Last day in Granada

Last night's dinner and flamenco was a hard act to follow but we gave it a shot anyway. We were up and in a taxi to the Alhambra bright and early this morning. After getting stuck behind groups, a worker saw our tickets were for an earlier time and let us in. The walk there was so nice with Cyprus trees lining the sidewalk of ruins. Our first stop was the Palacios Nazarides where we were able to view the palace of sultans who ruled Granada for 700 years. We couldn't believe all the intricate scrollwork, engraving and design of this building. I'd wanted to see it for a long time since I had art history and it definitely didn't disappoint. The palace of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V is also there, in its circular Roman revival style and houses two small museums.
We had lunch at a former artist's house, where Sister befriended a stray cat and fed him half of her chicken. It felt like being at home! Lol
After lunch, some shopping and near fist fight with some gypsies, La Lopez, Sister and I went to the cathedral which was their first time since I had gone yesterday. Sister was very moved, and it reminded her how our uncle was always telling her to travel. Indeed it was our unexpected loss of him this past Christmas that was her impetus for going on this trip.
We rounded the corner at the Capilla Real and were treated with seeing the crypts of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella! They even have his sword and her crown and sceptre.
Later on we cabbed it over to the Elvira Gate, part of the old Moorish city wall, to a little organic store for a wine tasting. Andalusia has some of Spain's finest wines and olive oil. Our hostess, a fun girl from the Basque region, entertained us with three great wines exclusive to Granada paired with awesome tapas. All three wines come from vineyards above 1000 feet in elevation, and so can only be picked and processed by hand. This makes the reserves of wine very exclusive and handled with care. Of course we all bought bottles along with different Andalusian olive oil. Hooray! After three full glasses of wine we were feeling a bit buzzed and it was definitely an adventure trying to walk down that hill in wedge shoes!
This morning we picked up our rental car and that's when the real adventure began. First of all, when its your first time to Europe, you tend to over pack (meaning La Lopez and Sister with all their shoes!). So trying to fit four suitcases in an Audi A4 was like playing Tetris. We ended up stacking two suitcases in the backseat between Sister and Miz Brazil for the three and a half hour drive from Granada to Alicante. Now La Lopez and I had not driven a stick shift in a while, and Sister and Miz Brazil don't know how to drive one at all, so there was some pressure. Couple that with crazy European traffic, scooters our of no where, and traffic circles (roundabouts), it made for a stressful situation. We accidentally killed the engine getting stuck behind a car who slammed on the breaks, ON A HILL (!), and poor La Lopez was pretty stressed out trying to get it started again. Since I was navigating, I had to throw down the dispatcher voice and keep it calm while until we got on the highway. We rolled into Alicante three hours later and to our pensione, which was tiny. But hey this is Europe and Miz Brazil and I are both used to tiny hotel rooms. La Lopez and Sister however, are having to suspend their American comfort zones for now.
We went to walk around a bit while La Lopez went to get her hair blown out straight and found the Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de Gracia, which is a quiet unassuming little church in the center of town (and kinda funny since our family's village in Italy has a church of the same name: Santa Maria della Grazia!). Alicante isn't really a tourist destination, but it was sufficient for a one night layover before our flight to Ibiza the next day. We had a great dinner at an Italian restaurant before settling down for the night.

The Pomegranate

Or rather, in Spanish, Granada.
One of the historic jewels of Andalusia, Granada was under Caliphate/Moorish rule for nearly 800 years until the Emir there gave it up to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in 1492. Even after all these years, the Albayzin district in Granada has preserved all the Moorish buildings, including the crown of them all, the Alhambra.

This photo of The Alhambra is courtesy of TripAdvisor

The Alhambra was once a walled in fortress of the Nasrid sultans who ruled this area during the Caliphate years. Eventually, after they were booted from the Iberian peninsula and the Reconquista fully commenced, the Catholic monarchs appropriated much of the property. There were some changes, as one of the Holy Roman Emporers decided he was going to tear down some of it, but it still stands gloriously on a hilltop at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Granada also has a cathedral in the center of town.

This photo of Cathedral and Royal Chapel (Capilla Real) is courtesy of TripAdvisor

The cathedral is actually built right on top of a mosque. Nothing says conquered like building a religious house on top of your vanquished enemy's, no? The outside facade is Spanish Renaissance which looks markedly different than the baroque cathedrals elsewhere in Europe from the same time period. The inside of the church features five (count 'em!) naves instead of a fairly standard three. This cathedral had an outstanding seven architects (!) who each brought different elements to the building, including the Capilla Real (royal chapel) where the mausoleums of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella are located. The inside of the church has the many of the same elements you can find if you've ever been to churches in France or Italy. Very ornate gilded decoration inside the cupolas, soaring columns to dramatic ceilings almost as high as the sky, and beautiful stained glass windows. This church was built as a power symbol of the Reconquista and its dominance over the local skyline is pretty recognizable.

This photo of Cathedral and Royal Chapel (Capilla Real) is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Another nifty place to visit in Granada is the Abadia del Sacrmonte. According to local lore, in the 16th century locals found some caves in the hillside with some remains inside that were very old. Legend has it these remains were of St. Cecilio, who is the patron saint of Granada, and who was sent to Spain by St. Peter to evangelize it. So the local bishop built an abbey on top of this holy place, in honor of their saint. One of the things that will quickly become apparent to you is the six sided star that is repeated all over the abbey in decoration. Many people mistake this for the Star of David in the Jewish faith, but its not. This symbol was once use as a mark of intelligence or knowledge during Roman times, so keeping with the theme the bishop who built the abbey decided to keep on using it.

This photo of Abadia del Sacromonte (Sacromonte Abbey) is courtesy of TripAdvisor

After a day of site seeing, relax at the Carmen Mirador de Aixa, with a full view of the Alhambra while you drink your tasty Spanish sangria and trying jamon, which is pretty a Spanish obsession. Lunch might be a cheaper option for you, as the view is going to bring your costs up. The food is good and the service is great but prepare to bust out that wallet at the end.

This photo of Carmen Mirador de Aixa is courtesy of TripAdvisor

 For a little bit of ethnic fun, make sure to visit the Alcaiceria, which is the old Moorish silk market. Now its a jumble of market stalls invoking thoughts of a sook in Morocco, where you can buy bargain goods from Arab traders.
If you're not quite sure what to do here in Granada, there are many guided tours you can do. Make sure to check Trip Advisor and Viator to read reviews before you book. Tours cover everything from walking tours through Albayzin, to olive oil tours throughout the countryside. Bike tours, paragliding and segways...your adventure awaits!