The Spanish Travelogue 3: Granada

The Spanish Travelogue chronicles my journey through the explored and unexplored regions of the Spanish mainland (and the unexplored corners of the explored regions).

If you are fond of cobbled streets, acoustic music, sunny weather and fusion food, Granada would probably become your favourite Spanish city. The confluence of Arabic and Spanish cultures, Granada is located in the province of Andalucia, at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The Mediterranean has an influence on both the climate and cuisine of Granada. 

Exploring Granada invariably requires you to know a bit of history (don’t worry - I will keep this bit to a minimum). That is because the main tourist attraction in Granada, drawing thousands of tourists from all over the world, is the Alhambra palace, the blend of Muslim and Christian histories and architecture.

The Umayyad conquest of Hispania in the 8^th century A.D. established the Moorish control over the region which broadly comprises the present province of Andalucia. And therefore, it is not surprising that the epistemological origins of the word Granada find root in the Arabic Ġarnāṭah, which I was told loosely means ‘Hill of Strangers’. Now that’s a convenient name the Arabs used to explain their evident feelings about a completely different culture they witnessed when they established their rule here in the 8^th century.

In the 13^th century A.D., the Muslim Nasrid dynasty ruling over Granada prospered despite the Christian Reconquista by Ferdinand III of Castile. The region of Sevilla had already been taken over by the Christian king by this time, and Granada remained the central refuge of the Arabs in the Al-Andalus province. It took more than two centuries thereafter for the Christian kings to take over the complete control of Granada, thus marking the end of the Reconquista.

The Moors (loosely meaning, Muslims of Arabic descent) staying on in Granada were eventually forced to convert to Christianity, and over the years they came to become a separate ethnic group called the Moriscos.

The Alhambra palace, with a towering view of the entire city, evidences various periods of the history of Granada. The castle of Alhambra dates back to the 12^th century A.D., and consists of several zones, eminently, the Alcazaba (for purposes of defence), the Nasrid palaces and El Generalife. While most of the Moorish and Morisco architecture has been preserved, there have evidently been later Christian architectural interpolations. Views of the city from various quarters of the palace are beautiful, and if you are into both history and photography, then you ought to visit the palace with a lot of time on your hands. The Court of Lions and the fountain, and the Hall of the Ambassadors are prime attractions. 

The Alhambra offers a towering view of the city, with the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the distance

The Court of Lions at the Alhambra

El Generalife, adjacent to the palace, was the garden of the Nasrid kings

El Patio de la Acequia, or the Water Channel Courtyard, is an example of a medieval Persian garden

A special mention needs to be made here of the Hall of the Abencerrajes, with the roof bearing the honeycomb design, as can be seen in Gaudí’s works in Barcelona. Folklore has it that the last Sultan of Granada invited the chiefs of the line of Abencerrajes and massacred them in this hall. Palaces do have small histories hidden in their nooks and corners! I must say that I found the Generalife, or the palace gardens, a bit overhyped. I did not tour the palace at night, but it is said that the nightlife from the Alhambra is worth a visit. You could visit the Granada cathedral and the Royal Chapel which were superimposed over the Great Mosque of Granada, as it existed then.

The honeycomb design in the Hall of the Abencerrajes at Alhambra 

The Christian structures are a superimposition on the Muslim ones

A quick tip here: Book the tickets for Alhambra well in advance. The palace authorities have to invariably be a little inflexible about time, due to the heavy influx of tourists. It is therefore advisable to reach the entrance well on time to avoid hassles.

Moving on from the Alhambra, visit the Albayzín area of Granada. On the right bank of the river Darro, the Albayzín is the ancient Moorish quarter of the Granada. Having the best views of the Alhambra, the Albayzín has cobbled streets opening on to the main street, lined with cafeterias. Albayzín is also the popular shopping district of Granada, so make sure you bargain very well and do a lot of window shopping in order to get the best deals. This I write from impression and not from experience, since I spent most of my time around this region in the pursuit of food.

The Albayzín area has cobbled streets opening on to the main street, lined with cafeterias with the Alhambra towering above

If you have been roaming around other places in Spain and are tired (alright, blasphemously tired) of Spanish food, Granada offers you relief-restaurants, with an abundance of options in Arabian and Mediterranean cuisine. The beef couscous with caramelized onions is a personal recommendation. A lot of restaurants offer fusion food which is worth exploring.

Granada is a place you explore by just walking around. Your walk may take you to El Realejo, or the Jewish quarters. The cobbled alleys, the quiet walk by the river at night with the imposing Alhambra palace as the background, the musicians at every corner with their guitars, cajons and accordions, all add to the charm of the city. On one particular evening when a football match was on, it seemed like the entire city had poured out into the streets to watch the game from the cafés, and the enthusiasm in the celebrations was contagious.

Post Script:

It was a lazy, sunny day and I was sitting drinking Raki in one of those numerous open air cafeterias in the Albayzín area which have the Alhambra overlooking them. From the band of musicians playing nearby, the accordion player suddenly came up to me, smiled and said, “Raj Kapoor?” 

The Spanish Travelogue 2: Barcelona - The Palette City

The Spanish Travelogue chronicles my journey through the explored and unexplored regions of the Spanish mainland (and the unexplored corners of the explored regions).

Do not visit Barcelona with an agenda or a list of things you have to see. In other words, visit Barcelona with an open mind, to absorb the undirected and the unplanned.

To my mind, the reason behind Barcelona’s immense popularity is that it has something for every kind of traveller, be it the historian, the photographer, the night-lifer, the shopper, or the foodie. Thus, though Barcelona abounds in touristy flavours, I cannot vouch for the particular attraction in Barcelona that will become your inevitable favourite. In fact, you too shouldn't pre-judge as to what it could be. 

Exploring Barcelona in a couple of days may be slightly hectic, and it helps if you are a little generous with your holiday time. And you do not have to know Catalan in order to survive in Barcelona, though knowing a bit of Spanish always helps. And carry a sweatshirt, even in summer.

Barcelona is best seen walking. But I care for your legs and so cannot advise you to walk the length of the second largest city in Spain for purposes of better exploration. The metro and the bus are easy means of commuting. Barcelona has zones - and it is easier if you divide the attractions accordingly to cover them. 

A.    La Rambla – Since we are on the topic of walking, we start with a walk around Barcelona’s most popular avenue. Lined by trees on either side of the walk, La Rambla is bustling with crowds and cafés. On one end of La Rambla is the Plaça de Catalunya, Barcelona’s busiest square, and on the other end of it is the port, which again has a lovely walk by its side. La Rambla therefore serves as a beautiful connector between the various zones in Barcelona.

Lined with trees on either side of the walk, La Rambla is a beautiful connector between the various zones in Barcelona

Walk across the length of La Rambla to reach the Port 

The walk by the Port side is a virtual extension of La Rambla

B.     Barri Gothic – To the east of La Rambla lies the Gothic quarter of the city. The Gothic quarter was the centre of the Roman settlement, and has narrow cobbled streets opening into squares, housing some of the oldest monuments of the city. You may decide to walk to Barri Gothic from La Rambla, or take the metro to get off at Jaume I, the mouth of the quarter. Despite the history of Barcelona being rewritten several times, many of the grandiose monuments from the past have been preserved. Expect to find guitarists and painters on your way around the Gothic quarter, looking for inspiration and adding to the charm. I was told that one such painter in the old days frequenting this part of the city was Pablo Picasso. There are several walking tours taking you around the Gothic Quarter, and it isn’t a bad idea to book one for knowing more about the history of the place. Continue your walk from the Barri Gothic and El Born areas to reach the Arc de Triomf in Barcelona, a less grandiose but livelier replica of the one in Paris.   

Despite the history of Barcelona being rewritten several times, Barri Gothic and El Born have preserved many of the old buildings and monuments from the past which you come across as you walk along the winding cobbled streets  

Do not overlook random scribblings on the walls such as these in the Barri Gothic area. This one is by Pablo Picasso

The Arc de Triomf in Barcelona 

C.    Sagrada Familia – Popularly known as this, the Church of the Holy Family has a bigger name in Spanish which isn’t necessary to know. Sagrada Familia is a magnificent building, essentially because of the unique Art Nouveau style adopted in its design by Antoni Gaudí. Gaudí attempted to recreate various aspects of nature through architectural symbolism in the façades and the interior of the church. At the cost of sounding slightly blasphemous, my purpose for visiting the Sagrada Familia was more for reasons of modern art than religion. The church still remains under construction, though the same was started over a hundred years ago. Of course, what was not taken into account while deciding the amount of time required for construction of the church is that there is an afternoon siesta time in Spain for everybody.

Though its construction began well over a hundred years ago, the Sagrada Familia still remains an incomplete magnificence

D.    Parc Güell – We move on to yet another one of Gaudí’s impressive creations. Located on Carmel Hill in the Gracia district of Barcelona, Parc Güell is a public park interspersed with structures designed by Gaudi to reflect aspects of geometrical forms found in nature. This intermingling of art, nature and geometry lends a distinctive characteristic to Parc Güell. Parc Güell also provides excellent views of the district, and the sea can be seen in the horizon. You may also decide to walk around Gracia, which is the quieter part of the city. The walks lined with trees provide a break from the hustle-bustle of La Rambla and its surroundings.

The intermingling of art, nature and geometry lends a distinctive characteristic to Parc Güell. The sea can be seen in the horizon

E.     Plaça de Catalunya and Eixample – Travel from Gracia through Passeig de Gracia to Plaça de Catalunya, and for more glimpses of the contemporary sides of Barcelona, to Eixample. Plaça de Catalunya is the centre of activity in Barcelona, and has a number of streets originating from it. The plaza is thriving with restaurants and cafés, shopping malls, and monuments showcasing modernist architecture. It is also the central point for commuting to different parts of Barcelona.

Plaça de Catalunya, Barcelona's busiest square, is the focal point of the city and has a number of streets originating from it

F.     Camp Nou stadium – The first hit on Google when you type ‘Barcelona’ will probably be about the football club. That is exactly how passionate Barcelona is about the game. And the football stadium is worth a visit. Detailing the history of the famous football club, a visit to Camp Nou is an enriching experience for the sheer beauty of it. If you are lucky enough, you might just catch a game. This visit is recommended even if you are not a football fan.

A visit to Camp Nou is worth it even if you are not a football fan

G.    Barceloneta – Not just in Spain, but anywhere, a city having so many attractions AND a beach is bound to be a tourist hotspot. The long stretch of the sand and the sea is close enough to the centre of the city, and the easiest mode of communication is the metro. There are bars and restaurants lined along the way and on the Barceloneta beach, and the nightclubs are situated along the coastline. You may decide your own way and time to enjoy yourself at the beach.

The long stretch of the Barceloneta beach is conveniently located from the centre of the city

Post Script

Mornings on a tranquil beach call for beer. The men providing the same in Barceloneta, I discovered, are mostly from Punjab. However, in Barceloneta, Punjab remains undivided and borders become porous on people finding lingual similarities. Realizing that I was from India, one of the beer sellers quickly got chatting. He spoke of his home, his family and his brothers here. The brothers who shared the business and the apartment. Addressing me as ‘Dharminder paaji’ and offering me a discount, Abdur Rahim Khan told me, “When we are here in Barceloneta selling beer, we are all brothers. It doesn’t matter if you are from India or Pakistan if you speak Punjabi. We are only enemies when we reach our respective motherlands.”