Gelati: 0, Drink: 1 mojito, Tapas: 4
Spent most of the day at the Alhambra which is just superb. I got there just after opening time (8:30am) expecting to miss most of the crowds. Instead, I encountered hundreds of other people who had the same bright idea. The place is actually made up of 4 separate areas. The most important part is the Nasrid palaces - which is what everyone thinks of when the place is mentioned. You get a time slot to enter this part of the complex as otherwise it would just get too disgustingly crowded. They were as lovely as described but I would be embarrassed if their fish ponds were mine. Way too much algae and just general crud on the bottom. I wanted to clean them out.
On the very point of the promontory is the Alcazaba which is an old Moorish fortress. The buildings inside are now just waist height walls. The layout looks remarkably like some of the houses we saw in Ostia or Pompeii. When I went through there was a tour guide showing an English group around. He was proudly showing them where the toilets were. I felt like pointing out this is also where the kitchen was and the bedrooms and over here are the communal baths with the three pools - tepidarium, caldarium and fridigarium. All those Lindsey Davis novels have their uses.
Another part is the Partal which is another palace with its surrounding gardens. Until relatively recently (100 or so years) this was a private home so it was severely mucked about with. While it has been restored, most of it is closed to the public. In a few weeks or a month or so the gardens will be lovely. I've arrived a little too soon. Gardeners were out in force weeding, tilling the soil and putting in plants.
The fourth part is the Generalife, which is the summer palace as it is a bit further up the hill and thus cooler in the summer time. Again, its gardens are going to be lovely in a month or so.
In spite of being a bit early in the season I still enjoyed my visit very much and spent a good 5 hours roaming around seeing everything.
After all this, I tottered down the hill and parked myself at a cafe table on a terrace with views over the river back up the hill to the Alhambra. I expected to be given a bad meal but the view was fantastic and the weather delightful (25C and no wind) so I decided my feet were worth it. I was pleasantly surprised to get decent food at a sensible price. I started with gazpacho, which was good but could have used a touch more garlic. For main I had chicken with cous cous. This came in a proper tagine - a ceramic dish with a conical lid. The cous cous came with chickpeas, peas, beans, carrots, capsicum and eggplant, all flavoured with Middle Eastern style spices. I think I had more vegetables in this one meal than I've had all week.
There is a big Middle Eastern influence on food here. Lots of Moroccan dishes and lots of places advertising their food is halal. I'm not sure why there is such a strong Moorish influence in this city. I know it was the centre of the last Moorish kingdom to fall to the Catholic reconquest of Spain but that was over 500 years ago!
I had an afternoon siesta (such a civilised idea) before just pottering around. Dinner was at a randomly chosen bar. I had a mojito which will have to sufficiently cheesy and touristy to satisfy Annette, because I refuse to drink sangria. For food I had a plate of sheep's cheese, another of jamon, one of salami and a final one of olives (do they count as a vegetable?).
I'm now back at my hotel (obviously). This is a very odd place. I've never seen anyone at reception. There is no breakfast room so I've not seen any other guests here. The only reason I know I'm not in the building all by myself is I've occasionally heard voices in the corridor. Plus, someone made my bed today and gave me fresh towels. I've never stayed anywhere so lifeless before.
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