Granada

The Alhambra is the biggest draw to Granada with 8,000 visitors a day.

Note time on clock!

How lucky we were that I double-checked the reservation I had made months ago to visit the Palacio Nazaries on Monday.  The itinerary I had quickly put together for Shana before leaving home indicated we would visit the Palacio inside the Alhambra on Wednesday, but the real date was Tuesday, April 2^nd. We would have missed the opportunity entirely if I had not had a hunch I should check.

We were able to catch an early bus (3 hours) from Cordoba to Granada in the morning, take a local bus to the hotel area, check-in & drop off bags before redeeming our reservation for tickets and catching a taxi to the high hilltop complex just before our ticket time of 2 pm.

 It was close and if you are not in line & through the line before ½ hour of your allotted time your tickets are null & void and you are out of luck. The control of visitors into the Palacio area is wonderful; it’s not too crowded to enjoy the magic of your surroundings.

The Moors were settled in Southern Spain for over eight centuries following Roman & Visigoth rules. The jewel of the Alhambra is a Moorish Palace beautifully carved & tiled. I was a shutterbug inside; here are just a few of the pictures I took.

We were able to hike right down the steep hill over cobblestoned pedestrian walkways right to the little street of our hotel. Hotel Austria wasn’t fancy, but it was comfortable for sleeping & amazing quiet at night given it’s location in the historical center of town. We found bread & pastry shops close by, an Indian restaurant with delicious food & free tapas with a drink order, all block or so away.

Another fun walk in Granada is straight uphill along the river to the Albaycin. There high on the hill is a wonderful view over the river gorge back at the Alhambra. We sat at the St. Nicholas’ Church viewpoint where Keith was invited over to chat with locals.

Making our way back down the hill it started to sprinkle, again.  It’s not entirely true that “the rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain”, this year it falls everywhere, and has for over a month. Rivers are flooding and water stands in puddles in fields. The news declares this is the wettest spring in over 70 years, lucky us. But it hasn’t spoiled our visit; in fact, the greens in the fields are so bright we could be in Ireland. We all have rain gear and the few times it’s really poured, we’ve been inside safe & cozy.

The four cities we visited (Lisboa, Sevilla, Cordoba & Granada) have all offered something different & special. Our small town choices thus far (Sintra, Evora & Tavira) have charmed us & given us a break from noise & people.

One of many grand buildings in the city center

Back view of Granada's grand cathedral

Granada City Center

Our next  & final stops are the hill towns of Andalucía beginning with Ronda. We bussed this morning directly to the Malaga airport from where we depart on Tuesday morning to pick up the rental car, a BMW! Driving to the farmhouse 4 km out of Ronda was a most scenic tour. We have wonderful accommodations here. We are sitting in a living room with a fireplace now reading & writing. Our rooms are very large with desks, tables & chairs for picnics with views out into the countryside. We are high in the mountain range that borders the Atlantic so it’s chilly & damp, but very lovely.Tomorrow we will tour Ronda, an ancient town that straddles a huge ravine.

A last peek at The Alhambra