Granada - the best 48 hours ever!
After a full day of driving through the center of Andalusia we arrive in Granada by 9 pm, exhausted hauling our luggage through the immensely crowded tiny street of this town. I'm not sure whether it was just us having been in a car for the most part of the day driving on near empty streets.
Completely spent, we had no energy whatsoever to go out that night and decided to get takeaway and a bottle of wine and eat in our gorgeous apartment with a stunning view of the Alhambra. Sleeping in until 10 am and only getting out of the house around noon it suddenly hit us that we actually only had this one day in Granada. So as per our routine in every city, we make way to the Tourist Information center. We got some tips but were still a bit lost around what we should be doing and then this person standing outside the Tourist Office caught our attention and with some amazing sales skills we knew where to start - with Play Granada for their 2 hour walking tour. Joining a small group of 4 Scandinavians and our lovely host Malik we were ready to explore the old Arabic district, Albayzin, and the gypsy neighborhood, Sacromonte.
Taking an easy bus ride up to the top of the hill we began in the heart of the Albayzin. From the very start you can see the Arabic influence and the traditional art preserved where balconies and windows have small blue tile designs around them. Walking through the cobble stone streets we reach the very old wall of the city which sums up the entire history of why this town was built - as a sanctuary during the Spanish Inquisition. It was the last standing place of the Islamic rule and the infamous Alhambra was built as the great fort to protect its citizens. This city has an intense history and it is evident in the Albayzin where a lot of the ancient architecture remains along with the Alhibas - the old water system. And while Malik was telling us about this all you can do is get distracted by the most spectacular view of the Alhambra there right in front of you atop a hill.
We then made our way towards the old gypsy neighborhood of Sacromonte. It is completely shocking to see how so many people live the way they do. All the houses around this area are made in caves - yes I did say caves. Yet they all have the modern day technology, equipment and comforts apart from having windows in their homes. We walked through a fair few and got to the very top where we could even see some vagabonds that had their tents laid out in the hills of Granada. Although illegal, they were left to do as they pleased since the community said they didn't cause any harm. It was fascinating to hear about the Gypsy leader and his influence, the roots of flamenco dance and the rules within this community of folk.
Finishing up the 2 hour walk we made our way back down towards our home and had to decide on how we could fit in a Flamenco show since we had already booked in for a Hammam bath. With some juggling of times slots, we managed to book a 9 pm show back again in Sacromonte and then down to the centre for our Hammam bath at midnight! With these events booked we had time for a quick lunch and then had to walk up to the Alhambra entrance.
Now this is a walk that you must prepare yourself for. It is up a hill and the fort is massive. You should ideally begin with the newest section first as it is less impressive than the older areas in comparison. It has lovely gardens and an open area for live concerts but it is new and unlike a lot of things old, it doesn't have that effect when you are visiting a historic site. And just to clarify when I say new I mean 1572!
A bit of background on the Alhambra if you haven't already read this in your research, it was built back in the 800s as a small fortress and then ignored till the mid-11th century when a Moorish emir made a palace out of it. Having stayed with the Arabs for a few centuries and serving its purpose as a fortress once again during the Reconquista, it changed hands in the 15th century to christian rulers who then built the most recent palace. It was yet again forgotten from the 16th century and left to degrade inhabited by squatters until recently in the 19th century when its restoration began to make now one of Spain's largest tourist attractions and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Couple of key things, make sure you book your tickets to the restricted area well in advance, specially if you are heading there over the busy summer months. Also make sure you give the rest of the are a good 2 - 3 hours before or after your allocated time to the main halls. Our booking was for 6 pm and so we managed to get there by 4 and have a couple of hours before our time. Having visited Rajasthan and seen a fair few Forts in India that are quite old as well, i have to admit, this was magnanimous, it was an entire self-sufficient city contained in the area.
We walked a fair bit, unfortunately i got severely dehydrated and was sick right before our time to go inside. I had to have chocolate and lots of water and lie down on the cold marble floor to gain my energy back cause i refused to not go inside and see it after making it all the way there. After about half an hour of moving through the rooms by clinging onto my sisters and sitting wherever possible i recovered and was able to take it all in, in its glory and beauty - and my was is a beauty!
After an exhausting 4 hours, I got back to the apartment and rested, changed and we were off again, back to Sacramonte to finally get a glimpse of Flamenco dancing.
Now I have to say this here, there are many styles and interpretations of this dance, however what we saw here in Granada, in the gypsy cave, was one of the most intense versions I've seen. The artists in this video, her expressions, her movements made you feel what she was feeling and she takes you through all the stages of her emotions through her expressive dance. I had no idea it was such an expressive, emotional and strenuous dance till I saw this performance. A must see!
After this gorgeous performance, we walked down towards the Baths and stopped for a quick bite. We were so ready for the relaxation after the absolutely crazy day we had. We change into our swimmers and head on to the Hammam Al Andalus. There are a few different experiences you can go for, I chose the Ritual Al Andalus and Bath but even just the most basic package is a great experience.
There are 4 separate pools / baths with varying temperatures for you to spend time relaxing in. You have allocated time to dip and rest in these baths and then one of the attendants will come get you when your time is up to take you to your massage. You also have the chance to select a oil fragrance that you prefer and this is used for your massage at the end. I had the traditional ritual which was quite different and unexpected, you literally have a bucket of soap water poured several times all over! Again a completely different and relaxing experience.
All in all Granada, even though we really just had 12 hours in it, was one of the destinations where we ticked off a fair few things from our To Do List of Spain - simply loved it.
