Today we had no real plans, a few things we wouldn't mind seeing, but hey...let's just head off & see what happens! We left the Parador, enjoying the sound of birds, the smell of damp, the horse chestnut trees, & conkers lying in the drains.
We walked EVERYWHERE today on paths made of pebbles. All 10.89kms! That's a lot of walking on a lot of stones!! (There is a pedometer app on my phone, which I'm finding addictive to use!!)
We passed by ancient remains of the former Nasrid kingdom, now nestling in the hillside with trees guarding it.
We walked through the arched gate in the fortification walls, taking us out of the Alhambra complex & into Granada.
Where we passed balconies bedecked in floral abundance...
Doorways open to reveal a little piece of an ancient past...
Respect for the arts in the most practical & everyday things, both above our heads...
...and below our feet.
We decided to follow the walking route that took us past places we became familiar with when we stayed here 10 years ago; Santa Ana Church, where we saw a wedding congregating outside the church and the pebble bridge Puento del Cadi over which we trundled with our children to a freezing cold apartment above a bar that didn't close.
On we walked up, up, and further on up through the Albaicin area.
At the highest point was Mirador San Nicholas, the best view of the Alhambra. Bill Clinton allegedly declared it the site of the best sunsets he has ever seen. The view was good, but with the sun in our eyes at that time of morning, it wasn't quite as interesting as the musicians serenading us with soulful gypsy songs. There was even a woman who sang alongside with the accompaniment of castanets...but she was trying to get tourists to buy her wares!!
After all that climbing up & then a steep climb down the other side through narrow & winding roads it was time for some refreshment. I had read about Al Sur de Granada & the wonderful food it has here. It is a popular place to come for tapas, which ideally, I would have liked to partake of. HOWEVER, tapa tasting happens in the evening alongside plenty of delicious wine consumption & in all honesty...we are too jet-lagged yet to cope with that! Soooooooo....
...coffee it was! And SERIOUSLY good coffee too! Whilst we were imbibing & looking at all the yummy edible things for sale there, we also tried a local treat...a raisin, nut & oat toast with honey & OLIVE OIL drizzled all over it! Not a pairing I would have considered, but it was actually very tasty & restored some energy to our weary bodies!
As we wandered on, we passed other food & wine places that looked very tempting. Can you see the jamon hanging over the bar inside?
After deciding that we didn't want to see the Cathedral or Capilla Real again this visit, we went somewhere we hadn't been to before...part of the University! The University of Granada is built over the remains of a Muslim Medresa (school) that was built during the reign of the Nasrid Dynasty. When the Catholic conquerors invaded they demolished most of the building, but miraculously, this little prayer room remained in tact. The plaster work however was completely covered with wooden panels so that it wouldn't be seen, which is why....lucky us...the colours remain so rich for us to enjoy today.
Upstairs, there was one other remaining feature, the wooden ceiling, all of which is held together in a special way without nails. (Sorry, cant remember the name of this technique!) When the artisans made it, it was just wood without any colouration. When the catholic monarchs took possession of the place, they decided to paint their own touches on the wood. Therefore what we have is a MUDEJAR (mixture) ceiling!
Walking further on & uphill.....GROAN....we went to see something totally different; the Rodriguez-Acosta Foundation. This was the studio of a well known landscape painter of the early 20th century. He was extremely wealthy & had this place & it's gardens created SOLELY for the purpose of using them as inspiration for his paintings! He was very into the 'classical' look! If he had been an Englishman, this would have been described as his 'folly'! Today it houses a small archeological & painting collection, & has 3 artists in residence & the 90 year old nephew of Rodriguez-Acosta, who is also an artist & tutors the 3 in residence! It was quite a quirky place!
Feeling exhausted we started the long steep climb back up to our Parador. Along the way we passed Washington Irving...well, a statue remembering him! He was an American author who stayed in the Alhambra to write what became the multi-times-reprinted 'Tales of the Alhambra', a book I have yet to complete reading, as I found the beginning so tedious I wasn't compelled to go on. Maybe I'll try again when I get home!
Another great day comes to a conclusion with a sit down & a pot of tea!!
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