Today felt like a real, lazy, holiday day! I slept in, had a lazy breakfast at the apartment, read my book in the sun in the courtyard, and finally made my way out onto the streets of Granada!
I decided to visit the "Cathedral Quarter" today and see the Capilla Real and Granada Cathedral. The Capilla Real was the private chapel and burial place of Isabel and Fernando - the monarchs who married in 1469, uniting the two largest kingdoms in the Spanish penninsula, Castile and Aragon, and ushering in Spain's "Golden Age" of exploration and empire.
The remains of Isabel and Fernando, as well as their daughter, Juana la Loca, and her husband, Felipe el Hermoso, lie entombed beneath lifelike marble figures of the monarchs. The chapel also houses Isabel's private art collectiong.
I then visited Granada's cathedral which was completed in 1704 on the the site of Granada's largest mosque, which was demolished after the Reconquista, or re-conquering of Spain from the Moors. It was the first Renaissance cathedral in Spain. It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful these buildings are!
I ended my day in what felt like a time-travel back to Morocco as I strolled through the lower streets of the Albacin, which was the only Moorish neighbourbood to escape destruction during the Reconquista. The streets are tiny and narrow, and wind off in every which direction, and they are bustling with outdoor bazaars and shops selling all manner of goodies. I stopped at one of the many teahouses and had a glass of deliciously spicy, cardommon and mint infused tea! I'm planning on returning later in the week for a little "retail-therapy"!
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