Eating frozen yogurt in the cold of winter

Dear ——–,

In the huddle before our volleyball playoff game last night, Eugene offered to take us all to dinner if we beat the other team. Well, we did win, becoming the champions of the vaunted coed C Pool at Monterey Park’s Westside Volleyball league. I convinced everybody to go to Yogurtland in Alhambra instead. A few years ago, I was ready to relegate frozen yogurt to the stupid food trends of history. But then Pinkberry showed up and I was back on the bandwagon. Other volleyball friends were the first to introduce me to the deliciousness of Yogurtland this summer. It has so many more flavors and toppings and it’s self-serve. You can fill your cup with green tea, egg nog, pistachio AND cookies and cream yogurt if you want. The clincher, though, is that you can top off your Yogurtland with glops of sweetened red bean. Last night, I heaped it on, with watermelon, kiwis and Ghiradelli chocolate sauce. I shivered as I headed out the door into an actually cold winter night in Southern California. But, hey, it was a celebration!

…has arrived in Granada, but only consistently in the last two weeks. It’s now impossible to shower in the mornings, not because there is no hot water (there is) but because the unheated bathroom, with its summer-friendly tile floor, is freezing first thing. I have a hot-water bottle in bed, a thick lambswool blanket and a surprisingly effective plug-in radiator then, in the living-room, there’s another blanket and another plug-in. Central heating barely exists here (or at least I haven’t been in a house with it yet) and when it does it has to battle with stone walls and floors and plummeting temperatures. Though I can’t say I relish getting up (not that I ever do) I am rather enjoying having a reason to wear a thick jumper and a woolly hat, something which is rarely needed in a London winter. And when the sun comes out, the skies are glorious.

As ever, the Alhambra is the most photogenic of sights, whatever the time of year, probably because when you look at it, and from it, you see mountains.

Last week the Sierra Nevada, the mountain range you see behind the Alhambra, had its first decent snowfall. Can’t quite believe that four weeks ago I was swimming in the Mediterranean and, this weekend, the ski season starts…

Perched high above the historic city of Granada in southern Spain the stunning Alhambra Palace dominates the skyline leaving a lasting memory to all who witness the vista. Originally the residence of the Muslim Kings of Granada it is now a museum dedicated to Islamic culture and architecture. This striking example of 14th Century Moorish and Renaissance architecture covers a staggering 13 hectares and incorporates a multitude of arabesque features. It exudes a distinctly tranquil and romantic aura, making it a great place to take a loved one on a romantic break.

Alhambra is Arabic for ‘Red Castle’ and the name relates to the colours of the fortified Palace’s walls. Once whitewashed, that has long faded exposing the red brick construction of the Palace, derived from the region’s clay giving it a reddish hue. When the Palace is lit at night it is an awe-inspiring site and easy to see why it has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Historians estimate that the first buildings on the site emerged around the end of the ninth century but, the Alhambra Palace as it appears now owes much of its appearance to two ruling Moor Kings; Yusuf I and Mohammed V. Both monarchs ruled during the early part of the 14th Century and were responsible for adding the following features: the Patio of the Lions, the Justice Gate, the Hall of the Boat, the Baths and the Comares Room. All of these impressive features still exist today, some after being comprehensively renovated following extensive damage caused during occupation by the French in the late 18th and early 19th Centuries. A significant addition to the original buildings was the Renaissance Palace inserted into the existing buildings by catholic monarch Charles V. Part of the original structure was demolished to incorporate his palace that includes the Emperor’s Chambers and the Queen’s Dressing Room, both visitor attractions today.

When it came to the building of the Palace the architects wanted to ensure that every part of the walls and ceilings were elaborately decorated, even to the extent where false arches were inserted merely to create visual impact! The plasterwork is exquisite and richly decorated ceramics have also been pasted to the walls. A visitor could literally take days to view all the decoration, and if they did they would be sure to see that the columns used in the construction of the Alhambra Palace are unique; nowhere else in the world will you find these highly-stylised features.

If you are planning a visit to the Alhambra Palace ensure you get to grips with the types of tickets available. It’s not as simple as buying just one ticket. Due to the sheer number of visitors, tickets are divided into daytime and evening slots, with the daytime tickets split further into morning and afternoon sessions. A walk around the extensive gardens requires an additional ticket.

The Palace is undeniably the biggest draw for Granada, but it is by no means the only attraction in this beautiful part of Spain. The area has a long history and many natural features that make Granada one of the most visited parts of Spain.

-

Explore the lives and beliefs of six young people whose usual places of worship are some of the most beautiful and historic mosques in the Muslim world. In this series of intimate portraits, join them as they leave their homes and families to travel to Saudi Arabia on their journeys of a lifetime the pilgrimage to Mecca, where the prophet Muhammad was born. Within decades of the death of Muhammad, Islam spread rapidly and its history can be traced through the flowering of exquisite Muslim architecture. Over the next few hundred years, fabulous mosques from Spain to Iran, Turkey to Mali, formed a focus of Muslim life, as they continue to do today.

Seven Wonders of the Muslim World starts its journey at six of these locations and culminates at the mosque towards which all practicing Muslims turn when they pray. The seven wonders include:

1. The Grand Mosque in Mecca.
2. The Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem
3. The Alhambra in Granada, Spain.
4. The Blue Mosque in Istanbul.
5. The Great Mosque of Djenne in Mali.
6. The Imam Mosque in Esfahan, Iran.
7. The Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan

RunTime: 76 min

-

Watch the Full Documentary Now

-

[ Full Screen ]

-

Afortunadamente, cada vez son más los lugares accesibles para los usuarios en silla de ruedas. Ahora que se acerca el puente de la Constitución, visitar la Alhambra puede ser una opción como destino turístico accesible, sólo que a estas alturas del calendario puede que sea difícil conseguir entradas, ya que su número es limitado.

• Para comprar las entradas: Serviticket o llamar al 902 888 001.

Actualmente, se calcula que visitan a diario este conjunto histórico-monumental alrededor de unas 150 personas con discapacidad, pero a partir del próximo año 2010 se espera que este número aumente y que la visita sea más cómoda, gracias a la aprobación del proyecto impulsado por la Junta de Andalucía, la Obra Social La Caixa y el Patronato de la Alhambra.

Con ello, la zona de los Palacios Nazaríes de la Alhambra serán más accesibles, quedando tan sólo un 10% sin poderse adaptar, debido a las estribaciones del terreno o cambios bruscos de nivel.

En estos momentos ya existe un itinerario accesible  a personas con movilidad reducida (el 10% de la superficie), que podemos ver y descargar en la página Web de la Alhambra.

• Página Web de la Alhambra.
• Descarga del itinerario accesible Alhambra-Generalife. (Mapa)

Fuentes:

• El Mundo: El conjunto de la Alhambra será más accesible en 2010. (15-11-2009)
• El Ideal: La Alhambra derriba barreras.

Nach ein paar schönen Tagen am Meer, folgte schließlich der letzte Punkt unserer Reise: Granada

Einen Tag hatten wir komplett für den Alhambrabesuch eingeplant, so dass wir noch einen Tag hatten, um Granada Stadt zu erkunden. Natürlich ist ein Tag für eine Stadt wie Granada viel zu wenig, doch auch nach einem Tag hinterlässt die Stadt einen bleibenden Eindruck.

Es ist auf jeden Fall ratsam, die Tickets für den Alhambrabesuch schon von Deutschland aus zu buchen, so erspart man sich langes Anstehen an der Tageskasse. Sind die Tickets vorab reserviert, reicht es sich mittels der bei der Reservierung angegebenen Kreditkarte, die Tickets an einem ausgewiesenen Schalter ausdrucken zu lassen. Auf den Tickets ist eine feste Zeit für den Einlaß in den Nasridenpalast vorgegeben und an diese Zeit ist sich unbedingt zu halten. Das Aufsichtspersonal hält sich strikt daran, wie wir bei einer Gruppe Touristen vor uns mitbekommen haben, die ihren Einlaß um nur 2 Minuten verpasst haben. Der Aufenthalt im Palast ist dann allerdings zeitlich unbegrenzt.

Ein Tipp für Leute, die ebenfalls gerne fotografieren: Stative dürfen nicht mit auf das Gelände genommen werden.

Granada

]]> http://notepuedoayudar.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/la-alhambra-de-noche/ Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:46:10 +0000 Lecoh http://notepuedoayudar.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/la-alhambra-de-noche/

De noche todo cambia. Te puedes dar un paseito de día por una calle cualquiera y pasar unas horas más tarde siendo ya de noche y tener la impresión de que jamás has estado allí antes, pero no por los comercios cerrados, la ausencia de gente por la calle, o los adolescentes haciendo botellón en la plaza, es más bien por como la luz natural es sustituida por la artificial luz amarilla-anaranjada de las bombillas de las farolas. La luz y la ausencia de ésta hace que encaremos un espacio de forma diferente, quizás todo venga del miedo ancestral que tenemos los animales diurnos a lo que se puede esconder entre las sombras, aunque en esta ocasión no me refiero al miedo o a la precaución, me refiero a una sensación muy diferente.

Hace ya algún tiempo tuve la oportunidad de visitar la Alhambra de una forma diferente a como lo había hecho antes, en lugar de ir de día como es lo normal, hice la visita nocturna.

Cuando vas de día te encuentras lo que cabe esperar cuando uno visita un monumento famoso como la Alhambra: colas, aglomeraciones, algún empujón y si es en verano, mucha calor (aunque no dejo de recomendar la visita diurna, verdaderamente merece la pena y es algo que no se puede pasar por alto cuando se va a Granada, o se pasa cerca de esta ciudad) pero de noche es diferente,  solo te dejan ver parte de los palacios nazaríes y el palacio de Carlos V y por ello no tienes prisa porque lo que dejan abierto, si vas al ritmo diurno, lo ves en veinte minutos. De noche vas relajado y aprovechas la hora y media que dura la visita para pasear, charlar con quien te acompañe y pensar en tus cosas. Es ahí cuando caes en que es para eso justo para lo que se hicieron esos palacios, patios y jardines.

Loreena Mckennitt supo ver esto y grabó un directo en  el palacio de Carlos V en una noche de septiembre de 2006, lo llamó “Nights from the Alhambra” y lo llevó a cd y dvd del cual soy un feliz poseedor de una copia, y eso es algo que  agradezco profundamente a quien me lo regaló. En ese disco y dvd han sabido captar parte de esa magia de la que hablaba, y aunque no me paguen nada lo recomiendo porque es como si hubieran embotellado un poco de esa luz.

Cierro esta entrada con un un par de recomendaciones por si vais: pasead, disfrutad del ambiente, si queréis hacer fotos llevad una cámara que funcione bien con poca luz y si después de la Alhambra os dais una vuelta por el Paseo de los Tristes y Plaza larga, esa noche puede convertirse en inolvidable.

…

Eine Atmosphäre von 1001 Nacht liegt über den historischen Städten Andalusiens und für mich persönlich ist Granada mit seinem Sultanspalast, der Alhambra, “der roten Zitadelle” das Zentrum dieses orientalischen Zaubers in Europa.

….

Dort oben, wo die Berggipfel der Sierra Nevada zum greifen nah’ erscheinen, auf den Burgmauern zu sitzen, in den prachtvollen Gärten mit seinen Wasserspielen zu wandeln; gegenüber auf das älteste Stadtviertel Granadas, das Albaycin, zu sehen, oder einfach nur die Aussicht auf Granada zu genießen; ich weiß nicht mehr genau, wie oft ich seit Ende der 80-er Jahre schon hier war, aber ich weiß, daß es für mich kaum einen anderen Platz auf der Welt gibt, der mich so fasziniert und in den Bann zieht wie dieser Ort.

–> weiterlesen …

Dr. Stephanie King thanks Erchonia Medical Manufactuer of the Zerona Laser, the most advanced non-invasive painless alternative to liposuction on the market today. Aired on TV shows, such as “The Doctors”, “Good Day LA”, “Fox News”, “Rachel Ray” for recommending her as the Zerona Expert.  Dr. King recognized Zerona Expert, Consultant to Professionals, Health Experts, Doctors & Celebrities brings her properitary techniques combining the Zerona Laser with her Renewed Health Programs to bring you her 2 weeks to a NEW YOU!  With the accelerated fat loss/inch loss of the Zerona Laser combined with Dr. King’s balancing health programs you reach not only your health goals but your body and image goals in under a month often in as little as 2 WEEKS!

Lose 1-3 sizes and become a NEW YOU with Dr. King.

For more information and your one-on-one consultation with Dr. Stephanie King contact our office at 626-799-0557 or email skingdc@earthlink.net.  Dr. King will develop your personalized program based on your body’s specific body type and your goals for your health & body image.

Dr. King is the expert and whether you have metabolic issues, have done liposuction or gastric bypass or any other surgical procedure Dr. King has the tools and knows the techniques needed for this to work for you.  It is very important to have a proper assessment and to have the correct nutritional support and prep-work especially if you have metabolic issues or if you’ve had surgical procedures prior to doing Zerona.

Dr. King is uniquely qualified in this area and knows how the augment the Zerona to work for you. Just read our amazing testimonials on our website as well as Dr. King’s full bio at www.dedicatedtohealth.com.

Llega Octubre, acaban las últimas vacaciones del año, pero ello no es un impedimento para hacer alguna escapada de vez en cuando a, por ejemplo, Toledo, antigua capital de España hasta 1563 o Aranjuez, famosa por sus Jardines y el Palacio Real. También podemos perdernos en familia por Sarrión y Teruel y visitar Dinópolis o viajar hacia el Sur y visitar Granada y enamorarse de la Alhambra.

I’ve done quite a lot since I last wrote here. So much so that I’m only going to give you potted highlights otherwise you will lose the will to live before you are half way through.

• I was invited to a Charity Gala dinner in London on Friday 30th October, the highlight of which was the after dinner speaker – President Bill Clinton. He spoke about the charity work he does through the William J Clinton Foundation and particularly mentioned Kiva a cause I support already and recommend (link in my sidebar).

• We mooched around Portobello Road market (as seen in the film ‘Notting Hill’) on Saturday as rather amazingly, I had never been there – great fun. We came back from London on Sunday as I had a meeting. I mention this because I then rushed back up to London on Monday morning to spend some time with my #2 son for my birthday
• He and I finally got to see the Anish Kapoor exhibition at the Royal Academy – it was fabulous. Really enjoyed it.

Anish Kapoor and 'Yellow' at the Royal Academy

• We went to see Simon Lynge – a very gifted singer songwriter who comes from Greenland. It was the launch party for his new album to be released in February. He was very good indeed. See for yourself. I love this song which is his single.

• Rushed back from London (again) in time to go out for with lunch with some friends and #1 son for my birthday.
• Spent my birthday packing as I was going to Spain to stay with a friend early the next day.
• Had a wonderful holiday in Sayalonga, a small hilltop village in the mountains behind Malaga. We had several hair raising trips out along winding mountain roads tracks to visit pretty towns and to admire astonishing views.

Sayalonga

One highlight of the trip  was a visit to the Caves at Nerja – possibly the best thing I have ever seen – utterly awesome. Here is a photograph which you can click on to see a large version. They have concerts in these caves in the summer (if you zoom in you can see the seating) – definitely added to my list of things to do. Opera in these caves would be astonishing.

One thing that can now be ticked off my list of things to do, was the other highlight of my trip – a visit to the Alhambra in Granada. If the Caves at Nerja are an example of nature at it’s most magnificent, then the Alhambra is an example of how sublimely beautiful some of man’s creations can be. It’s truly breathtaking. Here is a slide show of the photographs I took.

!!!

• The weather in Spain was beautiful – cool in the mornings and evenings but in the 70s and sunny during the day. I arrived back in the UK to torrential rain and howling gales – which has continued and shows no signs of going away. Just as well that I have been thrown back into the deep end with the latest iteration of the record company book project. With only three days to work on it before it had to be packaged up and sent to Seattle and as there were major re-writes and design changes, it was a manic weekend. Fedex have given me several highly stressful moments which I could have well done without but hopefully I (and they) made the deadline.

So now I am working on a couple of websites. One, my first e-commerce site for a friend who makes jewellery will be a fun project and hopefully the experience will help me when I get round to designing my own website for selling my books and photograph albums.

If I ever have the time to do it…

Frank Stockton is the kind of artist that your grandmother would scoff at all while telling you about some painter called Whistler. Nope, Frank Stockton is more than an artist, he’s an illustrator, so by default, more storyteller than engineer. Scope an abundance of Stockton illustrations on his site. The three illustrations in this post are part of a series called “Live Tonight” and were featured in the June 2008 Penthouse issue. For the local cats, you can grab prints of these at the Nucleus Art Gallery in Alhambra, or on their website.

]]> http://hungrysofia.com/2009/11/18/practical-packages/ Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:17:41 +0000 hungrysofia http://hungrysofia.com/2009/11/18/practical-packages/

With the holidays coming fast and furious, I had the uncharacteristically practical thought that it was time to make empanadas, an easy way to use leftovers.  So sensible, but after a poor initial batch involving sirloin tips and too-buttery dough, I had to start from scratch.  I was looking for something in a chicken, baked not fried, and maybe a little sweet.  That’s when I found Anya Von Bremzen’s recipe for pastela moruna, Moorish chicken with dried fruits and nuts baked in puff pastry, a specialty of Granada.  As she explains, local food historians trace its origin to the Alhambra’s Moorish aristocracy though its likely to have come from North Africa.  Van Bremzen also cites Sophie Coe’s description in America’s First Cuisine of a banquet given by Hernán Cortés in Mexico City in 1538 where an enormous empanada was served.  When the crust was broken, live rabbits and birds leapt out.  I decided to save the puff pastry for another time but knew I’d found my filling for the empanadas.  It wasn’t leaping rabbits and palace tales, but spiced with sweet paprika, ginger, cumin and cinnamon, it was like making a tiny pastry suitcase for my favorite things then eating it.

Empanadas de Pollo a la Moruna
Adapted from The New Spanish Table by Anya von Bremzen. That didn’t happen here, unfortunately.

For the filling:
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup onion, quartered and finely diced
1/4 cup chicken stock or broth
1 1/2 cups skinned chicken, torn into bite-size pieces (from 1 medium-size rotisserie chicken)
1/2 tablespoon sweet (not smoked) paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of cayenne
1/4 cup plum tomatoes, diced, fresh or canned
1/4 cup dark raisins
Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1/8 cup lightly toasted pine nuts
1/8 cup lightly toasted slivered almonds

Empanada dough (see below)
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
Sugar

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until soft, about 3-5 minutes.  Continue to cook over medium-low heat until translucent and just beginning to brown, an additional 10-15 minutes.  Add 1-2 teaspoons of  olive oil or chicken broth if skillet dries out.  Add chicken and cook for 1 minute.  Stir in paprika, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and cayenne.  Add chicken broth, tomatoes, and raisins.  Cover and cook for an additional 12 to 15 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Remove from heat.  Season with salt to taste and set aside till cool.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/8 of an inch and cut it into circles about 5 inches in diameter. Lightly brush ridge of circle with egg glaze.  Place two tablespoons of filling in the center of each circle and fold in half. Seal the edges with the tines of a fork or the pinch and twist method.*

Brush with egg wash and lightly sprinkle with sugar.  Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool at least 5 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

*Click here for an easy to follow demo of the latter technique posted by From Argentina With Love.

Homemade Empanada Dough
This recipe is adapted from A Taste of Old Cuba by Maria Josefa Lluria de O’Higgins.  I’d only used this recipe to make smaller, fried empanaditas but they dough worked well.  Click here to jump to a related post.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 eggs
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups filling (see above)

Combine flour, salt, and sugar into a large bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or two knives crossed like scissors until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.

Mix the egg with the wine in a small bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the liquid. Toss the mixture gently to blend then knead the dough until well mixed. Chill for 2 hours.

Makes 24 small or 12 large empanadas.

Ingredientes:

• 2 endivias rojas.
• 2 endivias blancas.
• 4 espárragos trigueros.
• 1/2 manzana reineta.
• 100 gr. de queso de Roncal o Idiazábal.
• 1 chorrico de nata líquida.
• 20 gr. de maíz frito.
• Vinagre de módena.
• Aceite de oliva virgen.
• Armagnac.
• Un chorrito de mostillo de uva.
• Sal.
• Pimenta.

Para el rulo trituramos el queso de cabra con el armagnac, la nata líquida, sal y pimienta. Utilizaremos el papel film para hacer el rulo y lo dejaremos enfriar en la cámara. Una vez quede sólido lo cortaremos en rodajas y reservaremos.

Para la vinagreta mezclaremos con la ayuda de una varilla el aceite, el vinagre y el mostillo de uva. Cortamos al gusto las endibias, los espárragos trigueros, la manzana y aliñamos.

Para la presentación utilizaremos un cortapastas para incluir todos los ingredientes, de forma que las endivias queden en el fondo, encima los rulos de queso, el maíz frito picado y la manzana. Agregamos la vinagreta del mostillo de uva. Añadir al gusto cebollino como decoración.

JAVIER DÍAZ, ALHAMBRA.

Fuente: http://www.restaurantesdelreyno.com/

Day 2: Granada – the Alhambra

Our 2^nd day is spent visiting the Alhambra, the large medieval Moorish palace-city, admired for its impressive Islamic architecture. Having pre-booked and purchased tickets online (highly advisable since there is a restricted no. of visitors allowed to enter each day), we hop onto a bus (no. 30 or 32) from Plaza Isabel La Catotica.

Palacio Nazaries (Nasrid Palaces) – comprising of 3 main palaces: Palacio de Mexuar, Palacio de Comares, Palacio de Leones

• Palacio de Mexuar

Cuarto Dorado (Golden Room) where public audiences were held by the ruler

intricate designs on the window frames

patterned tiles on the interior of the walls

• Palacio de Comares

reflection of Patio de los Arrayanes (Patio of the Myrtles named after the hedges surrounding the pool)

beautiful arches border the courtyard

• Palacio de Leones

Patio de los Leones

supporting columns &…. the eight-point star formation ceiling at the Hall of the Abencerrajes

Albaicin seen from viewpoint of Daraxa

the Partal with gardens grouped around five arches

Palacio de Carlos V 

renaissance architecture of Palacio de Carlos V

rings hanging from the beaks of eagles

the Alhambra Museum housed in the palace

Alcazaba

the towering fort

Torre de la Vela, the highest of the towers

view of Granada city from Torre de la Vella

Generalife

gardens of Alhambra

After spending half the day at Alhambra and Generalife, we catch a 3 hour train to Seville.

Granada attractions map

Tan lejos de ti y tengo que echarte de menos. Tan lejos de ti y no se me olvida tu encanto.

Buenos días a tod@s!!

Desigandalucía os quiere presentar una iniciativa por parte de la Consejería de Cultura de la Junta de Andalucía, el Patronato de la Alhambra y el Generalife y el Arzobispado de Granada que nos adentrará en el entorno urbano y paisajístico del conjunto monumental más importante de la ciudad.

Así es, los cinco nuevos itinerarios turísticos partirán desde la Alhambra descendiendo por la colina de la Sabika y penetrando en el barrio del Albaicín hasta el centro histórico de la capital. La idea es que se de la posibilidad al viajero y a la población residente de disfrutar de aquellos lugares que no están incluidos en el recorrido general por el monumento de la Alhambra pero que resultan esenciales para mejorar su comprensión.

Los cinco nuevos itinerarios que se ofrecen desarrollan cinco líneas temáticas:

• “La Alhambra y la Granada carolina. El sueño del emperador”. Esta ruta llevará al turista por la Granada remodelada del siglo XVI.

• “La ciudad cristiana. Un nuevo orden político, social y religioso”. Aquí el viajero recorrerá los espacios que recuerdan la incorporación de Granada a la corona de Castilla y la expulsión definitiva de los moriscos en 1570.

• “La mujer en la Granada andalusí y renacentista. Espacios privados y de relación”. Dedicada a la mujer en la Granada andalusí y renacentista.

• “La conquista del agua. El paisaje del agua en la cultura hispanomusulmana y cristiana”. En esta ruta el paisaje del agua es el eje conductor. Desde la Acequia Real en la Alhambra, Patio de la Sultana, hasta el Bañuelo, pasando por el Mirador Romántico, el sistema hidráulico de Los Albercones, las Huertas del Generalife o el Baño de Muhammad III.

• “La Alhambra: territorio, espacio y ciudad. Patrones artísticos y funcionales de la cultura nazarí”. La quinta ruta turística se centrará en los patrones artísticos y funcionales de la cultura nazarí a través de la Granada burguesa, poblada por comerciantes y artesanos.

Estas rutas se empezarán a comercializar a partir del próximo 23 de Noviembre, si quereis más información visitar el sitio oficial aqui. Desigandalucía os propone apartamentos en Granada a precios asequibles y situados en las mejores zonas. También el alquiler de apartamentos turísticos en Granada que podeis reservar online a través de nuestra página web.

Hasta pronto!

Nossa viagem continua por terras espanholas. Partimos de Sevilha rumo a Córdoba e Granada.
Em Córdoba conhecemos um dos lugares mais lindos de Andaluzia: o Alcazar dos Reis Cristãos, com jardins suntuosos que  nos remete ao tempo dos reis e rainhas.

Já em Granada, o objetivo era claro…conhecer a famosa Alhambra. Acompanhem a última reportagem sobre a região.

Veja aqui a primeira parte da viagem.

Esta reportagem foi mais uma parceria com a TV Cidade Record.

Anyone who thinks that la Alhambra is the only sight worth seeing in Granada is wrong.

When I started planning my trips around Spain, everyone — both the natives and the knowledgeable — told me that Granada is a beautiful city in Andalucía, the famous southern sector that also includes Sevilla. Most also told me that all I really needed was one day in the city to see la Alhambra, the famous expansive palace that housed centuries of Muslim caliphs and, later, Catholic kings.

I disagree with that sentiment. When I traveled to Granada with two other Marquette students over the weekend, we found a small treasure tucked into the mountainside. Granada is a city bursting with diverse culture, beautiful architecture, breathtaking scenery, great flamenco music, delicious food, Gypsies living in caves, and — of course — la Alhambra.

Liz, Rachel and I took an early bus out of Madrid Saturday morning, arriving in Granada in the early afternoon. We decided to just meander around the city center.

We did the obligatory tour of the city cathedral. Don’t get me wrong, it was enjoyable, but churches have become old hat at this point.

The cathedral had a pair of really cool pipe organs!

We then proceeded to shop, (I’m cringing as I type this), until dinner time. For once, I actually had an item of clothing in mind that I wanted to buy. Ever since I got to Europe, I’ve been craving a cool European jacket. All the Spanish guys wear similar dark-colored coats with lots of pockets. I can’t pull off leather, but I think I could rock this style.

After a few hours of looking, we failed to come across the perfect jacket for less than 80 euro. So that plan was out.

Liz, Rachel and I ate cuscus and drank Pakistani tea in a Moroccan restaurant that night.

As is usually the case when one goes shopping, I found something unexpected that I really liked. I’m the complete opposite of an impulse-buyer, but how could I turn down a cool jacket for 10 euro? It screams European, it’s a new look for me, and it’s reversible. Sold.

Eventually, the growling of our stomachs overtook the urge to continue searching the stores for my dream jacket.

We ate in a really quaint Moroccan restaurant. Each of us ordered cuscus with chicken, and Rachel and I also tried Pakistani tea. The food was delicious, and I’ve decided that Americans don’t know how to do tea because the Pakistani tea was heavenly.

Later that night, we crammed into a flamenco bar. We felt cool and completely un-touristy because we were the only non-natives in the place.

I love flamenco. It has the simplicity of American blues mixed with the spontaneity of jazz, but I am thoroughly convinced that the average American would completely eff up a flamenco concert.

As you may know, flamenco usually involves women dancing while someone plays acoustic guitar and sings. It always incorporates clapping, but on the off-beats. Since the crowds at every American concert I’ve ever attended epically failed to clap along with a straight 4/4 beat, I’m positive they would cause a train wreck at a flamenco show.

I felt like I got a taste of real flamenco culture at our show. There was a young Spanish guy playing guitar while seated. On the other side of the stage, a woman clapped the accents while occasionally dancing to the music.

Seated in the middle of the stage was this 80-year-old singer. He would scat a lot, using the vibrating voice that characterizes flamenco. He also hopped off his chair to belt out particularly powerful moments in the song, at which point everyone in the crowd would go nuts. I hope I’m that passionate about music at his age.

We soon grew tired of standing in the packed little bar, so we searched for a new hangout spot. It makes me cringe again to say that we settled on an Irish pub. In our defense, it had the television tuned to Spanish premier league soccer while blasting a kick-ass rock playlist through the speakers.

We three were the last to return to our hostel room, which also served as the temporary abode of three other travelers. Now is a good time to explain the part of this article’s title that probably made everyone go, “Wait…what?!” Rachel, Liz and I did not actually encounter corpses in the sense of cold, motionless cadavers.

However, one of our roommates seemingly lived in his bed that weekend. He was fast asleep when we arrived in the afternoon, he was out like a light when we got back late that night, and the cycle repeated itself the next day. There were only a couple of times that we saw his bed empty. Thus, Rachel dubbed him, “The Corpse.”

We met The Corpse the second night. He seemed like a pretty friendly Australian. The ten-second conversation we had was the only time we ever saw him “alive.”

The second day we tackled the big kahuna: la Alhambra. Our tickets weren’t good until 2 p.m., so we scaled the city’s hill to explore the famous Albayzín neighborhood. It was a chore to navigate the labyrinth of narrow streets, especially while walking uphill. There was a major payoff.

Me standing at the mirador de San Nicolas, with la Alhambra laid out in the background.

The view from el Mirador de San Nicolas was spectacular. From it one can see all of Granada spread out below, and la Alhambra stands directly across, on the adjacent hill.

The neighborhood also is home to many native Spaniards and immigrants alike, mostly Moroccans. I was digging the diversity.

We ate tapas along the river, surrounded by medieval Granada on one side and the impressive Alhambra on the other. Afterwards, we put our walking shoes back on to climb the other hill to la Alhambra.

La Alhambra did not disappoint. In 2007, it was in the running for the title of one of the “new” seven wonders of the world. The controversial poll, in which people could vote online an unlimited amount of times, yielded these results:

• The Great Wall of China
• Petra in Jordan
• Brazil’s statue of Christ the Redeemer
• Peru’s Machu Picchu
• Mexico’s Chichen Itza pyramid
• The Colosseum in Rome
• India’s Taj Mahal

I can’t argue with any of those choices, but I still think la Alhambra is worthy of the list. Like I said, it was built by Muslim caliphs, who ruled Spain from the eighth through the 15th centuries. Granada was the last bastion of Moorish rule to fall to the Catholic kings, peacefully turning it over to Isabel de Castilla in 1492. Isabel was living in the palace when Christopher Columbus delivered the earth-shattering news that he had discovered a New World. Isabel is now buried on the site.

La Alhambra

In addition to the rich history, the palace/castle has some of the most stunning architecture I’ve ever seen. I believe the Moors were the best thing to ever happen to Spanish culture, and la Alhambra gives strong credence to that argument. It is filled with colorful tile patterns, beautiful Arabic phrases carved into clay and wood, intimidating towers, luscious patio gardens, and unique ceilings.

Moorish decor

El patio de los Arrayanes. Love the reflection. (Copied this photo idea from a tourist guidebook.)

This ceiling never ceases to "wow" me.

Perhaps the best “wow” moment of la Alhambra was looking out on Granada from the highest tower of the castle, Torre de la Vela. It’s hard not to feel like you’re on top of the world.

View from the tallest tower of la Alhambra.

Having accomplished our main goal for the weekend, everything afterwards was just gravy.

That night, we decided to go on the hostel’s tapas tour to be social while having a night on the town. We went to three different tapas bars, and I had a blast talking with guys from Australia, Mexico City and Cleveland. The food was pretty good, too. I even tried blood sausage! (Never again. I ate one bite, and it tasted kinda like jerky. Problem was, I couldn’t eat it while knowing what it was. Too gross.)

The next morning, we rousted ourselves out of bed to hop on the hostel walking tour of the Albayzín neighborhood. Even though we’d already seen it, it was worth hiking up the hill again just to hear the guide’s commentary.

Our guide was a Brit who has lived in Granada for a number of years. He was hilarious, making us do a silly hokey-pokey thing at the beginning of the tour to loosen us up and telling us pretty witty jokes.

He was also a gold mine of interesting and useful tidbits. For example, I learned a ton about the history of Granada and la Alhambra, including that gem about it being the site where Columbus delivered the news to Isabel. He told us that Granada, which is Spanish for pomegranate, was thus named because of the abundance of the fruit that was introduced to the area by the Moors. Interestingly, granada is also Spanish for grenade.

He also explained why medieval Spanish doorways have smaller openings within their large frames. It’s not because Spaniards are historically short; it’s actually because the short doorway forces one to duck his head upon entering, thereby making it easy to chop off an intruder’s head.

The guy even explained to me why residents of Ireland and the U.K. drive on the left, while most of Europe and America drive on the right. (For the sake of space, I’ll leave this explanation out. If you really want to know, feel free to leave a comment below.)

All too soon, it was time to catch the bus back to Madrid. I started to miss Granada as soon as we departed. Although the city is fairly small, it is so full of life. I fell in love with the culture, the history, and the scenery. I’ve decided that Granada is my second-favorite Spanish city, behind Sevilla. It’s not a coincidence that my top two are located in the southern community of Andalucía, which has the most visible, lasting fingerprints of Moorish culture.

Although I’m completely satisfied with my three-day trip to Granada, there were a few things that would’ve been fun to check out, like the Gypsy caves on top of the hill, the aqueducts that supply water to the fountains of la Alhambra, and the abandoned monastery hidden within the surrounding mountains.

Having been there myself, I know that Granada has much more to offer than just la Alhambra. I will passionately argue with anyone who thinks otherwise.

Lundi soir (09/11/09) avait lieu, à l’Alhambra un concert de Francis et Didier Lockwood. Ce concert était aussi l’occasion au label AMES de fêter ses 5 ans.

A cette occasion, la première partie était consacrée à différents artistes de ce label. Chaque artiste à interprété deux morceaux. Didier Lockwood, en tant que fondateur du label, présentait les différents artistes au fur et à mesure. Cela rajoutait non seulement une certaine convivialité mais permettait surtout de replacer tous ces artistes dans leur contexte.

Pour démarrer les festivités, le groupe de Jean My Truong. Didier Lockwood a présenté ce batteur comme étant un des trois grands batteurs de jazz des années 70 (avec Christian Vander et Aldo Romano). Et bien à le voir jouer, je dirai qu’il n’a pas perdu de sa superbe ! Il était accompagné de Pascal Sarton à la basse acoustique, Irving Acao au saxophone et Leandro Aconcha au piano. Le deuxième morceau était particulièrement intéressant avec ses changement de rythmes plutôt osés mais réussis.

Vint ensuite une chanteuse : Tangora. Elle était accompagné par  François Laizeau à la batterie, Eric Vinceno à la basse et Mario Canonge au piano. Autant le dire tout de suite, je ne suis pas fan de jazz vocal. Et pourtant, la partie vocale était loin d’être déplaisante et surtout les musiciens étaient très bon. Les solos étaient principalement pris par le piano. Je ne connaissais pas ce pianiste mais il est réellement doué.

Le groupe suivant était le trio de Thomas Enhco. Thomas Enhco est un jeune pianiste de 21 ans. Il est le fils de la femme de Didier Lockwood et a été formé, comme les musiciens qui l’accompagnaient, au CMDL : le Centre des Musiques Didier Lockwood). Les autres musiciens de ce trio sont Joachim Govin à la contrebasse et Nicolas Charlier à la batterie. Ce trio est vraiment prometteur. Leur musique est un jazz assez moderne. Le premier morceau “Bobsleigh” était impressionnant de technicité au piano. Le deuxième, basé sur une des Kinderszen de Robert Schumann, bien que plus calme était lui aussi très intéressant.

Le contrebassiste et le batteur sont ensuite restés pour accompagner les deux groupes suivants. Le premier fut la chanteuse Stephy Haik accompagnée au piano par Olivier Hutman. Elle œuvre dans un registre assez feutré. Je n’ai pas plus accroché que ça. J’ai eu surtout du mal avec le personnage. Elle en fait beaucoup trop … Cependant, il faut reconnaitre qu’elle a plutôt une jolie voix.

Le dernier groupe de cette première partie fût les Six 1/2. Six voix (deux féminines quatre masculines) accompagné en plus du batteur et contrebassiste précédemment cités, d’un pianiste dont je n’ai pas retrouvé le nom. Clairement, ce n’est pas un genre de musique que j’apprécie avec une approche finalement très “variété”.

Fût ensuite le temps d’une entracte. Avant de passer à ce que je m’attendais à être la grosse partie du concert. Ce le fût en qualité mais malheureusement pas en durée : seulement une petite heure de jeu.

Francis est donc le frère de Didier. Il est pianiste et c’est apparemment à lui que Didier doit  son côté improvisateur. Leur premier album enregistré ensemble est sorti il y a peu.

Didier Lockwood est resté très sobre sur les effets utilisés. Il utilisait un violon acoustique et s’est principalement servi d’un octaver (ou similaire) pour pouvoir accompagner les solos du piano avec un son plus typé contrebasse. Il a également utilisé une Wah sur un morceau et quelques délais sur un autre. C’est à peu près tout.

Les deux musiciens ont une très bonne communication laissant pas mal de place aux morceaux pour évoluer. Les solos de Didier étaient tous plus brillant les uns que les autres. Ceux de Francis sont restés globalement plus simples mais pas déplaisants pour autant.

Ce fut donc un très bon moment mais comme dit précédemment, trop court. Cependant vu que les groupes en première partie étaient de bon niveau et variés ça compensait. Le concert s’étant fini vers 23h15, il était de toutes façon difficile d’en caser plus, à moins de le faire commencer plus tôt.

Hvordan svenske zionister truer parlamentsmedlemmer til taushet; nazikortet.

Riksdagsman uttalar stöd för Sanningsrörelsen

Riksdagsledamoten Egon Frid (V) har uttalat sitt stöd för Sanningsrörelsen. Tidigare i år skrev han på ett upprop med krav om en ny oberoende undersökning av 11-septemberattackerna.

– Jag kan inte backa på att jag har gjort det och det har jag väl egentligen inget skäl att göra, säger Egon Frid (V) till Kalla fakta.

– Jag vet ju att det är fler som skulle vilja göra det men inte har kunnat göra det på grund av att det är en omöjlig debatt, fortsätter han.

Egon Frid har vid två separata tillfällen öppet markerat sitt stöd för Sanningsrörelsen. Dels har han skrivit på ett upprop där politiker världen över kräver sanningen om 11-septemberattackerna, men han har dessutom utvecklat sina teorier på sin blogg, som finns på en av vänsterpartiets hemsidor.

– De nya teorier jag fick del av i april i år i samband med att jag skrev på uppropet handlar ju om de alternativa teorierna om att USA kände till attentaten och terrordåden innan, och var en del av det, säger Egon Frid.

Israel anklagas
Kalla faktas granskning av Sanningsrörelsen visar att flera centrala ledargestalter öppet hävdar att Israel i samarbete med USA utförde 11-septemberattackerna. En av dem är författaren David Ray Griffin som skrivit flera böcker om attackerna.

– 11-septemberattackerna var ju till för att skapa en bild av muslimer som terrorister. Detta gav Israel full makt i världens ögon, säger David Ray Griffin.

I Sverige är det Alhambra förlag som översätter och ger ut David Ray Griffins litteratur. Här möter vi också uppfattningen om amerikanskt och israeliskt samarbete kring attentaten. Lasse Wilhelmson är förlagets representant i Stockholm.

– Alla som håller på med politik på lite nivå vet ju att det här var en grej som Mossad och CIA var inblandade i och som man gjorde för att kunna skylla på länderna i arabvärlden. Man konstruerade det här hotet från terrorismen, säger Lasse Wilhelmson till Kalla fakta.

Utbredd antisemitism
– Det handlar om minsta gemensamma nämnare och att i det här fallet ge judarna skulden ytterst. Det är rena naziliknande idéer, säger journalisten och författaren Torbjörn Elensky till Kalla fakta.

Torbjörn Elensky har kritiserat Sanningsrörelsen och den utbredda antisemitism som florerar bland dess anhängare.

Kritik från partiet
Riksdagsledamoten Egon Frids uttalade stöd för Sanningsrörelsen har mottagits mycket positivt av personer inom rörelsen världen över. Det ger trovärdighet och tyngd åt de argument som förs fram. Men Vänsterpartiets gruppledare i riksdagen, Alice Åström (V), tycker inte det är bra.

– Jag tycker det finns all anledning att ta avstånd från den här rörelsen och vad dom står för, säger Alice Åström (V).

Hur är ditt förtroende för Egon Frid som riksdagsledamot idag?

– Jag har ju fortfarande förtroende för honom, men jag måste säga att i det här har han ju brustit i omdöme, säger Alice Åström (V) till Kalla fakta.

Namnet bortplockat
Dagen efter Kalla faktas intervju med Egon Frid, får han sitt namn bortplockat från uppropet. Han skriver på sin blog att han inte vill förknippas med Sanningsrörelsen.

Kajsa Lindohf – kajsa.lindohf@tv4.se

TV4 sender del 2 av sin behandling av 9/11-skeptikerne ikveld, søndag 8. november kl 19.20.

De zionistiske taktikkene de bruker i Stockholm burde gi en god pekepinn om hva som vil skje når vi her i Norge får et parlamentsmedlem på vår side, for en ny granskning av 11. september. De vil åpenbart at vi bare skal gi opp.