Granada

We had an early start to the day in order to catch the bus to Granada. Strangely there's no Uber or similar service in Murcia, but it took less than 5 minutes on the street to get a cab to the bus station. Tickets had been bought a couple of days before, so we had time for a quick coffee and meat pie (for Trevor) before boarding the bus. In the first hour we made a couple of stops at a small town and a very small village, but our bus driver wasted little time getting back onto the highway. As we climbed higher, all signs of agriculture disappeared, replaced by forest land. We continued on a very smooth highway all the way, climbing ever higher, finally getting our first glimpse of the snow capped mountains of the Sierra Nevada range, which are very close to Granada. The bus journey from Murcia to Granada takes 3 1/2 hours. From the bus terminal to our new lodgings was a 15 minute cab ride where we were met by the owner's father - a very nice man who gave us a quick briefing on the apartment and told us it would be ready for us in about 90 mins. After we signed the necessary tourist forms, we received the keys and left our bags to get our first glimpse of Granada. Exiting one end of the short and narrow street where the apartment was situated, we were right in the city, close to the river Genil. We sat on a bench in a lovely shady park to enjoy a breakfast/lunch which we'd picked up along the way…..views of the snow capped mountains were a bonus!
After the allotted time we made our way back to the apartment which was clean and ready for our stay. The apartment is 2 storey with a kitchen at one end and a living room at the other. It has lovely wooden shuttered doors and windows plus a Juliette balcony overlooking the street below. At the kitchen end is a dining area and In the centre of the apartment is a spiral staircase which gives access to 2 upstairs bedrooms and a bathroom. The largest bedroom has the same lovely shutters and Juliette balcony. An exposed brick wall runs up one whole wall of the apartment. All the floors except kitchen and bathroom have a rich dark wooden floor. We'd known about the spiral staircase when booking, of course, but as this apartment was so well placed in the city, we decided to go ahead, although it's not ideal for people of our age! Almost impossible to get suitcases up we just unpacked what we needed and carried our stuff up. Dirty laundry got hurled over the top and picked up at the bottom and then into the washing machine in the kitchen. We found this system worked well!

At the end of the first day, we'd learned that each end of our little street was a larger street, with one end being a local urban neighbourhood. The other end leads directly onto one of the main streets in Granada. There's a handy pastry and bakery at either end….although there are lots of them in this city! Despite its central city location we found that our street was exceptionally quiet at night - most buildings are small commercial properties - so it's barely used after they close.
The first day we spent rambling around this busy tourist city with no particular plan and just going wherever "took our fancy." We actually saw a lot of places we would learn more about the following day while on the "free" walking tour we'd registered for. We popped into a couple of open churches and walked through the famous La Alcaiceria - the old silk market. We also found what was to become one of our favourite squares in the city - Plaza de Bib-Rambla. We returned there that night to the covered outdoor patio of an Italian restaurant, whose ceiling heaters provided a very toasty environment. One interesting fact about the restaurant that isn't found or displayed anywhere except in the menu, is that all of the food is totally gluten free. In addition there are some items that are also dairy and nut free….certainly a bonus find for anyone who requires it. The food was delicious and the service was friendly.

Like many we've taken in other cities, this "free" walking tour was great. We always learn a lot and find it a good way to get an overview of a city, especially when done within the first day or 2. A large-ish group of us met on a cool, late morning in Plaza de Bib-Rambla. After the usual introduction of its guide and members of the group saying where they were from, we all set off in this city that's full of tours and tourists. Taking about 2 1/2 hours we saw some of the most popular areas of the historic Christian and Muslim Granada. We started with the plaza where we'd met. Dating back to the early 13th century it's one of the city's oldest, remaining gathering places. Over the years it's seen bazaars, a place for Medieval jousts, bullfights, public executions and Christian processions. There's a lovely flower market there - and it's a popular meeting place with many cafés and restaurants, including the Italian one we'd enjoyed. Many here specialize in traditional churros and hot chocolate - and those places are always busy!

We continued just around the corner to the Cathedral and the Royal Chapel, a very busy tourist area. We quickly saw that for many tour groups it was a difficult place to get through. It's also problematic for a guide to find a spot for their own group to gather. The Royal chapel is where Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand are buried. Built between 1505-1517 it also houses artwork and historical items of Isabella - a Queen who was a rich and powerful woman and also ruler of her own kingdom both before and after marrying Ferdinand.
The Cathedral of Incarnation, commissioned by Queen Isabella, was built on the site of the main mosque. Famous for its 15 chapels it was to become a Spanish Renaissance masterpiece. Construction was planned to begin in 1506, but the sudden death of the Queen 2 years earlier led to the building of the Royal Chapel first, in order to house her remains. Work on the cathedral started in 1523 and was finally completed almost 2 centuries later in 1704.

Continuing on, our group made its way through La Alcaiceria, the old silk market we'd "found" the day before. Built in the 15th century it was destroyed by fire 4 centuries later. Open daily this re-creation is less than half the size of the original. Today the expensive rich items are gone replaced with cheaper, but still traditional items…think - painted ceramics, stained glass lamps and pointed fabric "slippers." The few incredibly narrow streets do have a Moorish style and although a re-creation, it attracts a lot of tourists buying souvenirs.

Walking through the town we gradually made our way up narrow paths and steep steps through the Albaicín, the oldest Muslim area of Granada and a UNESCO world heritage sight. Our guide, who grew up and is now married with his own family, still lives in this historic area. As weclimbed upwards, he continued giving historical details and information, while promising the best lookout in the city….and he delivered on his promise! The Mirador Placeta de Carvajales is as "look-outs" go small, but gives breathtaking views of the Alhambra and the snow capped Sierra Nevada mountains beyond. Directly opposite the Alhambra complex, the panoramic views are magnificent and the place has a lovely calm feeling. It's quieter than the more popular viewpoints - given that the uphill walk is physically challenging for many tourists . The small square has benches decorated with traditional Andalusian tiles, a great spot for relaxation and gazing out at the views.
We made our way back down and ended our tour in Plaza Nueva - which despite its name is not new. For many it's not only the start or ending place of their walk up to the Alhambra, but a meeting and gathering place where cafés, ice cream shops and restaurants are plentiful and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. It has many historic buildings, including the Superior Court of Andalusia.

The city of Granda is proud to still continue the traditional free tapas given when sitting down for a drink or as a prequel to food - although it's now something that's discontinued in many parts of the country. One of the last things we learned from our guide is that given the rising costs of free tapas, it sometimes may be limited, especially during meal times, which can cover quite a few hours in this part of the world! When a restaurant has set the table with a tablecloth, free tapas will be served before your meal. During the allotted meal time the restaurant does not serve drinks only. Once you know this it makes sense and is easy to identify……if you just want a drink look for a place with no tablecloth - you'll get the drink - and the free tapas.

For most people the main reason to visit Granada is to see the Alhambra and we did…..but once again we found by staying here for a while, there's much more to the city. My next blog entry will be the Alhambra…but there's also a couple of more things to tell about our stay in Granada!