Spanspek

We were given the afternoon and evening off in Sevilla. Just as well too as the following day has been non-stop.

We rode three hours from Sevilla to Granada and went diretly to La Alhambra, the palace of the Muslim rulers. it comprises a main palace and a summer palace.

The summer palace is a series of spacious buildings and exquisite courtyards and gardens. The main palace is a maze of official rooms and residences beautifully built and decorated. Both overlook the city. It's difficult to describe so I'll let some pictures illustrate this entry.

After lunch, we went ot the Carthusian monastery. I have few pictures because photography is not permitted inside (not that that stopped one member of the tour group). The monastery was originally commissioned by a rich general who wished to comemorate his victory over the Moors. But as the surrounding countryside was still subject to raids, the onks felt safer in Granada. The general pulled his funding so it took a long time to be built. Like a number of churches built over hundreds of years, it's a micture of different architectural styles. Over time, it became richer and more ornate. Since the Carthusians are said to have been dedicated to work and prayer, and were always a bit on the nose in Rome, the building began in a rather austere style. The fashionable 'rot' soon set in and later parts are just as nauseatingly grand as many other churches we've seen. One can't help feeling that the Carthusians lost sight of their core values.

Similar excess may be seen in the main cathedral in Granada, built by Ferdinand and Isabel after unification of the Spanish kingdoms. Isabel ws a very smart operator by all accounts. It was she who commissioned many great buildings, artworks and expeditions—including that of Christopher Columbus—to expand the Empire. The Cathedral is adorned with symbols of Ferdinand and Isobel's rule and the two are buried in the crypt.

In the evening we were taken on a hair-raising bus ride through the narrow streets opposite La Alhambra to see 'authentic' gypsy dancing. Our guide had told us it was done in caves and no one really quite knew what to expect. The caves turned out to be tunnels bored into the rock with nicely modelled exteriors. Tourists file in, are offered drinks (almost everyone had sangria, of course) and treated to a display of what might or might not be authentic Gypsy dancing. It's a tourist thing, but fun!