Seat of power: the historic Alhambra, backed by the snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains, overlooks Granada in Andalusia, Spain
I wish I could say that what I laid my eyes on was a hidden gem, a perfect secret for a big reveal. I fear, however, I’m going to disappoint and deliver only a cliché—somewhere we all know is famously beautiful, but somewhere I had never had the good fortune to visit before. The place in question is the Alhambra in Granada, Spain.
We were staying in the Parador, right in the heart of the palace, which was converted from Franciscan convent to a hotel back in the 1940s. I had only been able to book a meagre room online, but, on arrival, we were offered the chance to upgrade to a suite with a view. Normally, I wouldn’t fall for this trick—hotel rooms, in my book, are for sleeping in, not lingering—but something told me that, in this instance, it would be worth the wallop of extra euros.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 03, 2024-Ausgabe von Country Life UK.
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Tales as old as time
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There's orange gold in them thar fields
A kitchen staple that is easily taken for granted, the carrot is actually an incredibly tricky customer to cultivate that could reduce a grown man to tears, says Sarah Todd
True blues
I HAVE been planting English bluebells. They grow in their millions in the beechwoods that surround us—but not in our own garden. They are, however, a protected species. The law is clear and uncompromising: ‘It is illegal to dig up bluebells or their bulbs from the wild, or to trade or sell wild bluebell bulbs and seeds.’ I have, therefore, had to buy them from a respectable bulb-merchant.
Oh so hip
Stay the hand that itches to deadhead spent roses and you can enjoy their glittering fruits instead, writes John Hoyland
A best kept secret
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