Growling in Granada

Our GPS voice Jane remains a dear friend, but we have discovered she has some shortcomings. She is woefully uneducated on the permutations of the many confusing streets in the center cities of Granada and Cordoba, two of the notable cities in Andalucia in southern Spain that have completed our itinerary.

We discovered Jane´s flaw on our way into Granada from Moraira on Wednesday. Unbeknownst to us, the streets had just been blocked for a parade prior to our arrival. The traffic delays combined with the frustration of bad hotel directions had our last nerves frayed by the time we finally found our hotel. Thus, after check-in we made our way to one of Spain´s best-known attractions, the Alhambra, while in the foulest mood of our trip so far.

It took me a little while, but finally the grandeur of the carvings in the Nazaries Palace of Spain´s Moorish rulers began to thaw me out. The fountains and streams of water bubbling throughout the complex on a hill overlooking the city had a soothing effect. By the time we made our way through the Alcazar fortress, which has a stunning 360-degree tower view, and then I made my way to the elaborate Generalife gardens, I was downright serene.

Back at the hotel, we discovered we were centrally located near the Plaza Nueva, which has many restaurants and amenities and is great for people watching. I couldn´t resist taking Rick Steve´s guidebook along at dinnertime to check out the recommended eateries, but we ended up finding a wonderful one just around the corner that wasn´t in the guidebook. When back home, I plan to look for the wine we had - El Coto rioja.

Thursday, knowing that Granada was virtually shutting down for a religious festival, we made our way to Cordoba, about two hours away, for a day trip. We got grumpy again when Jane couldn´t alert us that roadwork was causing major traffic delays, then had a bit of a disaster trying to find a public parking area (a very solicitous police officer, aided by a local pedestrian, had to help us turn around on the pedestrian-only street we tried to drive down). Once safely parked, we happily wandered the streets of the Jewish quarter, visited the synagogue, then made our way to the grand Mezquita cathedral, which was once a mosque. The whole area was a fascinating blend of Christian, Muslim and Jewish influences. Nice to know the three groups managed to live in this area in peace for about 700 years, although the story didn´t end entirely happily for all concerned once Ferdinand and Isabel took over in the 1400s. The best part of the trip was the drive back - we programmed Jane to avoid the major highways and took a picturesque drive on a two-lane road through a rolling countryside filled with olive groves.

For dinner, mom and Chuck had run out of gas a bit and wanted to stay close to the hotel, so I made my way solo to the Mirador San Nicholas, a lookout in the Arab part of town with a perfect view of the Alhambra. As the sun set, it made the walls glow red, and when it dipped over the horizon the lights slowly came on, creating a stunning effect. I had some tapas at a bar at the overlook with a partial view. It´s a must-visit place for anyone who visits Granada.

Today is our final day before heading home tomorrow. This morning we explored the Granada cathedral - built by Ferdinand and Isabel in an effort to compete with the grandeur of the Alhambra - and we are preparing to fly to Barcelona, where we´ll spend our final night before heading back to the States tomorrow. While we have missed our loved ones back home, it has certainly been a wonderful and memorable trip!