During this trip, I constantly looked around and loudly praised my surroundings – it was either the beauty of Istanbul, the age of the structures in Toledo or the majesty of Cordoba – and all this time, my friend David reminded me that what I will see in Granada will surpass them all. The first night in Granada was spent enjoying the beautiful Granada tradition of serving a small tapa with each beer. . We then saw the beauty of the city, watched part of Real Madrid – PSG soccer game, and discussed politics. One should live in the present moment, no doubt; but one should also constantly remember what path brought him to this moment. Years of graduate school in Dallas as a new fresh immigrant making friends and learning about America were a big part of this journey. Granada is one happy city and we enjoyed our time celebrating an old friendship. A celebration that we beautifully concluded with an assortment of desserts.
My friend was not wrong about Alhambra. From the moment we arrived in the complex until the moment we left, I could not keep my eyes off the wall. Alhambra’s construction started in the 12th century by the Muslim rulers. The palace changed hands multiple times and was altered over time. Particularly, the addition of Charles V’s palace in the 17th century was notable. Regardless, the carvings on the stone and the design of the interior and exterior spaces were so beautiful that one could just stand and appreciate the beauty of Alhambra for a long time. There was one sentence that repeated itself throughout the palace and on many of the walls “There’s no victor but God”, which I later learned was the motto of the Nasrid dynasty. The designers had also used a playful juxtaposition of light and dark in various places. The palace is on a hill and the windows open to breathtaking views of the city. The Albaicin neighborhood contains white houses forming narrow medieval streets that have the magical quality of slowing the Alhambra visitors down and making them take a selfie with the view. The best view was from the Alcazaba, the oldest surviving part of Alhambra. I wish I could take photos of all the tourists turned contemplators, but the photo I took of this young lady looking over the city will always remind me of the time on top of the fortress.
