After Easter Sunday breakfast at our Sevilla hotel, we cabbed to Hertz, and began the 250 kilometer drive to Granada. I had been with my family in 1985, but with not much recollection other than seeing water throughout the Alhambra.
Unfortunately, the first water we saw in Granada was fairly heavy rain. But when you have one day to visit this city, you don’t sit in your hotel room and watch Good Luck Charlie. So, here we are at the Alhambra, in the Nasrid Palaces section, where we spent most of our time.
The Nasrid Palaces (Palacios Nazaries) were largely built during the 14th century. They exemplify the high end design of the Moorish civilization of Al-Andalus, the Arabic name for the Iberian Peninsula. From our friend Rick Steves, we learned that the colors all over the palaces, as per the Quran, have specific meanings, including red-blood, blue-heaven, green-oasis, and gold-wealth. There is also text from the Quran throughout, in calligraphy, which apparently explains a lot about the Alhambra. As well, we read that there are few pictures of humans or animals, which would be frowned on by the Islamic religion.
The Court of Myrtles…
M&M in the Courtyard of the Lions (Patio de los Leones)…Rick says that the fountain was a gift from a leader of Granada’s large Jewish community, celebrating good relations with the sultan, and thus the lions “probably represent the 12 tribes of Israel.”
Next to the Nasrid Palaces is the Palacio de Carlos V (Palace of Charles V). Signalling the victory of Christianity over Islam, Charles decided to build a royal residence in 1526, in a Muslim citadel that had been conquered by his grandparents, Ferdinand & Isabella. Work on the project stopped during a Moor rebellion, and eventually was completely abandoned in 1637, thus leaving an unfinished roof.
Above the circular courtyard in the Palacio de Carlos V…
Ready for a break from endless touring, can’t really blame them…
We didn’t want to pay for staying at the Parador San Francisco, inside the Alhambra complex, but on a damp and darkening afternoon, we did enjoy the comfort of coffee and hot chocolate there after the palace tour.
We strolled through a nice park on the downhill walk to our “all suites” hotel, the Suites Gran Via 44, where Evelyn had secured a sweet deal, and from where we could easily venture all over town.
Our Barcelona friends, the Greens, with son Nico in Maggie’s class, reserved a table at Los Manueles, thumbs up in my view, for chicken, beef, tapas, etc.
On Monday, a school holiday, Easter Monday, we had the morning free to walk Granada, and we took advantage, first exploring the Alcaicería market, and then glancing inside the cathedral before deciding not to pay the entry fee.
Rain was light, and we felt there was time for the 30 minute climb, really a pleasant walk, up through the Albayzín neighborhood, the old Moorish quarter, to the San Nicolás Viewpoint (Mirador de San Nicolás). Just before the rain really began to fall, the rain that soaks your clothes from top to bottom, outside to the skin, in about 30 seconds, we were able to enjoy the amazing view of the Alhambra.
The photos were snapped and we ducked into the church on the plaza and climbed the bell tower, while waiting for the rain to stop.
There was no escape, and no umbrellas, but why worry? Thirty minutes later we were back at the hotel, changing into dry clothes, and then en route to the Sevilla airport, with a quick stop to pick up pizza for the car ride, at La Focacceria Siciliana in Granada, a definite thumbs up, but no seating.
