vickygoestravelling

my journey to health and well being via exotic destinations

Tag Archives: Granada


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A week in Islamic Spain 3: Granada & Alhambra

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Alhambra in the dying light – see Charles V monstrous carbuncle square box towering over the elegant Islamic buildings

So here we are in Granada, home to Alhambra, which means the Red Fort. It is correct to simply call it Alhambra as ‘al’ means ‘the’ in Arabic. Granada itself is named after the old Jewish settlement, Medina-al-Granata, or Pomegranate City, the fruit being a symbol of fertility, which is said to contain the same number of seeds as the volumes of the Torah. We have a free day to explore before our extortionate tour; still nervous about whether we have been scammed, we are relieved to get a text confirming the meeting time. Phew! Continue reading →


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Nine days in Nicaragua 2: Léon and Granada (birthday blog!)

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View from Le Merced bell tower over Granada

The drive from El Jaguar to Léon, Nicaragua’s capital (founded in  1524) until Managua took over, takes us through fields of maize, legumes (the famous red beans for the staple dish of pinto gallo – or rice and peas) and the usual motley array of horses (sometimes with dashing gauchos astride), cows, dogs and pigs. Round here where it is poor, they are all a bit thin, ribs sticking out, apart from the pigs who root around contentedly. Sometimes the animals are tethered, but mostly not. The houses are as poor as ever, with the occasional school, and people going about their daily business. Religion plays a huge part in daily life – and the bigger churches are full of effigies of saints and, of course, the Virgin Mary. Continue reading →