Day 18 - Granada

Well, we made the pilgrimage and have now seen the breathtaking Alhambra situated high over the city of Granada. It truly is one of the world's great attractions (over 4 million people visit it each year). It was originally built as a fortress in the 9th century, fell into ruin and then rebuilt as a royal palace in 1333 by Yusuf I, the sultan of Grenada at that time. The complex is divided into three sections- the Nasrid palaces, the Generalife (gardens) and the old fortress of the Alcazaba.

The theme of the complex is "paradise on earth" which becomes a recurring feeling as you wander throughout. The design and structure of the Nasrid Palaces is considered the finest example of Islamic architectural art outside the Islamic world.

The decoration consists of carved plaster Arabic inscriptions (calligraphy) with beautifully carved wood ceilings and columns and painted tiles used as panelling for the walls. Everywhere there are fountains with running water, reflecting pools, gorgeous flowers, foliage, nightingales singing - simply beautiful. All the stylistic elements that had been created and used during eight centuries of Muslim rule in Spain are perfectly integrated with styles used by later Christian rulers who inhabited the complex. The one exception to that perfect integration occurred when Charles V plunked a huge palace into the middle of the complex in the 16th century and then never actually lived in it. Notable is the design of a round courtyard within a square building which was most unusual for the time.

The ceilings of the rooms are especially striking. Many of the rooms have windows overlooking all of Grenada.

Islamic art does not use representations of living beings in its art but uses geometric patterns in a repeating style. The rare exception is the Lions Court at the Alhambra where twelve lion sculptures are depicted as part of the centre fountain. See photo here:

The dome of the Hall of Two a Sisters. Hard to see the detail here but this dome uses "mocarabes" which is a decorative element resembling stalactites and has many religious connotations.

I wish I could convey the experience of seeing the Alhambra better. Photos don't do it enough justice - nothing compares to seeing the Alhambra in person.

The Alcazaba is where you get the best views of Granada.

Weary of walking after our 4 hour visit we headed back into town for a "pepito break". That night we found a great tapas place called Bodegas Castaneda filled with locals (always a good sign!). Lots of rustic food washed down with glasses of red wine and sherry.

We were two nights in Grenada and stayed at the AC Palacio de Santa Paula hotel. Highly recommend it - great location in the city centre and an excellent breakfast buffet.

Back to Madrid tomorrow for one night and then fly back to Toronto on Saturday...and I don't want to talk about THAT!

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Location:Granada

Day 17 - Granada

We arrived at 3pm in Granada. The first half of the 3h trip was via train, the remainder via bus due to track work.

Granada was the last Moorish kingdom and was re conquered in 1492. We headed to the cathedral to see the tombs of Spain's rock star conquerors, the catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella. Buried with them are the mad queen, their daughter Joanna, and her husband Phillip Habsburg. They are in a beautiful chapel with an exquisitely carved, if rather gory, altar. Isabella's personal collection of religious paintings is also present. No pictures were allowed but here's the outside.

Flamenco dancing in the street.

We're off to dinner so we'll test our theory about Spanish service. On average, we've found it to be indifferent. We don't expect that servers will speak English and they rarely do. But often one has to tackle a waiter to make an order. Oh well, it's part of the culture and hasn't altered our enjoyment of the country.

Location:Granada

Day 15 - Seville

We awoke to the sound of rain lashing down but we were determined to find our way to the great art museum of Seville, the Museo de Bellas Artes. Despite umbrellas and appropriate clothing, we were soaked by time we arrived only to find it closed - forgot to check hours, it's closed Mondays. We got chatting to a very nice Norwegian man outside the museum, who had also made the same mistake, and waited out the rain together with coffee and sherries at a nearby cafe. When he left, we asked for the bill and found he paid for everything!

Then on to the famous bullring, Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza. I am in no way in favour of attending bull fights. The idea of watching an animal being tortured slowly is revolting but I was interested in finding out why Spaniards find this sport so thrilling. So we signed up for a tour of the ring and a small museum within the building. Below are some pics.

The ring exterior - built in 1780.



The ring itself.


Painting of a matador.


The head of a very famous bull who eventually met his end in the ring. Note his missing ears, taken as trophies.


Here's the chapel where bullfighters pray before they enter the ring (and they need to!)


The stable where the horses of the picadores are kept.


I understand the long tradition behind bull fighting but, as our guide told us, when an ambulance must be stationed outside the ring for every event, you really need to question the sanity of it all. Bullfighting's been banned in Catalonia since 2012 so attitudes appear to be changing.

We then strolled along the river, had some lunch in a non-tourist area and took photos. This is the city of orange trees - they're everywhere. The oranges resemble large limes now but by January they will will be ripe for picking. Marmalade season!















That's it for now.. Carl will write up the blog for day 16. Adios!

Location:Seville, Spain

Day 14 - Seville

Ola! It's great to be back in Spain. Loved Morocco but the heat was getting a bit much - 38 degrees when we left. High 20s here in Seville - much more comfortable. Seville is one of the most beautiful cities I've visited. And crossing it's streets is considerably safer than those of Marrakech - we have stories about that.

This morning we visited The Alcazar, a palace still used by the royal family which was originally built by the Moorish Muslim kings in the 11th century. It's been expanded and reconstructed by Christian monarchs over the past 900 years. The result is a sublime blend of Islamic and European architecture. Carl and I were stunned by the beauty of this place, especially the gardens. It was from a room in this palace that King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella granted Christopher Columbus permission (and money) to begin his voyage to America. Some photos below.


























Then on to the Seville Cathedral, 3rd largest church in the world. The church was built in the 14th century on the site of a mosque.






Below is the tomb of Christopher Columbus.





We also climbed 100m to the top of the Giralda tower attached to the cathedral - over 300 feet high. This tower was the original tower/minaret for the mosque. When Christians demolished the mosque to build the cathedral, they left the minaret in place because they were so impressed with its architectural skill and beauty. Here's the answer to yesterday's test: the Giralda was modelled from the Koutoubia of Marrakech.









A photo of our hotel - the King Alfonso XIII - one of those great historic European hotels. We're here for 4 nights.






Like Madrid, the streets of Seville are packed with people in the evening- women performing Flamenco dancing and people playing music on many of the streets. It's such a vibrant city.

I've now finished my glass of sangria. Time to sign off and head out to dinner.

Location:Seville, Spain

Day 13 - Seville

A travel day, arrived at the spectacular Hotel Alphonso XIII around 6pm. We had the best tapas we've ever had for dinner. Canadian versions of tapas are unambitious in comparison, McDonalds-like. On our walk afterwards, we found the cathedral. Does its bell tower look familiar?

Location:Marrakech - Seville

Day 12 - Essaouira

Essaouira is the resort town for Marrakech, about 2.5h SW. It features a broad sandy beach on the Atlantic and a considerably more moderate climate. We made a stop at a women's cooperative that makes argan oil products. Despite the apparently conservative dress of most Moroccan women, they have considerably more rights than most non-western countries. A third of the legislature must be female, for instance. The coop gives jobs to divorced, widowed and otherwise needy women. You might know argan oil as a hair or skin product and it is also edible. This woman is crushing the nuts to extract the oil.





Goats love argan nuts so much that they'll climb trees for them. Yes it was a tourist trap but who could resist stopping their car to get a photo of this!






Essaouira is primarily a resort town. It features an impressive 15th century Portuguese fort as a stop on the Indian route. It's fisheries provided the best meal we had in Morocco.









Back in Marrakech, we headed off to Place Jemaa-el-Fnaa for the massive dusk market and entertainment. It is hard to explain the energy that comes from the locals and tourists who circle the music groups and snake charmers, it is definitely the way to sample the local cuisine.


Nearby is the grand Koutoubia mosque, the centre of ancient Marrakech. Study this photo. There will be a test when we reach Seville!

Location:Essaouira, Morocco