First of all, I thought I would make this post easier on you guys. Not only will it be in English but I was informed that you’d like more pictures so this one is going to be more of a mini photo album with captions but not a whole lot of writing. If there’s something specific that I didn’t mention that you’d like to know, ask away and I’ll do my best to answer.
Here’s a bit of a summary: Last weekend, at the last minute (about 4 hours before the train was scheduled to leave), my friend and I decided to go to Granada for the weekend. We also decided it would be way cooler if we traveled by night train and rented compartments and beds. So we left Thursday night, slept on the train and arrived Friday morning. Most of that day was dedicated to exploring La Alhambra and later in the afternoon we walked around the main town for a bit. The next day we explored the Albaicín (the old Arab quarter), tried to find the Arab baths, and searched around and went inside as many churches as we could, with great results. That night we left via the night train again and arrived back at Barcelona on Sunday morning. Here are the pictures:
La Puerta de Elvira – the gate through which the victorious Ferdinand and Isabella entered after Granada was conquered in 1492. Supposedly the heads of criminals were once hung from it.Statue of Washington Irving – Irving wrote a book called Tales of the Alhambra (if you haven’t read it you should, it’s awesome) that contained the stories and legends of the city from Moorish times and helped publicize the city to the west.La Puerta de la Justicia – the entrance to the Alhambra, a suitably imposing portal for such a fortress/palace.Palacio de Carlos V – built after the Moors were removed from the city, it almost seemed as if Charles V was trying to match the beauty of the rest of the Alhambra; very out-of-place, but still interesting and impressive.View of the palace section of the Alhambra as seen from the fortress.Detail of the intricate wall carvings that covered nearly every inch of the inside of the palace section of the Alhambra. Things such as this caused non-stop inquiries about the amount of time involved in building the palace.Patio de los Leonares – normally this looks much different, but they were refurbishing and protecting a 600 year-old fountain, so it was forgivable.One section of the gardens/Generalife, which were extensive and beautiful to say the least.View of the Alhambra from the Albaicín, which was the old Moorish neighborhood and contains buildings that are well over six centuries old.A building in the Albaicín. Amazingly this neighborhood was not torn down and redone like much of Granada once it was reconquered by Spain. Most of the buildings, however, are not this “run-down,” I just thought this would be a good example of the age of the neighborhood.Inside of the most impressive church we found, the Catedral y Capilla Real de Granada. Pictures can’t capture the awe that this cathedral inspired. It was built in the two hundred years after Granada was retaken and also contains the bodies of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand.
There are plenty more pictures but it would be a little ridiculous to put them all on the blog. If you want i could set up a flickr account for these and many more from Spain, just let me know.
I’m studying in Barcelona this fall and unfortunately I’m going home in only a few weeks, but Granada was amazing. We were there for only the weekend and it was really cold but still, the city was absolutely spectacular.
Hi Corey! Your pictures remind me so much of my study abroad experience in Granada. Where are you studying abroad this semester?
I’m studying in Barcelona this fall and unfortunately I’m going home in only a few weeks, but Granada was amazing. We were there for only the weekend and it was really cold but still, the city was absolutely spectacular.