Granada, Spain

Guess what? It’s hot again! We checked out of the hostel early this morning and caught a bus to our new hostel at 9.45 am.

A quick bite to eat, and then we caught the bus up the hill to the Alhambra. The Alhambra is a 9th century Islamic fortress built on 132 hectares on Cerro de Sol (Hill of the Sun). This is the north east of the city’s center. This is the phenomenal fortress that I have been waiting to see this whole trip. Mainly because it is the name of a Tea Party album.

We went to four different sections of the fortress. The Alcazabar was where the Alhambra’s military services were kept. Here were military quarters, along with numerous watchtowers. This part of the building dates back to the 14th century.

Next was the Palace of the Nazaris. This is basically the old royal palace. To think that the art in this building, i.e., alfresco, intricate Islamic writings in limestone and marble, ceramic tiles, etc., could last so long, is not really the amazing part. What blows me away is the immaculate detail and sheer volume of it, and when you think what has been destroyed over time due to wear and tear, you can only come to the conclusion that this place must have been the most admired it its time.

Salon de Embajadores, Palacio Nazaries, Alhambra, Granada, Spain

Just outside of the palace is the palace of King Carlos V. This is a simple, square, two-storey building with a round courtyard. The building houses the Museo de la Alhambra, which contains many artifacts from the 12th – 15th centuries, including a 600-year-old Koran, furniture, vases, coins, parts of fountains, to name a few.

Palacio de Carlos V, Alhambra, Granada, Spain

Court of the Myrtles, Alhambra, Granada, Spain

Alhambra, Granada, Spain

From here we walked up to the Generalife, the Summer Palace. Here the palace is not so much spectacular, but the gardens and grounds have been well kept. It is also a great, cool place to be in the heat.

Generalife, Alhambra, Granada, Spain

Alhambra, Granada, Spain

Granada, Spain

After our visit, on the way back down the hill, I picked up a souvenir book and had lunch at a café right near our place. Roberta then went for a rest, while I headed off to an internet café, so as to not fall asleep. Upon my return I had a small nap (damn it!) before we went out for the evening.

We went to one of the bars from Thursday night for a drink and some tapas.

From here we watched the Alhambra come alight as night fell. We walked up the hill for a couple of photos of the fortress before going to another bar for a drink.

We walked back to Plaza Nueva, where a group of guys were playing some songs to anyone who would listen. They had a fairly good crowd, on top of all the people eating in nearby restaurants. That was until midnight, when the police came and put a stop to it all, to the sound of many boos and catcalls from the crowd. We went across the road, bought ice cream, and then headed home.