Granada

I’m a little behind with my posts with Christmas in a primary school beginning to kick into full swing……….so much happening and so busy in the run up to the arrival of Father Christmas…….so exciting! Thought I’d do a little update on my adventures at half term a few weeks ago though, two Spanish cities – Granada and Malaga.

I like an October half term break. We only get one week off at October half term so it’s not really long enough to pack a huge suitcase and jet off for a relaxing holiday because no sooner have you got there and you are coming back. I do like a bit of sunshine though as it’s just starting to get cold at home. I was also really missing Spain after my summer there so figured if I could go far south enough I could have a bit of sunshine and a little bit more of Spain. In past Octobers, before the pandemic, I’d been to Rome, Barcelona, Seville, Krakow and Sicily. I’ll basically go anywhere where there’s something to learn and look at, a bit of sunshine, a reasonably priced flight and some nice food and drink. So flight to Malaga it was! First stop Granada.

I’ve wanted to go to Granada for a long time. I was close to it around four years ago when I went to Seville and Cordoba. I loved it there so I was excited to see what Granada had to offer.

It was an early flight from Newcastle to Malaga, then the bus from the airport to Granada, so by the time I arrived it was late afternoon. I’d just booked a studio apartment on the internet as I like to come and go as I please and don’t normally spend much time in the accommodation. It had a sitting room, bedroom and kitchenette, all in one open plan room with a small separate bathroom off the sitting room. It was perfect!

I’d chosen to stay outside the main city in the Albayzin area which is the old Muslim quarter. I’d chosen to stay here for two reasons. Firstly, when I visit somewhere I like to blend in and immerse myself in the culture of a place. I’d rather be somewhere a little bit more authentic than surrounded by tourists. Sadly, as soon as I open my mouth and the Yorkshire comes out and they spot my almost translucent skin colour, it gives me away completely as being British! Secondly, the apartment promised a wonderful view of the Alhambra Palace, my main reason for wanting to visit. The choice of accommodation could not have been better. It had absolutely everything I needed, a lovely rooftop terrace to sit out in a morning and evening and the most fantastic view of the Alhambra Palace.

It was almost dark by the time I’d unpacked my bags so just time for a quick wander around the Albayzin and up to the Mirador San Nicolas viewpoint for an even better view of the Alhambra. It was buzzing up at the view point, there were people drinking, singing, dancing flamenco and playing guitar. It was such a lovely atmosphere. Quick trip to the supermarket for supplies, a drink in a bar and then off to bed as I was exhausted.

Day two was all about the Alhambra Palace. The palace is a fortress on top of the hill, on the opposite side of the river from the city. It is Islamic in architectural style and is one of the world’s best preserved monuments of moorish architecture. I’ve visited the Mesquita in Cordoba, another fantastic example of moorish architecture, but the Alhambra is just on a completely different scale. You cannot appreciate how vast it is until you are actually there walking around it. It is beautiful but there are so many parts to it, I was in there for six hours and it took up my entire day, I just could not get enough of it.

First stop the Nasrid Palaces section of the complex, the centrepiece ………… stunning! There were tiled mosaics, courtyards with reflective pools, the most fantastic views of the city, vaulted ceilings, arches and the most ornately detailed carved stucco everywhere you looked. It was spectacular. I spent hours just in there alone, so long that I needed reviving slightly, I had to have a Gin Fizz inside the Parador, which sits inside the complex (any excuse for a lunchtime cocktail somewhere nice)!

Then it was on to the Generalife gardens which were magical. Various ponds and flower beds full of the most gorgeous perennial planting. Bearing in mind this was October, I would have loved to see them in full bloom a couple of months earlier. Such beautiful plants and planting combinations, just an explosion of colour. After all this I needed ice cream. There is a theme running through any trip I take……see something ……. drink something…..see something…….eat something……etc. it’s a continuous cycle!

By the end of the Alhambra visit I was so hungry. A quick change of clothes and off for tapas at La Riviera in the Albayzin area. This was lovely, I love tapas and I do have a bit of a squid and chorizo addiction so tapas is just perfect for me washed down with some wine.

Day three was an equally busy day. I had spent so long in the Alhambra I was a little bit behind on my list of must sees. First stop the Plaza Nueva because you have to see the main square in every city you visit.

Next stop the Cathedral and the Capilla Real (Royal Chapel). The Capilla Real is the resting place of Spain’s catholic monarchs Isabel I of Castilla and Fernando II of Aragon. It was beautiful in here, no expense spared. There were some gorgeous pieces of art, a beautiful chapel, tombs, a crypt and it was a lovely place to look around. The cathedral next to it I would not visit again. It’s quite bland. Lots of white marble and feels quite vast, cold and austere. It’s nowhere near as nice as the cathedrals in the cities of Northern Spain like Burgos or Leon.

Then it was a stroll through the city and past the statue of the ‘Aquador and Donkey’. Now that was a learning for me, I’d never heard of an Aquador. Apparently they were folk from the countryside who came into the city to sell their fresh clean water to the city dwellers who could not get clean water.

Time for a coffee now and I’m a bit choosy when it comes to coffee ……… but 10 out of 10 goes to La Finca coffee house. Perfectly poured fair trade speciality beans direct from the growers and the most delicious carrot cake.

Suitably revived I pressed on and walked to the Sacromonte area which is Granada’s historical Roma area well known for its flamenco and cave houses. It’s a bit bohemian here, lots of musicians, dancers, arty types and a mix of cultures. A really interesting place to walk around, see a bit of flamenco and just get a general feel for this simple yet vibrant way of life, it really comes alive at night.

By this time my little legs were tired and I needed a little pamper. I’d seen all I wanted to see and thought it was time for some relaxation so guess what……..Granada is home to a really fantastic hammam (Turkish bath), the Hammam al Andalus! Now when it comes to spas I’m not really a girly girl, I don’t go often as I can get a bit bored just doing nothing. However I do like a hammam and a massage. A hammam is basically a public steam bath associated with the Islamic world. The closest one to home is in Harrogate, Yorkshire and it’s lovely, I have been known to go AWOL here for the afternoon if the urge to escape becomes too much. It’s all about the skin, exfoliation and getting rid of toxins. You come out feeling so good, relaxed and clean. They normally have a number of rooms and pools which you travel round in a particular order: first you get warm in the tepidarium (warm pool/room), then into the caldarium (hot steam room) then straight into the a frigidarium (cold pool/room). This cycle is then repeated. The hammam in Granada was lovely, one cold pool, two medium, one quite hot and then a steam room. Lovely selection of oils and salt to rub on your skin and a little relaxing area with an assortment of Turkish tea. I managed to squeeze a massage in too which was really good. I’m not really into beauty treatments either but I love a massage. Sitting at a computer all day I get knots in my shoulders and back muscles so I do like a massage and I mean a proper one, I like it to hurt and I like to feel all those knots being undone. This one was perfect. Not many people know this but one of my other evening classes and certificates is in Swedish body massage! But you can’t really massage your own back, neck and shoulders. I need to do separate post on my lifelong learning at some point as some of the courses even make me smile looking back on them, not remotely related to each other, I’ll have a go at anything!

By the time I came out of the hammam I was so relaxed I just wanted to sleep, so dinner was a picnic on the roof terrace to watch the day turn to night. I was so sleepy and when you have a view like this who needs to go anywhere? I managed to keep my eyes open until dark, which was a lovely sight with the Alhambra all lit up, and then it was off to bed, ready for city number two the day after……Malaga.

I’d definitely recommend a trip to Granada, it met all of my expectations and more.