THE MEZQUITA

On the site of the current cathedral of Cordoba, there was first a Roman Christian Cathedral,

...which was taken over by the Visigoths & they were later conquered by the Muslims & between 785 & 787 they built a Mosque was built on the ruins of the earlier Cathedral.

Additions & changes were made over the years & in the 10th century the most lavish decorations & additions were made. This was in a time when Cordoba was one of the greatest cities in the western world. Then, the cycle turned & the site was once again in the hands of the Christians. THANKFULLY it wasn't completely destroyed. In the 16th century a Cathedral was built in the centre & zillions of little side chapels filled the sides.

Even so, the remaining parts of the Mosque are exquisite to see. It has more than 850 columns of granite, jasper & marble (mostly recycled from earlier Roman building in Cordoba) & last time I was here, I lost my children in amidst this forest of columns. One minute they were there, the next they weren't! The panic that followed somewhat marred the pleasure of the place! I did eventually find them of course, but the heart rate took a while to settle down!!

 

Indulge me...I got carried away with photographing the double arches!

The Mihrab is particularly beautiful & with the low light in this part of the building, I was very grateful to have a digital camera this time!

I had forgotten just how much the Cathedral had infiltrated the building & the 16th century was particularly over-the-top in it's use of gold & statues & paintings of saints!  This wasn't my interest, so I just lapped up the beauty of the architecture.

Outside it was a relief to get away from the tour groups in the Patio of Oranges, a cool & tranquil reprieve! I almost lost Jeff in there this time....but am glad to say, I felt no panic!! This time, I really feel as if I have seen & experienced the Mezquita!

GOODBYE GRANADA HELLO CORDOBA

Spain has something unique & special amidst it's myriad of accommodation for travellers.  It made a very smart decision to transform historic & run-down buildings of significance into Govt run Hotels.  Parador de Granada is one & I have wanted to stay here for a looooooonnnnnnnnggggg time!  It is a treat to be in the Alhambra complex itself, but even more so, to be constantly aware of the historical significance of the building & site we are staying in. It's like being in a museum!

After the Conquest, Queen Isabella had this former Nasrid palace destroyed & then gave the site to the Franciscans. They proceeded to build their monastery around & on the remains. When Isabella died, it was her wish to be buried here.  The irony...to me...is that she was buried underneath what is now the last remains of the Nasrid plasterwork of the former palace!  Years later her remains were removed to the Capilla Reale .

From our bedroom window we could see the General Life Gardens, a view I'd be happy to wake up to every morning!

Before we left we spent some time wandering around the Hotel & sat in the gardens listening to the birds & the gentle blur of tourist voices on the paths below. It was bliss before a long train journey!

Leaving Granada we had KILOMETERS of spotty hills out our train window, predominantly carefully planted olive trees.

Cordoba was our next destination & another 're-visit'.  We came here as a day trip from Seville on our visit 10 years ago & I had a particularly bad experience in the Mezquita, so I wanted to return & see it in a calm & peaceful frame of mind! 

Our Hotel was a 10minute walk away from the historic centre & along the way, we enjoyed the sunny nature of traditionally painted houses of white with mustard yellow trim.

We reacquainted ourselves with the layout of the land, revisiting old friends like the Roman bridge & water wheel.

It was the first night we felt up to trying Tapas...even if we were earlier to eat than most...our jet lag is gradually abating!  What wonderful taste sensations! We dined on mushroom croquettes, goat & chickpea stew, ratatouille with fried egg & our absolute favourite, deep fried aubergine in a sauce of Pedro Ximenez & sesame seeds.  We washed this down with our favourite...Rioja & then were given a glass of Pedro X to try . As a result...I can now confirm....we've become sherry drinkers! Chilled & raisiny it was an elixir with which to end the meal.  I was licking my lips all the way back to the Casa!!

POMEGRANATES OF GRANADA

Some people enjoy bird, plane or train spotting, but me...I've always been a bit different...

I prefer POMEGRANATE spotting! The pomegranate is the symbol of Granada & the city shows it's fondness for this symbol by promoting it everywhere.  Jeff & I had great fun discovering them yesterday & I thought I'd share a few of the many!!

They are on crests above doorways.

They are painted on street signs.

Even stobie poles have the pomegranate makeover.

Pebbled paving includes pomegranate designs.

And the very sharp of eye will find the occasional pebble underfoot topped with one of these! Jeff spotted this one!

Who knew water pipes could look so quirky!

Underneath balconies they appear.

 Pomegranate ceramics decorate the exterior of some of the houses.

 And I could speculate that even as far back as the Nasrid Dynasty, the pomegranate inspired artisans!

Perhaps my favourite from yesterday's adventure was this old wooden shop sign.

Of course there are real pomegranate trees also grown here & they are currently ripening in abundance. The pomegranate as a symbol means prosperity & with the tourist dollars the Alhambra brings to this city, I think the power of the pomegranate will help them through the country's financial recession!!

EXPLORING GRANADA...ON FOOT

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!!



TURNING 50 IN THE ALHAMBRA

The writer Alexandre Dumas is quoted as saying; " The only pleasure greater than seeing Granada, is that of seeing her again."

That is exactly how I feel about the Alhambra.

I was immeasurably fortunate to visit the complex 10 years ago, when we were travelling with our children.  The Nasrid Palace complex & the Generalife Gardens in particular, made a dramatic impression on me.  The Gardens exemplified the concept of 'garden rooms' & were so relaxing & peaceful, that I felt they were the embodiment of tranquillity.

Whereas the beauty & intricacy, not to mention the craftsmanship of the plasterwork in the Nasrid Palace inspired my own textile art work.

With these rich memories, it was only natural that when asked "where do you want to be for your 50th birthday?", my answer was "the Alhambra"....since we were going to be in Spain anyway!!!!!

We started our day in the peaceful gardens of the Generalife, or Yannat al Arif as it was originally called.  It was established in the 13th century as a kind of retreat for the Nasrid royalty, who lived in the Alhambra Palaces at the time.  It was also here, that they could speak of confidential matters without being overheard! Why, you ask? Because of one of the most impressive features of the gardens, the use of water.  The sound of water dominates, providing a soothing ambience & a sense of privacy!

Each water feature is central to each garden 'room'...

...and reached via patterned pathways made of black & white pebbles.  This was only one pattern, of many!  Hedges lined the pathways & contained within their boundaries...

...the most exquisite flower beds.

These gardens made me think of my Dad, who has spent many hours of his life creating beauty through gardening.  This in turn made me think of the team of gardeners employed here & the constant effort demanded of them to maintain such exquisite standard. Their efforts are SO appreciated!!

Following a blissful hour in the Generalife, it was time to walk over the former moat, through the arch in the ancient fortification walls & into the Alhambra itself.  the complex has had a variety of 'owners/conquerors' in it's time. Originally built by the Nasrid Dynasty, then conquered by the Catholic Monarchs Isabella & Ferdinand, passed down to their grandson Charles V who made his own mark on the place & later even taken over by Napolean!! Writers & artists have been in residence, inspired by it's beauty & now...it is a national treasure, which millions flock to each year.  There is plenty to see, but my absolute favourite part is what remains of the original Nasrid Palace.

 

I have taken over 300 photos of the wooden ceilings, the plaster work & the tiles which decorate this exquisite Palace. ( Alas, I wont share more, because they are taking an age to download). The unknown artisans whose skills & craftsmanship went into the creation of this gem of Islamic architecture, were inspired by the images of Paradise revealed to them in the Koran. It certainly is a Paradise for this textile artist & a wonderful place to mark my half century!!