is known for the Alhambra Palace of course, but a fine introduction to the city is a walking tour starting at Plaza Bib-Rambla (not that we are rambling with a bib) through the old caravanserai of Corral del Carbon, the modern version of the silk market at Alcaceria, the Cathedral Square, and ending uphill at the narrow maze of the Albayzin quarter.

The guide focuses on the transition from Moorish to the Christian era, and you learn how important Granada was to the Muslims till the completion of the Reconquista achieved by Queen Isabel along with her husband Fernando (he seems to take a back seat to his wife, but anyway, I prefer this name over the Germanic Ferdinand and so do the Spanish!). The last Moorish king, Boabdil, handed over the keys to Granada and went back to North Africa in 1492, which was a good year for Isabel who also made the right decision to sponsor Columbus' journey to the New World.

Granada: the street leading up to the Albayzin quarter is lined with Moroccan style teahouses. I have heard the nickname, Hippie Lane, and this gentleman walking into the picture is purely coincidental.

Granada: Inside the San Gregorio Church, located in the busy part of Albayzin, the only sound you hear is the constant chanting by these nuns who alternate 4-hour shifts. You just feel lucky not to have to do this every day.

Who would want to stay at Federal government run facilities but the Spanish Parador system is an exception - the hotels are historic buildings and usually enjoy an excellent location. The Parador here  is highly regarded as it is on the Alhambra premises. When the Alhambra Parador is fully booked (which is usually the case) or if you can't afford it, the next best thing is to have a meal at its restaurant, which is exactly what we did. The dinner price for such a fine establishment: low; the food quality: medium; and the chance of a patron being in retirement or independently wealthy: high.

 

Granada: the Parador within Alhambra. The white stones are from Dara River and the black pieces are from Sierra Nevada.

Granada: the inner courtyard in Parador

The Royal Chapel in the center of town is where Isabel and Fernando are buried along with their daughter and son-in-law, who, in turn, are parents of the mighty Charles V. Photos are not allowed which forces me now to look closer. In the supine Carrera-marble sculpture of the king and the queen, it is immediately noticeable that the indentation on the pillow below Isabel's head is much bigger than that for her husband, a fact interpreted as her having the larger brain by her admirers.

Granada: the Royal Chapel. No photos allowed inside. You can make out above the entrance the initials "F" and "Y" of Ferdinand and Isabel who are buried here.

La Alhambra (not Alhambra in LA!) is the monument receiving the most number of visitors (3 million a year) in Spain, topping Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and the Prado Museum in Madrid. Tickets need to be purchased in advance, otherwise you face the same fate as "the blind in Granada" and there is nothing worse in life as the saying goes. We booked a group tour mainly to secure tours and expected to have over 50 companions all wearing earpieces, but surprise, it turned out to be essentially a private tour.

We linger in Generalife Gardens until it's our assigned time to enter the centerpiece, Nasrid Palace. There is nothing "general life" about the Gardens (actually the name means"Architect's Garden" in Arabic) and with roses in full bloom they are as nice as I had remembered from the last visit 26 years ago.

We finally enter the Nasrid Palace, a stunning creation as awe-inspiring as we remembered. We move at a brisk pace and I make a mistake of not telling our guide when our tour was done that we want to stay back in the palace until it closes. But it was too late - we had passed the turnstile and we can't go back in. That's it - only 45 minutes spent in Nazrid! I guess we will just have to come back again as Recuerdos de la Alhambra a la Tarrega would not be enough!





Granada: the Alhambra seen from Generalife Gardens



Granada: Generalife Gardens

Granada: the Palace at Generalife Gardens

Granada: Nasrid Palace, the crown jewel of Alhambra, whose plain façade totally belies the splendor inside.

Granada: Nasrid Palace, Alhambra

Granada: Nasrid Palace, Alhambra





Granada: Grand Hall of Ambassadors, Nasrid Palace, Alhambra. Imagine the last Moor king surrendering here and also Queen Isabel signing a contract with Columbus

Granada: Courtyard of the Myrtles, Nasrid Palace, Alhambra. Everyone stops here looking for a perfect reflection. So did I.

 

Granada: Courtyard of the Lions, Nasrid Palace, Alhambra

Granada: Hall of Two Sisters, Nasrid Palace, Alhambra.

Granada: Albayzin Quarter seen from the Alhambra

A popular spot in the Albayzin quarter for the view of the Alhambra complex is the San Nicolas church. At sunset, there is a big crowd in a festive mood with music blaring. That's all good and fine but I have seen enough tourists today and at my age, partying in front of  a church waiting for the sun to go down isn't my thing, so we step down from there to a "carmen" just a block away for dinner with the same fabulous view. This common female name also refers to traditional private houses in this area many of which serve as restaurants.

Granada: best table at the restaurant with the best view of the Alhambra, located just below the San Nicolas lookout. The gazpacho is a perfect starter for a warm evening.

Granada: the Alhambra Palace seen from Carmen Mirador de Aixa, Albayzin

 

We finish the dinner a bit early to go further up the hills to Sacromonto. Gypsies may no longer live in the caves but the flamenco dancing there for tourists is a thriving business. I had picked a cave of medium size, so it is spacious enough while still feeling intimate. The performance is much more informal than what we saw in Seville, complete with audience participation. Again the male dancer was the most impressive and female dancing wasn't quite up to par but I have no regrets since it is supposed to be a different kind of dance called Zambra.

 

Granada: The Zambra dance, while more casual than the flamenco we saw in Seville, is equally intense, soulful and loud.

Granada: A gypsy cave in Sacromonto, a venue for the Zambra performance. With tiny chairs, brassware, and family memorabilia covering every square inch, it might be a problem if you have claustrophobia.

Cassata at midnight: the gypsy flamenco operation is a comprehensive business which includes transportation. The bus after the performance conveniently drops us off near this Italian ice cream shop. If they served Michelle Obama, it's good enough for me.

The following morning I wake up with an excruciating left flank pain and I immediately know what that is, having passed a kidney stone before. It's not fun to have thoughts of staying in a Granada hospital while deciding what part of the upcoming itinerary to cancel. Fortunately the pain subsides and in fact completely goes away in 45 minutes. That is the same amount of time we spent inside Nasrid Palace and also the time it takes to go from Seville to Cordoba by train. Hmm... We go up to Madrid to see the daughter off as planned and are even able to keep the dinner reservation for fine dining at Club El Allard, where the first course is an edible business card.

Passing a kidney stone in Granada this morning is a distant memory, as I enjoy this "cupcake" of spinach foam, black truffle and egg along with the rest of the dinner in Madrid. Further evidence that the kidney is not part of the digestive system.