Adventures in the Albaicín and the Alhambra

Sunday morning Olivia and I set out with the goal of becoming more acquainted with the city of Granada.  Once again we took off on foot, and headed to the center of the city.  We both wanted to find the Cathedral of Granada again to take pictures, as it was raining when we first saw it.  After getting lost at least three times, we stumbled upon the Cathedral.  It is absolutely enormous.  There is a law in Granada that says no building can be taller than the cathedral, so it is literally the biggest building in the city.  We were only able to admire the outside, as a mass was going on at the time we were there.  In the courtyard in front of the cathedral a father and his three sons were playing fútbol (soccer), which was fun to watch.  I always thought people were exaggerating when they talked about Europeans and their soccer, but they weren’t.  Soccer is a very big deal. 

After the cathedral we decided to just wander through and see if we stumbled upon anything fun.  Granada has what seems like hundreds of plazas, which are usually bustling with activity and people.  This is especially true on Sundays.  We found a really great plaza and just sat and people watched for quite a while.  There was a carousal set up, which was somehow operated by a man on a bicycle.  There was a person dressed up as Winnie the Pooh selling balloons, and a man with really long dreads making giant soap bubbles.  There were also many families and little kids running around and playing and parents talking and enjoying the first sunny day in a while.  It was a great atmosphere and a perfect place to just sit and take in the people of Granada.  After we left the plaza we headed into a little Cafeteria, and I tried my first café con leche, which was delicious.  The whole morning was a great success in my opinion. 

After lunch we decided to do even more exploring.  As of yet, we still had yet to catch a glimpse of the Alhambra, and our host mom suggested we head over to Mirador de San Nicolas.  She showed us on a map how to get there, but maps aren’t really our strong suit, so it was Rick Steves’ travel book who got us there in the end (thanks Uncle Ryan and Melis, it is fantastic!).  The Mirador de San Nicolas is a viewpoint at the top of the Albaicín, a neighborhood in Granada.  Finding the viewpoint was so much fun, because the Albaicín is one of the most beautiful neighborhoods I have ever been in.  The buildings are all white washed, have beautiful details, and many interesting plants and trees.  It must be much more amazing in warm weather.  There were also hole in the wall stores selling scarves, jewelry, paintings, and other souvenir type things all along the way.          

The whole walk to the viewpoint was uphill, and it was not a gentle incline at all.  But the walk was not in vain.  The view of the Alhambra was phenomenal; you could see the whole thing, with the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the background.  The best part of the viewpoint, however, was not the view but the people.  Probably around twenty gitanos, or gypsies, were there.  Some were selling things, some were just hanging out.  About five had guitars, and started to play very traditional Spanish music.  Then some began to sing along, more to clap.  A couple decided to dance.  Everybody watched and laughed with them, and everybody felt like they were a part of the performance.  It was so fun.  We ended up staying and enjoying the music and the people for a long time.  One of the gypsies was an older woman, with about two teeth, who was selling castanets.  As she was packing up her goods to head home, a man with a guitar went over to her and began to play a song.  She sang and packed, and when she was ready to leave she danced her way across the plaza and down the street, much to the delight of her audience. 

For Tuesday, API organized a tour of the Alhambra for the whole group.  To get to the Alhambra you have to climb up an unbelievably steep hill (I can think of a few track coaches who would have a blast with hill workouts here in Granada), but the climb is absolutely worth it.  I opted to be in the group with the Spanish speaking tour guide, and they handed out headsets that we would hear our tour guide through.  However, the tour guides microphone wasn’t actually working, so I didn’t actually hear most of the tour.  It did not matter.  You do not need the history of the Alhambra for the Alhambra to be breathtaking.  It was a palace and a fortress for the Moors.  I can’t even imagine the effort, craftsmanship, and artistry required to make the Alhambra what it is.  Intricate tile work and Arabic writing cover the walls, and there are fountains and plants everywhere.  Every room you walk into is amazing, and has a detail that is all its own.  I definitely will be going back, because I really do want to learn the history and stories behind the Alhambra, but I was in no way disappointed by my first experience there.  I think it is impossible to be in any way disappointed by the Alhambra.