We saw the Granada Cathedral today.  Hester, being Hester, helped a little old lady on her way to mass.  The little old lady was delighted that Hester was American and said that our president was soooo handsome and that the Spanish could “just eat him up.”

The Cathedral had a very graphic statue of Santiago, also known as St. James, crushing the Moors, by standing on a Moor in full cabellaro regalia. It was large and used a lot of gilt, to show Spanish wealth from its new territories in the Americas.

We then went to the Royal Chapel (Capilla Real) to see the moseleum of Ferdinand and Isabella. Again, the materials showed a shocking lack of cultural relitivism, as they described Isabella as the most beautiful and pious woman to ever ascend the throne.  For those who don´t know their Spanish monarchs cold, Isabella and Ferdinand (the Catholic Monarchs, as they are called here) presided over the Inquisition, the exile of the Muslims and Jews, and Columbus´voyages.  The imagery of the main alter was a bit gory, as you´ll see in the photos.