Grandiose Granada

Well the alarm went off well before I was ready for it…so I quickly got dressed and went downstairs to see what would be served for breakfast…I decided eagerly on the chocolate puff cereal that I had first tried in Barcelona (gotta get me some of that) and orange slices that people must have thought I was crazy because I kept raving about how good they were hahahah J…I then chatted with Madre for a bit before heading down to catch the busses for a busy day ahead….

The first stop we made was to the Cartuja Monastery…it was breathtaking…it was old and stone on the outside and secluded and quiet on the inside...I had to sneak a few photos here and later at another church so I’m pretty sure I might go to hell but hey I cannot describe the beauty in words and even the pictures don’t do it justice…after walking into the actual doors it opens into a quiet peaceful oasis of trees and grass…there are several rooms that act as various places that branch off from that area for eating, praying, and dressing…the main chapel was breathtaking…it was ornately sculpted from marble at every angle possible and then the areas that were not marble were delicate paintings surrounded in gaudy gold trimmings…it blew my mind that someone could be there and see that everyday for the rest of their lives…hence I snuck a few photos J

Then we hopped back onto the bus and drove to Santa Fe (no not NM)…it was built around the military camp used by Ferdinand and Isabella during the effort to reconquer Granada.  In the plaza, the Catholic kings signed the contract with Christopher Columbus to finance his search to India, thus finding the United States…it was simple and there were a ton of birds around so we were freaked that at least one person was bound to get pooped on but I don’t think we did…there was also a wedding going on so it was interesting to see the attire that people were wearing to that…the best part was not all of those above but an older gentleman that was playing fetch with his dog in the square…it made me not only miss my noodle boy back home, but it amazes me that all the dogs I see in Spain are without a leash no matter what age and are super loyal to their masters and never wander too far…

Next, we made our last stop for the morning at the Capilla Real another cathedral in the main drag that was not too far from our hotel…it was almost as ornate as the monastery…but it did hold the remains of Fredinand, Isabella, Juana (their daughter), and Hermoso (Juana’s husband)…it was creepy to see their actual burial zone, but the church was spectacular (ergo, I snapped a few more pics J)…it was just as gold filled as the other one but had more of a church feel to it with the many pews…it did hold a massive gate that was at least 3 stories high with immaculate details (I was under too much eye site to snap a picture L), but it was gorgeous none the less…and after we walked out the door I bought two fans one blue and one red to not only create a breeze in the hotness of the day but to use for decoration in my apartment when I get home J

Now that I was officially being sleep deprived, I was dragging on the way home and starving.  Lunch today was the same as dinner options so I got the fish (taking a risk eating the bulk cooked fish) this time and a banana…it was yummy!!!!...then I took my siesta and uploaded pictures and talked to Madre again catching her up on the adventures of today.

At four, we again met up with the group being refreshed for as much as I could with lack of sleep and stuffed with good food…we headed to see La Catedral—a Renaissance cathedral from the 16^th century built in the Isabelino style, a mixture of gothic and romantic.  It was built to impress the inhabitants of Granada after the reconquest to show them the power and majesty of Christians…it goes without saying that my love for cathedrals continues…

You walk around the corner and into this tiny entry way…I love cathedrals, but when are we going to see a massive one?!...you walk through the entry and your mouth drops…here in this city hidden behind buildings and surrounded by shops one would have never know that a massive cathedral beyond words lays hidden awaiting for you…every inch of the building has been carved from marble and the various openings in the side are each relics that have been decorated in the various ages and are between massive gold arcs and large decorations…then there is the massive dome that houses a gold plated chair and surroundings along with some intense paintings and other designs that left me speechless and I literally had to pick my jaw from the ground…it was beyond words and I cannot describe it to it’s best ability at all…so here are some pictures that even they can’t do it justice:

Then we walked around some Arabian markets which had a bunch of eclectic items and a lot of blankets that were embroidered but overpriced and hookah utensils J…after our little gaunt Ivy and I parted from the small group and hopped in a taxi to go back to the place we went last night to watch the sunset…within a short ride, we were back at the San Nicholas statue and decided to just walk around and get lost in the little cave town on the hills…we watched people dance and sing in the square to music, we took photos of people’s houses that had magnificent gardens, we took a stroll around in every direction and then around dinner time we stopped at a café to grab sangria and chat a bit to escape the heat (it was super hot today)…after a bit in the shade we headed to another restaurant that we had scoped out earlier….it had prime location which we realized was a hot spot afterwards by the crowds of people waiting to get in…it overlooked the La Alhambra (the castle) and the city of Granada….in every way it was mind blowing to be sitting eating dinner that consisted of cheese with olive oil and a ron blanca daiquiri (all of which was too die for)…while watching the sunset over these hills creating a constant change of scenery…we also sat next to a British group of older people that were hilarious!...overall I found my heaven and if I die tonight I know that I fulfilled life to the fullest while I was here…the sites that I have seen have been magnificent and I am so glad that I had this opportunity…

The wind will be blowing us back to Alicante tomorrow so it’s hasta luego Granada and hola Alicante…I am going to miss Granada…it was an amazing experience coming here and if you happen to be in Spain I would highly suggest it for all it has to offer…now I should probably catch up on some missed sleep…hasta manana J