A quieter day . . . discovered the loveliest gardens … Carmen de los Matires (Carmen of the Martyrs).  Set in their  own forest just below the Alhambra.  https://www.inspain.org/es/granada/granada/carmen-de-los-martires/

We had the place all to ourselves at first … so tranquil and quiet.  A hidden grotto behind a waterfall … patios … formal gardens … an aqueduct supplying water to the whole estate … pomegranate trees in blossom (who knew the flowers were the same shade as the fruit) … a lake with its own castle folly … extensive herb beds … peacocks on the window ledges.  What a magical garden this would be for children (not bad for adults too).

For our last evening we had tapas at Meson Andaluz sitting on high stools at a table in a vibrant alleyway Taverna, watching the world go by and listening to strolling musicians .. some were quite talented.  Once again free tapas with each beer … jamon drizzled with olive oil on slices of bread … slices of potato torta.  Waiters keeping track so you always received a different one.  We also ordered a plate of very large prawns on a green salad.  Delicious.

Strolling back to the apartment we passed a luthier (sadly closed) with rows of beautiful hand-made guitars … and a plaza with statues and fountains ablaze with lights.  Each of the public benches were different … some had companionable bronze statues to sit beside … others with ‘comfortable’ bronze cushions to lean against.  Quite fun.

Not so fun was extracting the car from the parking spot the next morning.  The underground parking garage was compact in the extreme and had necessitated two sharp right-angled turns to enter, and then literally inching back and forth between 4 concrete posts and a car directly in front of ‘our’ allocated spot.  The width between posts only allowed a foot spare on either side … this was ‘helped’ tremendously by the garage being plunged into total blackness every 3-4 minutes as the lights turned off in power-saving mode.  One had to shuffle forwards, hands extended till a post was encountered … sometimes abruptly … and the switch pushed.  We got smart and kept a flashlight handy.  This process was repeated in reverse when we left.  Thirty-five agonizing minutes and several very close calls later, we drove out … with many more gray hairs.

Needing to return the car to Malaga we booked an overnight stay, and drove through the Sierra Nevada mountains amid incredible scenery.  High curving highways over dams and reservoirs – like Viaducto la Loma, https://www.adurcal.com/enlaces/mancomunidad/guia/puentes/rules/mayo05/index.htm (scroll down for views),  deep folded valleys with villages gently cupped at their bases … out to the towns of Motril and Salobrena.  This area of the coast is scenic and unspoiled.

The apartment in Malaga was …. outstanding.  Called Luxury Apartment, they weren’t kidding. Dazzlingly clean… quality everything… two bathrooms … a lift right to your door … private patio on the roof.  What’s not to like? And we only have one night there!  Car returned to airport without a hitch and we relaxed on the patio sipping chilled sparkling wine, courtesy of the hosts.  Train to Madrid in the morning.

What a gorgeous morning.  Transit buses take you right up to the Alhambra — you could walk, but it’s a pretty steep uphill climb.  Our tickets for the Nazarine Palace were for noon, and we soon made our way through the line-ups and multiple passport and security checks.

The Alhambra was … well, The Alhambra!  Standing proud on it’s cragg with the city spread out below and a backdrop of the Sierras.  Magnificent.  Without question this has to be the finest example of Moorish architecture in Spain.  Intricate carved ceilings made from thousands of pieces of wood … gloriously tiled walls … exquisite molded archways … reflecting pools to sit a contemplate . . . and of course the famous lions fountain.  This was being worked on during our visit, but with some careful camera angling we managed to edit out the technician with his computer <grin>.  I can remember standing beside this very same fountain as a little girl, but it’s roped off to visitors now.  Rick Steeves has a good short video showing the Alhambra:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEseJViidy8

The Generalife Gardens were a welcome break from crowds of people taking photos and selfies.  What is it about cell phones that brings out all the narcissistic drama queens, posing with arms outstretched, or pouting coyly into the camera at every view? <sigh>  Gardeners were busy trimming hedges using rulers to obtain just the right height and straightness … or raking up the leaves which had just begun to fall.  Some hedges were trimmed in a wave pattern – quite effective from a distance.  Fall flowers and the sound of water was everywhere.

King Carlos V’s palace was an imposing square building with gigantic rings – like huge door-knockers in the beaks of eagles or mouths of lions – all around the outside walls.  Inside was an unexpected two story circular edifice — probably with excellent acoustics.  It now houses the Alhambra museum.

We meandered our way back down the hillside into town – through tree-shaded avenues edged with tiny channels of water gurgling along beside the road.  In the square we sat munching a tasty kebab while waiting for the hop-on-hop-off ‘train’ … I think I mentioned that driving and parking around the old town area was murderous – so this was an easy answer.  Unlicensed vendors had set up numerous displays of ‘genuine’ high-end shoes, handbags, jewelry etc. on blankets all along the plaza, hoping for sales.  Suddenly there was a flurry of activity … blankets and contents were scooped up … and the vendors were hightailing it out of square at top speed as two police cars screeched to a halt and two officers gave chase.  There were too many back alleyways and the police returned empty handed.  Minutes after they had left we noticed a guy in a wheelchair looking around and making phone calls . . . and sure enough, the street sellers showed up.  This is exciting, we thought.  The cops were smart though … they waited until the displays were nicely back in place … and raided again.  Sadly the bus came along right at that moment, and we didn’t see the outcome.

It was rather pleasant trundling around the city, hopping off to explore further, or take photos.  A mid afternoon break at a sidewalk cafe was somewhat spoiled by a constant stream of ‘vendors’, waving merchandise for sale.  But ’twas nothing more than a minor annoyance.  

The first 24 hours in Granada were … shall we say, interesting. Feeling somewhat adventuresome, we had booked a cave house.  Now, who wouldn’t want to stay in a cave? Located high on a hillside, literally overlooking the Alhambra Palace … but we needed to get there first.  Chandra (the owner) had given us detailed driving instructions as Google often sent prospective renters to the wrong area.  Granada is NOT the easiest city to navigate.   Traffic lights are not always located right at intersections … they can be beforehand … or around a curve in the road — causing Google to hesitate before giving turn instructions. The small hillside community of Sacromonte (where we’ll be staying) is on the east side of Granada, and is the traditional suburb of the Granada gypsies or gitanos. There are still flamenco shows held in the caves and restaurants, and people have been living in caves  here for hundreds of years.  One has to keep in mind that it closes twice a day to incoming traffic (not quite sure why) … 11am to 2pm and then again between 8pm and midnight, however vehicles can leave at any time.  Presumably to limit the amount of traffic — especially as they do walking tours of the area – both day and night ones.  Our arrival coincided with the 2:00 pm reopening and kids getting out of school, so we entered on a tidal wave of people, cars and tradesmen into the minuscule neighbourhood — a bit daunting when you don’t know where you’re going.  After a series of phone calls to Chandra (most of which cut out after a few minutes – phone reception here is atrocious) we eventually found a parking space and hoped our car would still be there when we left.

We had been warned that suitcases would have to be left in the car and that we’d be walking up the hillside with only backpacks and things we could carry, so we took essentials and left the rest in the car.  Then, working solely from pictures with arrows, we started our way up stairs, around corners, up slopes and more stairs … all the while avoiding a veritable carpet of dog droppings .  By this point it had started to rain and the cobblestones became very slippery as we trudged ever upwards.  We had to backtrack a couple of times, and ask for directions.  More interrupted phone calls, and the enlistment of a neighbour’s son (who spoke no English).  At last number 95 hove into view … now to get the key dropbox to work.  It was small and up so high in the door frame that even Glen had to stand on tippy-toe to reach it.  Six tries later, the keys were still securely inside and we stood damply outside.  But then … Success at last … we were in.

Each cave is individual, with no set plan.  Residents would have excavated additional rooms as necessary and interiors painted with many layers of whitewash to both seal the surface and make it brighter and lighter inside.  Windows are along the outward facing wall – usually kitchen, living room while the rest of the house extends underground. Temperature inside stays pretty constant throughout the year … nice in summer, but probably pretty cold in winter.  There are portable heaters now, but electricity is limited and you can only run one power hungry appliance at a time.  Floors are usually tiled and a little uneven, so furniture can be a trifle wonky at times.  Wall recesses act as storage or shelves and there can be a step or two between varying levels.  Understandably these are compact  and quirky abodes, but that just adds to the overall charm. And what an experience!  I don’t imagine it was easy to wire a cave house for electricity or internet … but you certainly couldn’t hear the neighbours!  This link gives a great tour of cave houses.  https://www.thewildlifediaries.com/sacromonte-caves-granada/

The area seems to be a mix of mostly long term residents but with a certain ‘hippy’ vibe in places.  Walking through on our way to town that evening we encountered several of the evening walking tours as they clattered up and down the steep lanes, or took photos of the Alhambra lit up at night (it is an amazing sight).

In “our” cave, the living room and bedrooms were comfortable and authentically decorated. However, the kitchen, bathroom and outside patio were decidedly less so.  I don’t think we’re picky or hard to please … small, compact and quirky is great … what’s NOT acceptable, though, is lack of cleanliness … and certainly not for the prices charged.  This was the 2nd most expensive of the entire trip.  The bathroom consisted of a toilet and crudely tiled shower area, no glass in the window – just a wooden shutter (the light worked, sometimes) and mouldy walls.  It was freezing in there – especially for nighttime visits!  The sink was in the entry way and badly cracked.  In the kitchen things were not much better  … greasy residue on cutlery, plates and mugs … cracked knife handles … broken utensils … stale food items from previous renters.

The dustpan was beyond redemption – the dust just fell through the cracks.  The patio also fell short of the lovely photos portraying an arbor-covered eating and sitting area with spectacular views of the Alhambra Palace virtually within touching distance.  The views were there alright … but nobody had cleared the area of the decaying grapes which smothered every surface.  And the artificial turf underfoot, which was obviously the haunt of every neighbourhood cat, made sitting and enjoying the views most unpleasant. I’m afraid one night was enough of cave dwelling – we found a very nice apartment in town. Not the views … but at least bums didn’t freeze to toilet seats at night!  This place could have been exceptional … all it needed was a little care and cleanliness.  Sacromonto is a delightfully picturesque village with lovely and sometimes quirky houses everywhere.  One house apparently has so many photos taken, that owners have put up a table outside demanding payment!

As I mentioned, Granada is NOT the easiest place to navigate.  And parking is a nightmare, especially when multiple ticket machines don’t function … leaving people aimlessly punching buttons and hoping something works.  Parking attendants just shrug … or hide!  We eventually found a place and went exploring – our apartment wouldn’t be ready till later.  The sun was out, but up here in the mountains it was still a touch chilly … so we found a sunny cafe and had lunch.

The apartment was luxurious by comparison – especially the bathroom!  That evening we found a nearby taverna … a real mix of clientelle.  Groups of younger professionals … older men gathering over beer to put the world to rights, or watch the football game between Cadiz and Madrid … groups of women of all ages, sipping wine or beer as they chatted.  Everyone seemed to know everyone else.  There was lots of cheek kisses, hugs and back slapping.  It was a comfortable, noisy, fun place.  The basket of mixed fried seafood went down well, too. Tiny, crispy herrings you popped into your mouth whole and scrunched up … prawns … squid … and chunks of (we think) deep fried dog fish.  It had that chewy, slightly ‘sour’ flavour.  Can’t say I’m a fan, but it was fresh, and the rest was delicious.  The beer came with a free tapa too.  Granada is (apparently) the last major city in Spain offering free tapas with the beer.