Nov 24, 2015 :
At 6.30am , we took
a taxi from Hotel Principe Pio to bus terminal. Taxi already had some €5 on it
since the hotel had phoned for it, so we paid €16 instead of €11 as fare. We
had booked the ALSA bus tickets much in advance to avail discounted fares.
ALSA Bus to Granada:
We boarded the 7 am
bus to Granada , watched a lovely
sunrise as the bus speeded through lovely country side with olive plantations.
Very comfortable reclining seats, there was a rest stop mid way. At noon we reached the terminal at Granada ,
took a taxi for €15 and reached our hotel.
Here's a map of Granada...
Hotel Guadalupe:
Hotel Guadalupe is located next to the entrance of the Alhambra
in Granada , in front of the
Generalife gardens. Inaugurated in 1969 and renovated recently, there are 42
rooms of 5 types... we checked out 2 and chose ours. We chose this room as it
has a huge terrace and the views from its large windows are great.
There are circular buses C1, 2, 3 plying frequently and Bus
stop is just opposite to the hotel.
Plaza Nueva:
Took C1 to Plaza Neuva...tickets we bought from driver on board and reached
Plaza Nueva fountain has the statue of Columbus
presenting his proposal to Queen Isabella...
Built in 1892, commissioned for the celebration of discovering
Awesome sculpture... the drapery looks so real...and so do the caryatids!
Granada cathedral:
The Cathedral had been intended to become the royal
mausoleum, but the site was moved to El Escorial outside of Madrid .
The main chapel contains two kneeling effigies of the
Catholic King and Queen, Isabel and Ferdinand. The busts of Adam
and Eve were made by Alonso Cano. The Chapel of the Trinity has a marvelous
retablo with paintings by El Greco
Royal Chapel (Capilla Real):
We then went to the nearby royal chapel. The Royal Chapel
(Capilla Real) sits inside the Cathedral of Santa María de la Encarnación. The
Catholic Monarchs founded the Royal Chapel for their own tombs. They chose to
be buried in Granada because they
saw its conquest as the crowning achievement of their reign. It was started in
1505 and was completed in 1521. An elaborately wrought grille encloses the
richly decorated royal tombs.
To the right is the Tomb of Ferdinand and Isabella in a
Mirador de San Nicolas:
We then walked to the bus stop in Gran via opposite to the
cathedral entrance and took the C3 bus to Mirador de San Nicolas. It is in the hillside
neighborhood of the Albaicín, a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site.
This historic Arab quarter is nestled in the slopes of Sacromonte. Many places in the Albaicín offer stunning outlooks onto theAlhambra
Palace
16th-centuryChurch
of San Nicolas
The terrace of this church (Mirador of San Nicolas) offers sensational views. The panorama captures theAlhambra
Palace Sierra
Nevada Mountains
This historic Arab quarter is nestled in the slopes of Sacromonte. Many places in the Albaicín offer stunning outlooks onto the
16th-century
The terrace of this church (Mirador of San Nicolas) offers sensational views. The panorama captures the
Local musicians were playing and a lively atmosphere was
being created. There was police presence too which made vendors scuttle away.
We enjoyed the view.
It had been an uphill ride through narrow lanes offering
lovely views. We thought we’ll walk down a bit to enjoy the ambience, but the
bus came and we got in and went back to Plaza Neuva.
Carrera del Darro:
From Plaza Neuva we walked on the Carrera del Darro,
one of the oldest streets in Granada ,
which runs along the north side of the Río Darro, enjoying another fabulous
view of the Alhambra and the
Convents on the street, Santa Catalina and Franciscan
convent.
This is the Ayuntamiento... townhall...
We had an early slot at Alhambra
the next day, so we wound up taking C1 back to our hotel…We had bought the
tickets online 3 months ahead as there is a limited number and they get sold
out fast.
We need to present
the credit card used and collect the real tickets before entry. We had a small
issue as the credit card we had used had been compromised, so we could not use
the kiosk for getting the tickets. We however took an ID and a letter from the credit
card company and the counter person issued the tickets the previous day without
any trouble.
Nov 25, Wednesday, 2015, 8am :
At Alhambra , Granada:
We were at the main gate of Alhambra
before 8 … our appointment at Nasrid palace was at 8.30 and it’s a 20 min walk
to the entrance; so we were keen to be on time. Unfortunately a lady guard at
the gate gave us wrong info repeatedly, saying we have to go along the outside
boundary to the entrance and we can’t enter through the main entrance. We tried
to walk there, it was uphill and I was scared we will be late. We again went
back to the main entrance and another person let us in when the gates opened!
We raced through gardens toward Nasrid palaces for our
booked slot at 8.30 am . There were a
few people there who had come in through that entrance. It all worked out well
as it’s not peak season with huge crowds.
The Alhambra
stands majestically on a fortified hilltop with the snow-peaked Sierra
Nevada Mountains Alhambra was the
residence of the Moorish rulers of the Nasrid Dynasty for 250 glorious years,
from the 13th to the 15th centuries, and is a masterpiece of Islamic architecture.
After the conclusion of the Christian Reconquista in 1492, the site became the Royal Court of Ferdinand and Isabella (where Christopher Columbus received royal endorsement for his expedition)
The Alhambra is
a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Moorish poets described it as "a pearl
set in emeralds," an allusion to the color of its buildings and the woods
around them. To the Moors who arrived from North Africa ,
the lush setting of Granada was
like heaven on earth.
The Alhambra
complex consists of four groups of buildings in landscaped grounds.
Nasrid Palaces:
The Nasrid Palaces are the most splendid buildings
of the complex, with accommodations and public spaces used by the Sultans of the
Nasrid Dynasty.
Palace buildings are quadrangular in plan, with all the
rooms opening on to a central court, Column arcades, fountains with
running water, and reflecting pools were used to add to the aesthetic and
functional complexity.
Arabic inscriptions are manipulated into geometrical
patterns set onto an arabesque setting.
Painted tiles are used as
panelling for the walls.
Mexuar:
This azulejo-clad audience chamber and courtroom was
used for the public administration of justice and for large assemblies. After
the Christian conquest, this space was used as a chapel. On the left of the
adjoining Patio del Mexuar is the Cuarto Dorado (Golden Chamber), which
features one of the Alhambra 's
finest facades. This area is all that remains of the Palacio real.
Palace of Comares
It was the official residence of the Sultan and the place where the throne hall
was located. Here are the Patio of the Arrayanes, the hall of the Ship and the
Ambassadors Hall. Patio de los Arrayanes (Court of Myrtles)
The Patio del Mexuar leads into the Patio de los Arrayanes,
also called the Patio de los Mirtos because of the hedges of myrtle around the
central pond. This spacious courtyard features graceful arcades at each end
The Torre de Comares is the tallest of the remaining towers
of the Alhambra . It's named for the
stained-glass windows of the balconies called "comarías," which
illuminate the grand hall inside the tower. The tower offers splendid views of
the landscape. It is said that Boabdil, the last Moorish ruler of Granada ,
negotiated his surrender to the Catholic Monarchs here after taking in a final
glimpse of the beautiful scenery
Inside the Torre de Comares, the Sala de los
Embajadores is one of the most exquisite rooms in the Alhambra .
It was a throne room and where the rulers of Granada
received foreign envoys.
A magnificent larch-wood dome and the multitude of
tall windows give the space an ethereal quality.
The most striking feature of
the decor is its profusion of ornamentation, with more than 150 different patterns,
including verses from the Koran, floral details, and geometric themes
Patio de los Leones:
This patio is the central
feature of the Palacio de los Liones, the royal winter residence built by
Mohammed V, with the adjoining Harem. In the center of this spacious court is
the famous Lion Fountain that features twelve marble lions. Around the
courtyard, the arcading, with its 124 columns, has an extraordinary sense of
lightness and delicacy.
Sala de las dos Hermanas
On the north side of the Court of Lions, the Sala de las Dos
Hermanas , along with the adjoining apartments,
provided lodging for the women of the palace. The ornate tile work and stucco
decoration is among the finest in the Alhambra .
The hall is called the "two sisters" because of the two large
identical slabs of marble in the floor. There is a fountain in the middle of
this hall, and the roof — a dome honeycombed with tiny cells, all different,
and said to number 5000 — is an example of the "stalactite vaulting"
of the Moors.
It was all jaw dropping awesome. We walked on to the Palace of Charles V
Palacio de Carlos V (Palace
of Charles V
A striking architectural contrast to the Islamic style of
the Alhambra , the Palacio de Carlos
V was built after the Christian Reconquest. This monumental palace, a massive
structure 63 meters square and 17 meters high, was created for the Emperor
Charles V. Begun in 1526 but never completed, the palace was designed on a
grandiose scale to rival the Moorish palaces and paid for by a special tax
imposed on Moors who had remained in Granada
after its Reconquest. Even in its unfinished state, this palace is the finest
example of High Renaissance architecture in Spain .
The building has an extravagant facade and an impressive inner courtyard with a
pillared two-story rotunda of Doric columns in the lower gallery and Ionic
columns in the upper gallery.
Museum:
On the ground floor (south side) of the palace is
the Museum of the Alhambra ,
the best collection of Spanish-Moorish and Nasrid art in Spain .
This museum displays antiquities, decorative objects, and artworks found in the
Alhambra such as Islamic-style
plasterwork, marble columns, and ceramics.
We visited the church nearby...
Then we went on toward the fort.
Alcazaba:
The Alcazaba is the original 13th-century Moorish fortress.
This royal castle was built during the reign of Mohammed I. All that remains
are the outer walls with their massive towers, we can enjoy exploring the ruins
and walking around the ramparts. From the vantage point of the old walls, we
can see the Plaza Nueva, the Albaicín, and the Sierra Nevada
mountains in the distance. The best views are from the 26-meter-high Torre
de la Vela (tower) at the west end of the terrace.
The Puerta de la Alcazaba leads into the Jardín de los
Adarves, a lovely shaded garden on the south side of the castle. The garden
also offers sensational views of Granada
Generalife Gardens
The Palacio del Generalife (the Muslim Jennat al Arif,
"Garden of Arif Generalife
Palace
The beautifully landscaped grounds extend up the hill,
reminiscent of the gardens of an Italian Renaissance villa with terraces,
grottoes, flowerbeds, and carefully trimmed hedges. The most characteristic
feature of the gardens is the use of water in water lanes and decorative
fountains. The abundance of water was the Moors' symbol of richness, and the
fountains are extravagant showpieces.
The park has a multitude of nightingales and is
filled with the sound of running water from several fountains and cascades
(pleasing the sense of hearing). These
are supplied through a conduit 8 km (5.0 mi) long, which is connected
with the river Darro.
So it was a treat for all senses. We
exited the grounds at 2 when the second batch of visitors came in.
We went back to our hotel, had some food and took the C1 bus
to Plaza Neuva. We wanted to go to the Monastery of Cartuja. Our hotel
reception girl gave us wrong info and we had to get off the connecting bus. We
knew we won’t be able to reach before closing time.
We decided to wander around centro ...
We decided to wander around centro ...
The market was very colorful and the craft pieces were a delight to
look at.
After a lengthy pleasant stroll we called it a day.
NOVEMBER 26, 2015:
Sacromonte
Our bus to Seville
was at 10 am . We foolishly decided to
go to Sacromonte though buses start plying only at 7 am . Temperature was a cold 4C...
We got into the wrong bus C3 and then came back and took C2, got down at Sacromonte.
We got into the wrong bus C3 and then came back and took C2, got down at Sacromonte.
Spent some 10 minutes looking at the view and enjoying the lovely
patio in the gypsy quarter
Then took the next bus back to Plaza Neuva. From
there we got on C1 to reach our hotel at 9 am .
Usually it takes 10 minutes but there was heavy morning rush and the bus was stuck for quite a while. Time was ticking by. We barely made it to the hotel, picked our bags, got into a taxi and reached the bus station. Caught the bus as the last passengers! The C1 bus had been so convenient with us being the only passengers most of the time but we should have realized that morning peak hours are different!
Usually it takes 10 minutes but there was heavy morning rush and the bus was stuck for quite a while. Time was ticking by. We barely made it to the hotel, picked our bags, got into a taxi and reached the bus station. Caught the bus as the last passengers! The C1 bus had been so convenient with us being the only passengers most of the time but we should have realized that morning peak hours are different!
Anyways, we had had a lovely time in Granada
and we were off to Seville now!
covers our visit to Seville Cathedral
Alhambra Granada
covers our visit to Seville Cathedral
Our Videos:
covers Granada ,
Mirador san Nicolas
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