Road Trip: ES/PT Day 4

On the fourth day of our May trip, spent entirely in Spain, we tried to roll back the clock 26 years--but it didn't quite work.  Back then, our speed-tour of the Alhambra (we had arrived shortly before closing) was rushed, but ethereal as we (literally) ran through a nearly empty complex under the setting sun.  This time around, by arriving first thing in the morning we had all the time in the world, but were also joined by what felt like the whole bloody world.

 

Nonetheless, we elbowed our way past the intricately carved stucco and wood of the 13th-14th century Nasrid Palaces.

Multiple smooth layers of plaster (and sometimes marble powder) were applied to the rammed earth and brick walls, and then the top was carved before it had completely dried.

In other places, painted tiles (azulejos again) added color. 

Although mostly there are geometric designs, sometimes there are natural patterns such as seashells.

The royal palaces housed the Arab Nasrid dynasty, which ruled the Emirate of Granada from 1232 to 1492. 

Different designs, varying colors of stucco, and the shadows of the carvings themselves make every inch come alive as the angle of light changes throughout the day.  

The reflecting pool in the Patio de los Arrayanes is lined by hedges of the namesake woody myrtle.

The scale of the decorative carving is difficulty to comprehend,

as every interior and exterior surface seems "filled."  Eventually, you get serious sensory overload.

The contrast to the overlook of the city of Granada (ES) is stunning, so we spent just as much time outside the palaces as in.

From there we worked west to Antequera (ES), which is known for Andalusian Baroque architecture as well as a very long and mottled history.

Turn your head to the right, and you can see a profile in the limestone Peña de los Enamorados (Lovers' Rock) that forms a backdrop to the city.

Steep narrow streets lined with white houses with black ironwork over tiled foundations is a common theme throughout southern Spain.

Antequera's 13th century Moorish Alcazaba fortress was built, naturally, over Roman ruins.

The town also sports two Bronze-Age UNESCO World Heritage dolmens, which at ~5000 years old make Roman ruins seem like newbies.

These monumental collective burial sites, which are aligned with the Lover's Rock formation, remind us that engineering has bloomed (and then faded) many times throughout human history.

Looking for contrast, we spent the afternoon hiking in the fantastic Torcal de Antequera to the south.

The 150 million-year-old limestone was formed as layers on an ancient seabed.

At some points, you can see for miles onto orchards, fields, and pastures,

while at others it is hard to raise the eye from the wildflower-dotted ground.  I particularly liked the purple-flowered native variegated thistle, which formed thickets in some spots.

Spiritually renewed, we then zipped west to El Chorro (ES), where on an evening stroll we took in the hydroelectric reservoir (Embalse tajo de la Encantada) before the famous gate to the Gaitanes Gorge

and the Hermitage of Our Lady of Villaverde.

While appreciating a tiny chapel at the start of the El Chorro hiking trail (which we did not have time for), I managed to slip on a leafy staircase.  In my youth, I always fell to protect my camera, but apparently my priorities have shifted...and the camera was sacrificed.

We practiced with the cell phone camera (used for all subsequent images) by capturing the viciously narrow stairwell of our hotel, which was particularly annoying because the teapot was on the first floor--but the water on the second!

A fourth day down!