Granada [antikvár]

GRANADA'S CHARACTER AND SITUATION ll is in vain for you to try to discover in Granada what are generally considered to be typically Andalusian traits, despite the fact that this city breathes in the heart of Alta Andalucía. It is not carefree, trivial an ; boistrous; it is rather more severe, mystical and reserved. It does not fit in with the fast gay rythm of the «verdiales» or «Sevillana» dances, but with the heart breaking, sorrowful cadence of the «siguiriva» or the «soleá». You will capture the spirit of'Granada if you watch an autumn sunset, from a secluded garden in the Albay/in. where the only sound to be heard is the soft murmur of the fountain and the trill of a bird as she returns to her nest, when the high peaks of the Sierra Nevada are tinged with red. with the pink hew of the old towers of the Alhambra, bowed down by the weight of tragic legends, silhouetted against the mountains. The ineffable beauty of Granada, its mysterious charm and its inborn tragedy have inspired all artists who have had the fortune to get to know the city. The poets have delighted in enthusiastically praising its extraordinary beauty, its passionate history and its singular traditions: painters have sought to reproduce on canvas its torrent of light and its marvellous landscapes: and the musicians have done their best to capture in the staff the sweet murmur of the fountains and the sorrowful lament which floats in the air. Part of the city is built on several hills, situated on either side of the River Darro: and part of the city spreads out at the foot on the hills, on a gentle slope down towards the Plain. Therefore, there is a high and a low city, each with a different physiognomy, offering diverse perspectives and varied landscapes. There is an impressively beautiful panorama to be seen from El Llano de la Perdiz, the peak of a hill with the Generalife nestling on its slopes. The district known today as El Albavzin occupies one of these hills on the right bank of the Darro. The present da\ district of San Cristóbal is situated on the adjoining hill, which was the hill of Ben Mardanis. Both lulls culminate in the Cerro de San Miguel, rising up to the north of the river basin. The Colina Roja towers up on the opposite bank, with the Alhambra perched on the undulating peak of La Sabika. The gorge of the same name, now a leafy forest, separates this hill from another, which is in turn crowned by the Torres Bermejas and the Campo de los Mártires, with the districts of Realejo and Antequeruela spread out at its feet. The slopes of these hills are scattered with the famous Granada «carmens» or villas, where gardens and orchards intermingle harmoniously and where scented carnations and delicate roses alternate with juicy fruit and rich vegetables. 700 meters above sea level, with a radiant light and blue, transparent skies, bringing pure healthy air. Granada enjoys an excellent climate, mild in winter and temperate in summer.