The River Darro was originally named after the Roman word for gold (aurus) because people used to pan for gold on its banks. This name was then changed by the Arabs to Hadarro and after being renamed Dauro by the Christians, it finally became known as Darro. There are five bridges crossing the Darro, most dating to the 16th Century and the River Darro still supplies water to the Alhambra through a system of aqueducts.
There are a series of five bridges across the River Darro through the city centre, most dating to the 16th Century. There is also a section of the old wall, which had a bridge across the river, and an internal staircase for river access, which has since been bricked up, with the doorway still visible.
The baths were not like the Roman baths, in that they were not for bathing in; rather, you went from the hot room through to the warm middle room where you washed yourself from a tub of water and perhaps had a massage or a beauty session, and finally to the coolest room (the Romans went the other way from coolest to hottest), and included actual bathing.
The tour took us back up the River Darro and into the El Banuelo baths, before heading into the maze of Albaicin and up into Sacromonte, at the furthest edge of the city. The Sacromonte area was (and probably still is) the Gypsy (Romani) area of the city, with all of the houses built into caves in the hill-side, even if the frontage appears to be a "normal" house; further up the hill there are actual caves with people living rather alternative life-styles (no running water, telephone (other than mobile) or electricity (other than solar) - but also with some of the best views of the city.
During the tour, besides walking the narrow and twisting streets that make up these medieval areas, we saw some street art (graffiti) by El Nino, who is meant to be one of the world's top such artists; visited a lovely garden in a house owned by the university which has a 250 year old wisteria vine - the trunk is like that of a tree; came across a parading marching band with an energetic flag waver, the sight of which apparently is quite normal in Granada; had sights of the Alhambra from many angles; and wandered through plazas both quiet and busy.
With stories and facts galore as well as handy hints on Granada's sights, it was back down to Albaicin and the tour finish point at Plaza San Nicoloas (St Nicholas's Square), from where I had first seen the Alhambra on my first day, after getting off at the wrong stop - at least I had a vague idea of how to return to the apartment, which it turns out was more than a vague idea, as I found it on the first go!
Before heading back to the apartment, however, at the plaza, I took a side-step into the Mezquita (mosque) next door; here you are able to visit the quite peaceful small gardens.
First stop was the Monasterio of San Jeronimo (or St Jerome's Monastery); which just to confuse matters is a monastery inhabited by nuns. So now we have monks living in convents (Toledo) and here we have nuns living in a monastery - these crazy Iberians! However, the monastery does at least have its roots as a real-life monk-inhabited monastery. Originally founded by the Catholic Monarchs Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon in Santa Fe outside the city of Granada, during the siege of the latter city, the last stage of the Reconquista. The construction of the current buildings in Granada properly began in 1504, and the monastery relocated at that time; building work was completed in 1547, which is pretty good by Spanish manana-time standards!
So, who was this St Jerome who keeps popping up (remember Toledo)? Saint Jerome 347 – 420 was a Latin Christian priest, confessor, theologian and historian, who also became a Doctor of the Church. He is best known for his translation of the Bible into Latin (the Vulgate), and his extensive commentaries on the Gospel of the Hebrews. Recognised as a saint by the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Lutheran Church, and the Church of England, Jerome is commemorated on 30 September with a memorial.
The monastery has the obligatory cloisters, in which are the remains of various monks (the oldest such grave-marker I found was dated 1655), and a church. Having been sacked by Napoleon's troops and later used as a cavalry unit barracks, the whole complex has undergone considerable renovation.
Now, to say that the church is OTT (over the top) is a huge understatement - this place is WOTT (way over the top) - in fact I would say it is WAY, WAY over the top, as it had me saying "What?" at just about every step. The walls are almost all adorned with highly decorative painted frescoes, the ceiling is ornately detailed, there are statues of all sorts of saints and good Christians (eg conquesting soldiers) everywhere, the side naves are, as I have come to expect, lined with chapels, and the dome soars, but the centre-stage piece is a phenomenal gold-coloured, four-storeyed altar-piece that quite simply defies description.
I was left gob-smacked!
A little out of the way, and obviously not on the main tourist paths, this is a great little museum, with seven rooms that tell the story of the Jews, particularly post 1492 and through the times of the Spanish Inquisition (I know, "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition" - there it has been said). In short, the Jews, along with the Muslims (although their history is all around, and well-documented) were given the choice to either leave Spain within 10 years and departing with nothing, converting to Christianity (and the Spanish Inquisition were there to test that you really had converted and were no longer practicing your heathen religion), or death (which some did actually choose).
For your very reasonable 5 euro entry fee, one of the staff actually take you through the museum, explaining the exhibitions and the history as you go - a really nice touch, and most informative; it was 45 minutes well-spent. The exhibits include some reproductions, such as the carved sign that sat above an Inquisitors door, to clearly identify them as such, but others are original, such as the 15th Century very delicate essence jar, and a variety of other objects, including documents, with one dating to 1599.
Apparently when the Jews first came to Spain, they suffixed names with "ez" meaning "son of", like the Irish "O" and Scottish "Mac" or "Mc" prefixes or the English "son" suffix; so, a name such as Lopez, Martinez, etc, suggests a Jewish ancestry.
So with that rounding out Granada, it's off to Seville tomorrow.