We are spending two nights in Granada which is nice. It is amazing how fast one can ‘settle in’.
We started relatively early this morning to explore the Alhambra. It is network of Moorish palaces, irrigated gardens and towers sitting above the city it is world heritage site and rightfully so!
One of my favorite parts about our trip so far is being here in winter. Sometimes it can be cold but having so many sites almost to ourselves is wonderful. I really don’t like fighting crowds and it seems we never have to.
It was quite a climb from our hotel up to the Alhambra. We savored the views from the towers. Our room must be visible down there someplace. Then we got in line for our 9:30 ticket to the Palacios Nazaries. This central palace complex was all jaw dropping carved walks and ceilings, geometric gardens and running water and fountains. In my opinion the Muslim geometric designs stand the test of time much much better than medieval Christian paintings.
We stopped for coffee in the parador that is in the old convent of San Francisco inside the Alhambra. Someday we may stay here but it is the most expensive parador in Spain. A room even now in winter would be about €300.
After our coffee break we strolled through the gardens. Even in their winter dormancy they were gorgeous. Leaving the Alhambra we headed down hill back to our hotel for a siesta.
This afternoon we visited the Royal Chapel. I’m sure I learned about Ferdinand and Isabella in first grade when I first learned about Columbus. Of course we didn’t learn about how Ferdinand and Isabella united Spain or how they completed the reconquista and took over Granada from the Moors in 1492. Ferdinand and Isabella are laid to rest in the Royal Chapel. We saw their coffins in the crypt below their marble monuments.
For dinner we went to a taverna near our hotel and had a bottle of wine the grilled vegetable plate, the cheese plate and the free tapas that I think was beef. It was another wonderful meal for less than the wine alone would have cost at home.
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