A Stroll in Granada

A Beautiful City and Our Best Dinner So Far

While the reason to come to Granada for me was to see the amazing Alhambra, we quickly came to realize the City had much more to offer. It has a very well preserved (and huge) historic district. It houses a University with over 50,000 students. It has great museums and galleries, cathedrals, and plaza's and parks. The confluence of two rivers also adds interest to the City. 

Although we experienced chilly days in our February visit, the City clearly experiences blistering hot summers. We saw ripening oranges on the trees and the whitewashed color schemes consistent with hot climates (except for my hometown Phoenix which has unofficially adopted "Taco Bell" pink and beige with a clay tile roof as our municipal color scheme).

Little Plaza's Are Seemingly Everywhere

Loved the Guard Posts in Front of The Local Police Station

Look at the Rich Colors That Adorn the Building!

Queen Isabella Listening to Christopher Columbus 

Explain His Plans for Exploration

Granada's Historic Structures Display Many Generations

of Builders Each Adding Something to the One Before  

Small Cars and Nerves of Steel Are Required to Drive Here 

Loved the Light Standards

Supported by Cloven Hooves

Granada's Plaza De Toros

Concluding our time in Granada was a superb meal at the Puerta Del Carmen. Mary and I enjoyed sharing a selection of Tapas that was terrific. The standout was baby broad beans with trevelez ham cooked in local olive oil. We also had artichokes sauteed with bellota ham. The final dish was eggs with mushrooms, ham and rosemary. Ham is an essential ingredient in almost every dish in Spain. Shops offer literally hundreds of different types of ham.

We had local beer despite their offering of well over 400 spanish wines. This was a relatively simple, yet, perfect dinner. One we savored.

Puerta Del Carmen

(Note the coat hooks under the winebar counter - cool detail!)

The Decimated Egg, Ham, Mushroom, and Rosemary Dish

Arroz Con Leche

Since we arrived for dinner at 6:30 pm, which is a full 3 hours before the average Spaniard thinks about eating, We felt very lucky to score such a delightful meal.

I can't think of a more perfect way to end our visit to Granada. The next day we decided to see some countryside and travel to Madrid by train. 

Didn't work for me. As soon as the train started to move I fell asleep and snored blissfully for almost 4 hours. 

Roadboy's Travels © 2010

Granada And The Alhambra

A Valentines Day to Remember 

After nearly a week in bustling Barcelona, the change of pace in Granada was welcome. The change was evident from the moment we got off the plane at the Garcia Lorca airport. It is tiny and you still walk down stairs from the jet. 

Garcia Lorca is beloved in Granada. It was the place he called home. Lorca was one of Spains most cherished modern era poets and playwrights. Prolific in a short life, he was murdered during the Civil War. Even in death Lorca is a mystery. When his family finally allowed his grave to be exhumed in 2008 no human remains were found. To this day his sculpture in Madrid has a fresh red kerchief tied to it each morning by the leftists. The rightists remove the kerchief before the end of each day.

Passion is not in short supply in Spain.

Our hotel was created out of a building in the heart of the historic district. It was only one year old and is operated by a wonderful Spanish hotel chain called Room-Mate. They have hotels (mostly) in Spain. But have opened new properties in New York and Argentina. The rooms looked into light wells instead of using on-street windows, so it was very quiet. I bought the room months ago on a pre-pay deal and could not have been more pleased with the quality of the place and services provided.

Valentines Day Mary and I walked to, and all over, the Alhambra. It was especially nice because they have a show with the works of Washington Irving. Irving's Alhambra writings 150 years ago were pivotal in starting the movement to save and preserve it.

I had always wanted to tour the place because I happen to love moorish style architecture. 

Looking Up to The Alhambra and Nasrid Palace

Sailing Above the City of Granada

The View From the Alhambra To Granada

The Alhambra Fortress

Another View of The Fortress

In reality what we now refer to as the Alhambra consists of a fortress, a palace, and beautiful gardens. The architectural references to the Alhambra are mostly in reference to the Nasrid Palace. This complex includes all of the living spaces for the Nasrid Sultan's and their family members. 

In reality the Alhambra for centuries was a self-contained city on a mountaintop. It was with temples (later replaced by Christian Churches), baths, graineries, dungeons, and all sorts of places for commerce.

To protect the site they carefully control the flow of visitors to the palace. If you miss your entrance time, you are out of luck. We loved the "rules" signage. "Rule 12: You may not remove all or part of your clothes and lay down on floors anywhere on the Alhambra". 

Hmmm. 

One must assume that this has happened with enough frequency to warrant a rule?  Obviously some folks have more fun touring ancient historic sites than I do.

So here are some images of the beloved Nasrid Palace.

Cool Water Moves Everywhere to Ease Hot Summers 

(There are pools ponds and streams running though nearly every indoor or outdoor space)

Looking Up is A Joy

All Palace Spaces Frame Gardens

Where Water Becomes Magical

We spent the whole day walking the site and taking in the views of the city below and the Sierra Nevada mountains off in the distance. Yes, I said Sierra Nevada. I'd have to guess that one of the Spanish Explorer's to California was reminded of this very scene and named the mountains of the west accordingly.

Roadboy's Travels © 2010