Amazing Alhambra
Trip Start
Sep 12, 2006
1
96
100
Trip End
Sep 08, 2008
Granada,
Andalusia,
Spain
Sunday, August 24, 2008
I found my hostel in the labyrinth like lanes near the old Muslim quarter of the city, and was a little disappointed with what I found. It was the same day Ania had left for Poland and I was after nothing more than a little peace and quiet for the evening. However, the hostel was full of 20 something backpackers, mostly Australian, and they were all about to head out on a Tapas tour of the the city. I was starving, so figured I might as well join them for a while. It turned out to be a pretty good decision, as I managed to get a little food into me and meet some interesting people. Unfortunately, later in the evening I was given the wrong kebab and accidently ate a little chicken for the first time in almost four years, and my body certainly didn't agree with it! After overcoming the horrible feeling in my stomach I spent the next hour with two people who worked at the hostel who gave me a heads up on La Alhambra. If I wanted to get in, I was best to head up at the crack of dawn.
It was a little difficult to drag myself out of bed at 6am, but I managed, and found my way on foot up the hill to the gates of La Alhambra just before 7am. There was already a reasonably long queue, and I found myself waiting for over two hours before I got in. Hardly an efficient system. Nevertheless, as soon as I was in I forgot all about the wait. La Alhambra is one of the greatest accomplishments of Islamic Art and Architecture, and was simply breathtaking. Although I'd read about its fortress, palace, patios and gardens, nothing could really prepare me for what I was to see.
My self guided tour began at the Palacio Nazaries. This was built for Granada's Muslim rulers in their 13th to 15th century heyday, and was without a doubt the centrepiece of La Alhambra. The beauty of its patios and intricacy of its stucco and woodwork were stunning. I spent more than an hour in here, taking plenty of photos and admiring the opulence of the halls.
After seeing the palace, I continued on to the Alcazaba, La Alhambra's fortress, dating from the 11th to 13th centuries. There were spectacular heady views from the tops of the towers out over the city and the Muslim quarter of the Albayzin. It was starting to get really hot by this stage, so once I let the incredible view sink permanently into my mind I made my way on to Generalife. These were the soul soothing palace gardens a short walk from the palace. Equally as rich and exotic as the main part of La Alhambra, I forgot about the heat and my hunger and spent about half an hour exploring, glad my camera battery was able to come to life for a moment so I could take a few photos.
I spent about three and a half hours inside La Alhambra in total, by which time I was pretty exhausted. It was well over 30 degrees, so I jumped on a bus back into the city where I grabbed a kebab for lunch and had a short siesta back at the hostel. Once it cooled down a little I re-emerged, intent on exploring a little more of the city. I began by having a look at some of the plaza's around La Catedral and Capilla Real, savouring the sweet smells from the stalls selling all manner of herbs. I fell into a little tourist trap here, with an old lady preying upon me and telling me my fortune, before demanding some money. It had been so long since I was in a situation like that I just gave up and gave her a euro.
I continued on up by the picturesque Rio Darro below La Alhambra, before making my way up the hill to the Albayzin. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site (along with La Alhambra), the old Muslim quarter retained the narrow winding streets of its Medieval Moorish past. It was easy to get lost up here, but after a while I found what I was looking for, the viewing point by the Church of San Nicolas. The views across to La Alhambra from here were amazing. Without a doubt one of the best views I'd seen in Europe, along with that from the fort at Kotor in Montenegro. It was one of those truly special sights, like Angkor Wat or something equally as awe-inspiring, which just grabbed your attention and wouldn't let go. With the sun getting lower it was easy to take a seat and just look for more than half an hour. There were hundreds of tourists around, but this certainly didn't detract from the view. A couple of shady looking locals soon started hanging around, and beginning to feel peckish I dragged myself away for the walk back down the hill to the hostel.
I took it easy that evening, chatting with a few people in the hostel before heading to bed quite early. My first full day on the road alone was pretty memorable, if only because I'd spent it at quite possibly the most incredible site on the continent. It was certainly worth the time, effort and money to make the trip south after Barcelona. The problem now was deciding what to do with my last two days in Andalucia, given I only had about 40 euro on me!
