Seniors in Spain 2018: 7/27/2018-Granada-Alhambra, pool, San Nicolas viewpoint, Mosque of Granada, dinner at Carmen de Aben Humeya

Our first breakfast. Have to compare to Eurostars Palace/Cordoba. Impressive spread with good variety but not as large as Cordoba. However this is a smaller hotel so in relation to the size of this hotel I was impressed by the amount and variety of breakfast items available. Fresh fruit, cupcakes, donuts, other pastries, cakes, waffles, cereal, yogurt, meats, cheeses, ready made sandwiches, salmon, breads, rolls, condiments like olives, bacon, scrambled eggs, churros, juices....The coffee was a machine with coffee pods. There was also a box with different varieties of tea. Richard had a huge roll, scrambled eggs, cucumbers, cheeses, anchovy, tomato slices, meats, salmon. I had the fruit, slice of the apple cake, some scrambled eggs mixed with a slice of ham, toast. Both of us had juice and coffee. Today is highly anticipated. We will concentrate our sightseeing today on the Alhambra. Before we leave I stop at reception to ask if possible they can book two restaurants for dinner-one for 7/27 and one for 7/28.

Fruit

Cupcakes

Donuts

Waffles

Cereal

Salmon

Breads

Bacon and scrambled eggs

Churros

Teas

Juices

Coffee machine

Richard's breakfast

My breakfast plate

ALHAMBRA. 13th c. Last sultan of the Nasrid dynasty was Muhammad XII-Boabdil. Last and greatest Moorish palace and the reason most people come to Granada. Ornate stucco, plaster stalacities, colors, scalloped windows, lovely gardens, and water everywhere. Booked our tickets with timed entry of 11:00 AM for the Palacios Nazaries/Nasrid Palaces. This was done on 4/3/18 and the cost was $38.13 for us both. Printed out our tickets at home. You have a 30 minute window to enter the palace but once inside you can stay as long as you like. The Alhambra consists of 4 sights-Alcazaba, Charles V's Palace, Palacios Nazaries, Generalife Gardens. Alhambra grounds. We cross the street from our hotel and within 5 minutes are at the Puerta de la Justicia/Justice Gate. We are using this entrance instead of the main entrance because we already have our tickets.

Ticket which I printed at home

Walking to the Justice Gate

Justice Gate

ALCAZABA. Fortress. Military area of the complex. Oldest and most ruined part of the complex. Nice city views. At one time defended the town-Muslims that lived within Alhambra's walls. Main sights to see here are Torre del Homenaje/Tower of Homage, Torre del Cubo/Tower of the Cube, Barrio Castrense, Torre de la Vela/Tower of the Candle, Torre de las Armas/Tower of Arms, Jardin de los Adarves. Walking from the Justice Gate we approach the Plaza de los Aljibes/Square of the Cisterns and enter to the fortress through the Puerta del Vino/Wine Gate. The most impressive is the Tower of Arms. There are 4 flags here. Blue of the European Union, the green and white of Andalusia, the red and yellow of Spain, and the red and green of Granada. In 1492 the Christian cross and flags of Aragon and Castile were raised on this tower for the defeat of Moorish king Boabdil. We backtrack through the Wine Gate as our next stop is the Palacios Nazaries. We've spent 1 hour 45 minutes here. We're early so we sit for a bit in the Square of the Cisterns.

Detail on Wine Gate

Plaza de los Aljibes

Barrio Castrense

View from Tower of Arms

Tower of Arms

Looking down-Barrio Castrense

Jardin de los Adarves

Back to the Square of the Cisterns

View of Alcazaba from the square

PALACIOS NAZARIES. It's 10:45 AM and our timed entry is for 11:00 AM. We just sit on a bench and people watch while we wait for the time for us to line up for the Nasrid Palace complex. Lots of people here. In line section by section of us are told to place our backpacks, purses on a bench over to the left. Then security has dogs sniff the belongings to make sure all is well. After the dogs give the ok we're given the ok to reclaim our property and allowed entry. This is the Moorish royal palace-royal offices, ceremonial rooms, and private quarters. Built mostly in the 14th c. Open air courtyards. Water features. Gardens. Bright colors of red/blood, blue/heaven, green/oasis, and gold/wealth. Lots of decorative patterns and calligraphy.

Mexuar. Audience hall. Used for important meetings.

Ceiling

Going into the Patio de Arrayanes/Courtyard of the Myrtles

Courtyard of the Myrtles/Patio de Arrayanes. Built during Yusuf I's period. Central courtyard. 2 myrtle hedges. Wooden screens allowed women to look out without being clearly seen. Upstairs likely for winter use.

Ship Room/Sala de la Barca. Cedar ceiling shaped like upside-down hull of ship. This is the room one would pass through before coming face to face with the sultan.

Grand Hall of the Ambassadors/Gran Salon de los Embajadores/Salon de Comares. Palace's largest room functioned as the throne room. Here the sultan received foreign emissaries. Star studded domed wooden ceiling made from thousands of inlaid pieces. Filigree windows. Glorious stucco walls. Arabic script. Phrase "only Allah is victorious" is repeated 9,000 times throughout the palace. Character for "Allah" looks like a cursive W with a noose on its left side with a vertical line to the right. Swoop toboggan blades underneath. In 1492 two historic events took place in this room. Last Moorish king Boabdil signed the terms of his surrender and Columbus pleaded his case before Isabel and Ferdinand to finance a sea voyage to the Orient.

Detail-can see the character for "Allah"-cursive W.....

Ceiling

Courtyard of the Lions/Patio de los Leones. Named for the fountain in the center with its ring of 12 marble lions-originals from the 14th c. The 4 channels carry water outward-figuratively to the 4 corners of the earth-literally to private apartments of the royal family. Arched gallery surrounds the courtyard and has 124 perfectly balanced columns. Quranic poetry ornaments this courtyard.

Center fountain with ring of 12 marble lions

Ceiling

Hall of the Abencerrajes/Sala de los Abencerrajes. Sultan's living room. Ceiling based on 8 sided Muslim star. Legend that in 16th c. the sultan killed nearly all of the pre-Boabdil Abencerraje family members thinking to pave the way for the son of his new wife and not Boabdil to become the next sultan. This scheme failed and Boabdil assumed the throne.

8 sided Muslim star-ceiling

Hall of the Two Sisters/Sala de Dos Hermanas. Named for the giant twin slabs of white marble on the floor flanking the fountain. Ceiling lit by windows. Typical royal bedroom. Geometric patterns and stylized Arabic script quoting verses from the Quran.

Ceiling

Washington Irving Room. Irving stayed at the Alhambra in 1829. He wrote Tales of the Alhambra in this room.

Hallway with a View. Best view of the Albayzin-old Moorish town on opposite hillside.

San Nicolas viewpoint as seen from Alhambra hallway

Moorish wall built in the 1400s to protect the city

Patio de Lindaraja. Garden of maze like hedges. Marks end of palace visit.

Partal Gardens/El Partal. Built upon ruins of Partal Palace. Upper and lower. Reflecting pond. Way to the Generalife Gardens.

Pathway to Generalife Gardens

GENERALIFE GARDENS. Sultan's vegetable and fruit orchards and summer palace retreat. Outdoor theater built in the 1950s is a concert venue for Granada. Manicured hedge gardens. Ponds and fountains. Bright white summer palace. Flowers, herbs. Splashing fountain is 19th c. addition. Upper Renaissance gardens. The ancient tree is said to have inspired Washington Irving. Turnstile marks end of Alhambra visit. You have the option of leaving or continuing uphill for views from the highest point in the Generalife. We opted to end our visit to Alhambra and by following the salada/exit signs ended up at Alhambra's main entrance. We have spent 5 hours 45 minutes here. We will return tomorrow to visit Charles V's Palace as we feel Alhambra overload right now. If I had to change anything I would have made sure to get the audioguide. Despite all the research I had done the Alhambra is a huge site and I think the audioguide would have made the visit easier and more enjoyable.

White summer palace retreat

Outdoor theater

New Gardens

Walking to the summer palace

Herb garden

View

Salon Regia/Royal Chamber

Ceiling in Royal Chamber

U-shaped pool of water in the Patio de la Sultana

Turnstile

Promenade of the Cypress Trees

Another view of the outdoor theater built for concert venues

Stately cypress trees

Main entrance-Alhambra

A short walk brings us back to our hotel. Reception has been able to make a reservation for dinner for tonight at one of the places I listed. However, they say they can't reach the other place as they just get a recording. Back in our room I go on my computer and find this restaurant has a Facebook page. I post about the problem making a reservation. We are hot so we decide to relax at the hotel pool. We spend time cooling off in the pool and relaxing on the loungers. It's a nice way to spend a few hours before dinner.

Small pool but big enough to cool off

Richard enjoys spending time in the hotel pool

San Nicolas Viewpoint. Albayzin-Moorish quarter. Twisty lanes. Since we're having dinner in the area we arrive here early. There are already quite a few people taking in the great view of Alhambra from here. There is music and dancing-for tips of course. Unfortunately the San Nicolas church is closed for repairs/renovation. We find the Great Mosque of Granada but it disappoints as it doesn't seem to us to be so great. The inside is closed so we have to settle for what we can see on the outside which isn't much. A nice courtyard.

View of Alhambra from viewpoint

Dinner-Carmen de Aben Humeya. We have a reservation here for a table with a view. A carmen is a typical Albayzin house with a garden and a buzzer to get in. We have a table outside right by the ledge looking straight towards the Alhambra. Lovely flowers in pots. Around 4 tables at this section of seating. There are tables inside as well. We start with beer-Alhambra 1925-for Richard and wine-rose-for me. We are given complimentary gazpacho soup. The Alfarca bread is yummy. We ordered a salad to share-greens with red berries foam, oranges, green apple, and pesto. It was good but not a wow. For our entrees Richard opted for roasted monkfish over quinoa seeds with Mozarabic sauce. It was good and he was happy with his choice. I got the basmati rice with Ras el hanout, halal chicken, raisins, almonds, and pine nuts. Lots of chunks of chicken. It was very good. Richard got another beer and I opted for a glass of white wine. Service was very good and the food was very tasty. Seeing the Alhambra bathed in the golden light of twilight and then the setting sun was magnificent. Cost without tip was $96.88. Great way to end a very long day.