Granada and The Alhambra

“Hello … My name is Marrrrrcccoo.” Standing before me, on our tour of the Alhambra, was the George Clooney of Spain – Marco. He wore large sunglasses, which matched with his jet black hair. While the rest of the tourists were sporting jeans or shorts (after all, it was September and all of the tourists were sweating their butts off), Marco wore a coral button down shirt and Dockers with a sweater tied around his neck. Very European. Needless to say, I was in love and hung on his every word, though now I can’t seem to remember the half of it. But, I digress. So there I was, at the Alhambra, in love with Marco… I mean, taking a tour.

The Alhambra is a fascinating place and a necessary visit if you go to Granada. Granada is the last city in Spain where Moslems and Jews were forced from the country by Isabel and Ferdinand in 1492. They were given a choice: convert to Christianity or leave. The Alhambra was the palace where the last Moslem monarchs of Spain resided. The last Moslem king was forced to flee Granada in order to avoid persecution by Ferdinand. As the story goes, he was leaving the city, watching Granada grow smaller in the distance, when his mother said something to the effect of “do not cry for something that you did not fight for”.

I highly recommend a tour of the Alhambra (maybe you can tour with Marco, too). There are so many details that one might not catch at first glance. A two hour tour might help to show all of the details. As the tour progressed, Marco continued to explain the intricate detail and architecture of everything from the walls to the ceilings and in between. There was one story that I found fascinating. Apparently, the Sultans used to wear all black from head to toe. As they walked past the windows of the palace, people from the outside of the palace would just see a black shadowy figure. (I guess that sends a message.)

I have to say that after an hour of sultans and history, I was ready for lunch. Luckily, the hotel was close. We stayed at the Alhambra Palace Hotel, just walking distance from the Alhambra. From the patio, you can see the entire city. I highly recommend staying at the hotel or at least sit on the patio and enjoy lunch and the view.

Spain ... Ole

Spain for me has always reserved romantic ideas of Don Quixote, Isabel and Ferdinand and, of course, Antonio Banderas. It has, in many ways, exceeded my expectations.

In late September, Spain is fantastic. Most of the tourists are gone and the
kids are back in school. Those of us who enjoy the warm weather, but prefer a more serene setting, know not to travel to Europe in August. The weather is temperate at that time; mid 70's during the day but chilly enough in the evenings for a light sweater.

The Spanish follow a siesta, closing shops from about 1PM to 4PM. I've found that if the time is nearing siesta and I'm browsing in a shop, it's helpful to ask the shopkeeper if they are taking a siesta that day. Those that I've talked to have appreciated my asking and will note when they're expecting to close.

Though it sounds great to take a nap from 1 to 4, I still have difficulty
grasping the Spanish timing. As a culture, they're night people. Don't expect to find a coffee shop open at 6AM or even 8AM. In my experience, I've found cafés do open at about 11-ish. You can get a coffee and a churro and that's about it. Speaking of coffee, I'll just point out now that Spanish coffee is strong - very strong. If you aren't a fan of a cappuccino from Starbucks you better not order one in Spain. Try a café au lait instead. If you're like me, and enjoy a little something for breakfast, I highly recommend heading to the Supermercado for some snacks/breakfast food.

Lunch is typically served starting at 1:00. If you're quite lucky you can find a place lunch open at noon, however I can guarantee that you'll be opening up the joint! For dinner, I prefer to call and make a reservation or simply ask what time the restaurant is open. Most restaurants in Spain don't open for dinner until 7PM at the earliest. Locals typically eat dinner around 9 or 10 PM.

While we're on the subject of food, Spanish food is fantastic. If you haven't tried it, you need to keep a few things in mind. As with many Mediterranean countries, the Spanish cook with olive oil. Not butter. Not lard. Olive oil. If you're a fan of Mexican food, remember that Spanish food is very different.

Here we go...

Most people who know me know that travel is my passion. Visiting a new place continues to be an adventure. As such, I thought it's only fitting to share my adventures in travel. Perhaps someone will become inspired and come to enjoy traveling as much as I do.

Travel has been my inspiration for starting my own business. My company sells handbags based on European design and functionality (without the European price). View my entire collection at: http://www.europachic.com/