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Ai crede ca un oras dominat de cetatea Alhambra nu mai are nimic de adaugat insa am descoperit tot felul de bogatii in Granada.

Centrul orasului este linistit si din piata centrala radiaza stradute vechi care se incalcesc si re-intalnesc in tot felul de piatete ascunse, numai bune sa te asezi si sa bei niste Sangria sau bere alaturi de niste tapas. Nici o sesiune de cumparaturi de suveniruri nu este de lepadat, comerciantii oferind tot felul de obiecte facute manual de inspiratie maura.

De incercat sunt si diversele carnuri afumate si uscate si nu ratati nici ceinariile marocane. Daca nu stii ce sa comanzi, cere recomandati chelnerului; majoritatea celor ce lucreaza in servicii in centru sunt expati sau studenti veniti cu programe de work and travel, asadar limba engleza este des intalnita.

Soarele joaca pe acoperisurile catedralelor din Granada.

Catedral de Granada este un cunoscut punct de intalnire in oras si petrecand cateva minute in zona poti vedea tot felul de oameni, de la piosi veniti sa admire catedrala si pana la tineri tatuati care se dau cu skateboard-ul pe marmura lipicioasa din fata edificiului.

Deasupra am surprins un numar de FlamencoAbove, street performers warming up the public for the Flamenco acts that animate the evening.

Below, a picture of the Alhambra from the Albaicin hill. The red fortress is a permanent presence for the inhabitants of the houses carved into the hill.

This area is know as the birth place of Flamenco, where the romani families that called these caves home in the 1700’s invented this art form.

The Cathedral of Granada is seen in the distance. Isn’t this white yard just gorgeous?

Just one of the many cats that like to hang around the Carmens of Granada.

We finally decided on a flamenco studio and took our seats, ordered some Sangria and began wondering about the two empty chairs on the stage. Before the show started though, we noticed a Japanese family entering the studio. The old lady was wearing a traditional Japanese garment complete with wooden flip flops. So delicate and quiet was that woman, a subtle smile adorned her face and we could not have enough of the culture mix phenomenon that we were witnessing.

But then the show started and we could not take our eyes off the performers. So much raw emotion that transcended language through dance and percussion.

The Alhambra

Words are not enough to describe this place. I’ve been wanting to visit the medieval fortress for many years and the anticipation as you walk the Cale Real de la Alhambra with the tickets in hand is a thrill on it’s own.

Dont wait to buy your tickets when you get there, buy them online before your trip as entries per day are limited and you dont want to make it all the way there and not be able to visit. We bought a daytime General ticket and a night visit ticket and got our fill.

At the ticket hall entry you can get a recorder with info on each location which really helped us understand the history and reasoning behind the strange mash-up of buildings, one more ambitious than the other.

I dont want to spoil the surprises that await you so I’ve chosen some pictures that just hint at the gardens and buildings that make this place a moorish fairy tale.

It’s a labyrinth of stone lace with heavy air. The Alhambra does not let you forget history and as you go from hall to garden to balcony and fortress you get instantly transported back to the time when it was inhabited. The rulers of these castles would surely have been interesting people and as you walk in their private chambers and judgements halls you can’t help but feel a little out of place…a commoner just waltzing through the scene of complot, terror, love and power.

From every tree leaf to the farthest star in our universe, this castle complex strives to catch in stone and plaster the symbols for every fundamental and indeed universal element of life.

Nasrid Palace Throne Room with a wooden ceiling depicting the 7 heavens of Paradise.

The Jose Maria Rodriguez-Acosta Estate

We found this museum during a morning walk and from the outside it did not look like much but it turned out to hide an intriguing story. The garden, the grotto,  the underground tunnels leading deep into the hill are all part of a fantasy realm this eccentric artist created with what would be today many millions of dollars.

The architecture of the complex is one of a kind and luckily all admissions come with a tour guide ready to answer any curiosities you might have about why and how this house and everything in it and under it came to be.

This guy must have been really frustrated to live with the famous Alhambra so close so he decided to bring back every aesthetic he ever came into contact with on his many travels and keep it all for himself. For the trained eye, this can be a horror show or a delight.

The statue in the middle of the underground pond represents koy fish. The area unites two passageways from the garden and then leads into a series of underground tunnels originally made during the same time that the Alhambra very much still in use.

That was probably why Jose decided to build a house right on top of it that later became the museum housing his collection of art from all over the world.

We will never forget the time we spent in Granada: a city so fruitful, so musical and warm.