Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Granada and Alhambra
Alhambra 18th October 2006
Even as we had gone to sleep early we did not wake up until 09.30 when we heard the knock on the door from the young woman bringing us our “breakfast on bed”. A good start of the day, but looking out of our window we saw it was getting a bit cloudy and we did not seem to head for a bright and sunny day.
We left our hotel quite early after having and walked down the Ancha de la Virgin and slowly walked all the way up to Alhambra. On the way we saw the most wonderful buildings (churches, offices, homes with rooftop gardens, wonderfully decorated balconies and so on).
It took us a few hours and a couple of stops to finally reach the Hotel Alhambra. We went inside and had o soft drink on the veranda were we enjoyed the most exciting view over Granada and the plains of the Sierra Nevada. When we had rest enough we went up the last slope toward the ticket box of the Alhambra.
Even as we had booked our visit in advance on the Internet we had to stand in line and wait over 30 minutes before we could obtain our entrance tickets. While I was waiting G. served me a wonderful mandarin that we had bought in one of the supermarkets on our way up.
After obtaining our tickets we went to pick up an audio guide that would enable us to understand more about what we where to see. Then we went into the gardens of Alhambra.
Even as we had gone to sleep early we did not wake up until 09.30 when we heard the knock on the door from the young woman bringing us our “breakfast on bed”. A good start of the day, but looking out of our window we saw it was getting a bit cloudy and we did not seem to head for a bright and sunny day.
We left our hotel quite early after having and walked down the Ancha de la Virgin and slowly walked all the way up to Alhambra. On the way we saw the most wonderful buildings (churches, offices, homes with rooftop gardens, wonderfully decorated balconies and so on).
It took us a few hours and a couple of stops to finally reach the Hotel Alhambra. We went inside and had o soft drink on the veranda were we enjoyed the most exciting view over Granada and the plains of the Sierra Nevada. When we had rest enough we went up the last slope toward the ticket box of the Alhambra.
Even as we had booked our visit in advance on the Internet we had to stand in line and wait over 30 minutes before we could obtain our entrance tickets. While I was waiting G. served me a wonderful mandarin that we had bought in one of the supermarkets on our way up.
After obtaining our tickets we went to pick up an audio guide that would enable us to understand more about what we where to see. Then we went into the gardens of Alhambra.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Granada and Alhambra
Granada 17th October 2006
Long time ago my parents visited the Alhambra in Granada. They told it was absolutely something I had to see al least once in my life.
7th October 2006
Also my nephew had been there recently and advised us to absolutely visit it and told us to go to the same hotel he went to.
So this trip we decided and we set out on the 17th October to go another 450 kms further to the south and visit Granada and see the Alhambra. We booked our hotel and our visit to the Alhambra by Internet.
Already the trip to Granada was wonderful and the views alongside the (toll-free) Autovida A92 were magnificent.
Once approaching Granada we got a good view on the Sierra Nevada and arriving in Granada we had no problems finding our hotel as everything was indicated. We almost did not need to use our Tom-tom.
At the hotel (Tryp Albayzin on Carrer de Genil)) our reserved room was waiting for us and exceeded our expectations. As we had booked it on the Internet at www.meliasol.com and travelled in the off-season we got a very good price. The hotel has a parking service for just € 13,50 a night.
After checking in we found a wonderful spacey double bed bedroom with a large bathroom and satellite TV.
We left our luggage for what it was and went into Granada to get the first impressions and they made us feel almost “at home”.
Even neither of us had ever been in Granada it was easy to find our way around town and we had a wonderful afternoon and evening just walking around and watching the buildings and statues and doing son window dressing. We also bought ourselves a small portion of roasted chestnuts, which we ate, sitting on a bench watching all the people go by. We then continued our walk towards the Place Isabel Catholica. We then walked on following that road up and we had dinner in an Italian restaurant on one of the squares on the slopes of the Alhambra. After dinner we walked back to our hotel taking a different route to wonder into a quarter of Casa de los Tiros and walking down towards Ancha de la Virgin and on our way down we found more restaurants and bars. One attracted our attention being a Mexican restaurant called Chile Grande (www.chilegrande.com)
We decided not to make it to later and went to bed quite early so we would be fresh for the next day to visit the Alhambra.
To start our day well, we left a note at the door asking for our breakfast on bed!
Long time ago my parents visited the Alhambra in Granada. They told it was absolutely something I had to see al least once in my life.
7th October 2006
Also my nephew had been there recently and advised us to absolutely visit it and told us to go to the same hotel he went to.
So this trip we decided and we set out on the 17th October to go another 450 kms further to the south and visit Granada and see the Alhambra. We booked our hotel and our visit to the Alhambra by Internet.
Already the trip to Granada was wonderful and the views alongside the (toll-free) Autovida A92 were magnificent.
Once approaching Granada we got a good view on the Sierra Nevada and arriving in Granada we had no problems finding our hotel as everything was indicated. We almost did not need to use our Tom-tom.
At the hotel (Tryp Albayzin on Carrer de Genil)) our reserved room was waiting for us and exceeded our expectations. As we had booked it on the Internet at www.meliasol.com and travelled in the off-season we got a very good price. The hotel has a parking service for just € 13,50 a night.
After checking in we found a wonderful spacey double bed bedroom with a large bathroom and satellite TV.
We left our luggage for what it was and went into Granada to get the first impressions and they made us feel almost “at home”.
Even neither of us had ever been in Granada it was easy to find our way around town and we had a wonderful afternoon and evening just walking around and watching the buildings and statues and doing son window dressing. We also bought ourselves a small portion of roasted chestnuts, which we ate, sitting on a bench watching all the people go by. We then continued our walk towards the Place Isabel Catholica. We then walked on following that road up and we had dinner in an Italian restaurant on one of the squares on the slopes of the Alhambra. After dinner we walked back to our hotel taking a different route to wonder into a quarter of Casa de los Tiros and walking down towards Ancha de la Virgin and on our way down we found more restaurants and bars. One attracted our attention being a Mexican restaurant called Chile Grande (www.chilegrande.com)
We decided not to make it to later and went to bed quite early so we would be fresh for the next day to visit the Alhambra.
To start our day well, we left a note at the door asking for our breakfast on bed!
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Fiestas de Moros Y Cristianas Callosa d'En Sarrià 2006
Fiestas de Moros Y Cristianas Callosa d'En Sarrià 2006
The 10th of Oct0ber 2006 we went out for a nice drive to Polop. We had a walk through the town, drank some water out of the famous fountains, had a nice coffee and bought some delicious wine.
Then when we left Polop we headed for the town op Callosa d'En Sarrià and when we arrived we saw all this youngsters dressed up. So then I realized that the Fiestas of de Moros Y Cristianas still might be on. Earlier we were informed that the fiesta already had finished, but we were there to witness the last day, the Cristianas liberating the town of the Moros.
During this day the Cristanas and Moros go into battle and Cristanas slay the Moors reconquest the castle and drive away the occupying army. The day ends with a big procession to honour the Virgin Mary.
For those that are not to familiar to this Fiesta I advise to check Wikipedia (English) (Spanish), but in short it tells the story of the occupation of the cities in Spain by the Moors or Islam and the subsequent Christian reconquest.
The village of Callosa d'En Sarrià is famous for this festival and if you ever happen to be in Spain (Costa Blanca) in October be sure to pay Callosa d'En Sarrià a visit during the fiestas.
The 10th of Oct0ber 2006 we went out for a nice drive to Polop. We had a walk through the town, drank some water out of the famous fountains, had a nice coffee and bought some delicious wine.
Then when we left Polop we headed for the town op Callosa d'En Sarrià and when we arrived we saw all this youngsters dressed up. So then I realized that the Fiestas of de Moros Y Cristianas still might be on. Earlier we were informed that the fiesta already had finished, but we were there to witness the last day, the Cristianas liberating the town of the Moros.
During this day the Cristanas and Moros go into battle and Cristanas slay the Moors reconquest the castle and drive away the occupying army. The day ends with a big procession to honour the Virgin Mary.
For those that are not to familiar to this Fiesta I advise to check Wikipedia (English) (Spanish), but in short it tells the story of the occupation of the cities in Spain by the Moors or Islam and the subsequent Christian reconquest.
The village of Callosa d'En Sarrià is famous for this festival and if you ever happen to be in Spain (Costa Blanca) in October be sure to pay Callosa d'En Sarrià a visit during the fiestas.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Bridge of Millau
We set off for a stay in Altea (Spain) on Monday 2nd October. First we went to visit some family near Paris and went on further on the 3rd.
Before when going south, we would take the Autoroute du Soleil, but since the Millau brigde has finished in 2004 I wanted to take that raod again. When I would drive down in the seventies to visit my parents in Spain I used to take that road because it was free of toll, but there was no motorway. Just the route national.
But since they have inproved that raod en built the A75 which for a great part is free of toll to. It is a wonderful road to be on and it pays to make some stops along the way to see some of the more interesting spots and villages.
My main objective was to see the new Bridge at Millau.
But before we got ther we spent the night in a small Auberge just off the old road to St Flour. It is called RELAIS DU VIADUC DE GARABIT.
We had a wonderfull diner, an nice room en good breakfast for just € 79,90.
The owner Allain Roger was ever so kind and if you ever take this road, besure to have a break at his place.
Before when going south, we would take the Autoroute du Soleil, but since the Millau brigde has finished in 2004 I wanted to take that raod again. When I would drive down in the seventies to visit my parents in Spain I used to take that road because it was free of toll, but there was no motorway. Just the route national.
But since they have inproved that raod en built the A75 which for a great part is free of toll to. It is a wonderful road to be on and it pays to make some stops along the way to see some of the more interesting spots and villages.
My main objective was to see the new Bridge at Millau.
But before we got ther we spent the night in a small Auberge just off the old road to St Flour. It is called RELAIS DU VIADUC DE GARABIT.
We had a wonderfull diner, an nice room en good breakfast for just € 79,90.
The owner Allain Roger was ever so kind and if you ever take this road, besure to have a break at his place.
