Janet asked me today after we were there if I had remembered most of it. Interestingly enough, I have only a few memories of this place. I remember the inscriptions in Arabic. I remember the reflection pond (I have a photo of mom and I standing by this pond) and I have a vague memory of walking through the gardens of Generalife (pronounced Hen-er-al-leef-ay). Otherwise, I didn't remember all that we saw today.
The Alhambra sits in the shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains. The palace and grounds are perched on a hill that has walls surrounding it. At one time it was a working city with the palace as it's center.
Our guide, Monica, was well spoken about the history and all the stories those walls contain. Six centuries of Moorish rule left an incredible mark on Spanish culture and architecture. Originally the Moors built it for a Sultan - thus the Moorish influence (we were also schooled that it was not Arabic influence or Muslim influence. Arabs come from - at the time - Saudi Arabia and that area and Muslims are people who practice Islam. This was built by the Moors who were the converted people.). Then eventually Ferdinand and Isabel were conquering and converting their way through Spain. The Sultan at the time said he'd give them the Alhambra and Granada if they promised to treat the Moorish people well. So they did.
From floor to ceiling, every inch seems to be covered with different patterns - geometric, floral or Arabic script. The ceilings were exquisite as they drip with stucco stalactites and each room seemed more richly decorated than the previous one.
The Alhambra was also attacked by Napoleon - his troops were ordered to destroy it. Thankfully they didn't. And the Alhambra has been through a couple of earthquakes. It's amazing it's still standing and in such good shape. Though the guide pointed out the earthquake reinforcements they now have in place…she thinks they're ugly and take away from the beauty of the Alhambra…and I agree.
We started our tour with a leisurely stroll through the Generalife. The gardens of the Sultans wives. They are so well maintained and so beautiful.
Then we passed through the palace built by the Hapsburg King - King Philip - who honeymooned there and wanted to then build a palace. They started the palace and then he died so the palace was never finished.
Then we entered the cool, most interesting part to me…the throne room. The detail in the wall carvings, and the colors of the wall tiles was truly beautiful. From the throne room we entered the Court of Lions which was designed for the wives. The arches were so intricately carved, I had a hard time no just letting the camera shoot freely. So much to look at and so little time.
The tour was long and it was hot out. By the time we were done, well, we were done. Even Janet had finally tired out.
The rest of the tour was a coach ride through the streets of Granada. I've gotta say, not impressed. The old city was interesting, but by and large, Granada wasn't very interesting. We had some free time so Janet and I parked ourselves at a restaurant, ordered a beer and the strangest cheeseburger we've ever had. But the beer was cold and the food decent…and then…there just happened to be a gelato shop right next store. So we grabbed ourselves some gelato and started walking back to the bus.
Tomorrow is our last sea day and we'll end up back in Barcelona on Wednesday. Well spend half the day going back to la Boqueria for some last minute treats to take home - then it's up early the next day for the long flight home (we have a 5.5 hour layover in NYC - ugh).
There are many more stories that I want to tell about our trip, but they'll wait until I'm home. It's been a blast and I'm so glad I was asked to come along. We've laughed, we've drank, we've eaten, and we've taken a few photos (the total number is still TBD). And we've made some fine memories that will surely be talking about for years to come.
0 comments:
Post a Comment