Lots of small towns...
Granada is located at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada ( snowy mountains in Spanish), at the highest peaks there are ski resorts, even in the Mediterranean.
Granada has a population of approximately 500,000 and because of its location below the mountains it was built at the confluence of four rivers. One of them is called the Darro and it runs through part of the city. It is a very popular walk along the river and when we did it on a Sunday everyone seemed to be walking there...
These little kids were looking over one of the bridges...
Granada has some interesting neighbourhoods including the Sacromonte which is the home to one of the largest gypsy groups in Europe. The first Roma arrived in Granada in the 15th century — and they've remained tight-knit ever since. Today 50,000 Roma call Granada home, many of them in the district called Sacromonte.
The neighbourhood is located above the central district of Granada so there was another hill to climb, but the views were worth it..
Many of the houses here are cave houses which are built into the side of the hill...
Lots of little restaurants
We stopped in to one owned by this very interesting man...
Granada is another great walking city with lots of pedestrian only streets and great plazas...
This particular plaza was on a lookout at the top of the city and was filled with music, people and lots of smoke...
I really liked the statue on this fountain...it was of an explorer asking the Queen to sponsor his expedition
There was always something to catch your eye as we walked...
Street entertainers...
Don spotted this guy with a Newfoundland and Labrador hat, we told him it was our Casa and he gave us the thumbs up!
And of course lots of places to sit in the sun and enjoy some tapas...
Our favourite was Patatas a lo Pobre which translated means " poor man's potatoes ". It was delicious and definitely not low fat!
We found a square just around the corner from our apartment that got sun in the late afternoon so we spent the last of the day there everyday. The beer and rosado was cold and the tapas were free, the more beer you ordered the more they brought. Reminded us of botatnas in Mexico...
It had double organs...
Beautiful stained glass, this one was like a sunburst...
And lots of great art work, I loved this one of Mary and child...
The main tourist site in Granada is the Alhambra which is a Moorish castle and palace originally built in the 9th century but worked on and enlarged over the centuries. It is located in a strategic location on top of the hill overlooking the city.
The number of tickets issued daily are limited so we were up early to make our way up the hill and into the complex, the sun was just coming up and it shone off the reddish walls of the castle.
It was freezing so a hot cafe con leche was in order...
We climbed to the top of the watch tower for the best views of the city below...
The city in early morning light...
A great view of the Cathedral
The other side was shrouded in mist...
The literal translation of Alhambra, "the red (female)," reflects the color of the red clay of the surroundings of which the fort is made.
Palacios Nazaríes built in the 14th century is the main attraction of the complex and we were only allowed in at a certain time with a special ticket.
We first entered the two level circular patio...
And then on to the interior sections which were very elaborately carved
Three dimensional carving filled almost all the surfaces...
Some detail...
Then there were the courtyards...
And this room for which my camera could not capture its' beauty...
The surfaces were so elaborately carved...
Arabic poems were also carved into the walls and ceilings...
Carved fountains...
The outdoor spaces were also quite well cared for...
The gardeners were busy with new plantings...
It certainly was a place of beauty and an indication of the Muslim influence on architecture before the Battle of Granada when the Muslims surrendered the city on January 2, 1492.
Though the Arabic influence is still evident on the streets of the city...
Our last night in Granada we went to a flamenco recital at a small cave bar...
In typical style there is a singer and guitarist who play a series of songs before the dancing starts...
Sometimes the singer does a very emotional solo and other times the guitarist plays at a quick tempo.
Then they are joined by the dancer who claps along with the music before she starts her dance which is very loud with feet stomping and much twirling...
So that is a glimpse of Granada, another stop we thoroughly enjoyed and would certainly say it is worth a visit.
Another wonderful city! The architecture is amazing! Your flamenco shots are great
ReplyDeleteI was sitting close to her so the movement was in my face! I loved how the light changed the look of the pictures!
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