Perhaps the one sight I will remember being most thrilled with for my entire trip, was seeing the organ facades at Granada cathedral, with its fan of trumpets, a sight I have wanted to see ever since I discovered the pipe organ. But one is unprepared for the extravagance of those facades. With the exception of Passau cathedral, Granada cathedral was, for me, the highlight of what a cathedral can be. Passau's overall white interior decorated with gorgeous paintings in pinks, blues and golds, was a unforgettable sight, and the organ there was unique, but the Granada organ facades were also uniquely beautiful. And unforgettable.
My hotel in Granada was one block from the cathedral, so I rushed up after checking in, and was rewarded with one of the great cathedral sights.
I travelled from Seville to Granada by way of Jaen, hoping to see that cathedral, and unfortunately it was closed. But I did get to visit a fantastic castle, Castillo de Santa Catalina, with superb views over the town.
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| There are thousands of wind turbines dotting the landscape. |
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| Silos for olive oil. |
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| Castillo de Santa Catalina |
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| Time for a coffee. The castle has been turned into a parador (hotel) |
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| A view over the bullring. |
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| A visitor on the ramparts! |
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| Jaen Cathedral |
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| And, finally, in Granada, and the cathedral. |
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| OMG |
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| OMG |
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This was my most astonished moment in the trip.
Wouldn't Daddy have loved to see this! |
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| There are four facades. |
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This is a huge rotating music rack, holding huge books, mostly of 15th. century plainchant.
Books were hugely expensive, written and decorated by hand, so they would be placed on the rack, and rotated so that the choir could sing them. |
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| A rack of music books, about six feet high. |
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| Illustrations from the books. |
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| I can't seem to get enough of this view! |
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I would return to the cathedral after my Alhambra tour.
BTW, it is the second largest cathedral in Spain, after Sevilla. |
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