Day 52, Mi sueño granadino finalmente realizado

After a lazy morning, some special care to my oddly malfunctioning foot, and a search for reservation information, I was ready to head out with Ashlee on a journey to fulfill a shared life dream of going to the Alhambra.  Thanks to multiple Spanish professors in general and Dr. Turley specifically, the two of us know quite well that the Moors invaded and conquered Spain in 711 AD.  Well, after that point, they spread and ended up becoming a major influence on the Spanish language overall as well as the culture and architecture of Southern Spain.  The Alhambra has been altered and added to over the centuries, but it is well known for its history and grandeur.  Do a Google search or a Google image search and you will be amazed.  Do it.  I dare you.

The Alhambra itself was surprisingly close to the main city center, but it was up on a hill.  We were excited to be there and soak it what it had to offer, but sadly, we were decepcionadas to find out that the Lion Patio, possibly the MOST famous aspect of the Alhambra is currently undergoing renovations and has been since 2006.   I did see the lions in a special exhibit and in a museum and I saw the fountain removed but in the correct courtyard, but it just isn't the same.  Take a look for yourself!

What I could've seen:

What I saw:

(Behind glass in a museum on the fortress grounds)

Construction seems to have plagued my trip, but I guess this just makes it easier to make a new life goal: I want to return to the Alhambra with my future husband, see the Patio de los leones, and watch the sunset from the Torre de vela (watchtower).  Oh, and I want to add some azulejo and yesería to my dream home, in addition to that always-desired window seat.  While on the subject, I’ll ad that I would love to have a little fountain with plants and an arch, too.  For now though, I must content myself with the fact that the 14 euros per person got us into everything we wanted and I took some amazing photos.  Even better, I WAS THERE—in person!!!  The weather was hot, but there were plenty of places to sit and enjoy the sunshine or the shade, usually within some small distance of some form of trickling water, whether it be a fountain, a pool, or irrigation. 

Oh, so I realized today that the Moors were GENIUSES!  I’d seen pictures before, but to see their work with my own eyes and contemplate the time and planning required to construct such an edifice.  And the colors that must have adorned every wall in its apogee!  And here I was, a small, young aspiring tourist, coming to see hundreds of years later what is left of the labors of so many others from such a different era.  Incredible—in its current sense, but also in its most literal as well.  I mean, who builds something, knowing that it will, at least in part, be around 1300 years later?!  Sure, we hope our legacy will live on, but this is incredible and marvelous indeed.

 A few examples of Arabic genius:

Who can guess what that is behind me?

Along the scenic route to/from the Alhambra:

All in all, I am eating up this opportunity of being in Granada.  Paris, in all its magnificence seems gray to me, and Barcelona seemed almost dull, but the sea and some of Gaudí’s works saved it.  Granada, though, just is a sunny haven.  Yes, it has been quite sunny in each city I’ve visited, but Granada just FEELS nice.  Je suis contente ici, vraiment.  En serio, me encanta estar aquí con todo lo histórico y con todos los españoles simpáticos. What I miss though?  A temple nearby, priesthood holders nearby to protect and give blessings if the need arises, and my network of loved ones.  For the time being, though, it is wonderful to be able to go to the Alhambra at will, eat kebabs and pastries and gelato whenever, and be in Spain, in Granada.