Madinat Al-Zahra

Madinat Al-Zahra

Today we’re moving on from Cordoba to Granada but we’re taking an excursion out of town before making that move.  We took breakfast at a café behind the Mezquita before walking down to the riverside to catch the bus tour to Madinat Al-Zahra.

The journey was only about 7km and quick.  This site is the ruins of an Andalus palace-city built in the 10^th Century.  The site was large and there were a mix of ruins and reconstructed areas.  The style was similar to that of the Mezquita.

After having visited Syria, it was difficult to be impressed.  But we try not to spoil the awe and fun for other people.  We kinda rushed through the place thinking that we had been allocated an hour by the driver.  Due to a slight language barrier, we later realised he meant that we had until 1pm.

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Moving on to Granada

We ate lunch and picked up our bags before taxiing to the bus station.  Our 3h bus ride to Granada went quickly with a horror movie called “Valentine”.  There appears to be no control over what they could play in public for a mixed audience that included children.  I gasped a couple of times and the people around me laughed.

Scenery along the way was beautiful but dry with olive groves.  There were white villages along te way with castles on top of steep hills.

At Granada station, we took a taxi to Plaza Nueva where our accommodation, Hostal Austria, was located.

Lush courtyard at our accommodation.

 
After settling in, we took dinner nearby at a chain outlet called OhLaLa.  Once fed and watered, we began our exploration of Granada with Albayzin district. 

This area has narrow winding streets dating back from the Muslim era.  Businesses were really cashing in on the Arab theme, in terms of what they were selling, eg. tiles, intricate backgammon sets, lanterns.  With a medieval-themed fair at the cathedral square, the old city was very busy.