QueuEurope

15-Oct-23

Disclaimer: "QueuEurope" is trademarked by NFBrown Inc. 😜 A very apt way to describe the massive lines & hoards of tourists every. where. we. go. 😧🤦🏻‍♀️

We rolled into Granada on the night of a massive religious procession that we were told attracts people from all over Spain. We weren't clear on the purpose/focus of the festivities but it for sure brought LOADS of people into Granada - so much so that our hotel (a very charming 500-year-old residential palace Nick had booked us into!) let us know that they'd had to make arrangements for us to park outside the city, as all roads into the historic center were closed to traffic. Thankfully, the hotel had reserved parking for us because there was none to be found! Even walking to the hotel turned out to be a bit if an odyssey as we dragged our roller bags up & down narrow cobblestone staircases, pushing our way through a mass of tourists both foreign & domestic 😵‍💫😄

The Alhambra at Night

But we made it! And happily watched the festive procession go by as we enjoyed a dinner of kebabs & Turkish pizza (a much welcomed change to the endless pork dishes of most Iberian cuisine we've come across). 

We had a full day planned to visit the famous Alhambra, treat ourselves to a hammam (Turkish bath), & then catch a flamenco show. Clearly, we do not take it 'easy' on vacation. 😉

The Alhambra was a huge complex with beautifully decorated rooms that took us a good five hours to get through but it was well worth it! The complex derives its name from the Arabic phrase "al hamra", meaning 'red castle', thanks to the red sandstone used to build the original 9th century Alcazaba (fortress) that overlooks the city. The Moors established a royal palace on the site in the 13th century; beginning in the 15th century, the Catholic Monarchs & their descendants demolished parts of the old palace to build new Renaissance-style ones. By the 18th century, it was mostly abandoned, which was a good thing considering much of it was blown up during the Napoleonic Wars. It wasn't until the 19th century that restoration and preservation efforts turned it into the World Heritage Site it is today.

Charles V Palace (entrance)

Charles V Palace (interior courtyard)

Wine Gate (front & back)

 

Nasrid Palaces

Renaissance Ceilings

Renaissance Balcony

Garden of the Partal

Alcazaba

Looking down onto the Nasrid Palaces form the Alcazaba

Remains of Arms Square & Military Barracks

View from the Watch Tower

By the 13th century, the Moorish kings felt the need for a "rural" palace away from the hubbub of the Alhambra. So they built a "rustic" residential palace on the next hill over - within walking distance but still technically outside of the city walls. This country estate 

  

Generalife as seen from the rest of the Alhambra

View of Alhambra from the Generalife

After the Alhambra, we took a quick siesta and headed to a hammam for a bit of relaxation and pampering. We dipped into the Roman baths at different-temperatures, then treated ourselves to a brief massage & essential oil treatment. We followed that up with another short siesta before heading to dinner in the hill tops of Sacramonte, the historic gypsy or Romani quarter of Granada. 

Sunset (& bats) over Granada

The Romani migrated to Spain in the late 15th century, settling in the hills above Granada outside the city walls (and outside of the control of the king or Catholic church). They carved their homes into the sides of the hills, creating cave-houses. The neighborhood and this type of dwelling became a haven for the displaced Jews, Muslims and Africans fleeing the Spanish Inquisition in the 16th century. The mix of cultures and Arabic music helped create a style of flamenco unique to the region known as zambra. We were able to book a flamenco show in one of these caves with live music (just a singer, a guitar player, & the percussion of the dancers) and beautiful dance performances.