Feb 15. If this is Tuesday, it must be Granada and the Alhambra

Feb 15 – Granada and the Alhambra
Up at 6:30 for an early breakfast and early appointment at the Alhambra. Seems we have slipped into the lifestyle. Onto mini-bus #32, down the hill off the Albayzin and back up the next hill to the Alhambra entrance and our 9:30 a.m. appointment with the Palacious Nazaries. This is the last and greatest Moorish palace in Spain. As the Spanish reconquest crept south, the Moors slowly settled into Granada to rule their dwindling empire. In 1492, this was the last place to fall to the reconquest. Though the moors held Spain for more than 800 years, the Spanish Christians finally overtook the last capital of their empire. While the dark ages ruled most of Europe, Spain under the Moors was in an era of enlightenment. The Alhambra has four places of major interest. The oldest is the Alcazaba, a fort with beautiful towers and views of the city below (and Albayzan and the neighboring hill). Next is the Palacious Nazaries, a Moorish royal palace that makes meticulous use of calm water falls, drizzling fountains and flows throughout. There are royal offices, ceremonial rooms and private quarters. Built mainly in the 1300s, the rooms are elegant, refined, and decorated from top to bottom with beautiful filigreed plastic walls – and always the sound of gentle water falling. Another area of the Alhambra includes the Generalife gardens and small summer palace. Again, beyond description. Finally, we hit Charles V round palace, built in the Renaissance after the reconquista, on top of other palaces. Supposedly, Columbus solicited Queen Isabella’s support for his journey in this palace. Sort of funny, but this Isabella/Columbus thing seems to have taken place almost everywhere we have been. Sort of like the George Washington slept here thing. Washington Irving certainly wrote his “Tales of the Alhambra” while staying here in 1829…a text that brought the world to the doors of the palace. A common phrase for the area is “Give the begging blind man a coin, for there is nothing worse in this life than to be blind in Granada.” Very true, even in winter and in a driving rain storm! The peaceful nature of the area may have been aided by the lack of tourists, but this was 4 well spent hours.
Off to lunch at a lovely restaurant on the 2nd floor in the Albayzan overlooking a small square, the local library, and the public school. Children, dogs and rushing parents filled the square while we finished off some local white wine. The best feature of the “comedor” was its fireplace!~ Caliente! Eggs scrambled with shrimp, ham chunks and mushrooms, with a paella appetizer. Thin sliced lamb chops doused in olive oil and peppers…yummm. A beautiful rainy day. The Albayzin is the old Moorish quarter with shady (today they’re wet!) lanes, a view around every corner and lots of small plazas or terraces – AND CLOSE TO 20 CHURCHES …ONE ON EVERY CORNER. In summer, I’m sure every window will pour out flowers.
Next, after a wine induced nap, it is off to trek down the hill to see the cathedral and walk the old town. To walk down to the old town, just face downhill. Soon you are in the middle of wide stepped streets (no cars!) lined with small arab type shops and restaurants – a world apart. At the bottom, newer (1700?) buildings mask the old camel caravanserai (Corral de Carbon) and silk markets where Roma women now try to read your palms, or pick your pockets! The caravanserai, the last of 14 in the old town, is 4 stories tall with a large courtyard and fountain in the middle. Camels, and men, would sit here and chew their hay or smoke their hookah and discuss the trade routes. The nearby cathedral is the center of the old town and has a wow factor, as do all of these magnificent buildings. Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand are buried here. Though free land was available 500 yards away, the conquerors had to, once again, destroy the local mosque and add their bell to the prayer tower –then they just rebuilt the whole thing. It is a gothic foundation with a renaissance completion, it focuses on Ave Maria, who is also revered in the Quran so wasn’t so offensive to the Moors. Nice banana and chocolate crepe, then hop bus # 31 back up the hill. These mini buses make it easy to get around. Bed and then tomorrow to Cordoba. Oops, that means I have to try to drive these streets again. Better charge Nuvi and hopes she gets a good night sleep.