In my previous post, Schooled in Spain (Part 1), I wrote about the beginning of my 8-day trip to southern Spain. That post covered the minor trials and tribulations on day 1, the recovery on day 2, and the market, winery, and tour of Cómpeta on day 3.

Part 2 continues with days 4 through 8, and I’ve added many more photos of Spain to my Photos page.

Day 4: Granada and the Alhambra: Thanks to the advance reading list from Road Scholar, I’d read about the Alhambra, but nothing could have adequately prepared me for touring the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” Although we had a tour guide, his words just swirled around me like a fog while I tried to take everything in. There were imposing walls with minimal windows (to ensure privacy), diagonal entryways (again, for privacy), courtyards within buildings, carvings mimicking stalactites, gardens, a reflecting pool, and thousands, perhaps millions, of intricate patterns, texts, and other inscriptions that, in keeping with Islamic requirements, never depicted the human form. I stood in the very room where Christopher Columbus received verbal approval from Queen Isabella to forge ahead with his plan to sail to India (and we all know how that turned out).

I found Granada to be a fascinating city of contrasts, with its ornate ancient architecture alongside fashionable storefronts and glittery Christmas decorations. While there, we visited a huge market, the Cathedral of Granada, and the Royal Chapel (where Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand rest … perhaps not in peace ). I got to see the queen’s robe, crown, scepter, and mirror (!) as well as the king’s sword. Side note: Besides funding Columbus in 1492, the king and queen horribly banished all Jews from Spain that same year and forced Spanish Muslims to convert to Catholicism).

Day 5: Flamenco and Frigiliana: In the morning, we enjoyed a Flamenco demonstration, where I learned that the foot-stomping of the genre is an imitation of the sound of tools striking hot metal in forges where many Romani worked in the past. (It’s considered more correct nowadays to say “Romani” instead of “gypsy,” although our guide and even the Flamenco dancers themselves used the word “gypsy” repeatedly.) Fun fact I learned on this trip: The Romani people originally came from India.

After Flamenco, we had a free afternoon. My choice was to explore a picturesque little village nearby called Frigiliana, only 5 minutes away by taxi. Three of my new friends on the tour joined me, and we had quite an adventure, especially when it came time to return home and we had no idea how to call a cab for the return trip. We’d assumed we’d just call the driver who’d brought us there, until we discovered that Nerja cabs only make the trip one way (from Nerja to Frigiliana, but not the other way around). Luckily, I’d seen a tourist info office a few blocks away, and with their help we managed to make it back to our hotel. It wouldn’t have been so bad being stranded in Frigiliana, though, since the place was absolutely crawling with tapas bars! (It was quite touristy.)

Day 6: I’ve been quite wordy so far in this post, so I’ll cut right to the chase. We visited an olive oil factory, tasted several different olive oils, and were served a delicious lunch in a local home. I even got to practice my Spanish with our host. The scenery there and back was breathtaking, too. I’ve never seen so many olive trees in my life!

Day 7: Again, I’ll be brief. Málaga was interesting and beautiful, and the Picasso Museum was outstanding. Every single piece in the museum is from Picasso’s own personal collection in his home!

Day 8: On this day, I rose early (4:30 am) and shared a cab to the Málaga airport with someone who, like my daughter, loves Brandi Carlile. Over coffee and pastries, we had a long and enjoyable conversation about music while waiting for our gates to open. Then I managed to find my way through both the Málaga and Madrid airports by following signs, arrows, and the sometimes LOUD, even YELLING voices of people directing travelers here and there, mostly in Spanish. I guess they figured if they yelled loudly enough, they’d be understood by everyone. Luckily, I knew enough Spanish to get in the right lines and into my airplane seat on time.

I’m really glad I had the chance to visit southern Spain and to learn about its history and blend of cultures. Thanks for coming on this journey with me, and don’t forget to check out my Photos!