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.