Today I am in Granada, my second to last destination in
Spain before I move on to France. It was a bit of a haul from Toledo to Granada
– 4.5 hours by train – but because I left Toledo pretty early, I got in to
Granada with plenty of time to do some sightseeing. Getting to my hotel from
the train station was quick and easy. My hotel is a nice place, certainly the
nicest I’ve stayed in on this trip. After checking in I got settled, rested for
a bit, and then went out for a short walk around the immediate area of my
hotel. My hotel is near Plaza Nueva, the main square in Granada’s historic city
center, and the area was absolutely saturated with touristy hawkers. Beggars,
street performers, scammers, souvenir pushers, and the like. You see the same
kind of thing in many popular places around Europe, but rarely at the levels
I’ve seen in Spain. Apparently there’s a market for it, but I have never been a
buyer. Given that Spain’s economy is still in recession and its unemployment
rate is around 25%, however, it makes sense that you’d see more of it here as
people are looking for any way they can find to get by. In Toledo I saw a
well-dressed and groomed older guy sitting on a curb reading a book with a cup
and a sign that said simply in Spanish “I need your help”. I considered asking
him why he needed help, and I wish I had. As a traveler it’s hard to tell when
people really need help and when they’re just trying to scam you.
Unfortunately, the scammers usually far outnumber those who really need help.
Although really I suppose they all need help, and some are just more willing to
take what they need than others. Hopefully coming here and spending a bit of
money in the local economy will do some bit of good.
I decided to use the few hours I had available on that first
day to explore the Albayzín, Granada’s old Moorish quarter. Granada was always
an important city when this region was under Moorish rule, but it became the
most important and the last stronghold of the Moors during the Reconquista, as
Christian forces pushed further south and took other important cities like
Toledo. For a time after the Christians finally completed their conquest of the
Iberian Peninsula, they allowed Muslims to live with relative freedom and
autonomy, giving rise to Moorish communities like the Albayzín. The Albayzín is
still a center for Granada’s Muslim community; there is a beautiful mosque,
traditional Moorish geometric artwork, halal restaurants and food stores, and
even a few people speaking what I think was Arabic (or whatever it was, it
definitely wasn’t any language I recognize). It feels exotic, but safely so. It
is at times very gritty, but also vibrant and intriguing and beautiful. There
is a strong bohemian, hedonistic, hippy contingent there as well. According to
my guidebook, Spanish locals call these people pies
negros – “black feet” – which is certainly an accurate description given
what I saw. You see them loitering around all over the Albayzin, especially in
the busier areas, often playing guitars and singing with self-produced CDs for
sale. The thing that struck me is that many, if not most, of them
are in fact not Spanish. Those who speak Spanish often speak it with a
non-Spanish accent that even I can detect, or at times you hear other languages
(particularly French and English) spoken among them. A surprising number of
them are young Americans. Frankly, they very much reminded me of the similar
community you see back home in parts of Portland. The Albayzín is on a hill, so no matter where
you go you’re either walking up or downhill. I made the steep climb to one of
the highest parts, the St. Nicholas viewpoint, an overlook where you get one of
the best views in Granada and great shots across the valley of the Alhambra.
After taking a few pictures there I set off further into the Albayzin to
explore, walked around and took some pictures, and then made my way back into
the regular city. I found a good doner kebab place and grabbed a quick dinner,
and then retired early in order to get up early the next day for my Alhambra
reservation.
 |
| View of the Alhambra from the Albayzín |
 |
| Apparently there are Boy Scouts in Spain. Bonus: the local troop number is only one less than my old troop (525) |
 |
| A street in the Albayzín |
 |
| The mosque in the Albayzín |
 |
| A square in the Albayzín |
The next, day, which is today, was a full one. On the agenda
was the main reason for my visit to Granada, the famed Alhambra, along with
some exploration of the old town and visits to the Cathedral and Royal Chapel.
It has been one of the better days of this trip so far. I started at the
Alhambra, where I had a 9:30 AM reservation. The Alhambra is an extremely
popular sight (for good reason) and the number of tickets available for admission
each day is limited, so making a reservation ahead of time is essential. The way the system works is that you make a reservation and then
show up at the Alhambra on the day of your visit to pick up your ticket, at
which point you can enter the grounds and tour all of the minor sights within.
Your reservation time is for entry to the Palacios Nazaries, the old Moorish
palace which is the Alhambra’s main draw, and you can only enter the palace at
the precise time printed on your ticket. In order to make sure that I would
have time to get my ticket and be at the Palacios Nazaries on time, I got up
early and was out the door by 8:00. There is a convenient mini bus that runs up
to the Alhambra from near Plaza Nueva, so I took that and was at the Alhambra’s
main entrance by 8:20 or so. Even at that relatively early juncture the line
for same day tickets was huge, and many of the people in line probably didn’t
get to see the Alhambra today. I got in the much shorter line to pick up my
ticket, and within 10 minutes or so I was strolling into the Alhambra grounds.
 |
| Alhambra grounds |
 |
| Alhambra grounds |
Now before I go any further, I should explain what the
Alhambra actually is. Like I’ve been talking about a lot in my time visiting Toledo
and Granada, this region used to be part of a Muslim Moorish kingdom called Al-Andalus (from which the modern name Andalucia comes from). For more than 700 years, from the 8th through the 15th
centuries, Al-Andalus was thriving while the rest of Europe was in the midst of the Dark Ages. Compared to the rest of Europe at the time it was an
advanced and flourishing society, with greater wealth, scientific knowledge, and technological
advancement. For most of that period Granada was an important city, but not the
kingdom’s most important. It wasn’t until the Reconquista, when Christians went
on the offensive and gradually drove the Spanish Moors out of the region, that
Granada became the chief city of Al-Andalus due to the loss of other important
cities like Toledo, Cordoba, and Sevilla. There had long been a fort and
dwellings at the site of the Alhambra, but it wasn’t until the Reconquista,
when Granada’s importance grew, that the site was transformed into the lavish
palace that exists there today. Along with serving as a stronghold for the
Spanish Moors, the Alhambra was also home to a couple of thousand residents,
and the site of the Nazarid sultans’ palace (the aforementioned Palacios
Nazaries). It was a symbol of their power and the refinement of their
civilization, until it was taken in the Reconquista in 1492.
One more thing before I continue. I am trying hard not to strictly define the Moors of Al-Andalus as strictly Muslim, nor as "foreigners". By the time of the Alhambra's heydey they were every bit as "indigenous" as anyone else in Spain. Also, while they were largely Muslim, they were not strictly so. There were Christians and Jews living in Al-Andalus too. That is a topic I could go on and on about, but I wanted to give that short disclaimer before moving on.
 |
| The Alhambra (this part is actually a later Christian addition) |
 |
| The Alhambra |
I wanted to give that brief background on the Alhambra first
in order to give context to what I am about to describe. So like I said, I got
in to the Alhambra grounds with about an hour to kill before my Palacios
Nazaries entry time. I took my time exploring the grounds, which I found to be
immaculately tended by a small army of groundkeepers. It is a very big complex,
probably about a kilometer long and maybe a third to a half of a kilometer
wide, and the whole thing is full of gardens, groomed pathways, and the like.
Inside and out, it is absolutely beautiful. There are flower beds everywhere,
trimmed hedges, birds singing, fountains splashing, and incredible views of the
surrounding area. It wasn’t difficult to find plenty to see in the hour before
my entry time. When my entry time did come, I jumped in the line and joined the
herd entering the Palacios Nazaries. Signs and barriers guide you on a circuitous
route through the palace, taking you through several rooms and courtyards. You
know that you’re seeing a building that is both quite old and historically
significant, but what really grabs your attention is its sheer beauty. The
still pools of water, bubbling fountains, beautiful pillars and arches,
polished stone and intricate carvings and tile work, are all an architecturally
cohesive joy to see. The incorporation of water elements and flowers and shrubs
into living spaces is also impressive and unique. It is a beautifully peaceful
and serene place, in spite of the crowds of people.
After the Palacios Nazaries I took some time to walk
around the Alcazar (the old fort and the oldest part of the Alhambra) and the
Generalife Gardens (that’s pronounced Hen-Er-Ahl-Eef-Ay by the way). Both were
also excellent, and basically more of the same. The views from the Alcazar were
the best in Granada; you can see the peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to
the south and for many miles in every direction surrounding Granada. It is hard
to adequately describe the Alhambra, and I feel like a bit of a fool trying to
come up with more superlatives for it. All I can really say is that it is
probably the most beautiful man-made thing I have ever seen.
 |
| The Alhambra |
 |
| The Alhambra |
 |
| The Alhambra |
After the Alhambra I did some more poking around, including
a walk around the city’s old historic core, another stroll through the
Albayzin, and a walk out along Granada’s little river. It’s getting late in the
day now, and I still have to go see the interior of the Cathedral and the Royal
Chapel before they close, so I’m going to go do that now and then get some
dinner and get to bed. Tomorrow I leave for Sevilla. Until next time, thanks
for reading and hasta luego amigos.
No comments:
Post a Comment