The Magic of Granada

At the River Darro

Part of La Alhambra

Gardens at La Alhambra and view of the Albaicin Quarter

The city of Madrid has been quite chilly the last two weeks and so I was grateful to be able to go to Granada for the weekend. In the south of Spain, Granada was ruled by the Moors as a separate kingdom until King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella forcefully decided that Granada should become a part of the united lands of Aragon and Castile.  Accordingly, Granada has an intriguing mix of Islamic, Renaissance, and Art Nouveau architecture, not to mention La Alhambra. The first day out, after 5 and a half hours in a small bus, the group went for a walking tour of the Albaicin quarter and looked at the Alhambra palace from St. Nicholas’ balcony. We then headed down to the center of town, Plaza Nueva, by the river, and were set free to drink tea in the various tea houses, or to shop in the bazaar-like alleys. We then met for dinner at a traditional Moroccan restaurant, where we had the best dinner of the entire trip-chicken cuscus, with outrageous lemonade, traditional soup, and Moroccan tea with pastries for dessert. The owner greeted us with perfect English and the warmest greeting I have yet to receive in Spain. As a Celiac, I could not eat the cuscus pollo, or the traditional soup, and so, after nicknaming me Bill Gates (because of my signature glasses), brought me an amazing rice dish with chicken and spices, along with a traditional soup. Both were some of the best food I have ever eaten, and the lemonade and tea were otherworldly.  That evening I took a taxi ride to the hotel with friends. Though not in the center, our hotel was within walking distance, with enormous rooms (mine had 4 beds, two bedrooms, and a kitchen), and the breakfast was easily suited to a Celiac’s need for no gluten, and plenty of protein. Saturday was spent totally at La Alhambra, a site I have wanted to visit since childhood. The palace is actually made up of several castles, built at different periods and for varying purposes. We saw them all, my favorite, and the most well-known, are the Nazarene Palaces, where the Sultan lived and held court. Our guide led us through a maze of arches and gardens, pointing out the room where Columbus asked for support from Queen Isabella, the hall where an entire family was murdered, and the cliff-top perch where Washington Irving lived while writing his Tales of the Alhambra. That afternoon was spent at the silk market behind the Cathedral. Sunday, with a bit of apprehension, a small group of us went to the Hamman. A Hamman is a traditional Turkish bathhouse that existed throughout Turkey, North Africa, and southern Spain for centuries. The experience was broadening as well as rejuvenating, and those who, like me, were a bit wary, greatly enjoyed the experience. The group then went to the Royal Chapel next to the Cathedral to see the burial place of King Ferdinand, Queen Isabella, their daughter, Juana la Loca, her husband, and their Portuguese nephew and unrealized heir to almost all of Europe. After another trip to the silk market the group met back at the hotel to leave for Madrid. In all, I fell hopelessly in love with Granada, and cannot wait to return one day.