We decided to pass on the organised HPB trip and arrange our own, so we could depart at a civilised hour. Trig, our trusty hire car, had a long run up to Granada but we enjoyed the scenery en route, especially the views of the snow capped Sierras.
Granada also looked a fine city as we drove through, but, on this occasion, the Alhambra was more than enough for us, so we ignored its charms.
Our timed slot to visit the Nazaries Palaces was at 2.00 p.m. so we made sure we were there early. The timed slots work well and we enjoyed being able to view these stunning palaces and courtyards without having to fight our way through huge crowds.
We had hired audio guides so we were able to hear lots of fascinating facts about the Alhambra, all in English! There was a lot to learn, but to be honest with you, we've forgotten it all now, so we won't spout any exotic names or dates. In any event, the Alhambra is a feast for the eyes, far more than a feast for the ears.
We particularly enjoyed the open spaces ...
... and Gio was thrilled with all the scallop shells at the entrance to the places, as they reminded him of his time walking the Camino to Santiago (the scallop being the emblem of St James).
Pedro and I were quite taken with the ornate niches, of which the following is a good example.
They made good resting places for bears and strangely enough they were always unoccupied, possibly as they were too small for humans. We liked the suggestion that, historically, they were places to leave your slippers when you went inside, although this probably is just a fanciful notion.
We hope you're beginning to get a flavour of the Alhambra and why we enjoyed our visit so much.
We've got lots more Alhambra pictures to share, so keep looking out for our next post.
Lots of love, George, Yorkie, Gio and Pedro
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