The Alhambra

The last day of our trip we headed from the lovely hotel Bobadilla to Granada and the Alhambra. In short, the Alhambra was originally designed as a military area, and then it became the residence of royalty and of the court of Granada in the middle of the thirteenth century.

Throughout the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the fortress became a citadel with high ramparts and defensive towers, which house two main areas: the military area and the medina or court city, the location of the famous Nasrid Palaces and the remains of the houses of those who lived there. The Charles V Palace (which was built after the city was taken by the Catholic Monarchs in 1492) is also in the medina.

It's really cool. The level of detail in the wall carvings and ceilings is just astounding. The pictures just don't do it justice. Here's the view from the exterior of the Nasrid Palace.

This is the entrance:

The ceilings were amazing; as were the carved walls:









The Alhambra was ENORmous. SO huge. And, as I started the posts on this vacation, so shall I end it. My husband and I, because we are collectively 7 years old? Lost interest after about an hour of looking at the intricate loveliness in the Alhambra. We have the attention spans of small gnats. It's sad.

Here were the parting shots of the Sierra Nevada Mountains that border Granada.
There's snow in them thar hills!

Anywho, it was a most wonderful, fantastic vacation and I cannot say enough good stuff about Spain. It is utterly spectacular.

Next? We return to the garden. While we were away, it rained and rained and my garden exPLODED!! The hydrangeas are dripping with blooms and the butterfly bushes? Give me a break with their hugeness. Oh, my!

Thanks for stopping in! Adios!