You have seen a few pictures of us at The Alhambra, which was amazing. We were fortunate enough to have near perfect weather. Additionally, as sometimes ignorance is bliss, we showed up to The Alhambra without any type of reservations, and apparently, they only allow so many entries per day. Luckily, we squeaked in at the last minute and were able to see the whole complex. The kids did amazingly well considering we were there for over 4 hours.
The next day we explored The Albaicin, which is the old Arab quarter of Granada. We drove downtown and parked the car in a public parking garage and then decided to walk up to a viewpoint famous for its views of The Alhambra. Funny how the city maps don’t give you any sense of the elevation change. The route to the viewpoint was a steep, cobblestoned sidewalk with hundreds of stairs that wound like a serpent through the hillside. As an additional bonus, none of the streets are marked. It was quite the effort, but we made it. Damn the torpedoes!
Turns out it was worth the effort. The views were truly breathtaking and the ambiance was classic Spain with a flamenco guitarist playing in the plaza and the snow-capped Sierra Nevadas in the distance.
Afterwards, we headed back into downtown and checked out the main cathedral. I was reluctant to check out yet another church, but as I hope the pictures reflect, this one was truly unique. Granda has a very different feel than Sevilla with a stronger Arab influence and a more hippy vibe as well. The girls particularly enjoyed the Arab market and took away a few drums for souvenirs.
Enjoy a few pictures in no particular order.
In the Arab market checking out genie shoes
The girls with their drums
Inside one of the arab shops
Moroccan tea room
Dave in the distance pushing the stroller up in the Albaicin. It took us a good hour to get up to the lookout.
Taking a break during our hike
Trying to find our way through the maze
Street in the Albaicin
Typical Moorish doorway in the neighborhood
We were so lost at one point
Ali checking the map for the thousandth time
We made it! Views were spectacular.
La Alhambra on the right, the snow-capped Sierra Nevadas on the left
La Alhambra is a palace and fortress that was constructed in mid-14th century by Moorish rulers
We saw a lot of skiers in town heading to the slopes
On our way down back to the centro. We were so excited to find a road with no steps!
Inside the Granada cathedral
Closer look of the main dome which was so impressive
WOW looks amazing! a great start to the road trip. I can't wait to see more. Have fun!
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