The Alhambra and goodbye Granada

My first comment when planning to visit the Alhambra is:- buy your ticket in advance….our mistake was we didn't! Although we checked the official booking site regularly, there were always tickets available in late February, which we thought would be a relatively quiet time. As we got closer to our time in Granada there were still tickets - albeit the most expensive ones. We arrived in the city ready to purchase tickets and to see it all…who would know that this "quieter" month was a "vague" holiday time in Andalusia! Known to Spaniards this holiday period spans late February until late March, before continuing into Easter. It's a busy time everywhere in this region.
After years of ticket "scalping" and overcrowding at the Alhambra, the government took over and now it's strictly controlled. Only the official booking site and licensed operators can sell tickets, daily numbers are limited and entrance to the Palaces are timed….no-one gets in early or late! Passports or Spanish ID must be shown to pick up tickets and when entering the huge complex. Although it's frustrating and needs advance planning, it's hard to argue with this policy when so many important historical sites are being damaged throughout the world. So if you plan to go - learn from our mistake. We did however mange to secure a couple of tickets!
After quite a few hours of scouring on-line tour operators and making 2 strenuous but lovely hikes up the hill to the Alhambra's entrance, we talked to a lady who was "guarding" the entrance to the ticket pick-up location. She told us that although all tickets were sold out for the next 6 weeks, official tour operators relinquish unsold tickets each day, which are then made available to the public after midnight…..we managed to get 2! Although our tickets didn't include entrance to the "timed" Nasrid Palace, we would be able to see everything else - and were extremely grateful and thankful for our luck and the lady who took pity on us!

Although there are local buses available up to the Alhambra, it's a such a great hike through lush forest land we made our 3rd treck up the hill on a cool but lovely sunny day and entered the grounds of this vast complex. Built in the mid-thirteenth century it served as both a palace and a fortress until this area was re-conquered by the Spanish Catholics in 1492. It was the last area to surrender and although some changes and modifications took place afterwards - including a palace built for the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V - most of the Alhambra retains its Moorish character. A church was also built on the site of the Royal Mosque. Declared a World Heritage site in 1984, it's the most important remaining example of Islamic rule in the Iberian Peninsula. We presented our tickets and passports and entered the General Life area which overlooks the city, the rivers Genil, Darro and their valleys. When first built in the 13th century it was considered to be outside of the city. The name "General Life" has many interpretations and meanings. What is known however, is that after the reconquest, this area became the leisure place for Kings to escape the official business and duties of Palace life. The buildings are simple and the garden has a romantic atmosphere, filled with subtropical plants and arches which lead through and around the many flower beds. Fountains with their water basins are all laid out to create a peaceful atmosphere, confirming the belief that it was always a place of relaxation. After touring the grounds and gardens, we took the opportunity to sit on a bench in the sun and eat our picnic breakfast/lunch. We found a great spot overlooking the city. Throughout the complex there are opportunities to fill water bottles (it's brutally hot up there in summer), but the usual number of on-site cafés are absent. Places where food can be consumed are designated and monitored, together with the rule of no laying on benches! We saw these rules being enforced - pleasantly - but firmly.
One interpretation of "General Life" is derived from Arabic - meaning "Garden (or Paradise) of the Architect" and refers to Allah as the architect of the world. The palace here was known as the Sultan's Palace and as it's distanced from the fortress it was considered as being in the country, and was surrounded not just by gardens but cultivated farmland with animals. It was also used as a hunting ground for the Sultans. It's a peaceful and romantic area full of arches, small hidden spaces and enclosed gardens that are filled with flowers and water features. Views from its walls are spectacular and it's easy to think of a Sultan and his family spending relaxed summer nights in this countryside getaway. As our tickets didn't include other palaces, we bypassed a line-up where timed tickets and passports were once again being checked and made our way to The Palace of Charles V. Both Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain he decided to build a palace inside the Alhambra complex which had been conquered by his grandparents. He wanted it to be "Roman style" when construction began in the early/mid 16th century. The inner courtyard is a large area with columns and an upper gallery supported by 32 columns. It's grandiose and extravagant - but impressive - with war scenes, battles and the Spanish Coat of Arms. It's a huge Renaissance structure that clashes with the architecture of the Alhambra - which was, perhaps his intent? Funding for the project came from taxes on Granada's converted Muslim population, but after their rebellion in 1568 the palace remained without a roof until the early 20th century.
Before leaving the Alhambra complex we spent a little time in an open courtyard, surrounded by the walls of the fortress. It's pleasant, well-serviced area with lots of benches, one of the only cafés, water filling fountains, a large area of toilets and a well-equipped medical centre. There are, apparently, lots of people who need treatment for de-hydration during the very hot summer months. For the last time we made our way downhill through the lovely scenic walk back into the city - the park/forest setting together with some interesting and attractive buildings along the way is lovely. This walk both up and down is something we'd really recommend for anyone who can do it….we'd also recommend - and repeat - buy tickets in advance!

Although we enjoyed the Alhambra, there are other aspects of Granda that for us, were special too.…one of the most memorable involved further exploration of the hilly terrain. One day we walked uphill through the San Pedro area to Sacramonte - the acknowledged home of the Gypsy population. Although many of the 50,000 "Roma" population are assimilated into Granada, Sacramonte is still a thriving distinct community. The walk twists and turns along a narrow road with great views across the valley and the Alhambra to the south. Apparently it's also good place for anyone wanting to see traditional Flamenco, which is presented almost nightly in local restaurants. Our goal was the Cave Museum, which involves a further uphill - but worthwhile - climb. Sitting on a high ridge, these white washed caves are a time capsule of the Roma cave-dwellers, which remained a working community until the 1950s. In addition to regular family life with its small kitchens and bedrooms, It also highlights such crafts as blacksmiths, ceramic artists and weavers. About a dozen cave dwellings form a semi-circle in an area that's full of scrub-like but often useful plants such as wild rosemary. There are lots of information boards in Spanish and English, plus a small outdoor café.

We trekked back down with a quick stop along the way for a look at the gardens of the Palacio de los Cordova. Built in the mid/late 16th century, torn down in 1919, it was rebuilt in the 1960s using original drawings. Although the house was closed at that time, we walked through vine covered arches and up the attractive entrance path to the house. Some of the building materials were used from the original house.

By this time we were more than ready for a sit down and we found a lovely spot along the Rio Darro for a glass of wine and beer where we sat and listened to some talented street musicians. This very narrow street where the river Darro isn't much more than a stream, has a picturesque river bank with a Moorish bath, two convents, a church, 2 stone footbridges and also the ruins of a Moorish bridge. With views over and up to the Alhambra it's a lovely spot. The 2 stone foot bridges, built in the 16th century, are still used by the residents of the small area of La Churra, although when we took a look over that side it seemed like a lot of buildings were being renovated for tourist accommodations.

Our last day in Granada was a busy one - we started with a quick pre-breakfast visit to Corral de Carbón. Built in the 14th century, this building was originally a Corn Exchange where merchants sold their products at auction. After the Christians re-conquered Spain it was given the name of Corral del Carbón when it became a place for coal merchants. In the 16th century it became an open-air theatre and eventually a house in the 17th century. This rare building is the only one of its kind remaining in Spain. The ground floor currently houses a couple of offices. The 3 floors are visible from an open courtyard with a water trough at its centre. The odd tourist wanders in and out and there appears little to see except a stunning example of a beautifully detailed Nasrid Arch (early 14th century). This arch allows free access to the courtyard when the huge wooden doors are open during the day. Closer inspection of vine covered walls shows huge timbers between floors that together with iron bars provide much needed support, ensuring the ongoing preservation of this one of a kind building.

After some quick packing and a late breakfast we set out to see the Real Monasterio de San Jerônimo, a Renaissance style church and monastery. Construction began in 1504 and it has a long history. It's currently occupied by the same order of Augustinian monks - the Hieronymites - who were expelled during the era of the Napoleonic wars. The church was restored between 1916-1920 and the monastery in the 1960s. By a decree issued by Pope Francis in 2002, the church is now known as Our Lady of Solitude.

The church has a richly decorated Renaissance interior which is something of a visual overload. Filled with colourful bright artwork from floor to rooftop, we found that it was hard to focus and appreciate any one area. There's some very interesting veined marble on many of the pillars. The sacristy here has been called the most beautiful in the world.

The monastery has 2 cloisters, one of which is still occupied by the monks who have very strict teachings. We had access to one cloister and its seven chapels, all of which have very plain interiors - especially when compared to the church. The open centre is filled with orange trees and greenery and has the usual calm atmosphere of a cloister. We particularly loved the long, white-washed refectory with its brick herring-bone floor, lovely arched windows and beautiful wooden ceiling. It was a prefect place to view many of the valuable paintings of Juan Sánchez Cotán (1560-1627) who joined this order of monks when he was 43. A pioneer of Baroque realism in Spain he was deeply religious man who spent the rest of his life there.

Due to the monastery being well outside the city centre of Granada and close to the University grounds it receives a lot less visitors…the few who were there at the same time as us came in a fleet of limos and were obviously a private tour. We'd enjoyed the long walk to get there as it passed through some very different and down to earth local and interesting neighbourhoods….some of them influenced by the student population. Focused on finding the Monastery during that outbound walk, we took it a little slower on the way back, taking time to enjoy and look around a little more at our surroundings. This strolling, however, plus a stop for a piece of cake along the way proved to be somewhat of a mistake as our intent was to make our final tourist stop of this week in Granada and visit the cathedral. Due to this famous landmark being so close to our apartment we'd decided we could visit it anytime, preferably when it was less busy. Well it wasn't busy when we arrived as they were just closing the gates for the day! Were we disappointed? Definitely - but we'd enjoyed the lovely city of Granda so much during our week long stay. Our mantra has always been that we can't see everything …and really we only had ourselves to blame for missing this cathedral.

That evening we consoled ourselves at our favourite restaurant in Bib-Rambla square with some tasty croquettes and great pizza - and yes - free tapas! It was time to move on to "the garden of the Costa del Sol" - Estepona.