First Day in Granada

August 21st

Jordi, Alex's brother law, picked us up from the hotel and drove us to the airport.  I saw my fellow UCSD and Granada student, Corinne, and we talked about how excited we were to arrive in Granada and begin the program.  

From the airport to our hotel in the center of Granada was about 40 minutes.  Alex and Vanessa had really pulled out all the stops as we only paid 50 euros for our 4 star hotel.  The inside of the hotel was amazing; an class ceiling with real vines and chandeliers stretching down.  Glass elevators looked out on the lobby and restaurant.

Since my dad only had one day in Granada, the one place that we had to see was the Alhambra, the last Moorish stronghold and palace.  We were able to be put on a wait list and would be called later that afternoon to let us know if we could go.

Granada is smaller than Madrid and Barcelona although it seems to have a fairly large area once you leave the center of the city.  I had been warned about the heat and saw that the temperature was close to 40 degrees Celcius (100 degrees Farenheit).  Luckily, there is a cool breeze that takes away some of the heat.  It is very dry and there  is no humidity.  Like Southern California summers, once the sun sets, the temperature was perfect.  I can see why there is such an emphasis on the siesta.

We were accepted for the Alhambra tour and were picked up by a taxi in front of the hotel.  Driving over cobble stone streets, we climbed the hill toward the Alhambra.  Our cab driver was quite the character and gave us a positive opinion of Granada.

We were greeted by a tour-guide who asked us what language we wanted for our guided tour.  We chose Spanish to practice and to get used to the Andalucian accent.  When speaking Spanish here in Granada, the locals cut the "S's" off all words in which the "S" follows a vowel.  For example, the "you" form of the verb "estar" (meaning "to be") would normally be pronounced es-TAS.  Here in Granada, its pronounced es-Ta with the a mumbling of the final vowel and complete elimination of the "S." Its confusing as the removal of the "S" can make many words sound like other words.  "Gracias" to "Gracia."  It will take a bit to become used to.

Our 3 hour guided tour was fantastic.  The Alhambra is basically a fort that was converted to a palace that was more or less a once autonomous city.  Although I missed some of the more nuanced and subtle facts about the Alhambra due to the tour being completely in Spanish, I was able to keep up with the tour guide and learn about the basic history.

The Alhambra itself was a beautiful spanning palace, each room exquisitely decorated with fantastical handiwork.  Fountains and gardens wound in between the rooms.  It felt like we had stepped back into an ancient paradise.  Unfortunately, the famous lions surrounding the interior fountain and representing the 12 tribes of Israel, were temporarily removed for preservation.  We were able to see one that was put on display. Since the Alhambra is a sight of Muslim holy significance,  its important to note that all of the "public" decorations  (the exception being the lions which were in the private living quarters) could not have decorations of people, animals, or the prophet Mohammed.  Instead, the architects used scripture from the Quaran and the intricacies of the Arabic alphabet to create beautiful designs.

My dad and I had our last dinner together at a tapas bar down the street.  Downtown Granada was hopping and the weather was perfect.  It will be a good year.