“Viento del Sur, moreno, ardiente, llegas sobre mi carne, trayéndome semilla de brillantes miradas, empapado de azahares…” – Veleta (excerpt), Federico Garcia Lorca

Spain’s most famous poet and the favorite son of Granada, Federico Garcia Lorca was a seminal artistic figure, just as important in death as life. Musician, artist, radical, dramatist, patron of flamenco, Lorca had his hands in everything, but it was his poetry for which he’s most well-known. His poetry, and his ignoble execution at the hands of Franco’s army.

Lorca lived in Granada, and we visited his house-museum on the southern end of the city. When he occupied it, not really that long ago, the house was on the city’s outskirts, in a field. But Granada grew quickly, and the house is currently within a city park. It’s been perfectly upheld, with original furniture donated by the family and Lorca’s artwork decorating the walls. For a fan of either poetry or history, a visit to the house is obligatory.

It’s difficult to overstate how important Lorca’s influence has been to the people of Granada and Spain. He was one of the most early proponents of flamenco music… one of Camarón de la Isla’s best songs is Lorca’s poetry set to music. He was openly homosexual and leftist — traits that were dangerous for the volatile period in which he lived. Indeed, shortly after the Civil War broke out, he was arrested by the Popular Front and executed. Franco then banned his entire body of work.

Lorca’s remains have never been found, and the recovery of his body remains a highly-charged topic in Spain, which is still coming to terms with the havoc of the war which tore it in two.

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Some pictures of Garcia Lorca’s house and the park which is named after him:

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Midway into our drive through the Alpujarras, we stopped at Bodega Barranco Oscuro, a small family-run winery near Cádiar. It was the off-season, and just after 5pm, so I think the owner was a bit surprised to see our car ambling up the muddy path. Two huge dogs bounded towards us in greeting, and we let them guide us to the bodega’s doors.

The owner was extremely gracious — her husband and son were on tour in France, but she let us in and introduced us to their selection of wines. The interior of the bodega was neat; it had just been recently redone and sported wooden tables for wine tastings and enormous windows showing off a magnificent view over the Alpujarras and the Mediterranean. On a clear day, she said, you could even see to Morocco.

After we tasted the Pinot, we were taken on a little tour of the bodega. The current family has been running the show for about a decade, making all-natural wine with the grapes grown in the unique, cool mountain conditions. And the house has a history of wine-making going back hundreds of years. We saw the press and barrels, and then the ancient storage area, not in use anymore. Juergen was in Photographer’s Heaven.

We spent too much money, but the wines really are great. If you’re in the area, we definitely recommend popping in to Barranco Oscuro, especially during the harvest season. They have a website and blog with news and information here.

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Legend has it that when the Moors were finally conquered and kicked out of Granada, Boabdil, the last Moorish king of Al-Andalus, paused at the southern mountain pass for a last mournful look at his beloved city of birth, and sighed. His mother smacked him, saying “Now you weep like a woman over what you could not defend as a man!” Ever since, the mountain pass has been known as The Gate of the Moor’s Sigh (El Puerto del Suspiro del Moro).

From the spot, you get a lovely view of Granada, and it’s not difficult to empathize with poor Boabdil. But though it’s little comfort for those being expelled from their homeland, the route leading from The Gate of the Moor’s Sigh to the Mediterranean is incredible. Take the A-4050 south and you’ll be rewarded with a long, narrow road winding around cliffs, providing unbelievable mountain landscapes and vistas of the sea.

The road ends in the neat seaside village of Almuñécar, on the Costa Tropical. We marveled over the crystal blue waters, but unfortunately weren’t able to explore the city; a delicious and inexpensive meal on the beach was all we had time for. But with an immense castle near the ocean and history dating back to 800 BC, when the village was established by the Phoenicians, Almuñécar is certainly worth an entire day.

- Cheap Hotels in Almuñécar

On Saturday morning, we bundled up and took the train from Valencia’s Sant Isidre station to Requena; a beautiful 90-minute continuous ascent into the mountains. Snow was falling, lightly dusting the trees, ravines and cliffs we passed. This was the first time all year I’d seen snow.

The sausage festival was about as we expected it — sausagey. For €9, we got 5 little sausage plates, 2 glasses of wine, a water, bread, and something vaguely described as a “Product from the Housewives Association”. It was cheesy and fishy, and I don’t think I’d like to dwell on it any further.

The festival was a bit smaller than I anticipated; but then, how many sausage stands does one need? We bravely munched through 4 of our 5 desgustaciones of chorizo & morcilla, before hoisting the white flag.

- Stay over night in Requena: Requena Hotels

The best part of the day came after we left the festival — an extended visit to Meson del Viño. This is an awesome little pub/restaurant, decked out in bullfighting paraphernalia. We had a couple hours to kill before our train back home, and didn’t feel like walking around in the freezing cold, so we were happy to spend some time in this extremely loud and lively bar. Worth a visit when you’re in Requena.

“I gave myself up, during my sojourn in the Alhambra, to all the romantic and fabulous traditions connected with the pile. I lived in the midst of an Arabian tale, and shut my eyes, as much as possible, to every thing that called me back to every-day life; and if there is any country in Europe where one can do so, it is in poor, wild, legendary, proud-spirited, romantic Spain; where the old magnificent barbaric spirit still contends against the utilitarianism of modern civilization.” – Washington Irving on his stay in the Alhambra, 1832

The Nazrid Palaces of the Alhambra, one of the world’s great architectural and cultural treasures, is the pinnacle of Granada’s plentiful touristic offerings.

The very fact of the palace’s survival, let alone its pristine state, is a miracle. Washington Irving, the American author who lived there for months as a guest, relates in his popular collection Tales of the Alhambra a legend about an ancient blessing, carved into the stone entrance, which has protected it over the centuries.

I find it more likely that even the most vicious and intolerant of marauding armies were unable to destroy such beauty.

The Alhambra (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) was built in the mid-14th century by the Moorish rulers of Al-Andalus, who had chosen Granada as their capital. Walking through the palace’s incredible quarters, it’s impossible not to sense 700 years of history encompassing you. The beauty and intricacy of the construction is unreal, but we’ll let the pictures speak to that.

For visitors to Granada, the Nazrid Palaces (palacios nazaríes) are a must-see. But take care: you’ll have to book tickets in advance. A limited number of people are allowed into the grounds at any given time. Once inside, though, you can take your time. Too many people don’t realize this, and show up at the Alhambra hoping to get tickets, only to leave disappointed.

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