Recollections on the Alhambra

Granada is the capital of the southern-most province Spain known as Andalucia.  It has been an important city in Spanish history since the middle ages.  First ruled by Muslim caliphs, then conquered by the great Isabelle and Ferdinand, the Holy Roman Emperor, and taken by Napoleon, Granada is a sophisticated city that resembles Paris and Madrid mixed together.  The greatest monument though is the Alhambra.  The great fortress-turned-palace nestled in the hills above the now modern city.

Getting into the site is a bit of an ordeal for tourists.  You have to book in advance unless you want to wait in line for tickets without promise that you will actually get in.  The complex is high above the city and is a steep climb uphill for at least 40 minutes walking or a scary, twisty-turny bus or taxi ride for ten minutes.  Tickets are about $20 a piece and you have get there at least 1 hour before your scheduled time (booked in advance).


All of this is well worth it.  You cannot imagine the beauty, the power, and the importance of this site.  It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and it is certainly the building that lays the foundation of Spanish architecture.  Not to mention, it is a place where history can literally be felt, hanging in the air.

In the 19th century American writer Washington Irving spent a summer writing in the Alhambra.  I will use his very-romantic-a-bit-too-dreamy-19th-century (which I love) words to accompany my pictures since I think he can evoke a bit more from the pictures than my own dry words.
 

 View of the Alhambra on a rainy and cold day in June from the adjacent medieval village.

View up at the Alhambra from the valley below it (where the medieval gates begin)

Irving: For my part, I gave myself up, during my sojourn in the Alhambra, to all the romantic and fabulous traditions connected with the pile.

I lived in the midst of an Arabian tale, and shut my eyes, as much as possible, to every thing that called me back to every-day life. . .

Irving: In the silent and deserted halls of the Alhambra; surrounded with the insignia of regal sway, and the still vivid, though dilapidated traces of oriental voluptuousness, I was in the strong-hold of Moorish story, and every thing spoke and breathed of the glorious days of Granada, when under the dominion of the crescent.

 The surfaces are covered in stucco and sculpted with words from the Koran.

 Detail of stucco carving details (Allah)

Flowers and geometric patterns symbolize heaven (the perfection of Allah, who cannot be depicted in human form)

The most famous part of the Alhambra, The Courtyard of Lions (now under restoration)

The fortress (Napoleon destroyed a lot of it when he invaded Spain)

View of the medieval city of Granada from the fortress (you can spy on every movement of your people)

View of modern Granada

Irving: Lovely Granada! City of delights! . . . .who ever made thy moon-lit balconies, thy gardens of myrtles and roses, of oranges, citrons, and pomegranates, respond to more tender serenades?

You can see into the hills for miles, perfect defense

One of only two medieval entrance/exits into the complex

The "modern" Renaissance palace of Charles V (the Holy Roman Emperor) doesn't fit into the Islamic style seen throughout the rest of the site, but it was built by a student of Michelangelo's to mimic the interior of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome (which Michelangelo built).

Gardens serve the purpose of relief from the Andalucian sun, but also symbolize paradise/heaven

 

Irving: One of the greatest pleasures of the Spaniards is, to sit in the beautiful summer evenings, and listen to traditional ballads, and tales about the wars of the Moors and Christians, and the "buenas andanzas" and "grandes hechos," the "good fortunes" and "great exploits" of the hardy warriors of yore.

The summer home, located higher up on the site, it provides more shade and cooler breezes than the other palace

Ferdinand and Isabelle's lions (added when they conquered the caliphate)

View of the Alhambra from the summer home

Exiting the Alhambra (away from tourists) the medieval road that leads to the fortress -- it is so steep!

A short phrase, by an anonymous poet, on the wall of the Alhambra perfectly summarizes the beauty of this place: Dale limosna, mujer que no hay en la vida nada como la pena de ser ciego en Granada.  -- Give him alms, woman, for there is no worse penalty in life than to be blind in Granada.

Madre mía: Sevilla parte dos

Although the national religion of Spain is catholicism, not everyone is religious and some cities feel much more secular than others.  Sevilla a city where, even though many people may not be religious, the vestiges of Catholic fervor still exist.  The most famous re-conquistadores Isabel and Ferdinand consolidated a lot of their power here.  Isabel, in particular, viewed it as her duty to convert everyone one of her subjects to Catholicism and to protect the faith.  So, here is my homage to the Sevillan Virgin Mary. 

She is the most important saint.  She is the mother protector and your direct channel to god himself.  Her image, her name, her presence seems to be on every other building in this city.  She is also the patron saint of sailors and because so many voyages set sail from Sevilla's Guadalquivir river into the Atlantic (i.e. Columbus's journey to the Americas), Mary is of particular importance.

Here she is tiled into the side of a church. . .

On a large beer keg in a bar. . .

 In the cathedral (La Dolorosa) . . .

 In a dark alleyway . . .

 On the side of the cathedral at night. . .

 On the side of a guitar shop . . .

 Dedicated to her after she protected the city from a major earthquake in the 18th century. . .

 Random street altar. . .

 Detail of the above (flower offerings) . . .

On the side of a school . . .

 On the side of a home . . .

 At the medieval entrance to the city. . .

 In a tiny medieval street. . .

 A convent. . .

 In a once Islamic archway. . .

 In a souvenir shop. . .

 The name of a street. . .

 And and random drunk guy in a chicken suit. . .

He has nothing to do with the Virgin Mary.

Sevilla, te quiero

Next stop on our "routa de Andalucía" was way too short.  Sevilla is one of the best cities I have ever been to.  I don't know much of Spanish history, so I was amazed that this is where Columbus set sail for the new world.  It is where the great Isabelle and Ferdinand were married and had their children.  It is the home of Flamenco and the place where the Santa Semana (holy week) is done the best.  

The largest cathedral in Spain and the third largest in Europe is in Sevilla.

Here is a partial side view.

Another side view in late afternoon (8pm).

Inside the Cathedral there is also the largest altarpiece (retablo) ever made.

I couldn't get it all in; its 65 feet tall.  A retablo is supposed to evoke heaven -- a completely golden space with figures of god projecting out of niches.

 Christopher Columbus is also buried here.  Here are some Japanese tourists who wanted to be photographed with the remains of a person most Americans do not revere.

Sevilla is a medieval city with winding streets and small plazas.  It has an amazing atmosphere, especially in the old Jewish quarter.  Originally the Jewish quarter was a ghetto separating them from the Christians, but when Ferdinand and Isabella expelled all of the Jews from Spain this became just another part of the city.  Regardless of its negative history, it is the most lively and romantic areas of the city.

The medieval quarter starts just beyond the Plaza de Banderas (Plaza of the Flags).  Here is a view of the church from inside the Plaza lined with orange trees.   Oranges and olives grow everywhere, falling from trees, and spilling into the streets.

Street signs spelled out in tile.

Napoleon burnt down a church that was here (a church that was built after a mosque was burnt down to build a church).  He built the French Embassy here and it still stands.

Sevilla is also the city of Flamenco.

We went to a flamenco performance that was not cheesy or touristy in the courtyard of an apartment complex.  The performers sang, danced, and played guitar two feet from the audience, not on a stage.  It was intimate and passionate.

The performers asked that we not take videos or flash photos.  I, unlike 85% of the people there, respected their request.  I only have the memory and that is enough.  The performance was fantastic and if you ever go to Sevilla, this place is wonderful: Casa de la Memoria.  My mother was particularly enamored of the passion of El Choro!

I want to mention that Sevilla is not all history and tradition.  There is an amazing night life as well - plazas filled with bars, restaurants line the river, clubs are hidden in the side streets.  I wish I could have spent more than two days.  Echarte de menos Sevilla y te quiero.