www.h-alhambrapalace.es
When Grace Kelly and her Prince Charming honeymooned in the 15th-century splendour of Granada’s Moorish Alhambra Palace in the 1950s – following a fairytale ceremony in which the bride wore a stunning silk taffeta dress paired with a 70-metre (231-ft) tulle veil – the world’s gaze turned to its romantic grandeur. With her new husband Prince Rainier, Grace embodied the dazzling radiance of a starry-eyed romantic dream as she tripped around the Alhambra Palace – Spain’s Moorish jewel and Granada’s glittering architectural treasure.
Built on a hilly terrace on Granada’s southeastern edge, the Alhambra (meaning ‘the red one’) is the opulent former residence of the city’s royal court under Arabic rule. A masterpiece of Spanish-Islamic architecture, the building is a celebration of ornamentation boasting impossibly intricate patterns of swirling vines and Arabic script interwoven onto gilt-laden panels of rich crimsons, black, blues and gold. Stucco pillars, coloured tiles, turrets, domes and spires characterise this stronghold of the Moorish Kings. Wrapped in a mile-long protective wall, the fortress had the capacity for forty thousand men and today forms the centrepiece of Granada’s aura of magical romance. Stroll through resplendent gardens of enchanted pools and fountains to the Parador de San Francisco, Granada’s 15th century former convent, past ancient trees, huge arched windows and leafy, paved courtyards. Stay overnight and request a room overlooking the gardens for a truly unforgettable romantic vista across the rose bushes, orange trees and myrtles. Moorish poets wrote of ‘a pearl set in emeralds’ in reference to the palace’s alabaster stone and lush, green garden setting. Listen to nightingales in the moonlight to the gentle sounds of bubbling cascades amidst marble columns, horseshoe archways, exquisite mosaics and reflective pools.
As the inspiration for Manuel de Falla’s evocative opera El Romance de Granada, the Alhambra Palace (Qal’at al Hamr) is the symbol of a city hand-crafted for romancing. Though lavish and grand in scale, Granada is not without its simple magic – few things are as memorable as watching the sun fade from the Mirador de San Nicolas as the city slowly illuminates the Alhambra in a spectacular golden glow. British composer Julian Anderson’s Alhambra Fantasy symphony is similarly stirring, drawing on the gasp-inducing beauty of the palace as inspiration – a passionate composition drenched in heart-felt sentiment and spirited emotion.
The glorious Alhambra Palace – a Moorish jewel and the perfect setting for romance.
FRANCE
TIME DIFFERENCE GMT +1
TELEPHONE CODE +33
CURRENCY Euro
LANGUAGE French
POPULATION 61.5 milion
SIZE OF COUNTRY 547,030 sq km (213,342 sq miles)
CAPITAL Paris
WHEN TO GO Coastal regions sizzle in July and August while the French Alps in the southeast of the country attract skiers in their droves in winter months. Spring and autumn are ideal seasons for hiking, cycling, climbing and running.
TOURIST INFORMATION Maison de la France (the French Tourist Board) Tel: 09068 244 123 Email: [email protected] www.franceguide.com
Almost the entire world has in some way been exposed to French influences, be it the wine, coffee and croissants, lavender fields or elegant châteaux. Chic, tree-lined Parisian boulevards, the sun-speckled vineyards of Burgundy and the sun-kissed beaches of Cannes embody the diversity of French culture. Mountains and hills cover vast swathes of the country including the mighty Alps, Pyrenees and Vosges. France is also famed for its sun-drenched Mediterranean coast: a sizzling summer beach destination and popular winter resort. As one the world’s most beautiful cities, Paris, set in a sedimentary basin on the banks of the romantic River Seine, harbours fine Baroque architecture and world-class art galleries.
013 PARIS
CONTACTS Paris Authentic 2CV Tours Tel: +33 6 64 50 44 19 Email: [email protected] www.parisauthentic.com
Tours cost from 160 euros per couple.
The Swedish are renowned for sleek, contemporary design, the Italian’s for sexy chic while stylish ingenuity is a German strongpoint. And the French? Well, just a glance at the Citroën 2CV casts a question mark over their design panache – a car so ugly that it is actually cute. Dubbed the Ugly Duckling of the Citroën world, the 2CV enjoys a cult following these days: the iconic, slightly gawky sex symbol of French motor vehicles. Hidden from the Nazis and manufactured for 42 years, the beloved 2CV has charmed the world for over a half a century. It boasts dozens of nicknames across the globe, from jernseng (‘iron bedstead’ in Norwegian), la cabra (‘goat’ in Spanish) and chocolaterias (‘chocolate tin can’ in Portuguese) to the rather unkind ‘tin snail’. Today, millions of derivatives across 30 different models have been produced around the globe, spawning over 300 2CV automotive clubs and rallies worldwide. Not bad for something its own designer admitted looked like an umbrella on wheels.
Citroën unveiled the first 2CV at the prestigious Paris Salon in 1948, yet the original concept was a pre-war 1930s prototype developed in complete secrecy, codenamed TPV (toute petite voiture, simply meaning ‘very small car’). Made from lightweight alloys, the early 2CV had a magnesium chassis and wheels. A canvas body stretched over a frame with seats that were no more than hammocks suspended from the roof. A set of added-on headlights gave it a nerdy, bug-eyed look, yet the French country folk adored the 2CV’s go-anywhere suspension. Low earners loved its unbeatable price and even snooty Parisians considered the 600 kg (1,326 lb) design revolution beyond fashion. First produced only in grey, other colours followed, representing one of just a few changes made to Pierre Boulanger’s original design over the years.
Designed to carry four averagely-proportioned adults wearing their Sunday-best hats, this space-efficient front-wheel-drive motor boasts a top speed of 60 kph (37 mph). Economical to run and cheap to maintain, it achieves a fuel consumption of 3 litres per 100 km (⅔ gallon per 62 miles); a 3-speed gear box is equipped with a supercharger peg that acts as a fourth gear. It is capable of running on the worst of roads, of being driven by a debutante, and is reassuringly comfy. Even the removable back seats doubled up as a handy picnic bench on a country jaunt over Le Weekend. Yet its proudest boast was that the 2CV was roomy enough for 50 kg (111 lbs) of potatoes and able to transport a basket of eggs over a freshly ploughed field without a single breakage – no mean feat.
Today, the 2CV is cherished by millions for its awkward, kookily romantic looks and compact, unworldly shape. For a non-streamlined design, it delivers a ride that is incredibly smooth with a well damped suspension that is couch-like rather than springy. It is a cosy car: somehow warm, cuddly and forgiving with more heart than a mere ‘tin snail’ should rightly possess. The BBC Top Gear programme’s Jeremy Clarkson may have written the 2CV off as a ‘weedy, useless little engine’, but the Deux Chevaux (as the French call it, meaning ‘two horses’) remains the most quintessentially French vehicle to trundle the roads – an automotive that epitomizes
