Nun biscuits, pebbled streets and the Alhambra in Granada

We left Cadiz in the rain on a bus bound for Granada. During the trip we drove past the millions of olive trees that produce a third of Spain's oil. It was quite a sight. As we took a taxi to our biggest and best accommodation yet, we realised just how uphill of central Granada that Alberczyn, the old Muslim area and our home for the next 3 days would be. But luckily we quickly discovered the excellent bus system that would save us some shoe leather! We arrived early evening which was just enough time to do a test walk to the ticket office of the Alhambra. We had come to realise the guides aren't kidding around when they suggest you buy tickets online 3 months in advance. Without this you are destined to be in line between 6 & 7am for when the leftover tickets for that day go on sale at 8. I'm usually not too bad at early starts but a 6am start combined with a travel day the day before left me unable to form proper sentences. Not to mention the 20 minute walk down a steep hill and up another steep hill in the dark with a head torch. But in line we did get, split between the cash and credit lines for the best chance of tickets. The credit line, that I was in, won and within 10 mins of opening we had tickets. So then it was off for breakfast and regaining further consciousness before heading back for our alloted time in the Naserid Palaces. The Alhambra has been on my places to see wishlist for years, as I'm sure it is for many others. We'd already seen so many architectural treasures of Moorish Spain but this is supposed to be the crowning glory. Its certainly large and imposing from the various vantage points beneath the plateau on which it sits. An amazing piece of fortification. I bought a guide book of which I was glad as there is very little interpretation on site. Its history is fascinating but its been altered over time more than I'd realised. In fact the lauded Naserid Palaces are not in their original condition, some of which is not even known. I don't want to say I was disappointed, and i'm sure the other 6000 tourists that visit every day would disagree but in the context of all the other Moorish remains in Cordoba and Seville it was less awe inspiring than say, the mihrab in the Mezquita or the receiving room in the Alcazar. My favourite parts were actually the views and the gardens, especially those of the Generalife. So we left after 4 plus hours content that we'd done it justice.

The next day was a sights other than the Alhambra day. We started in Alberczyn with the Palacio Dar-el-Hora - the home of mother of the last Muslim ruler of Granada who told him as they retreated from the city - don't cry like a child over what you couldn't keep like a man - or words to that effect. It had a nice set of private gardens and great views to the Alhambra. Then to the Placio Sephardi a small, privately funded museum dedicated to the almost forgotten Jewish population of Granada who were banished at the same time as the Moors. The objects were interesting but lacked interpretation in either English or Spanish. Then after lunch to the Cathedral and Capella Real to see the might of Ferdinand and Isabella, the royal power couple who kicked out the Moors and Jews and united Spain in the 15th century. I particularly liked the the Capella Real which, apart from housing the remains of Ferdinand and Isabella, has a surprising collection of 14 - 16th century Netherlandish religious paintings - my favourite kind of religious paintings. Guided by the Lonely Planet I also wanted to check out the Monasterio de San Jeronomio of which every inch of the ceiling is decorated, capped off by a 10 meter high carved alterpiece with scenes from the life of Christ.

That night we went to a flamenco show - something I'd wanted to do in Spain. It was a totally for the tourist thing but I can imagine if you spent some time to understand it properly and seek out the more authentic performances it would be revelatory. As it was the female dancer was passionate enough to kick chips out of the floor with her foot work!

Our last full day in Granada mainly consisted of day drinking and eating tapas but before that I sought to uncover the mysteries of nun biscuits. I'd read on the internet about the nuns in cloistered convents who baked and sold biscuits and the process by which you obtained them. And it goes:

1. Find your convent of cloistered nuns - in Granada, the Monesterio de San Bernando.

2. Find the point of sale consisting of an intercom and revolving shelf in the wall.

3. Buzz the intercom and inform the amused nun in your very bad Spanish of your desire to buy biscuits.

4. When asked from behind the revolving shelf of your order, advise her in bad Spanish you would like a mixed half kilo.

5. Upon the arrival of your biscuts on the revolving shelf, leave correct money and say thank you.

5. Leave said convent and jump up and down excited you now possess nun biscuts. Which for the record are delicious and shortbread-dy, some with caraway, some dusted with fine icing sugar. Then go and start your day drinking after a cafe con leche and biscuits.

We found a fabulous old school tapas place with sherry and vermut on the barrel and insanely good tapas. And Granada is the last bastion of the free tapa. Order a drink, get tapa. Order another, another tapa etc. But Bodega Castanada also had amazing menu of other yummy things. They also have the distinction of serving vermut they way I'd been told about way back in Madrid, with a touch of gin and a touch of soda to bring out the dryness. I'm going to annoy every bar person in Melbourne trying to replicate it! But my favourite tapa was bread topped with a thin slice of fried pork, grilled jamon and grilled green pimenton peppers. Again, one to try at home. Bodega Castanada was so good we went twice in one day and it was the last place we visted before bed and an early start the next day for our flight to Barcelona, our final destination in Spain.

Oh, and the pebbled streets? Alberczyn is paved with river pebbles standing upright in concrete which makes it very hard on the feet. Pretty but cankle producing...