Southern Spain So Far

• Ryanandpatti's Profile
• About this blog
• Entry from Granada

Trip Start Jun 19, 2008 Previous
Entry Trip End Oct 11, 2008 Next
Entry

  Granada, Andalusia, Spain and Canary Islands
Sunday, July 27, 2008

Here's the update...
After leaving Lagos (sadly), we drove across the border to Sevilla, Spain, home of bullfighting and flamenco dancing/music. After navigating the boat of a station wagon through the very narrow streets of Sevilla, we finally found a parking garage (after the smash-and-grab job in Porto, we're pretty much finished with street parking in European cities) costing a steep 20 euros a day. We got out of the car and were hit with a wave of intense heat and the smell of sewage. We decided that Sevilla must be situated closer to the center of the earth than most places (or closer to hell). Not to be defeated by the price of car safety, the smell of feces wafting from sewers, or the heat in this outer layer of hell,  we enjoyed a semi-bargain meal of paella made by one of the hostel workers that evening. Then, we sauntered through Sevilla, past the beautiful Cathedral of Sevilla, to a festival near the river. It was a European carnival (similar to American, except w/ prizes like wine and cheese along with the usual stuffed animals and trinkets), but there was some damn good people-watching.

The next day, we took a stroll to the Palace of Spain and the gorgeous gardens surrounding it. Folks, this palace is the real deal. It is huge, colorful (with thousands of intricately-painted Spanish tiles), and the details astound. Look at the pictures, and they don't even begin to do it justice. And we only saw the outside! I think the inside of the palace is still in use -- government offices? That night, we saw a real flamenco show. Expecting a dinner-theater-with-a-stage-and-a-waiter flamenco experience, we were surprised to be ushered into the courtyard of a smallish "palace/home" in the old Jewish quarter of Sevilla with only 25-30 other people. What followed was a completely amazing, passionate, and talented combination of flamenco singing (1 singer), dancing (1 man, 1 woman), and guitar-playing (1 player) that gave us a true taste of Sevilla. I have to admit that I left the show a little disappointed that I can't claim Spanish heritage. Excited after a night of great song and dance, we found ourselves an Irish pub where we were oh so happy to drain some cider and eat real nachos! A very good night.

Our next stop was Arcos de la Frontera, a pueblo blanco (white village) set majestically on a cliff in southern Spain. You guessed it -- "set on a cliff" = more white knuckle driving on steep and narrow medieval streets. After perilously parking, we got lost. More up-hill, down-hill, back up-hill wandering, and we finally located our B&B. I would like to take this time to suggest that the hotel, B&B, and hostel owners of Spain and Portugal invest in larger signs that indicate their name and location. It would just make life easier. Anyway, the place we stayed was Casa Blues, and it was amazing! Not only did we have a cliff-side view and the entire place to ourselves (except the owners of course), but we also got delicious breakfast each morning, and....the owner did our laundry (every article of clothing we have) for only 6 euros! Paradise. Arcos was great. We had the best meal of our trip when we ate tapas (2 nights in a row) at a great bar called Bar la Carcel at the top of the old town. We also took a day trip to the beaches of Canos de Meca nearby and enjoyed a refreshing, relaxing day in the sun and surf. Supposedly, one can see Africa across the water from the beach we were on, but all we could see was an abundance of topless women and naked children. Needless to say, Arcos provided a break from the bustle of city-living and city-travel, and it was one of the first places in which I could have stayed longer than just a while.

Although we thought about attempting to steal Casa Blues from the owners and run it ourselves in beautiful Arcos, we did eventually move along. We made it to Granada, and here we are. It is hot, it is old, and it is amazing. We are staying in a hostel in the middle of the Albayzin district of Granada, a steep and winding medieval area. A lot of the hostel is open-air, and it is decorated to fit its surroundings, with tons of Spanish and Moroccan decor. However, they seem to have more guests than they have room for, because when they showed us our "room," we were led up a wobbly wooden ladder and pointed to two twin mattresses literally in the rafters. It's cozy, I guess? Anyway, so far so good. At least we get our own fan!

Today we saw the Alhambra! From the beginning of our planning, it has been one of my most anticipated tourist attractions. The Alhambra is a massive monument made up of palaces and gardens that sit atop a Granadan hilltop with a backdrop of mountains. If you think it sounds good in words, look at the pictures. Dating from around the end of the 14th century, it was built by sultans and was conquered alternately by Christians and Muslims throughout the years. While the decor seems mostly Muslim, there is a palace and a church (and a few rooms) created by Christian rulers. The Alhambra was supposedly created using water, gardens, architecture, and symbols to imitate the Gardens of Eden. It was beautiful, and maybe in its heyday it actually did invoke paradise. Either way, we've never seen anything like it, and I doubt we ever will again. Supposedly, we were in the room where Queen Isabella granted Christopher Columbus permission to leave on the expedition that "found" North America. Just a fun fact. It is hard to choose, but...the favorites of the day: Ryan's favorite parts of the Alhambra were the intricate ceilings of the palace, carved and painted in arabesque. Mine were the fountains and the use of water. Fountains are everywhere -- in the courtyards, in the palaces, in the gardens, and there was even a stairway that had water running down its handrails and parts of its center. Take a look at the pictures and maybe you can get a tiny glimpse of what a breathtaking place it is.
We finished off the evening with a delicious meal of Doner Kebabs and french fries served by a trilingual (at least) kebab-shop-owner. It seems to be the norm here, and I never cease to be impressed (and a little jealous). Well, tomorrow we are off to the big city -- Madrid. Buenos noches, amigos. More soon.

Post your own travel photos for friends and family Pictures & Videos

Patti in yet another amazing Alhambra room	Another Alhambra Ceiling	Sultan's view out of the Bedroom, Alhambra	Our "Room" in Granada
Patti in the Alhambra Generalife Gardens	Us at the Palaza de Espana	Flamenco dancing in Sevilla	Cathedral at night in Sevilla
Arcos view out our room	Arcos at night	More arcos at night	Arcos at sunset
Patti & the streets of Arcos de la Frontera	Zahara, Andulacia on our drive to Granada	Our first look at the Alhambra	Ryan entering the Alhambra
Inner palace in the Alhambra	Alhambra windows	Intricate Alhambra plasterwork	Alhambra courtyard
Patti taking a rest in the Alhambra	Us in Alhambra inner courtyard	Alhambra Ceiling	Alhambra palace view
Panorama from Arcos hotel room	Albayzin panorama from Alhambra	Ryan and the Palace of Espana, Sevilla	Patti and the Palaza de Espana, Sevilla
Patti and a beautiful ceramic tile bridge, Sevilla	Ryan and the palace of spain, Sevilla

Slideshow Print this entry Share

Previous Entry Next Entry