A nod to Christianity
by Ekaterinburg
Having immersed yourself in Mosques and Moorish architecture in the Albaicin the area round the cathedral marks a return to Christian Granada and the famous Catholic rulers who succeeded the Moors.
Ferdinand and Isabella commissioned Granada's enormous cathedral and while it doesn't hold a candle to the monuments of the Moors it is quite impressive in its own right. Its sheer size (115 m long x 67 m wide) is amazing for starters and I took three or four photos of what I thought was the main entrance, only to find a little later that it extended round yet another corner.The MAIN entrance ( I eventually discovered ) is on Gran Via but you can also enter from Calle de Carcel. Outside it looks more like a renaissance palace than a cathedral but inside is gorgeous with stained glass windows, richly decorated altars and gilded Baroque organs. Around the back of the cathedral is the Chapel Royal, built to enshrine the remains of Ferdinad and Isabella. Together, they dominate this whole area and browsing around the surrounding streets is an intensely pleasurable experience.The kind of experience that reminds you Granada is not just about the Alhambra.
Free Tapas
by barryg23
Before our visit, we had heard about a great custom in the bars of Granada whereby you get a free tapas with every drink you order. So to put it to the test we went bar-hopping in the city to see if we could get a full meal without paying for any food. And it worked!
In the very first bar the waitress brought our beer and we thought the free tapas was either an urban myth or something that only the locals got. But eventually a small plate of potatoes appeared. And so it continued at the next 4 bars we visited. We were drinking wine and beer mostly so it kept everything cheap. After tapas in 5 bars we were fairly full and just a little drunk. But it was a fun way to discover this great local custom.
I've since learned that Granada is one of the few places in Spain to continue this tradition of free tapas with a drink, and it seems almost every bar or cafe in the city participates.
HIDDEN GEMS
by BerniShand
It seems like every corner you turn in the Albaicin district there is another wonderful gem to discover, we found this little chapel and tried the door, inside it was a haven of peace away from the bustling streets outside
we were alone except for a nun deep in prayer at the altar
the sun was streaming through the small high leaded glass windows making beautiful rainbows on the wall
I have a dear friend who is quite ill, I thought she would like me appreciate the incongruity of this little chapel in the midst of the old Arab quarter so I wanted to light a candle and ask for a blessing for her
alas, no candles here, but putting your coin in the slot lights a little light bulb, we lit three but somehow the lights seemed out of place in this old place, however the words in out hearts were real even if the lights were not
the coins sounded very noisy in the peace of the chapel, but the nun never moved, just carried on with her devotions, and we tried to leave silently
I didnt write down the name of the chapel, if anyone recognises it please let me know
Artesania y Ceramica
by blint about Granadi
It is a small shop in the Albaycin that sells Arabic goods such as artisan boxes, pipes,tables, bags, ceramics and much more.
An ideal place to look for gifts for you family and friends.
In the photo you can see some items I've bought from this store, though of course they aren't exactly unique to this shop! They are instead typpical of Granada. I like the wooden boxes and other handmade wooden crafts such as the examples in the photo. 5 euros for a wooden box. 2 euros each for coasters.
Airport Bus
by amapola66
Granada airport is nice and small. and situated about 12 kms west of the city.
Leave the terminal from the exit to the right and there is an area where you wait for you transport whether it be Bus, Hire car or personal pick up.
There is a bus shelter right there and the airport bus that takes you into town. The bus waits for the flight if it is late!
When traveling alone with the Little Rock Chic, the driver was very helpful, helping us with our luggage and telling us where to get off etc
I have found Spanish public transport is very reasonably priced, reliable and most buses have air conditioning.
Price from airport to city center bust station - 2.50 euros (2007)
Route: Airport, la Caleta, all bustops on the Gran Vía, Fuente de las Batallas (in front of the department store El Corte inglés), Palacio de Congresos
Telephone: 958 27 86 77
From Granada centre7:55, 9:10, 12:55 (no service at the weekend),
14:00 y 18:15
From the airport
9:05, 10:00, 14:00 (no service at the weekend),
15:05 y 19:35
For buses to other destinations - Alsina Graells Sur (Link below in English)
Tel 958 18 50 10
Alsina Graells is the biggest company and goes to most destinations in Andalucía
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The Daraxa gardens.
Photo on wall from civil war period.
Deserted “Way” Castuera, Good Friday Morning
Brick staircase up to Torre de los Picos
