Granada

Sunday. September 9. 

I cab it to the Dublin airport. Loved Dublin, but now the real adventure begins. Spain will be different, and I expect that it will be more than language. This will be a different culture. I wasn’t sure what to expect.

The flight to Barcelona is delayed for an hour. At least I won’t be sitting on the plane during the delay. I still have an hour and a half to catch the connecting flight to Granada.

There is another delay before we board. We’re waiting at a gate and I notice two Spanish guys with baseball hats. One has a Yankees hat on. The other has a Red Sox hat. They don’t know how to wear baseball hats. The hats just don’t fit right and they sit high on their heads. I wondered if they knew what bitter rivals the two teams were.  

An elderly couple from Belfast are seated in my row. I ask if they’re on their honeymoon. The woman quickly answers, “Oh no. We’ve been married forty seven years.”  

I’m flying Vueling (pronounced Whaling) Airlines. It’s a Spanish budget airline. I’ll learn not to trust them. We sit on the tarmac for about an hour. Finally there is an announcement. There is a “security problem in Barcelona.” A passenger gets online with his cell phone and learns there is some kind of problem at the Barcelona airport, but there are no details. I never do find out what happened.    

   

We finally take off, but I know I’ll never make the connecting flight. A young guy sitting in front of me is freaking out a bit about missing his connecting flight. He keeps bouncing in and out of his seat and smashing into my legs. He can’t miss his next flight! Something is too important. When we land he runs to the front of the plane. The other passengers are amused. They know there’s no way he makes his flight. 

There were about thirty people in the same situation. After we land we go to a Vueling ticket counter. They will put us up for the night in the Barcelona Hilton. I have a choice of flights to Granada. One is at 9 am. The other is at 5 p.m.. I’m surprised there aren’t more flights, but I opt for the earlier flight. I want to get to Granada. I’m only there a couple of nights and I have a tour of the Alhambra scheduled. I’m warned that I’ll have to take a bus from the Hilton at 5 am to make the flight. What the heck. I haven’t been sleeping much since I got to Europe anyway. 

We’ll take a bus to the Hilton. The clerk gave me an ominous: “The last bus is leaving soon.” “Where is it?” “Downstairs.” They gave us vouchers for a deli in the airport, but I didn’t like the sound of “the last bus” so I passed on the free food. I want to find that bus. 

Upstairs the Barcelona airport is modern, but downstairs it’s just a bus station. There are about fifty busses. None of them have any signs or destinations on them, not even in Spanish. I ask a couple of drivers. There’s certainly more of a language barrier here. They have no idea where the bus to the Hilton is. I consider just staying in the airport all night. It’s almost midnight already.  

I see a Spanish couple that had been on the Dublin to Barcelona flight. They recognize me. They talk with the drivers. It still takes some searching, but they find the bus to the Hilton! We still have to wait for a while. About thirty people board the bus. We get to the Hilton at 1:30 a.m. Everyone is pretty groggy. 

Hey, things happen. My trip in 2016 had gone very smoothly and I knew I had been very lucky. I got to take a nap at The Hilton and made the flight to Granada without further incident. It wasn’t the end of the world. Going through security again was a déjà vu experience. Didn’t I just do this? I used last night’s voucher to get a plastic wrap sandwich. “The Ploughman.” It was good to be on an uneventful flight. 

Got a cab at the airport. It was exciting to be in Spain. It reminded me of the first cab ride in Paris. We drove through a downtown area. Then we were surrounded by older buildings. There was an aura of history. This was really Spain! I was blown away before I got to the hotel.

The taxi dropped me at the edge of the Plaza del Carmen. The hotel is “Right across the square.” He can’t cross the plaza. Car traffic is banned in the older areas of Granada, so this will have to be close enough. The square is dominated by The City Hall building and an equestrian statue. The City Hall had once been a convent.

I still had a hard time finding the Hotel Navas. I know it has to be on this block and I have to go all the way around the block before I find the sign for the hotel. I must have walked right past it. I’m a little surprised. The Hotel Navas is very modern. Steel and glass.

Hotel Navas is in the Barrio Realejo. It had been the Jewish Quarter. It’s the oldest part of Granada.     

I considered visiting City Hall. It’s an old, historic looking building, but there was airport security that didn’t look too welcoming. There were signs and a plaque that welcomed visitors but the place just looked too official. I’m not even sure if it was open to the public.

It’s early evening and still sunny. It had been gray and gloomy in Dublin during my stay. Many Irish come to Spain for the sun and beaches. 

I take a walk. The streets are a medieval maze. I thought Venice was hard to navigate. I come to the entrance gate of an amazing garden area.  

American history has its complexities, but it’s relatively simple compared to the history of Spain. Each city I’ll visit has a similar history. Native Iberians were invaded by the Romans. The Barbarians came, usually the Visigoths. Then the Moors came in 711. A.D. It took over seven centuries, but eventually the Moors were driven out by the Christians in the Reconquista.

It wasn’t always Christian versus Muslim. The Berbers were the second wave of invaders from Africa. They were a different nation within Islam. They clashed with the Moors who were already there. Alliances were made. Muslim chieftains joined Christians against rival Muslims. Christian forces joined Muslim forces against Christians. Sometimes it was the matter of the highest bidder or who was winning. The line between Christian and Muslim armies was blurred.

There are legends and claims that Tubal, Noah’s grandson, settled in Granada. Granada is the capital of the Andalucia region of Spain. It’s been an important military and economic site since the Romans. In 1236 the Islamic capital Cordoba was retaken by the Christians. Granada became the capital of Islamic Spain until the Moors were defeated in 1492. That’s longer than the United States has existed.  

Andalucia has a history of tolerance. The existence of other religions was officially banned, but in practice other religions were tolerated. This may have been largely an economic decision. Tolerance helped trade. Universities, especially in Toledo, welcomed scholars from around the world. It wasn’t perfect. There were still occasional outbreaks of violence, that were usually aimed at the Jewish population. 

  Things changed after the Reconquista. Muslims and Jews were persecuted and exiled. Much of the Moslem architecture was destroyed. There were economic problems and the Spanish Empire declined. 

Madrid was made the capital of Spain. Granada became more remote and the city deteriorated. Romantic intellectuals heard about the Alhambra and wanted to see it. Washington Irving’s hit novel drew visitors from around the world. Rail service made it easier for tourists to make the pilgrimage.

The Spanish Civil War didn’t help Granada. It was a flashpoint for the political tension before the Spanish Civil War. Federico Garcia Lorca was killed here. There was a long siege outside the city during the war.     

  Now Granada is a university and government town. There was some modernization in the Twentieth Century, but Granada preserved much of its architecture and historic look. The nearby Sierra Nevadas give the city a break from the summer heat. Ski resorts are not far from Granada. They make Granada a resort city.  

Monday. September 10. 

There’s no scheduled tour for me today so I explore Granada. It’s sunny and hot. This is quite a change from Ireland. My first stop is the Cathedral. It’s not too far from the hotel. Just follow the signs. 

The Cathedrals in Europe were usually built on a site that had already been a site of pagan worship, a “revered” or “sacred” place.  

When the Moors took over a city they usually destroyed the main Cathedral or converted it into a mosque. It was a symbol of their triumph. During the Reconquista the mosques were converted back to Christian Cathedrals. Because it was a former mosque the Cathedral has five naves instead of three.  

The Cathedral of the Incarnation took so long to build that it spans three eras of art history. It has three styles of architecture. There is a Gothic foundation. Most of it was built in the Renaissance style. In the last stages of construction some Baroque touches were added. The Cathedral is the second largest in Spain. 

The exterior is made of stone. It does not stand alone like most big cathedrals in Europe. Other buildings have been built alongside it. The Cathedral looks more like part of the city. Some of the stone has darkened by the years. 

Inside it’s brighter than I expected. Light streams through the large stained glass windows. There are black and white tiles on the floor. Ornate side altars have some grim images of Catholicism. Retablos display the life of Christ. Some have conquistadors in the center. A marble St. Michael wields his sword. There are paintings, including some by Alonso Cano.

There’s a huge organ covered in gilt. The pulpit does stand out from the surrounding decoration. The altar is in the middle of the large dome. The dome gives the illusion of reaching up to heaven. 

The Cathedral was going to be the royal mausoleum. Ferdinand and Isabella were buried there, but Philip II decided to move the royal crypt to The Escorial outside Madrid. The Gothic Portal is the entrance to The Royal Chapel. The Capilla Real. 

You can still see and feel the awesome might, power and wealth of the Spanish Empire. It’s hard to imagine the flow of gold and riches.

The Chapel of the Trinity (Capilla de la Santisima) has paintings by El Greco, José de Ribera and Alonso Cano There are busts of Adam and Eve done by Cano. 

Two women were sweeping and mopping in the altar area. The maintenance of the Cathedral must be a constant job that never ends.    

 

I walk around the Cathedral and take a good look at its exterior. I had almost walked around the Cathedral when I came to a small plaza. I paused to plan my next move. There was a statue in a corner of the square next to the Cathedral.   

It looked a little out of place. The bronze figure was a man wearing an odd top hat. He was reading a book that he held in one hand. It looked like a Dickens character to me. The statue had a bronze color. It didn’t have a religious theme and it was right next to the Cathedral. 

I should take the tram tour. I took a look at my map. There had to be a tram stop near the Cathedral. The statue moved! It was a live human in bronze colored makeup. I took a closer look. There were even cracks in the makeup to make him look more like a statue. Even I have to give this guy a couple of Euro. I figure I might as well get my money’s worth, so I ask him for directions to the tram tour. He was very friendly for a statue and pointed me on my way. I wish I had a picture of me getting directions from a statue.    

You can’t miss the saffron stands. The stalls in front of the store hold red and orange powders that leap out at you. Saffron is cheap here. I wondered what the mathematics of saffron smuggling was.     

It’s early in the day but I want to save the legs. There’s no Hop On Hop Off bus here. The streets are too narrow and winding even for a van, but there is a “Train” that goes around the city. It’s a long tram like the ones used in zoos for tours. The tram has a see through roof. There’s a small kiosk and a young woman selling tickets. 

The trick is to stay on the train through all the stops. The whole way. Take the full tour. It’s always tempting to get off and see the big sites. If I’m going to do a full lap around the city I better find a bathroom. There’s a restaurant nearby. The young lady selling the tram tickets says, “They’re nice.” I sneak in and out, but I leave a Euro on the counter, just in case. 

I get on at Stop 9, The Cathedral stop. The tram bounces and rattles on the old cobblestone streets. There is a running commentary in English. 

The first stop is “Calle Al Hondiga/Recogidas.” This is where the main silk market was. It’s a weekday and there are people here going about their business. This is more like a downtown area. The Church of Magdelana is nearby. 

The Alcaiceria was Granada’s bazaar area. It was a Muslim neighborhood that was famous for its silk market. Most of the shops cater to tourists now. The buildings are still very Moorish. The Grand Bazaar burned down in the 1800s. It was rebuilt, but the new bazaar wasn’t as authentic. The buildings look worn down now. A couple of hundred years is a short period of time here. It was still early, so there wasn’t much tourist traffic.

  There are colorful shaded awnings spread over the narrow streets. They’re colorful and give some protection from the sun. Gypsy women (gitanas) were standing around. Maybe it was too early for them to start hustling.

The key to Granada and the other big cities in Spain was water. The Aljiibe de San Miguel is a large cistern. Stone from Roman columns were “repurposed” to build the cisterns.    

Next stop is the “shopping center” of Plaza Mariana Pineda/El Corte Ingles. The buildings on the square have balconies that face the square. In the middle of the square there is a statue of Mariana Pineda, the “Heroine of Freedom” who was martyred during the reign of the dictator Fernando VII. 

Nearby is the Bibataubin Palace that was built by the Bourbons. Our Lady of Sorrows church (Nuestra Senora de las Angustias) “houses the image” of Our Lady of Sorrows. The most popular landmark is Cafe Futbol which appears in most guidebooks. It’s famous for its chocolate drinks. 

I was on the Red Line. It would not be going up to the Alhambra, which was all right with me. I’ll be going up there tomorrow.

Even I know “Plaza Nueva” means “new plaza,” but it’s the oldest square in Granada. It was built over the River Darro. This was the center of old Granada and was used for “Tournaments, games and bull fights.” It was the spot for public executions. The Royal Chancellery is a landmark. It’s now used as the “High Court.” 

There is an entry to the Albaycin, the Calle Elvira. 

All of Granada is scenic, but the Paseo de los Tristes is postcard perfect. The ancient road winds next to the river. It is called the “Way of Sadness” because funeral processions came through here and continued on to the cemetery. This area was once more central to the life of the city. I can see parts of the Alhambra above us. It’s my first real view of it.     

It’s very tempting to get off at the next stop. The “Mirador De San Nicolas/Plaza Abad.” This is the best view of the Alhambra, especially at sunset. St. Nicolas Church is being renovated. “It can get crowded!” We are warned: “This is the haunt of pickpockets and bag snatchers.”

The Plaza De San Miguel Bajo is a smaller square that is dominated by the white tower of the church, Christ of the Lanterns. There is a very popular restaurant here: Meson El Yunque.  

The Jardines del Triunto (The Gardens of Triumph) had been an Arab cemetery that was founded in the thirteenth century. Many of the nearby buildings were built in the early sixteenth century. 

It had been the Plaza de Toros, once considered the center of Granada. Festivals and other events were held here. During French rule, many Spanish patriots were executed in the plaza. 

This is the second most visited spot in Granada. The crypt of a popular modern saint is nearby. The beloved Fray Leopoldo was known as the “friar-almoner.” He was beatified in 2010.   

The #8 stop is  the Monasterios de San Jeronimo/San Juan De Dios. The Royal Monastery of St. Jerome. The Hieronymites were an Augustinian order. The Monastery was begun in 1513 and finished in 1526. It was severely damaged by Napoleon’s troops and renovated in the 1920s. It is the burial spot of Gonzalo Fernandez de Cordoba. (El Gran Capitan.)

The Basilica of San Juan de Dios was begun in 1737 and finished in 1759. It has a silver urn with relics of St. John of God. The Basilica was the first to be consecrated to the Immaculate Conception of Mary. It’s called, “The best example of Spanish Baroque.” 

I was back at the Cathedral stop. I had done the full circuit. I knew my shortened stay wasn’t going to be long enough to see all of this grand historic city. 

  

When I get back I still have a hard time finding the hotel. It shouldn’t be so hard. I have to go around the block that I know it’s on until I find it. It’s time to learn about this tapas thing. I’ve had them in the Bay Area, but I’ve been told that even the best in the United States don’t compare.   

It was approaching siesta time. A few customers lingered over a late lunch. I ordered a cerveza. “Big or small?” “Big!” The waiter brought out a tall glass and a plate with anchovies and a little rice. I knew they were free, but it’s still a little surprising. 

  Have another cerveza? Sure. This time the waiter gave me a small plate of warm, fried calamari. I knew about the tradition of tapas, but this place was great! 

Later I heard a tour guide explain that in the Fifteenth century the Emperor had decided that the people were drinking too much. Nothing was getting done. The Emperor decreed that whenever a drink was ordered, some food must also be served. Apparently this worked and saved the empire. The practice remains, but it is changing. Rick Steves suggest that you always order a drink first. Then the tapas come. If you order food first, free tapas don’t come.  

It certainly works for me. I imagined going from bar to bar living on free tapas. Someone must have tried it. Maybe there is such a thing as a free lunch.   

After a nap I was ready to go again. It was still early. Everything happens late in Spain. Even though I was touring the Alhambra the next day I decided to hike up to the  area. I would try to find the “departure point” for tomorrow’s tour. 

Tired legs are a constant factor now, but I still made the hike uphill. I started up Carrer Navas. This was the street the hotel was on. I passed some old buildings and what looked like a stone arcade with places for shops. This was the “San Matias Realejo.”  

I see on the map that the Carrer San Matias is a street that winds up near the Alhambra, so I head up that street. There is a small plaza with restaurants and shops. 

As I went uphill it became more residential. Much of Granada has been renovated or rebuilt, but these buildings and homes look old. I was walking through the Albayzín.

I’ve seen Mission style architecture in California, but these are the buildings that were copied by California’s Spanish pioneers a mere four hundred years ago in the Americas. The style is Carmen Granadino. A house is surrounded by a high wall that protects a small orchard or garden from the street. Most of them are two stories tall. Many of them have bougainvillea or other flowers hanging on trellises on the white washed walls.  

I went into a local grocery convenience store for a juice drink. A young girl was alone at the counter. She might have been twelve. I struggled with the Euros a bit and didn’t give her enough at first. She politely asked for more. I wondered if she could be left alone behind the counter of a store in most of America. Maybe she wasn’t alone. It still looked very open and trusting.    

The streets are winding and narrow. There’s not much traffic. Once in a while a scooter blasts its way past me. An older looking couple came out of a house and set up card tables. They don’t glance my way. It looked they were getting ready to relax and enjoy the sunset. What was it like to live up here? There’s a different pace to life. It’s a different world.     

I turn off Carrer San Matias. This is the street I must find on the way down. There’s a grammar school that looks like it was built in the Sixties. It's concrete and modern. I pass some kind of art school. 

The streets kept winding their way up the hill. Climbing the hills was worth it. There are spectacular views of Granada and the nearby Sierra Nevada Mountains at every turn and corner. I got another look at the Alhambra.  

The city was spread out below me. The neighborhood is full of Arabic shops and restaurants, scenic gardens and marvelous views of Alhambra and Granada.

The Albayzin was the Moorish quarter of Granada and was once called Elvira. Any Muslims that remained after the Reconquista lived here. The Albayzin was the home to the artists and craftsmen that created and built the Alhambra. 

I kept going up stone stairways. Near the top there’s a wide overlook with a sweeping view. A mansion is perched at the far side of the overlook. It’s the  Villa de los Martires. (The House of the Martyrs) It had been a Carmelite monastery and convent. It’s been renovated and it is now rented out for weddings and other events. I tried to get a look inside, but it was closed.  

At the near end of the overlook is a statue. A regal figure has a monkey peeking out from behind his feet. The inscription reads: “Carolus Tertius.”  

After a long siege the Muslims were finally driven from Granada. The first new church in the liberated city was built on this hill.

A short path goes up to the entrance of a garden area. There’s a small grotto with a plaque that says it’s the Carmen de los Martires: The Garden of the Martyrs. This is where Christian captives were held in caves that reached far underground. The slave laborers that built the Alhambra were kept in dungeons here.  

It’s hard to imagine such a cruel fate in a place that is now so beautiful and scenic. Spanish history could make even the tragedies of Irish history pale in comparison. 

The garden looks very Victorian. Most of the fencing and garden decorations are made of wrought iron. There is a duck pond and another large concrete pond that was swarming with tadpoles and frogs. The gardens had been part of the convent. The gardens looked a little worn and dry in spots, but it was late in the summer. They still looked well tended.    

The Garden of the Martyrs wouldn’t be the most impressive site I would see in Granada, but it was something I had found on my own. There were no guidebook expectations. How many places are there like this in Granada? It was a quiet, beautiful site with a tragic story. 

I wandered around the area near the Alhambra entrance. I saw the road that led to the entrance. I didn’t find the exact meeting spot, but I wanted a look at what else was up here. There was a luxury hotel, the Alhambra. I went by the overlook with the Carlos III statue again. I just took in the view for a while. It was time to turn around and head back.   

It was still hot. I concentrated on returning the way I had come up. I was very glad to find the Carrer Matias on the way down. I knew this went to Carrer Navas and then to the hotel. I was glad to see the sign for the Hotel Navas. 

I was ready for some of the seafood of Spain. My friends at Calamares were closed, but there were plenty of restaurants on the street near the hotel. Waiters worked passing tourists and tried to pull them in to their restaurant.   

Taberna Divisa Blanco was across the street from the Navas Hotel. I really didn’t want to get lost again. There was a menu with a page in English, but I got some guidance from the waiter. He made it simple. “What do you want? How do you want it cooked?” It was easy to figure out. The Fried Fish Combo had anchovies, shrimp, mussels and sardines. There were two kinds of fish I didn’t recognize: dog fish and another fish called radon. “What is Radon?” “For this there is no translation.”  

The place was run by twin brothers. They waited on customers while the father tended bar. There were few customers besides me. Dining in Spain doesn’t get started until late. “Uno mas. I know how to say that.” That got a laugh out of the waiter.

People were hanging out in the nearby Plaza del Carmen. City Hall was lit up in purple and it looked great. This is what it’s all about. I found a bench and hung out in the plaza. Is this something else Americans have missed?

Tuesday September 11. 

Security at the Alhambra was not only tight, it started months in advance. I had to send a photo of my passport to my travel agent to get the tickets for the tour. “Please note the Alhambra requires that all passengers provide the full name, date of birth and passport details for each participant when booking.”

I got a confirm, but later I got this message: “We regret to inform you due to some problems with the Alhambra Patronato and their politics, your Alhambra tour for the 10th September has been changed to the 11st September at 9:00 am.”

The flight problems from Dublin got me there a day later than planned. If the original date had not been changed I would have missed the tour. I don’t think I would have left Grananda without seeing the Alhambra.  

It was hard to believe that I would be touring the Alhambra. I arrived the usual fifteen minutes early. The departure point was: “In front of Information and Box Offices, by the Mural Map.” I’ve been on many of these tours now, but I still get a little nervous until I find the contact.

There was some confusion at the entrance because there were so many people looking for different groups. The people from the tour groups ran around with clip boards and straightened things out. 

The tour was from 9 a.m to noon. Our tour guide is a young Spanish woman, Margarita. She says we’re lucky. It’s better to tour the Alhambra early, “Before the heat.” The tour would be in both Spanish and English. First there would be a description in Spanish, then it would be repeated in English.    

Margarita warned us that security at the Alhambra was not a joke. There have been threats made by ISIS. We must have our passports. The voucher had said, “It is mandatory that all visitors carry their identity document to access the monument.” My travel agent had made sure to mention this a couple of times. Bring your passport to the tour! Margarita told us that at any time security might ask for ID. “If security asks for your ID... Just show it to them!” 

There were separate tickets to the Generalife and the Alhambra. There would be a couple of points where we would have to “check in” and show our tickets. Margarita would take care of that, and then we would enter as a group. There were about twenty five on the tour.   

We went through the first checkpoint and entered the Gardens of The Generalife.   The Jardines Altos del Generalife. Generalife means “garden of the architect.” The gardens are spread across a hill called the Cerro del Sol. The Hill of the Sun. The Generalife was meant to be “paradise on earth.” Margarita explained that it was built for the relaxation of the Moorish Kings. Flowers and plants were brought here from all over the world.

There were towers, but they were smaller than the Alhambra’s. The Generalife is not considered to be a part of the Alhambra. It was not built to be a military fortress. We could see The Bell Tower of the Alhambra on the next hill.  

The tour continued on a path under a trellis of oleanders. This came to a modern stage and theater. It’s the home to “festivals.” It looks out of place up here. 

We stopped on a tower above a dried up moat. The system of moats served two purposes. It distributed water, but when it was dry it was a system for soldiers to get quickly around the fort. We went through another checkpoint to enter the Alhambra. The Alhambra is the most visited monument in Spain. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Alhambra is considered a separate city from Granada.  

A fortress was built here on Roman ruins in 899. It’s a strategic spot near the Daro River. The Alhambra was built in the 13th century. It has a long military history. Like most imposing fortresses it discouraged many attacks, but there were still battles and long sieges here. 

The Generalife and the Alhambra have deteriorated over the centuries. It was abandoned for a while. The Alhambra has been restored and altered many times. “There is little resemblance to the original.” There was much renovation in the 19th century. 

Margarita said that, “Renovations and repairs continue to this day.” She explained that most of the Alhambra is made from the red clay of the area. Alhambra means “The Red One” in Arabic. The clay holds small stones together, so it has a layered effect. The exteriors of The Alhambra looked spare, but inside the walls are covered in colorful stucco tiles in geometric patterns.

The key to the Alhambra is the water system. Water from the mountains was distributed by a system of water tanks and stone conduits. Even the sound of running water was a luxury in these arid climes.

The Aljibe were large cisterns that were built by adapting the Roman cisterns. Twenty seven of them survive. At several points we could see the stone drains that carried water around the Alhambra. They were behind a protective iron grate.   

We walked through a courtyard with spouting fountains, The Patio of the Irrigation Ditch. It was an important link in the water system. 

We entered the Court of the Sultana’s Cypress Tree. Patio del Ciprés de la Sultana. In one corner there is a large cypress that looks ready to topple. It’s held in place by a large brace. This could be the tree where Sultan Boabdil’s wife had an unfortunate liaison with a knight from the Abencerrages family. Boabdil invited him and his family to a banquet. They were massacred. Historians believe that the attack had more to do with politics than romance.      

A short walk away are the ruins of the palace, The Royal Quarters. Only the foundation is left. Napoleon’s troops caused much destruction here. It’s very hard to imagine anything but ruins here. 

A street leads to the Palace of Charles V. The building of the Palace began in 1527. Margarita tells us that, “The Palace was never finished. The circular patio is unique.” We walk around the courtyard. 

The Justice Tower is near the Palace. It’s one of the main entrances to the Alhambra.  

Representation of the human form is banned from most Islamic art, but the Almovards did allow some human images. So we will see some human images in the stucco tiles. Margarita points out the figure of a human hand in the marble. This was a charm against the evil eye. There was a key with a cord. The key was to open the gates to the Muslim paradise. 

After going into the courtyard of The Palace we see the Wine Gate. It’s believed that this was once the wine market. Local legend says that wine was not taxed here. It was a free zone. Some say that “Wine Gate” may be a garbed version of the original name: The Red Gate. It became more famous after Debussy wrote a piece titled “The Wine Gate.”

Everyone is ready for a short break. There’s a cafe and a souvenir shop. I find an alcove with some benches. There’s a middle aged Hispanic couple sitting on the next bench. We’re all getting in the shade. The guy is wearing a Cal shirt. I say, “Go Cal!” and they get laugh. They’re from San Jose. “Our daughter went to Cal.” It’s a small world.

We all meet and walk along a path that leads to the top of the fortress. Then we walked along the ramparts and around the towers. Mohammed I constructed the defenses. There were ramparts and “new” towers: Vermillion Towers (Torres Bermejas) and The Broken Tower (Torre Quebrada) When the Watch Tower (Torre de la Vela) and The Keep (Torre del Homenaje) were built, The Alhambra became a real fortress.

The Bell Tower is one of the most recognizable sights in The Alhambra. It has the best view of Granada below. I located the Cathedral far below us. It looked small from up here. 

The Comares Tower is the highest tower of the Alhambra. Inside the Comares Palace is the Hall of the Ambassadors and the Hall of the Boat. The carved ceiling of the Hall of the Boat is shaped like the inverted hull of a ship. A Moorish council met here and decided to surrender Granada. In this room Christopher Columbus persuaded Ferdinand and Isabella to finance his expedition to the Orient.

A plaque marks the Washington Irving Room. It’s near a bath that leads to the Hall of Two Sisters. Irving’s book sparked interest in the Alhambra and helped save it. 

Margarita says again that we are in luck. We will get to enter one of the towers that is usually closed. We get an inside look with some unique views.     

Margarita says that Arab royalty usually didn’t live too long. There was always scheming for the throne. Even family members could not be trusted. “It was a dangerous occupation.”

The Promenade of the Two Towers has remains of the main wall and the towers that separate the Alhambra from the Generalife. We cross a bridge over a moat and go into the Generalife again.  

Margarita gathers us one last time in the Garden of the Partal. The tour is over, but we are free to wander the grounds. Some of the gardens are  open for free to the public.

  Boabdil was the last Moorish leader in Granada. He was the leader who had to surrender Granada to the re-conquering Christians. There is a story that at the Alhambra he took one last look at the city. He was called the saddest man in history for having lost Granada.     

Granada isn’t as big as other cities I’d visit on this trip, but I knew I had missed many local wonders. The Alhambra is the kind of place that has to be seen again.