Holiday in Andalucia

A bus came for us and a few other guests at 9.45 to whisk us up the hill to La Alhambra. On arrival we, about thirty English speakers, met our English speaking guide, Patricia. She started by showing us some metal relief plans of the development of the area over several hundred years, then we walked down the hill and back up again to the entrance. We stopped in a little square outside Carlos V's palace and the church. The palace was built up against the Nazrid Palace, taking away its impressive double door entrance.
We began at the Christian Palace, then moved along to the Nazrid Palaces. Everything is amazing - well worthy of its UNESCO World Heritage status. One thing we did miss was the fountain de los leones, which has almost completed a three year renovation. The bowl of the fountain is there in a glass box, but the lions have not yet returned - they are expected in the Spring.


After all this we had a short coffee/loo break, then Patricia took us up the hill to the Generalife with its summer palace. More beautiful courtyards and gardens with panoramic views across the city. The caliphs and their families would spend the day here among the water, flowers and trees, but would return to the safety of La Alhambra with its walls and garrison at night. At the end of this we left the group which was to make its way back to the bus, and gradually made our own way back to the little square via the Parador that was an Arabic nobleman's house within the Medina, then a convent and now a small exclusive hotel.We needed sustenance, so stopped for a kitkat and some water.
Now we made our way through the grounds and down the steep path to Plaza Nuevo in the town. We strolled back into Albaycin and across towards the other mirador at San Cristobal. Again we took steep stepped lanes over the hill to the view of the other side of the city. We came to a really good viewpoint and just behind us there was a plaza with a couple of open cafés. Here we managed a second coffee, a cheesecake and an apple pie. There were loads of cats in the square and it rained on us, but only a little. We found another alleyway leading off the square and followed it around and eventually down to the Puerto Elvira. This was as far as we went and turned for 'home' through the shopping areas. A grey day weatherwise has faded away into darkness, and dinner at 20.30.



Cold Crab served with mustard breadcrumbs, Barbary Duck served with sautéed pumpkin and mushroom; tartar of red tuna served with ginger salad, radish and sea lettuce, steamed Roosterfish served with noodles and truffle ravioli. As we still had some red wine left we ordered some cheese to nibble on as we finished it. The wine was ABSUM Varietales 2007 from Somontano. The 'varietales' are: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Tempranillo and it is a very good wine.