Day 145
The Alhambra
I had a lovely lie in, even sat in bed catching up on my blog. Then it was out for a late breakfast and a walk through the narrow cobbled streets. Richard, our Warmshowers host from Day 133, had said everyone should see the Alhambra at least once in their life, so here we were.
Back in 889 AD a small fortress was built here on the remains of Roman fortifications. It was then pretty much ignored for a thousand years, then between 1100 and 1300 it was renovated and rebuilt. In 1333, Yusuf I, Sultan of Granada had it converted into a Royal Palace. By the late 1400s Ferdinand and Isabella of Castile had moved in. A chap called Christopher Columbus popped by to receive their endorsement to go discover new worlds to conquer. Today it is simply a vast range of beautiful buildings and gardens to wander around and be given a window into the past. The skills of all the artists, builders, engineers and architects over the generations still awes us today. It is a place where even though built on a barren hill side abounds with water. A reservoir built a few miles away in the hills fed water into an aqueduct and down through the gardens and buildings. Fountains are everywhere, courtyards are converted to spaces of cool sanctuary by pools which reflect the surroundings. There is even a set of steps called simply ‘The Steps of Water’. We were enchanted. We even loved the fact that we were served our lunch time drinks in proper glasses. It’s a classy place. We spent most of the day there, we needed longer. So, as Richard said, get yourself to the Alhambra once in your lifetime if you can.
PS from Tom: There are lots of photos here, even more than usual. Get yourself a cuppa and take your time looking closely, while working out how you are going to get to Granada. It’s doable by bike, even from Scarborough!
