The Mezquita

Today we just ate a breakfast of some of the snacks that Anita has accumulated along with coffee or tea made from hot water from the lobby carried up in our thermos.
It was raining lightly this morning. Yesterday was the warmest day we had had so far - about 21C and sunny in the afternoon.
Luckily we have our rain shells and umbrellas so a little rain doesn’t bother us. About 10 am we walked down to the Mezquita and bought our entrance tickets for 10 euros each.
Originally, the Visigoths built a Christian church on the Mezquita site in the 6th century. In the late 700s, the local Moorish leader bought the site and started construction on a mosque. Several additions were constructed over the next few centuries until, at over 14,000 square metres, it was the largest mosque in the world. The ceiling is only about 10 metres high, making a huge horizontal space. Originally there were over 1,200 slender columns with double arches for strength holding up the roof. Now, since the cathedral was built, 896 columns are left.  The forest of columns with red and white striped double stone arches is an impressive sight.
After the Reconquest, the Christians worshipped in the Mezquita for about 300 years without making many changes. However, around 1600 it was decided that a cathedral should be constructed right in the middle of the mosque. At least they didn’t tear the whole thing down, which was the case in many other places. It’s very strange to walk through a low ceilinged mosque, meant to be an intimate prayer space and suddenly enter a big cathedral with 130 foot ceilings, meant to be awe inspiring to people in the presence of God.
After a couple of hours in the Mezquita, we walked around searching out some restaurants. We stopped at the Santos bar across from the Mezquita to share a potato pastry tapa. It was just the right snack for only 2.30 euros. As we ate, we chatted with a couple of other tourists from Maine and Connecticut. When we said we were Canadians, they said “Sorry, we’d get rid of Trump if we could”. They think very highly of Trudeau, perhaps more than many Canadians do. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard these sentiments from travelling Americans. Most of them seem very embarrassed.
The afternoon was still cloudy but it’s not really cold - probably about 17C. We like a little restaurant down the street so much we went there again. We each chose one of the “menu del dia” options. For a big “stirred mushroom appetizer”, main course of meatballs or pork slices with deep fried potatoes and dessert of flan with whipped cream and chocolate, we each paid 10 euros. When we paid, we discovered that the price included the generous glasses of beer and white wine that we had too. Good deal.
Plus, in Spain there is little or no tipping. No smarmy waiter ever says, “Hi, I’ll be your server today”. All of the waiters are professionals who work on whatever needs to be done. Restaurants are run like any other business where the staff can expect to receive a wage that they can live on from the management. More of that attitude in Canada would be a good thing.
Until it started to get dark, we wandered through the narrow streets and then across the river and back on the Roman bridge. Now Anita is catching up on the laundry and I’m catching up on the bookkeeping so we’ll be ready for another day.

Flamenco Museum

Yesterday, Sunday November 11th, Remembrance Day, we slept late and had breakfast in our hotel. For 4.75 euros each it’s filling and okay but really not that good. We think that tomorrow we’ll just get pastries and a coffee for the addict at a little bakery down the street. We acknowledged Remembrance Day by looking online but there’s really no sign of it on the streets here. Maybe it’s because we’re in the tourist area.
We had no big plans for the day so we walked about 5 minutes up to the Flamenco Museum. We’re glad we did. It’s in an old inn that’s been there for hundreds of years and has a colourful past. It’s even mentioned in the story “Don Quixote”.
The museum has lots of interactive displays of flamenco guitar, vocal and dancing techniques. Trying to even match the rythms is extremely difficult. It was a fascinating morning.
In the afternoon we wandered over by the Mezquita, the big old mosque (now cathedral), where we’ll visit tomorrow. Near there was a sandwich shop with lots of ham that deserved a photo. Spaniards are big on smoked meats.
Finally, we had a late lunch, or early supper, on the patio of a neighbourhood restaurant and watched the world go by. After a short walk down to the old Roman bridge and the Triumphal Arch (which was never finished) to shake down lunch, we’re back in our room for the night. We’ve included a picture of our hotel lobby. Lots of character.

From Granada to Cordoba

Yesterday, Saturday November 10th, we had breakfast in our hotel, checked out and left for the bus stop about 9 am. We knew where to catch the number 33 city bus that, for 1.40 euros each, took us to the bus station. There we discovered that the 10:30 bus we planned to take was already full. We should have bought tickets in advance. The 11 am bus had many stops so it would take 4 hours to get to Córdoba. We decided on the noon bus that would only take 2 3/4 hours and would cost 15 euros each. So we had a bit of a wait.
Most of the bus terminal was cold so we eventually went into the cafeteria to wait. The weather here has been cooler than expected. Friday was the coldest day with a high of only 11C. Most days are 15 to 17 but the mornings are cool, especially since there’s so much shade in the narrow streets.
However, when we finally got going, the bus trip was quite pleasant on a 2 lane highway that is the most direct route to Córdoba. For the whole trip, we went through miles and miles of olive orchards. In the little town of Banea, in front of the church, there were sculptures of people harvesting olives. We also saw many small olive processing facilities. The whole economy here seems based on olives.
At the Córdoba bus station we got a taxi that cost us 8 euros to get us to our hotel. It’s a good thing too because we would never have found it on our own in this labyrinth of little streets. Our driver, in a small car, had to do a 3 point turn in some intersections and, if there was a pedestrian, he had to fold in his mirror not to hit the person or the wall.
We’re stayin in the “Antigua Convento” or Old Convent. It’s a little dark but it has tons of character. Our room is small but has about a 15 foot ceiling. The advertised balcony is more like a bay window that opens and has a little railing. However, the hotel is clean, secure and very well located. We’re a 5 or 10 minute walk from everywhere we might want to go.
After we got settled, we went down the street to a restaurant for a bite to eat and a wine and a beer. There are hundreds of bars and restaurants in the area that all serve lots of different tapas (small snacks), raciones (bigger portions), full meals, many different local wines, and beer. It’s hard to go wrong. Usually, it seems we spend about 17 to 25 euros ($25 to $38) to be well fed.
After we had eaten we walked along the river to the old Roman bridge where we listened to 2 really good flamenco guitarists busking.

Granada Cathedral and Royal Chapel

On Friday, November 9th, we walked across the Plaza bib Rambla and around the corner to the big cathedral. The 10 euro admission included an audio guide. The cathedral is massive. The altar has paintings of the life of Christ and Mary for the first few stories and then above that there are stained glass windows with more of the same images. Along each side of the cathedral are chapels dedicated to various saints. Although the audio guide doesn’t mention it, one of them depicts Saint James on horseback with his sword upraised while his horse stomps a Muslim Moor. The audio guide does point out a painting showing a celebration of the mass baptism of many Moors but fails to include the fact that the Moors had to either be baptized or hit the road. Like everywhere else we’ve been in the world, the peace, love and understanding of all religions has its limits.
The cathedral also has 2 huge ornate pipe organs. The artwork and craftsmanship of everything in the cathedral is very impressive.
After the cathedral, we visited the Royal Chapel alongside it. Commissioned by Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand, it isn’t huge but it’s very beautiful and not ornate to the point of being tacky. No photos were allowed because of all the old paintings by some of the medieval masters like Botticelli. We even descended a few steps into the crypt below the chapel to see the lead coffins containing the bodies of Isabel, Ferdinand, their daughter “Mad Juana” and her husband “Philip the Fair” along with a grandson, Michael. Apparently Juana was so consumed with jealousy over her handsome husband that it drove her mad. When he died young, she slept beside his coffin for the next 2 years. Nice but just a little creepy.
After our touring, we went back to the patio restaurant we liked for another early dinner (or late lunch here in Spain). We have yet to stay awake long enough to go to dinner with everyone else at 8 or 9 pm.

The Alhambra

Yesterday morning we got up early to be at breakfast for 7:30. Having been warned by other tourists and guidebooks of the long walk and delays getting in to the Alhambra, we left our hotel by 8:35 for the 30 minute walk up the hill. We were at the gate 17 minutes later. It was a steep walk but really not as far as we were told. We had also been warned to have our passports and be ready for tight security. As we walked through the gate into the Alhambra grounds, no-one even looked at us. We had bought tickets online with a 10 am time slot to get into the Palacios Nazaries, reputed to be the finest Moorish palace in Spain. The Moors ruled the Iberian peninsula (present day Spain and Portugal) for nearly 800 years from the 700s until finally completely defeated at Granada in the Christian Reconquest in 1492. The Alhambra was a Moorish fortress that had a town of 2,000 people within its walls. The top sights in the Alhambra are the Palacios Nazaries, The Alcazaba, Charles V’s palace and the Genaralife gardens.
We were so early, we first went to the Alcazaba, the first fortress overlooking the present day city. It was originally a Roman fort. After a 1/2 hour there, we lined up to get into the Palacios Nazaries at about 9:20, since we had been told it might take an hour to get our tickets stamped and get through security. The people with tickets for 9:30 went in but we were held back. We chatted with a British couple for 1/2 hour and finally were allowed in. No-one checked our passports nor did we go through any metal detectors or anything. However, while we were in line we saw a couple come up with tickets for 8:30. After much arguing, they were still turned away because they were more than 30 minutes late. Their tickets were useless. Over 6,000 people per day are allowed into the Palacios Nazaries and the timing is strict.
It was worth going in though. The palace was beautiful, with many rooms and much Moorish design on ceilings and walls, based on mathematical geometric patterns. There were many striking inlaid wood ceilings, plaster “stalactite” ceilings, fountains, pools and ceramic tile wall patterns.
After the palace, we toured the extensive gardens and the square, uninteresting palace built by Charles V, one of the first Christian kings after the Reconquest.
We finally walked back down the hill to our hotel where we felt we deserved a drink on the terrace outside our room, with the Alhambra and the Sierra Nevada mountains in the background. Another great day.

Granada Walking Tour

Today we walked around the old part of Granada from our hotel (1st picture, our room at the top upper right) in Plaza bib Rambla. First we went to an old courtyard where the Silk Road camel caravans used to stop. Then we walked briefly through the Alcaiceria which had been a silk market but is now a tourist souvenir market (Anita posing with the bull). We walked around the main Cathedral and past the first city hall which, although it looks like it’s constructed of blocks of stone, is actually stucco with blocks painted in 3 D style.
Then we walked through the Plaza Nueva and upstream along the Darro River valley between the Alhambra Moorish fort and palace and the old Albaicin Muslim neighbourhood. At a small park along the way, we stopped for a photo by a statue of a renowned flamenco dancer. As the road curved uphill and got narrower, we got closer to the Sacromonte neighbourhood where most of the Roma (Gypsies) live. Curling back around at the top of the hill in the Albaicin, we stopped at the San Nicolas plaza, which is a great viewpoint to see across the river valley to the Alhambra. The San Nicolas plaza has many Roma jewellry and souvenir vendors along with flamenco guitarists and singers busking for change. The vendors, including the guy selling marijuana, are very low key and not aggressive at all.
It was so pleasant in the San Nicolas plaza, we sat there for about an hour enjoying the view, the sunshine and the music. Finally we walked back down through the narrow streets of the Albaicin to “La Bella y La Bestia” (Beauty and the Beast), one of many tapas bars in the area. For a total of 12 euros, including service, we each got two good sized glasses of red wine and shared two plates of tapas.
By then we were tired but happy with all the sights we’d seen. Once again, it will be an early night. Tomorrow after another excellent breakfast included in our hotel rate, we’ll set off for the Alhambra.

Off to Andalucia, Spain

Sunday, November 4th, 2018
It’s only 9:15 am and we’re already all packed for our month long trip to the Andalucia region of southern Spain. Tomorrow morning we drive to Gatineau for lunch at our son’s house. Then he will drive us to the Ottawa bus station for the 2 pm bus to the Montreal airport.
We’ll have lots of time until our Air Transat flight departs for Malaga, Spain at 8:40 pm. It’s only a 7 hour flight but with the 6 hour time difference, we’ll arrive at 9:40 am on Tuesday.

Monday, November 5th, 2018
Naturally, we were awake at 5:30 am. By 8:30 we were leaving and got to Gatineau by 11 am. After a lunch of chicken shawarma takeout, our son Zack drove us to the Ottawa bus station. Our bus (about $23 each) left at 2 pm and arrived at the Montreal airport shortly after 4 pm. We checked in and got rid of our main packs. They’re both carry on size. One weighed 6 1/2 kg and the other weighed 6 kg. We could have taken them on the plane with us but then we would have had to be more careful about sunscreen, jacknife with a corkscrew and small scissors etc. It was a direct flight so we weren’t too worried about the airline losing our bags.
Our Air Transat Airbus A-330 left more or less on time at 8:40 pm and wasn’t quite full. However, that’s still an awful lot of people on the plane. Air Transat seems to have narrow seats and very narrow aisles. They really pack people in. I would have been fine if I’d had no arms or legs and a shorter torso but for $624 each return, we really can’t complain. Much of the flight was bumpy so meal service was delayed a few times. Thankfully, it was only a 7 hour flight. With the 6 hour time difference we arrived about 9:30 am today, Tuesday. We slept very little.
Malaga airport is bigger than Ottawa airport but smaller than Montreal or Toronto. The customs officer stamped our passports without even looking at us. As we waited for our bags, which arrived as anticipated, we couldn’t help but marvel at the amount of luggage other tourists think they have to lug around. It’s so much easier to travel light.
Outside the front door of the airport were a few little bus company offices. It took no time to buy tickets for 12 1/2 euros each (about $20 Canadian) for the 2 1/4 hour trip to Granada. We left at 10:45 am and spent the first 3/4 of an hour driving into downtown Malaga to the main bus station to pick up more passengers. After some of the places we’ve been, Malaga looked very neat, clean, and civilized, although a bit modern for our tastes.
The bus trip to Granada was very pleasant as we passed through hundreds of olive groves. As we got closer to Granada, we could see the Sierra Nevada mountains in the distance. Unfortunately, we kept nodding off for 10 minutes at a time.
We arrived at the bus station on the edge of Granada about 1 pm. For 8 euros (about $14 Canadian) a taxi took us into the centre of town near our Los Tilos Hotel in the Plaza bib Rambla. We checked in, unpacked a bit and slept for 20 minutes before going out to find some food.
Our hotel has a great location near all the major sites. There are dozens of little restaurants around here. We picked one with an enclosed patio with propane heaters. It was sunny here today but the high was only 14C. The sun felt great but it was cool in the shade. For 11 euros each we had a late lunch of appetizer, main course and dessert with wine or beer included. We both had mushroom tortellini soup, and we got one order of roast chicken and potatoes and one order of meat lasagna. For dessert we got one tiramisu and one chocolate mousse. Everything was excellent and very reasonably priced.
After our meal we wandered around the pedestrian streets and squares until after 5 pm when it was getting cold and we were tired. Now we’re back in our room, showered and ready for an early bedtime. Laundry is done and we have a plan for a walking tour tomorrow. We’re back in the travel mode.