Spain's Granada: A Royal Treat

ByABC News
September 16, 2004, 11:51 AM

Sept. 20, 2004 -- Somewhere in Granada's alleyways, a flute plays, popcorn pops, and a knife sharpener starts up his wheel.

The narrow, mazelike streets give the southern Spanish town a sense of mystery, where things are heard but not seen.

With snowcapped mountains and the Alhambra Palace as a backdrop, Granada is still fascinating. The historic town was the scene of a pivotal showdown between Catholic and Moorish royalty.

In 1492, King Boabdil, the last Moorish king of Granada, surrendered to the conquering King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Boabdil started to fall to his knees, but the Spanish king, who had great respect for his foe, embraced him instead. The Moors withdrew from Granada, their last stronghold in Spain, and fled to Africa. The Moorish king left behind the incomparable Alhambra, on a hilltop overlooking the town.

Ferdinand and Isabella left behind themselves. They're buried in Granada's lavish Royal Chapel. Light and lacy, the chapel was inspired by the fine silverwork of the Moors. It was the most lavish interior money could buy 500 years ago, costing Ferdinand and Isabella a fourth of their wealth.

For a day fit for a king or queen in Granada, tour the Royal Chapel and the cathedral, have a couscous lunch at a teahouse, take a midday stroll through the maze of shopping streets, and visit the Alhambra in the late afternoon or even by moonlight.

A Bright Cathedral

Granadas cathedral, one of only two Renaissance churches in Spain, has a spacious, bright interior, a refreshing break from the dark Gothic and gilded-lily Baroque of so many Spanish churches. In a modern move back in the 18th century, the choir walls were taken out, so that people could be more involved in the worship, and the interior was painted with germ-killing lime during a time of disease. The people liked it, and it stayed white.

Head out into the streets. Originally an Arab silk medina, the neighborhood called Alcaicería still feels like a market. Shop for a picnic or go on a photo safari. Beware the ladies who press sprigs of rosemary into your palm. They ostensibly want to tell you your fortune, but really they'd rather make a fortune off you.