Well, here we are in Granada (wet and cold)! As luck would have it the draught that the south has been having decided to break precisely when we arrived. Though some of the students braved the weather to go down to see the Capilla Real (where Isabel and Fernando are buried), most played it safe and stayed at the hotel until the bus arrived to take us to the Alhambra in the afternoon. After arriving at the Alhambra we met the group that had gone downtown and headed toward the heart of the complex. And what do you think happened? It started to pour by the bucket full. We ran into the Palace built by Carlos V and waited until it slowed down. Fortunately we were able to get out and see some of the wonders of the hilltop fortress. Here are some of the places we explored.
The Alhambra complex is comprised of four areas: The Alcazaba, , The Palacio de Carlos V, The Palacios Nazaríes, and the Generalife.
The Alcazaba is a fortress that provided an amazing
view of the surrounding countryside and was a perfect place for defending the palace. The fortification has towers, bunkers, and living quarters. The Palacio de Carlos V is an addition from the 16th century. The palace sits right in the middle of the complex and butts up to the Palacios Nazaríes. It is sobering to contemplate what may have been destroyed in order to construct this monolith of a building. The interesting feature of the palace is that it is circular with a large inner courtyard. The acoustics are so good that one can stand in the middle of the courtyard, speak in a low voice and still be heard some 40 feet away. The Palacios Nazaríes are the most spectacular of the buildings and those that best characterize the
Alhambra. These palaces were the heart of the caliphate of Granada. Each step through the palace moves you through a series of rooms and patios that expose you more and more to the light of day until you reach the central courtyard and the Hall of the Ambassadors. The living quarters and private gardens are quiet places for contemplation. One of the most beautiful of the patios is that of the Lions. Unfortunately we could not fully appreciate its beauty because of
the work that is being done (I have put a picture of it from one of my previous visits so that you can get a feel for the area). Some will be familiar with the writings of Washington Irving. He lived in the Alhambra and there wrote a collection of stories entitled Tales from the Alhambra. The views from the palaces are fabulous, though very different from when they were occupied by the Moors. Today where there are trees and bushes around the base of the mountain the Moors would have left the area barren in order to see expose approaching armies, leaving them no
where to hide. The gardens that occupy the upper of the mountain and lead toward the
Generalife are wonderful oasis. Finally, there is the Generalife, another palace located on a hill opposite that of the Palacios Nazaríes. This smaller palace is famous for its gardens and fountains, all dating back to the time they were occupied by the Moors.
On the way back to Alcalá de Henares we stopped in Ubeda, considered by most to be the crown jewel of Renaissance architecture in Spain. Again, the rain followed us, but it was much lighter than in Granada. What was great was being there while everyone else was inside having lunch. The streets were almost completely empty. We wandered down some narrow streets to the main square to see these magnificent buildings. The church in the picture is the Capilla de El Salvador and was originally constructed as a family funerary chapel by Francisco de los Cobos y Molina in the 1540's. It was under this family and their descendants that the magnificent buildings of the city were built. This area continues to abound in wealth, most of it comes from the large olive/olive oil industry that makes up large portion of the economy of the region of Jaen. What you see in the picture are miles and miles of olive groves.
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