The Albaicin
The picture below was taken from the window of our hotel room in Granada. It is (to me) a charming view of the rooftops of the houses that are stacked on the hill opposite the Alhambra. This ancient and formerly Arab quarter of the city is called the Albaicin.
The streets of the Albaicin are very narrow, hardly more than alleys, and many are not even readily traveled by scooter, let alone by car, because they have steps.
We wound our way up the hill looking for a restaurant that had been recommended to us. When the street opened toward the east, we could see the Alhambra.
We got just about right where we were supposed to be, but still couldn’t find the restaurant. The houses present blank stucco faces to the alleys, and big heavy wooden doors, maybe with a peekhole.
We had to bang on just such a door to get into our restaurant, once we found a small sign posted in the street. Inside, the terrace was as lovely as a Tiffany window.
They weren’t serving afuera, unfortunately, but the diningroom inside was comfortable and old and beautiful, too, and the windows framed the view of the Alhambra, floating like an improbable vision in the haze across the valley. I like a diningroom with a view, and this view certainly was world-class.
Next: The Alhambra