The post below is actually about our weekend in Granada from Feb 20 - 22. Sorry for the lag and we will try to bring things up-to-date over the next little while.
Following our farmstay, Kristi and I traveled to Granada to meet Carlotta (a good friend and bridesmaid who is currently living in Barcelona) and also to tour the Alhambra. While Kristi and I did not know very much about Spain’s Moorish history prior to the trip, 3 weeks in Andalusia brought us up to speed. Instead of going into the details in the blog, I would direct you to this link which does a much better job of explaining the history (here is a helpful timeline as well). My capsule summary is that for the better part of 700 years, various parts of Spain were under Moorish control up until the “reconquest” by the Catholics. The Moors helped make Andalusia into one of the world’s leading cultural areas and a leader in art / architecture / literature. As a city, Granada still carries a very large Moorish influence and is home to a relatively large Muslim population and many middle-eastern restaurants.
Granada is home to what is widely viewed as one of the architectural wonders of the world, the Alhambra, a beautiful palace overlooking the city. It is hard for a photograph to accurately capture the beauty of the Alhambra and the surrounding gardens (known as the Generalife).
One of the most incredible features of the palace is the use of water, in the form of reflecting pools, running streams and fountains. It definitely creates an incredible sensory experience and the sound of the running water is extremely soothing as you tour the various buildings. Also, as noted from our visit to the Mezquita in Cordoba, we really like the Moorish architecture and the focus on geometric shapes and clean lines.
While the Alhambra has some incredibly ornate details, these details really serve to augment the buildings and are not obtrusive or overly ornamented.
One of the most incredible features of the palace is the use of water, in the form of reflecting pools, running streams and fountains. It definitely creates an incredible sensory experience and the sound of the running water is extremely soothing as you tour the various buildings. Also, as noted from our visit to the Mezquita in Cordoba, we really like the Moorish architecture and the focus on geometric shapes and clean lines.
While the Alhambra has some incredibly ornate details, these details really serve to augment the buildings and are not obtrusive or overly ornamented.
Other than touring the Alhambra, we were also able to sample some great food in Granada and check out some of the bustling bars. Granada is known for providing free tapas with drinks and we ended up having to turn down some delicious looking food as we toured some of the cervecerias in town.The three of us left Granada on Sunday night for Barcelona, Carlotta’s adopted hometown. Additional photos of Granada are available here.
of course u couldn tt post it before, BCN is so great that u couldn t miss any minute of it :)))
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