Granada and the Alhambra

I had wanted to see Granada and the Alhambra for years, last April I finally persuaded my husband to leave his bike for a long week-end. Granada is about a two hour drive from Aguilas along quiet, jam free autovias, a far cry from out packed motorways.The closer we got to Granada the more mountainous it became until at last we saw the snow capped Sierra Nevada rising up behind the city.
     We found the hotel on the outskirts easily but had to drive around it twice before locating the entrance to the subterranean car park. The traffic in and around Granada is pretty scary and I wouldn't reccommend booking a hotel in the old centre, (even though it's undoubtedly picturesque), unless you have nerves of steel and a good sense of direction - or (possibly) Satnav.
     When we reached our hotel room I found that in the short time that it had taken us to walk from the car park and check in my camera had vanished. I will never know if it fell out or was taken from my bag.Not a good start for me, but I suspect the husband had a job to suppress his joy - I do spend an inordinate amount of time taking photos. (All the ones in this post have been supplied by the net or kind friends).

 

     We walked into the old part of Granada. Granada is a city best experienced on foot. The light was clear and bright, the sky azure, the sun blazing and we could just glimpse the snow sparkling on the mountains behind the impressive bulk of the Alhambra.

     After a lunch of tapas in a tiny square we found the church of San Juan de Dios. Inside in common with so many in Spain the amount of gold covering the altar, backdrop, ceilings etc is stunning and almost mesmerising in its effect.(This gold was brought from South America in the 16th century and its extraction from the mines caused immense suffering to the indigenous inhabitants of these countries.) Biblical images are present in intricate carvings, soaring ceilings and massive paintings. 

     A few paces along the street we went into the monastery of Los Jeronimos built at the beginning of the sixteenth century. It was even more laden with gold and every bit as impressive as the previous church. I wanted to buy some postcards on the way out as a souvenir but the only ones they had were going mouldy. The churches in Spain are partly funded by taxation so maybe that's why they don't have the gift shops etc so common in English cathedrals and abbeys.

     It was a glorious afternoon when we emerged into dazzling sunshine and we found ourselves alone in the shade of the cloisters. Wisteria wound up the pillars, flowers abounded and we breathed in the heady perfume of the heavily laden orange trees which edged the cloisters. As we sat in this heavenly spot the sound of nuns chanting within drifted out to us on the still air. Is chanting derived from enchanting? It was one of many magical moments that we experienced in Granada.

  

   We continued on to the Royal hospital founded by the Catholic monarchs in 1503 and currently incorporating, (as the guide book mentions), the seat of the Rectorate of the University of Granada and the Central University library. It is a beautiful building with a large sunlit and very pretty inner courtyard.What the guide book doesn't mention is, that the exquisite sixteenth century frescoes are peeling, the plaster is coming off the walls and there is an air of neglect. More surprisingly the authorities have chosen to house a genito-urinary and drug addiction clinic in this unique and historical site. I guess it might make the appointments more bearable!



     All Spanish cities feature fountains and running water but in Granada it's an art form. There can be no part where you can't see, hear or touch it. The river bubbles round the city flowing beneath the red granite walls of the Alhambra. Every square, and there are many, has its own fountain sparkling in the sunlight. There are lots of little water drinking fountains in the streets and the water is icy cold and refreshing - we drank it all day.

At sunset we walked through the beautiful ancient area of  the Albaicin, its narrow streets packed with shops selling goods from nearby North Africa. We walked up the narrow street up the hill to view the sunset . We did this with dozens of tourists. Buses and taxis carried others to the same view point, horns honking,they whizzed past at an alarming rate. There was plenty of space at the viewpoint. Excited people were everywhere taking photos and there were a couple of buskers adding music to the atmosphere as everyone waited for the sun to set and its rays to illuminate the citadel walls of the Alhambra with its backdrop of the Sierra Nevada. It was a beautiful sight and a fitting end to a great day.
My next blog in three weeks time (the week-end 20th October), will feature the Alhambra which is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places in the world. If you're enjoying this blog please recommend it to your friends - I have almost reached 1000 'views' by people from places as diverse as Croatia, Bangladesh and recently a large number from Sweden! Thank you all for taking the time to look at it,
Mi proximo blog en tres semanas, (el fin de semana 20 octubre), sera sobre el Alhambra que es sin duda uno de los lugares mas bonito en el mundo.Si te gusta este blog recomendar a tus amigos por favor - !casi 1000 gente lo ha leido! Gracias por leerlo
Best Wishes 'til the next time/ hasta el proximo,
Cathy

Strange tales and intriguing rumours.

This post links the coast of Murcia with post-Second World War Austria, Algeria, and Hitler's chauffeur!
     We recently joined a walking group which consists of mostly English, but also other nationalities including local Spanish people. We walked along the coast passing quiet beaches on a beautiful sunny day, and stopped at a tranquil cove. It was overlooked by half a dozen houses or so, with long gardens well set back so they could only be just glimpsed.

      One of the members of the group was dressed a little more flamboyantly than us boring Brits. Aged about seventy he appeared to be in traditional Austrian walking gear; leather lederhosen which had a large nifty flap at the front done up with buttons, a checked shirt, walking boots and a large strong rucksack. His hair was on the long side and my guess is that he was very attractive in his younger days.
     He was invited by the leader of the group to tell us about the history of this cove - Cala Panizo.  He told us that after World War Two it was settled by two ex-members of the Austrian cabinet. He emphasised that they were not Nazis. They in turn invited the head of British Petroleum from the USA and someone equally important from Shell Oil to join them in living there. A world famous opera singer (sorry we can't remember her name) was also invited.
     This was a time when Spain was in ruins from the Spanish civil war which had decimated the country. Murcia is still very rural in parts and at that time it would have been extremely isolated. There was no other development nearby. He said that if any of the few locals who lived nearby were ill, one of these foreigners would use their vehicle to transport them to the nearest hospital in Lorca some thirty miles away, as none of the locals possessed transport.
     Apparently at around seven pm one of the 'group' would ring a little bell along the sea front to indicate that pre-dinner cocktails were about to be served. He also stated that Franco gave his personal permission for the first house to be built. When electric light was installed and up and running they let him know and he sent them his congratulations. It would seem that for a repressive right wing dictator, he was all heart where this group was concerned!
     All the people involved would now be dead or in their late eighties and nineties. I have no idea of the truth of the story but it's certainly an intriguing one.
    At the back of the beach one walks down a quiet lane. A few new houses have been built. nearly all have high walls, long gardens and guard dogs.
     We continued on to have a lovely walk with beautiful views from a nearby hill. These attractive cacti were growing nearby

    We related this interesting story to two sets of Spanish friends. One set had not heard of this as they lived further away in Mazarron, however they were not at all surprised and told us that after the war many high ranking Germans were said to have fled here. They also told us that after Algeria gained independence many of Algeria's ex-generals found refuge in quiet and beautiful spots just along the coast from themselves in Mazarron.
      The other Spanish friend casually remarked, "Oh yes it's very likely true. Did you know that the house just a couple of miles along from where you live was owned by Hitler's chauffeur?" No we didn't! Again we have no idea how true this is, but the house is situated in a quiet and beautiful spot in what was once a hidden backwater of Europe.

 
  Spain is a fascinating and many faceted country. The civil war was a bloody and protracted affair which caused immense suffering. It is certainly the case that for some people just under the surface feelings still run deep and it's not a topic that you mention in public. At a party with Spanish people we once foolishly mentioned that we were watching a TV series called La Republica, which is set immediately before the civil war. We sat open mouthed as two of the assembled company had a long and passionate shouted argument for some twenty minutes about the series and the time, before carrying on laughing and drinking with each other.
     I hope you've enjoyed this somewhat different post. If you have any knowledge of these intriguing rumours I would love to hear from you at :
writerinaguilas@gmail.com    
My next post will be posted by the week-end of the 29th of September and every three weeks thereafter. It will be about a visit to the fascinating and beautiful city of Grenada.
Bye for now Cathy.

Espero que te guste este blog. El proximo sera el fin de semana 29 de setiembre y despues cada tres semanas. Sera sobre una visita a la ciudad fascinante y hermosa que es Grenada.
Hasta la proxima y gracias para leyendo, Si tienes algunas comentarios me gusta leerlos a
writerinaguilas@gmail.com
Caty