Spain and the Red Palace
Trip Start
Apr 26, 2008
1
9
Trip End
May 14, 2008
Málaga,
Andalusia,
Spain and Canary Islands
Thursday, May 8, 2008
We arrived in Malaga, Spain at 7:00am and once again Carnival was slow at getting people off the ship to start their tours. Our tour was a long one because we were not staying in Malaga but rather we were going to Granada. Granada is home to one of the wonders of the world. It is home to El Alhambra which translates to "The Red Palace". It got its name because it was built from a stone in this region that has a red color.
Now, our Captain made an announcement that the temperature would be around 63 degrees and cloudy while yahoo.com was reporting it to be a sunny day and around 80 degrees. I decided to listen to the Captain' advice and dressed warmly... big mistake, always listen to yahoo :)
As we left for a two hour ride from Malaga to Granada in our slightly air conditioned bus and me in my sweater, our guide, Rafael (who was celebrating his 61st birthday) pointed out all the names to the towns we passed along the way. We passed Santa Monica, San Jose, San Francisco and many others. In fact, if you forget for just a moment that you were in Spain, you might feel you were driving through California.
El Alhambra
It was not only in the names of the towns that remind us of California but also in the green hills we passed as well. Then, we would see all the olive groves and we realized we could only be in Spain. Two things really stuck out for me about Spain. The first is that all the stop signs actually read "Stop" and not "Alto" like in most Spanish speaking countries and our tour guide explained to me that most Spaniards only look at stop signs and red lights as suggestions and not the law (this must be an Italian influence as I am well aware of how they follow this rule as well). The second was the number one national pastime for the residents is not soccer but rather basketball. They love their basketball and their team as well. Malaga has one of the best teams in all of Europe.Once we arrived at El Alhambra, it was easy to see why so many people fell in love with this beautiful palace located on 300 acres of pristine landscapes and located high on a cliff that has breathtaking views of the town of Granada below. However, this was not always the case. It was not that long ago that the palace was close to being completely destroyed because of neglect. If not for an American writer by the name of Washington Irving and his book, "Tales of the El Alhambra", we may have lost this treasure forever. A plaque now hangs on the walls of the palace with Mr. Irving's name on it to recognize his contribution to the preservation of this wonder of the world. I will not bore you with all the history of the palace because there is a lot.
El Alhambra
It was built by the Moors in the 8th century and at its peak had over 3000 residence. Then in 1492, Granada was the last Muslim city to fall to the Christian Kings. One location not to miss on this tour is the Courtyard of the Lions. It is an area that was built by the last Muslim ruler who pulled in design influences from three different religions. It is where Christianity, Judaism and Islam all come together in a calm and tranquil setting. If only all the great leaders of today could not come and see and actually learn something from this wonderful courtyard.Afterwards, we made a stop for lunch and Katty, Dora, Robert and I all had the Paella (a mixture of seafood and rice) and it was served with some fine Spanish wine. A nice way to end a great day.
Before we knew it, we were back on board our ship and setting sail towards Italy. I enjoyed my short stay here in Spain and hope to visit again sometime in the future.
After sailing, we had a wonderful dinner in the main dining room. Tonight we ate veal parmesan served with mashed sweet potatoes for the main dish and I had the fresh mozzarella and tomato for an appetizer. The show tonight starred Penny Mathisen direct from London's West End and the Sydney Opera house. She played multiple hits from Carmen all the way to Cats on Broadway. A show I hope I will be able to show highlights of on this blog.
Tomorrow, May 9th, we arrive in Livorno, Italy or otherwise known as the gateway to Pisa, Florence and Tuscany. Until then, "Buenos Noches"
Comments
Enjoying your blog
Hi Kevin,
I enjoy reading your blog. I love all the details, including what you have eaten : ) the pictures are beautiful, I can only imagine how breathtaking it must be in real life. Take care!