Granada

7-3-12: Granada

Our first day in Granada was rather leisurely, aside from a looong hike which somehow led us to be trapped inside of a closed and locked garden. We arrived in town around 15:00 and checked in with our host who had our little apartment overlooking the square all ready for us. 

 Granadas (pomegranates) in Granada!

We were originally planning to go up to the tourist office by the Alhambra’s gate to see if we could buy tickets for the concert that would be there that evening  (National Orchestra of Spain). Rather than taking the bus, we ended up walking up to the Alhambra, but our poorly designed map provided for us at the apartment led us into a huge garden with no exit to actually get up to the Alhambra itself (the site covers the entire mountainside). After climbing up all that way in the mid-day heat and realizing we were somehow in a closed garden with no unlocked exits, we had to climb all the way down through the garden and back up the huge mountain. In Ian’s words, “at least it wasn’t as bad as the Lake Blanca hike in Seattle!”. We actually decided to skip out on the concert (none of the staff knew about buying last minute tickets at the door for discounted prices). Instead, we walked back down to our apartment and passed out until the sound of fireworks, honking, and cheering woke us up. Spain was playing Italy for the European Championship and had just won 4-0. We hid out the initial craziness in our apartment for a couple of hours, but hunger eventually struck and we had to venture out for some food. The noise was deafening – everybody with access to a car, scooter, or airhorn was out in the streets and making as much noise as possible. After braving some of the crowds in the various plazas we crossed through, we finally found a Doner Kebab shop open and ordered some things to go. We ate in and slept some more.

 

            Today was an action packed day starting with the Alhambra (we did take the bus this time!). At first considering all of the tourists I had seen there yesterday, I was a little concerned that it was going to be an expensive trap. I was also wondering how much more Alcazabas, Alcazars, and other former mosque fortifications-turned-Cathoic-castles I could see. However, from the first step into the Nasrid Palaces to our last moments in the gardens of the Generalife, I was in awe. The intricate detail of the stone arches in every room and courtyard alcoves, the beautifully refreshing blue/green/orange/white tile patterns of the mosaics, the trickle of clear cold water from the fountains into still rectangular pools – THIS was why I wanted to come to Andalucia, and THIS was the crown example of the architecture I had always dreamed of seeing someday. I can’t even begin to fathom what it would have felt like to have walked into the palace in its heyday – it would be overwhelming. Fountains in quiet lone courtyards quietly trickling, or in grand gardens shooting high arcs across pools, or cascading down the side of the mountain in a waterfall – the use of so much water (such a luxury) was the defining piece.

            From the Alhambra, we walked up into the crumbling, historic gypsy neighborhood of Albayzin, itself also a UNESCO World Heritage site. I had wondered how many more narrow cobblestone streets I could walk through before getting tired of them, but this neighborhood was different. Ian surprised me with a stop (somewhere in the hillside maze of that neighborhood) at a place with no sign on the door and only a small sign above on the wall, nearly invisible, on the 2^nd floor – it was a teahouse by the name of Abaco Té.  First floor was just a small kitchen/fridge, second floor opened up to a nice small set of tables and chairs, and continuing up the tiny winding staircase led to the third floor with its slanted roof  and floor cushions/tables, and then there was the tiny roof terrace – only enough space for 3 small tables and stools. View of the Alhambra to the left, and the entire city of Granada to the right. This took my breath away – hands down THE coolest café I’ve ever been in. 

I started with a Marroqui tea which was green tea blended with mint leaves and honey. 

view from the teahouse

 teahouse patio overlooking the Alhambra and Albaycin neighborhood with the rest of Granada all around

You would never guess this rooftop was the most amazing teahouse!

Due to the blending of the mint leaves, the top of my glass was covered with foam. Delicious and cooling on a hot day. I also had a salmon crepe which was equally delicious. Round two was a drink recommended by the owner and the waitress called “Brisa de Oriente” (oriental breeze) – a mix of green and black teas with some herbs and cornflower, sweetened with honey. This was super refreshing as well. We soaked up the view for a total of two hours, with the sun setting and church bells ringing all around before wandering through the rest of the Albayzin neighborhood. Some signs saying “SOS Albayzin” were hung from a couple of balconies, complaining that previously the neighborhood was tranquil and safe, but thanks to the city gov’t, bus travel times are twice as long, cars barrel through many of the narrow lanes, and many more tourists flood the neighborhood. I know much of this is the result of increased awareness of the neighborhood’s incredible views and history, but at the same time, this gentrification story isn’t unique to this one place – it happens over and over again everywhere. I’m also sure that many of the Gypsy people also make decent money (comparatively) renting out their rooms, etc. It’s tough, but there are always some winners/losers in this type of story. The gypsy people here don’t seem to be pushy like I had heard about from those who have had some encounters in Rome. The younger ones actually had more of a hippie/bohemian vibe. Guys wear medium sized loop earrings and have their hair in a mullet. I think their style is actually kind of cool with their flowing clothes.

            Then after this wonderful day, I screwed up, we missed our train (overnight) to Valencia and scrambled to figure out what the hell to do. I’ll write more when I have the energy … it’s 02:30am.