Away to the Alhambra

I have emerged from the land of abysmal internet connections to bring you very belated posts!
Last Thursday, I went to the Alhambra.  This incredible piece of architecture, which draws millions of tourists to Granada each year, is perfect evidence of the religious melting pot of Granada (much like the rest of the city, itself).  Even better, my hostel was a mere walk away from the Alhambra.  I decided to check it out on my morning run, and while I didn't see much more than the parking lot, I took a side turn and ended up on a beautiful overlook out on the city, still lit up with the lights of night.  I'm not sure where it was, but take some time to get lost and you might just find it.
Since I had a morning ticket to La Alhambra, I headed over after breakfast.
The gate you walk through on the walk up to La Alhambra
I'd gotten my ticket beforehand (highly advised) so I could sneak in the side gate and avoid the long lines.

Sneaky side gate

And then, all of a sudden, the jagged ridges of a fortress rise up.

Since I had several hours before my Nazrid Palace reservation (you get a 30 minute time slot to enter, and they're very strict), I purchased an audioguide and headed to the furthest corner so that I could work my way back.  This took me to the Generalife, a summer palace with gardens.  On the way over there, though, I got confused and just started looking at all the gardens.  This included ruins of the 2,000-person city that used to thrive withing the walls of La Alhambra.

It also had some more modern elements of plant design, like this hedged-in walkway.

But overall, the walk through the gardens to the Generalife were beautiful and lush.  And the shade was a blessing in the heat.

More of the city

The gardens also include a modern concert venue, which is apparently a popular place for concerts in Granada.

I think it may have been hosting part of a flamenco festival that weekend, too.

More gardens

Finally, at the furthest corner, I came upon the Generalife.  It was for both gardening and rest of the Muslim royalty from the 12th through 14th centuries.  Though today it sits amid a bustling city, it was originally a "rural villa near the Alhambra".  It had its own fruit and vegetable gardens as well as decorative flower gardens, plazas, courts, etc.

It also had an ideal Persian garden with two sources of water crossing in the middle and dividing the courtyard into quadrants.  Apparently, a pavillion - surrounded with myrtle and rose but with enough visibility to prevent eavesdroppers from hiding - would have once sat in the center at the crossing.

The rooms were beautiful and decorated with the elaborate Arabic calligraphy that adds intrigue to so much of the Alhambra architecture.

Water is a key symbol in the Muslim religion, since ritual ablution before prayer is required.  Furthermore, since so many Muslim countries are dry, water has long been revered as precious.  This stairwell, called the Water Stairs, has banisters that double as channels for conducting water to lower levels.  It also contributed to the trickling murmur of water that surrounds you throughout the Generalife.

The gardens of the Generalife - or actually right after leaving the Generalife - have beautiful views of the city and provide a nice resting place before walking back to the other parts of La Alhambra.

Once I made it back to La Alhambra Home Base (aka the part with all the buildings) I stopped by the Charles V palace.

It's round on the inside and square on the outside, which is supposed to symbolize the world (I think? Somehow?).  It was beautiful, with clean lines.  Nowadays, it houses a Nazrid art musuem on the lower floor (free, fun to wander around in for a few minutes) and the Granada Fine Arts Museum (free for EU members, 1.50 EUR for foreigners like myself) on the upper floor.  I didn't go to the Fine Arts Museum, but I don't think I was missing very much.
Finally, 1 pm rolled around and I went into the Nazrid Palaces.  This is supposed to be the part of La Alhambra that's 80% of the reason for going.  It's basically a lot of fancy stucco stenciling, lots of colorful tile geometry (which I love... I think I photographed every design), and beautiful arches and gardens.  I'm not going to explain it, because the best part is just looking at it:
(although I will say that the interplay of Islamic and Christian artistic forces over the years as the ownership changed hands is interesting)

The view out over the city

If my guidebook serves me well, this should say "Allah"

I think this part was called the Golden Plaza or something similar due to the golden designs in the room behind the wall

A very green pool of water

Intricate wall designs, the norm for the Nazrid Palaces

More psychedelic tiles

Arches upon arches

The biggest piece of luck came with the Lion Patio.  This famous patio, which features twelve carved lions around a fountain, has been unavailable due to restoration efforts.  It was just reinstalled this spring.

Oh, and every time you enter a building, make sure to look up

or you could miss the best part.

The gardens inside the courtyard

From the palace, you also get (arguably) the best views out over the city.  While the city didn't sprawl quite so much when the Palaces were built, it fulfills its new photo-op role quite well.

Outside the Palaces, tourists get to enjoy a "Site of the Month," some featured bit that they tack on to the end of your meander.  This time, it was the Square Tower, which had very little in the way of interesting history.  Except, of course, for the fact that they aren't sure who built it.  It seems like the Muslim rulers commissioned Christian artists to build it for them, but nobody's really sure.

After leaving La Alhambra (sweaty, exhausted, and with aching feet due to the uneven but highly decorative rock streets), I set out to explore the town.

Corral del Carbon, a protected place for merchants to rest their camels.  Now, it's a place to buy tickets for musical events and flamenco shows.

Alcaiceria, originally a Moorish silk market.  Now it's a tacky tourist paradise filled with kitschy shops peddling their flamenco- and Alhambra-themed wares.

But it's still fun to walk around in.  It reminded me of the markets in Istanbul, with the tiny streets of brightly colored shops.

The Plaza de Bib-Rambla and its famous Neptune fountain.  This block was once the center of Moorish Granada, but is now just another relaxing plaza with benches in the shade and umbrella-covered tables of competing restaurants vying for precious real estate.

I was terribly hungry at this point, so I sat down for a few tapas.  My first choice was fried Manchego cheese.

These were basically the most gourmet mozzarella sticks that I have ever had in my life and they were delicious.  Oh, and those two jams? One was tomato and the other onion.  Each provided an interesting twist, but I preferred my oozing cheese by itself or on bread.
My second choice was "rabo de toro" (bull tail) croquettes.

These were delicious, as well.  They were probably my favorite croquettes that I've sampled in Spain.
So while this unassuming restaurant seemed like another random restaurant spilling out into another plaza, it was really a gem.  Sufficient portions (two large croquettes was a treat after the wimpy single croquettes that you get in Barcelona... and for more money).  Hurray for Bar Manolo!

Reinvigorated, I pressed on and made it to the Cathedral.

The facade is based on triumphal arches.  It was built over a destroyed mosque and they just seem to be rubbing it in.  This is a theme of southern Spain, it seems.

The Royal Chapel.  No photos allowed inside, but it sure is beautiful.  I didn't go inside the Cathedral, but this Royal Chapel is definitely a gem.  There are incredible stone carvings above the tombs of the four royals (including Isabella and Ferdinand) and the actual, far simpler coffins down below.

Same Isabella, different representation.  This time, she's in her own plaza and creating her contract with Columbus.  Notice her long, flowing robes.

A church at one corner of Plaza Nueva.  Church of Santa Ana was originally a mosque but was transformed into a church by replacing the minaret with a tower.

A former 11th-century bridge that led to the Alhambra.  The two slits held an iron portcullis and a door for controlling the water flow (they'd use it sort of like a flushing mechanism to clean the riverbed and make the water supply clean)

Moorish baths, or El Banuelo.  You can walk through the old ruins behind this picturesque little square.  Other bath houses still exist and are open to tourists willing to pay a price.

A view inside the baths.

Church of San Pedro, which serves as the church for the local Gypsy community.

 One street over from my hostel, I noticed this sign

for nuns selling sweets.  I'd seen this in another city but hadn't gotten a chance to try said sweets.  I went to check it out and found the lazy Susan quite easily

 but though I knocked and hollered (in Spanish), the nuns that I could hear gossiping did not seem to hear me.  Alas.
 At the recommendation of one of the hostel staff members, I went to the Jewish district for an afternoon stroll to see the artwork on the metal covers pulled down over the store fronts during the siesta.  The artwork was stunning.  Below are some examples:

Some corresponded to the business

Others ran down alleyways

 During my Jewish District wander, I also found (and sampled) the cheapest tapas deal I have ever seen.  Note: you can change the beer to other drinks but it's usually more expensive.  I changed it to a soda and the price went up to 2 euros, but I figured I could deal with that.

 As the afternoon wound down into a lazy evening, I climbed San Nicolas to the viewpoint at the top.  It looks out over the city and, of course, La Alhambra.

 You can sit on the edge of a large square.  While we were there, street performers played flamenco music while one girl danced.

For 2 euros, you can also go to the top of the church tower (the church runs along one side of the plaza).  The woman claimed it was "magical", but I preferred the live music and my seat with my legs dangling over high above the town.
The final flourish of a long day (I liked to call it Taking Granada by Storm) was a flamenco show.  Again, my hostel staff came in handy.  Most shows are a show-and-dinner or just show deal for the grand old price of 25-30 euros.  I wasn't THAT into flamenco, but Le Chien Andalou (The Andalucian Dog) offered a 6 euro way out of this fix.  And it was a few blocks down from my hostel.
 
 I stopped by earlier in the day to buy a ticket for the 10 pm show (you really think I'd stay up for the midnight one?  Who do you think I am??), which allowed me to relax in the afternoon and not worry about securing a spot.

 Still, I was advised to arrive at 9:30 to get a good seat.

 The three-person show consisted of a wonderful Spanish guitar player, a singer who got on my nerves (also, the music shows a strong Islamic influence), and a flamenco dancer who clearly loved what she was doing.  Her brooding sensual expression would melt into a smile as she lost herself in dancing and before she regained her composure.

 Apparently, she's a flamenco teacher.  Two whole tables of her students turned out to watch her dance.

All in all, I greatly enjoyed Granada.  It made me wish I'd had another day here instead of in Cordoba.

Spotted: the southern Spain tradition of a free tapa with each drink.  I met one American on top of San Nicolas who got a bit too enthusiastic about this great deal.  He almost plunged over the wall while trying to sit down due to his... high number of free tapas.