The Alhambra Palace, Granada

Within Andalucía, our neighbouring province is Granada, meaning that we only live about a 90 minute drive from Granada,  one of Spain’s most beautiful cities.  Granada offers great architecture, wonderful views of the Sierra Nevada mountains and a lively cosmopolitan atmosphere.  The city is well worth of a few days of anyone´s time.

What I want to tell you about in this post, is the amazing Alhambra Palace, constructed during the mid 14th century by the Moorish rulers of the Emirate of Granada in al-Andalus, and  occupying the top of the hill of the Assabica, on the south-eastern border of the city of Granada.

After being allowed to fall into disrepair for centuries, the Alhambra was “re-discovered” in the 19th century by European scholars and travellers, when restorations commenced.  It is now one of Spain’s major tourist attractions, exhibiting the country’s most significant and well known Islamic architecture, together with 16th-century and later Christian building and garden interventions.  As you might expect, the Alhambra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

During our visit last summer, we opted for early morning entry into the Alhambra, to escape the fierce heat of the coming day, so it made sense to start off outside in the beautiful Generalife Gardens (the name is pronounced heneraliffi, and definitely not general life!)

The decorations within the palaces typify the remains of Moorish dominion within Spain, which ushered in the last great period of Andalusian art in Granada.  Take a look at the stunning Islamic arches in the photos.

The Alhambra resembles many medieval Christian strongholds in its threefold arrangement as a castle, a palace and a residential annex for subordinates, with the  alcazaba being its oldest part.  Only the massive outer walls, towers and ramparts are left. We climbed the watchtower of the Alcazaba, the Torre de la Vela, 25 m (85 ft) high, for magnificent views over the city, including the old fortified walls of the city of Granada.

 

Whilst you´re here, why not have a look at:

Venturing further afield: A long weekend in Zaragoza

The Buddhist Stupa of the Eastern Costa del Sol

A Weekend Away: Santiago de Compostela

 

Churros served with thick hot chocolate

Churros  con chocolate, a fried dough pastry-based snack dipped in thick, hot chocolate, is a great favourite with Spaniards for breakfast.

Churros are typically fried until they become crunchy, and may be sprinkled with sugar. The surface of a churro is ridged due to having been piped from a churrera, a syringe with a star-shaped nozzle.

Try them – they´re delicious!

Whilst you´re here, why not have a look at:

Fresh figs stuffed with goat´s cheese

Lemon chicken for a summer´s day lunch

 

Wildflowers of Andalucía: Bloomin´ lovely!

Particularly in spring and early summer, the hills around the Axarquía are a riot of colour, with a rich variety of beautiful wild flowers.

The blues and purples of the wild rosemary and lavender contrast with the golden yellow of the broom and gorse, which in turn make way for the pink Convulvulus and purple Vipers Bugloss.   There are many varieties of wild Mediterranean orchids to be found, as well as irises, gladioli, stunning red poppies and pink and purple wild Sweet Peas.

The wild flowers reach their climax at this time of year in early May, as the oleanders on the hillsides and in the river beds signal the arrival of summer.

If you want to see wild flowers at their best, head off into the Parque Natural de Las Sierras de Tejeda y Almijara in the Axarquía.

Don´t forget to take your camera!

You might also like to look at:

A Slice of Life: Garden and Plant Irrigation

Links to various WEBCAMS around and about La Axarquía

It´s always great to have an up-to-the-minute view of what´s happening here, east of Málaga. 

Just click on the link to view…..

Lake Viñuela

Torrox

Cómpeta

Nerja -  Capistrano

Nerja – Burriana Beach

Almuñecar

Do you know of any other webcams that our readers can link to?  Please share them in the comments section….thanks!

Let’s talk about tapas!

First of all, what are tapas?

It is thought that originally in the wine-making regions of Andalucia  una tapa (the word “tapar” in Spanish means “to cover”), in the form of a small plate or lid  was placed over glasses of wine to stave off fruit flies.  Titbits of food were then placed on the dish to be eaten with the wine.   How I so love the Spanish that it is unacceptable that a fly taints one´s drink, but it´s fine if it lands on the accompanying snack!

Other stories suggest that tapas were invented by a bar owner in Seville, who decided to put a cover (tapa) over his guests´ glasses of wine, using a slice of bread to keep out flies. He later thought to put a piece of ham or cheese on top, so that his customers could have a bite to eat with their drink.

Either way, the idea spread, so that nowadays the types of food served as tapas are limitless.  Most Spaniards don´t drink alcohol without a tapa and many bars provide them free of charge.

The Spanish equivalent of “fast food” is usually displayed in refrigerated glass units on the bar and served in small terracotta glazed dishes. Some examples of the type of fare normally available include gambas (whole cooked prawns in their shells), boquerones (fresh anchovies in olive oil, vinegar and garlic), chorizo (spicy Spanish sausage), albondigas (meatball…often in a creamy almond sauce), queso (cheese…often manchego), habas con jamon (broad beans with ham), ensalada rusa (Russian salad) or just a few olives.

Your choice of tapas is usually accompanied by a small piece of crusty bread which helps to counteract the adverse effects of the alcohol through drinking on an empty stomach.

In many establishments, if you stand at the bar along with the locals you will be given one tapa free with each drink you buy.   That’s right …. free food!

Should you choose to sit away from the bar, you can pay for a tapas or two (usually for one euro or less in this part of Spain), or opt for a larger serving known as a ración (ration) or medio ración (half ration). This is a great way to eat a variety of dishes, and a pretty sociable activity as groups generally tend to share their dishes.

The food is generally very good, even in remote villages around the Axarquia.

Where is your favourite tapas bar?   Which tapa do you choose, time and time again?

Photographs I love …. and why! [Part 10]

This is just one of a series of photos I have taken, and will share with you over time, capturing the essence of living east of Málaga.   Each one, in it’s own unique way, reminds me of why I love living in southern Spain, and in particular the Axarquía.

I took this photograph a couple of years ago during the Bull Run in the village of Frigiliana.  This event is held each year, early on the Sunday morning of the Feria weekend in June.

A smaller version than the one held in Pamplona, both in size of attractions and certainly in the size and age of the bulls, but nonetheless no less exciting for those participating.  No bulls are harmed at this annual festival.

You might also like to have a look at:

More Photographs I love …. and why!

A Celebration of Fried Breadcrumbs: The 30th Annual Migas Festival

Cherimoyas and Irrigation on the Costa Tropical

This is a guest post, written by a fellow blogger who lives in  the hill-top village of Salobreña about a half hour´s drive further along the coast, east of Málaga.  The area is known as the Costa Tropical and is noted for growing many tropical fruits, not least of which is the cherimoya – which you may know better as the custard apple.  Anyway, after reading Marty´s post, why not pop along and have a look at her blog and revel in her wonderful photography. 

Water can be seen zigzgging its way around the individual trees

On my trip into the campo yesterday I came across this orchard expelling its excess irrigation water into one of the ubiquitous concrete channels that cut through the countryside here.  Life giving water is diverted to the farms and orchards throughout the area.  A complicated grid of canals ensure that each farm is supplied with water by diversion from the canals once or twice a week.  Each farmer on his scheduled day diverts water into his farm and that excess is then collected and carried on to next farm.  You can thank the Moors for this ingenuity.

Saturation point

The excess water makes its way back to the canal to be carried on to the next farm

Sediment and plant life take hold within the canal

In the orchard, water is carried around each tree in zigzagging trenches designed to slow the flow of water so to ensure that the soil all around the tree is sufficiently saturated. The excess water then simply falls back into the canal and is carried away.  Along with the water, is carried important nutrients for and from the soil as well as small stones, and sediment.  These heavier items gather in the canal around the entry point and eventually plant life takes hold and life shoots up, seemingly out of nothing.  Due to this fact, the canals are dredged regularly to ensure the flow of water continues.

Cherimoya middle of November

This particular orchard is consists solely of  Cherimoya trees.  These are a delicious winter fruit grown only in this region in all of Europe.  One of the unusual things about the cherimoya is that it is hand pollinated.  Scores of men and women, paint brushes in hand pollinate each flower to ensure a good uniform crop.  Within weeks of harvest, the trees are pruned,  stimulating new growth and making harvest the next year simpler.  It is easier to pick fruit from  smaller trees, less goes to waste due to being out of the reach of the picker.

A friend with a ripe cherimoya ready for eating

In this last photo, my friend  and I stopped and spoke to a farmer about the cherimoya, which instigated an invite onto the finca,  followed by a sampling of cherimoya, guava, oranges, lemons and avocados to take away.  A great day!

Pretty in Pink: The Almond Blossom of Andalucía

 

 

Nature provides a wonderful backdrop to life here in Andalucía.  There are the brilliantly coloured wildflowers in Spring, the snowy peaks of the winter mountains and the baking heat of the summer sun.  But perhaps the most stunning display of them all will be happening any day now – the blossom of many thousands of almond trees carpeting the valleys and slopes like freshly fallen snow.

It´s a sight to behold!

 

 

Whilst you´re here, why not have a look at:

A Year in the Life of an Almond Tree: Andalucían Style!

Queen of the Seas: Virgen del Carmen

 

Bus Services: East of Málaga

 

Let´s face it, travelling on holidays can sometimes be a pain.   Visitors from nearby locations may decide to drive their own vehicles, but most visitors to the Costa del Sol tend to fly into Málaga airport.  Luckily there are numerous rental car agencies and bus systems to aid any of your transportation needs.

The city of Málaga, the capital of the province by the same name, is the hub of all mass transit systems in the area. Alsina Graells is the main bus company serving the eastern  Costa del Sol.  Their red, white and green buses run from Málaga city to the Andalucían capitals of Seville, Granada, and Córdoba, as well as serving the towns and villages of the Axarquía.  These buses are usually on time, with any occasional delays being caused by unusually heavy traffic on specific days during the year.

The Alsina Graells (ALSA) website is in English, and from here you can examine bus schedules and purchase tickets in advance of your trip.

Here are some Spanish words that might help you on your journey:

Al                                                      to

Billete                                               ticket

Comprar                                          to buy

Del                                                    from

Destino                                           destination

Diario                                              daily

Estación                                         station

Fecha                                              date

Horario                                           time

Ida y vuelta                                    return trip

Llegada                                          arrival

Origen                                           departure point

Precio                                            price

 

You might also find the following information useful:

Flights to Málaga: Which airlines fly to the Costa del Sol?

Easy Driving Directions From Málaga Airport to The Axarquía

 

Photographs I love …. and why! [Part 9]

This is just one of a series of photos I have taken, and will share with you over time, capturing the essence of living east of Málaga.   Each one, in it’s own unique way, reminds me of why I love living in southern Spain, and in particular the Axarquía.

 

 

This is Calle El Zacatín, a street in the beautiful, white, mountain village of Frigiliana.  Here, the typical architecture of the village can be seen at its best.  The steep climb, profusely decorated with flowers and flowerpots reveal some of the original Arab layout of the village – winding streets, secret corners and adarves (little squares shared by a few houses and belonging only to them). Calle El Zacatín leads to another gem in town: Barribarto, or the higher part of village, which can only be toured on foot, for its impossibly narrow streets make it impossible to drive.

El Zacatín is one of the most photographed streets in Frigiliana and is the original site of a Moorish street market, filled with merchants and artisans, over a thousand years ago.

 

You might also enjoy:

Other Photographs I love …. and why!

Fresh Figs Stuffed with Goat´s Cheese and wrapped in Smoked Bacon