In Search of the Granada of my Dreams

I made it out of my COVID isolation onto the Granada train, and was able to join my sister and cohort a couple of days ago. They’d been waiting around for me to arrive and were chomping at the bit to get out of the apartment and go sightseeing. I was too, in spirit, but my lungs were protesting as we clamored up the hills of the Albaicin (Arabic historic neighborhood). Well worth the wheezing, we happened upon an impromptu flamenco music performance at the top of the hill, and some spectacular views of La Alhambra in the distance.


We took a break from the hot Spanish sun and had tea among the hookah smokers—what ambiance!



The next day I was excited to at last experience what I’ve been looking forward to for a good 40 years: La Alhambra! I’d pictured wandering around, imagining myself in some Arabian Nights reverie. But the joy of traveling diminishes when you find yourself being herded along like sheep by your tour guide. He was actually extremely knowledgeable and I learned so much about the history. The Alhambra was like a city within its compound, including not just royalty, but also craftsmen, gardeners, artists, servants and their families. Granada, which means pomegranate, was put on the Western map by Washington Irving, and became a popular spot for many 19th and 20th century writers and artists. We went around snapping obligatory photos, but I can’t help feeling that I missed some transcendence that I might have experienced had I seen it 40 years ago. Perhaps next time I will visit in January or February, though the oranges and pomegranates won’t be in bloom…













Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Birth of the Dream

Image
 Years ago, pre-pandemic, I had the idea to walk part of El Camino de Santiago de Compostela, the pilgrim path traveled by many since the middle ages. I saw Martin Sheen's "The Way", read a book by a Quaker acquaintance about her trip, and talked to several others who'd done it.  It seemed like a monumental task, and then Life got in the way, followed by COVID-19.  So I gave up on it, figuring I was too old and achey for such an undertaking. But once, during the listlessness of COVID, I Googled “El Camino for old people “. Lo and behold, travel agencies exist which book your hotels (depending your your budget and how far you think you can walk daily) and transfer your baggage. Well worth the money! So the dream continued. And then it was a matter of getting in shape. Personal training, increasing hike length and elevation gain, and a couple of minor medical adjustments and I guess I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. I was prepared to do this alone, as I’m told tons of “pilg
Read more

Viva España: Part 2

Image
Even though I am just an ordinary tourist again, there’s still so much to appreciate about the Spanish way of life. If any of my friends have noticed the hint of snobbery that I can’t seem to hide, in spite of my aspirations towards humility, this is where it comes from. Europeans know how to live. Accents on beauty, acknowledgements of the ancient past, and at the same time satisfaction with simplicity are all part of the old world mentality. Add a dash of emotional expressiveness and you’ve got a Spaniard. I arrived in downtown Madrid late Saturday night and found myself doing something I thought I’d never do—having dinner st 10:00 at night. The next morning I walked around places I hadn’t been since I was a child, Plaza Mayor, Retiro Park, then made my way to the train station on the Metro. Next stop, Córdoba, a magical mix of ancient cultures with Muslim, Roman, Jewish and Catholic sections of town. It’s exquisitely beautiful but HOT! Yesterday the thermometer crested to 39 C (102
Read more

Flamenco, Flan & Figs

Image
I finally got to see a flamenco show, though I have to say that I actually prefer the classical folkloric dance style over the haughty stomping flamenco steps. Apparently there are about a dozen Spanish dances (including the jota, fandango, bolero, Sevillanas, and others in addition to flamenco).   We were lucky enough to wander into a plaza and catch those traditional dancers performing after we visited the caves of Sacromonte.  This fascinating collection of cave dwellings is where the Romani people (“gypsies”, who were persecuted at various points in history) were able to hide out and live in peace. They were erroneously called gypsies, because they were thought to have come from Egypt, but actually this ethnic group originally came from India, and then spread throughout eastern and southern Europe. The haunting sounds of flamenco music and dance got their start in these caves. At the hillside bottom, below La Alhambra, is Sacromonte, the Darro River and the nearby Albaicin, or Arab
Read more