Granada

The next stop on our Spanish camina is the beautiful town of Granada, conveniently situated on the way to Costa Blanca where we plan to indulge in some well-deserved downtime and I'm going to sponge off (sorry, spend time with) my family for a couple of weeks.

Granada has a very Spanish (unsurprising really) feel to it, probably in part due to its wonderfully preserved physical history that spans two millennia and intertwines Islam and Christianity in its stunning architecture. The main reason most people visit is to explore the Alhambra, an exquisite palace that overlooks the town and is one of the finest examples of where east meets west in a melding of religious architecture and abundant historic wealth, and where opulence and grandeur charms its visitors in a romanticism that is usually reserved for sites such as the Sistine Chapel or the Taj Mahal. Skipping this spectacle was not an option.

This was not before, however, our most authentic Spanish night out to date - a trip to see flamenco in an underground bar, complete with singing and stomping, but no castanets (apparently they are not as authentic as one might think...). It was all very emotive stuff, with wailing and passion and slicked back hair, but try as I might, Spanish flamenco just isn't for me. All that over-exertion to express love and heartache just seems a little try-hard, but as we've already established, I'm pretty much dead inside, so I shouldn't be surprised at my lack of enthusiasm. Still, when in Spain...

The next day we wandered up to the old town where picture-postcard houses with white-washed walls, decorated with colorful Moroccan tiles overlook views of the Alhambra alongside quaint squares with looming cathedrals. The sparring between Islam and Christianity is reflected in every layer of architecture as religion replaced religion through warfare and domination. Beautiful it certainly was, but unfortunately the price of food was not, so we headed back down the hill to one of Granada's lane-way bars, where thankfully the traditional concept of free tapas with each drink purchased still reigns supreme.

A Lucy with an Alhambra behind her.

Our final day was reserved for the mighty Alhambra, a place steeped in so much history and so popular that your entry is timed by the hour. We had to queue up at 6 am in order to secure tickets for a 4 pm slot (unsurprisingly, I'm still not a morning person, and so was particularly grumpy). As we entered it's confines, however, we were met with an immense sense of calm and tranquility (apart from the hoards of Chinese tourists). Landscaped gardens, housed an area known as General Life, which was reserved as the playground for the ruling elite. Flowers of multiple shades and hues bordered shaded paths and trellised archways that overlooked the palace's summer house. Water bubbled from archaic fountains that were interconnected by the stone water channels that fed these immaculate gardens.

View from the gardens, looking towards the walls of the Alhambra.

As we wound our way around towards the palace, the buildings became larger and more intricate. Charles V famously destroyed some of the original structure built in the 11th century and replaced it with a renaissance-style coliseum, complete with colonnades, which now dominates the landscape, while other Christian influences come to life in the churches and monastery that served the royal Ferdinand family.

Possibly the only photo of the two of us from the whole trip!

 The palace itself, however, retains its Islamic architectural glory with room after room showcasing exquisitely intricate designs. Every surface, every wall, every ceiling is adorned in plaster bearing beautiful engravings, or colorful tiles, each hand painted with a delicate eye and a firm hand. You float through sun-drenched atriums filled with marble as narrow water channels guide you through to fountains and artificial ponds.

This is my summer residence...

Every wall was adorned with tiles of one design or another.

Architecture in the main atrium

 It really is hard to convey the wonder of it all and Alhambra must be Spain's most glorious piece of architectural history. It is one of the few places in the world I have visited where you can completely immerse yourself in the past and imagine what life would have been like 500, 700 or even 900 years ago. It's all there for the taking; walk through the Alhambra and your eyes will give you your very own time machine.