Pastiche: March 2008

On my first day, I passed no less than seven people - men and women, young and old - who were talking to themselves. The first day. It doesn't sound worth mentioning, I know, but it was really strange - hand gestures and everything...

Aside from that little eccentricity, Madrid has a good vibe about it. And lots of attractive places...

I love how all the street signs are decorative.

There seems to be a museum for everything here - even ham:

Palacio Real:

Plaza Mayor:

Amusing little bar sign - I wonder how long it's been there?...

The main thing that stands out in Madrid is all the art - it's everywhere!

This building is just about the coolest thing I've ever seen:

The sidewalk along Passeo del Prado is lined with sculptures by Polish artist Igor Mitoraj:

I was in Madrid for the week of Semana Santa and stumbled across a somber yet celebratory night-parade involving people in costumes creepily reminiscent of kkk robes carrying candles, huge wooden crosses and entire stages depicting Christ, Mary and different saints.

Spain's "Little Egypt" - an actual Egyptian Temple in Madrid:

There was a Picasso exhibit at the Reina Sofia on loan from Paris, and after huddling under Irish-Ben's umbrella queuing for the Prado, we cruised around seeking out Goya, Rembrant, Caravaggio and Raphael, among others.

We also went to the planeh-arium. Ahem.

Not as impressive as I'd hoped but it still had that calming effect that images of planets, moons, stars and infinite, silent space have always had on me.

Now a crash course in Catalan and it's off to Barcelona!

Fins després!

Seriously, I feel inept. Standing in front of a wall that's been there for almost 1000 years and...I should be feeling, thinking, sensing...more, shouldn't I? Little did I know I'd be overwhelmed by The Alhambra the next day...

In Granada, I stayed in the hippie-est hostel in the The Albaycin, the oldest area of the city, where the old folk only go down to the center every ten years or so. In this compact little area, there is a baker, grocer, hardware store, shoemaker, a famous pastry shop and, as I was delighted to find, a beautiful Moraccan tea house.

The streets are more like alleys and the hills are more like mountains - good for the quads!

Down in the center, there are fountains and gardens everywhere - it really is a beautiful city.

One of the little shopping streets that hide behind the tall facades of downtown...

Love this coca-cola sign:

Back in the Albaycin, I peeked into a few private gardens - after the hoard of Japanese tourists pressed against the gate snapping photos, I didn't feel too bad about discreetly snapping a few of my own. See the tiles along the wall of the house and the plates hung above them? Gorgeous. Oh, and apparently, geraniums are very important - never did find out why...

On the creepier side, this is a private entryway as well - see the dolls down at the very bottom? Strange and unsettling, especially when you come across this view in a pitch black alley.

One of my favourite things about the Albaycin - aside from the 11th century wall, astonishing miradors (viewpoints) and remnants of castles, of course - was the random cat paintings on the walls of houses and corners of streets:

The main attraction in Granada is The Alhambra (Arabic for red one, for the colour of the earth it was built on), a complex of palaces and gardens built in the 13th century. Tickets usually sell out by 1pm. I stood in line for 2 1/2 hours. And it was so worth it.

There are two paths to and from The Alhambra - I went up one and down the other. Trees, flowers, and gurgling streams...

The Wine Gate, where tariffs were charged on anything coming into the ancient city which, obviously, was most often wine.

Near the entrance to the military fort:

Up the Torre de la Vela, you can see the foundations of the city: that big path was the main street - how tiny it must have been.

Apparently there was a secret tradition where young women would sneak up the tower to ring the bell to ensure they would be married before the year was out...

Views of Granada from the top of the tower:

Notice the snow-capped sierras...

The grounds of The Alhambra are perfectly sculpted and designed like labyrinths:

The Palaces...I can't even describe how beautiful they are...

What is it about grand and magnificent places that conjures that impulse to place ourselves in the very center of the structures we observe? I watched countless people do this over and over - beelining for that pothole in the middle of this huge round palace courtyard. Then I walked over and stood there myself...there is something about it...