Andalusia 2020

Thursday29October

Sunny early morning in the city of Granada where we have been walking for 20 minutes to reach the Alhambra site. The place usually crowded is here more than quiet... The virus has discouraged many travelers from maintaining their visits here and in Andalusia in general... And it is not now that this will change, because Emmanuel Macron announced yesterday the second lockdown of the French from October 30! We realize how lucky we were to have been able to leave just in time without knowing it!  

The Gate of Justice, one of the entrances to the site. We are on the Sabika hill overlooking the city.

The Alhambra with its palaces and garden were inscribed on the Unesco cultural heritage list in 1984.

The Church of Saint Mary of the Incarnation.;

We pass in front of the Palace of Charles V.

The main entrance to the Palace of Charles V with some bas-reliefs on either side of the door. But we do not enter immediately, we will first visit the Nasrid palaces.

The first stones of the Nasrid palaces were laid in the 14th century during the reign of the Nasrids, one of the Arab dynasties occupying the region. The visit begins with the "Mexuar".

The pillars support the beginnings of vaults sculpted in muqarnas. "Muqarnas are decorative elements in the form of honeycombs and made of painted stucco, wood, stone or brick" © Wikipedia

We pass into the golden room where fine carvings adorn the walls as well as the ceilings.

The courtyard of the golden room. The fountain is a copy of the original fountain which was moved to the Daraxa garden which we will see later.

The ceramics framing the doors.

The Court of Myrtles named for the bushes surrounding the water basin.

The basin measures 34 meters.

The long Hall of the Boat.

The Hall of Ambassadors, the most impressive of the Nasrid palace. Everything is carved or decorated with earthenware. The "moucharabieh" windows (in carved partition to let air and light through) add a muffled atmosphere to the whole.

Arabic texts are found almost everywhere on the walls.

Return to the basin of the Court of Myrtles where the Comares Palace and its tower are reflected.

The walls of azulejos. "Azulejo designates, in Portugal, Spain and Brazil, a tile or a set of decorated earthenware tiles." © Wikipedia

The Palace of Comares, just as delicate as the Hall of Ambassadors.

The impressive ceiling that seems covered with stalactites...

Here we are now in the Hall of Kings where two ceilings are covered with a fresco representing the kings of the Nasrid dynasty.

The Court of Lions. The 12 felines supporting the fountain discreetly spit out the water from the latter.  

The Hall of the Two Sisters similar to the Comares Palace for the pleasure of the eyes.

The Daraxa viewpoint.

A little fresh air in the Gardens of Daraxa before moving into the Emperor's rooms.

These rooms were intended for Emperor Charles V (1500-1558) but he never stayed there. On the other hand, Washington Irving (1753-1859) wrote his "Tales of the Alhambra" here in 1829.

Panorama of the city of Granada from the two viewpoints.

Small zooms on the roofs of Granada.

The Gardens of Daraxa seen from below, in the shade of orange trees...

The Tower of the Ladies, above the Partal Palace.

In front of the Partal, a basin reflecting the bell tower of the Santa María church.

Here we are again high up on the ramparts joining the Quebrada and Homenaje towers.;

Granada Cathedral

In the distance, Mount Veleta and its snowy peak.

The dome of the Alhambra Palace Hotel.

We switch to the middle of the Alhambra site in the palace of Charles V, and more precisely in its huge circular patio.

The different rooms of the palace hide museums today.

The 64 columns (32 on each level) made of agglomerated and polished stones.

If the palace was a commission from Charles V, it took so long to finish that no one lived there...  

The roofs were only added in the 19th century.

A little further, the former San Francisco convent and its long garden notably with its pomegranate trees. Finally pomegranates in the city of Granada!  

We are at the far east of the Alhambra site and opposite we can see in the distance the Church of Saint Nicolas, one of the highest points of Granada. We will be there later to have the opposite view...

We now pass into the Generalife gardens, the summer palace of the Nasrid princes. Located a little apart on the slopes of the neighboring hill. This small green setting leads to the palace located at the very end of a chain of basins.

The patio of the Generalife.

Back in the city of Granada where all we have to do is reach the cathedral!

On Plaza de las Pasiegas, the imposing facade of the Cathedral of the Incarnation seems cramped in front of the houses built at the foot of the edifice...

"This cathedral, considered the very first church built in Renaissance style in Spain, was envisaged from the reign of the Catholic Monarchs and its construction was begun under Charles I, to be completed in 1704, under the reign of Philip V." © Wikipedia

Alas, there are works and visits to the cathedral cannot be done!   Fortunately, we can make up for it with the sanctuary chapel attached to the Cathedral. In front of the chapel, the statue of Alonso Cano (1601-1667), painter, architect and sculptor native of the city.

The interior of the chapel.

We now go up the narrow alleys to reach Plaza San Nicolás a 15-minute walk from the Cathedral.

On Plaza San Nicolás, a bride indulges in the joys of taking photos, with the background, nothing less than the Alhambra itself.

The San Nicolás Church

And the view of the Alhambra from the square.

Come on! The Sun begins its slow descent towards the horizon! Time for us to reach our apartment and find a restaurant. Yes! Even if in France, restaurants have closed their doors, here it is not the case, although wearing a mask remains mandatory everywhere and a curfew is in place from 11 PM. But all this can change at any time! Especially since the news talks about accentuating the "perimeter confinements" which prevent residents from leaving their city... We cross our fingers that this lasts and that a certain tolerance is granted to tourists!  

Tomorrow, we will leave the city to take a breath of fresh air by going to explore Gorafe and its surroundings!