Monday 24 December 2007

Granada

"Who does not know and admire Granada even if they have never visited it?" - Pedro Antonio de Arlacon,19th century -
This is the last Muslim stronghold. Prior to the Muslims, the civilisations were the Iberians, Romans and Visigoths. The city fell to the Christians (Catholic Monarchs) in 1492, after months of beseiging from their camp in Santa Fe. The last of the Moorish kings who had to relinquish this cultural point of reference was Boabdil, the Small. His abandonment of the kingdom was met by a remark by his mother, "Cry like a woman for what you failed to defend like a man".
The city is beautiful .. intricate details everywhere you look. The walls, the stone & cobble roads, the roads patterned with interwoven dark and light colored stones creating an illusion of carpets. The roads are narrow - hence driving is not a thing I'd like to do here.
The Albaicin - Morisco Essence. The streets are narrow, houses white .. enjoy the flamenco guitar at San Nicolas. Have lunch at the Andalusia Teteria. It was like living in the past. View of Al Hambra from here is fantastic, so is Sierra Nevada.

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