Granada! Days Eleven and Twelve

If you ever consider driving into Granada, promptly dismiss the thought unless you have nerves of  steel. The city was built long before the automobile, hence it's a maze of narrow one way streets, and there is road construction on every other block. Since our hotel was conveniently located in the heart of the city, we were well-advised to ditch the car in one of the many municipal garages. This after inadvertently wandering into the restricted zone for a little foray!A short cab ride and we were at our hotel. We apparently lucked out because we found a small simple place within walking distance to the Alhambra and the downtown sights. Thank you, Tripadvisor !  








Dinner was a tapas feast at Bodegas Castenada at the bottom of the old moorish quarter. The only waiter in the place was a magician. He managed to keep the many customers fed and watered without so much as a pad and pen. Despite its popularity, this place has a vibe that was both fun and laid back. And the food was magnificent!Big day tomorrow, so early to bed.

 Next day we headed up to the Alhambra on the cool of the morning.The Alhambra is such a special place- rich in history and natural beauty. It's hard to imagine that in the 17 and 1800's it was a shambles. Thanks to the efforts of Washington Irving among others, the palaces, fortress, and grounds have been lovingly restored and are visited by ~8000 visitors a day.

Puertas de las Granadas

Washington Irving stayed here while writing "Tales from the Alhambra"

View from the old Moorish quarter, the Albayzin

Inside the Moorish fortress, The Alcazaba

the fountain of Myrtles is said to have inspired the Taj Mahal

in the rotunda of the palace of CarlosV

after a long hot day

the Alhambra at night from the Albayzin
For more pictures from Granada, click on this link.