Day 73: Granada, Spain

Today we went to visit the Alhambra ("The Red One" in Arabic). The Alhambra is an old fortress and palace complex built on elevated land in Granada and has an amazing history of muslim and catholic tension. Built in the 1300's by Muslim rulers, the Alhambra was initially a place for only the royalty. The Alhambra is broken up into three sections: the alcazaba (fortress), the palaces, and the generalife (gardens separate from the palace).


(View from one of the towers in the alcazaba)


(View of the cathedral down in the city of Granada from the tower)


(The palacio, built by Carlos V after the Spanish took over the Alhambra. Originally used for bull fighting)


(Inside the palaces, garden and pool area)


(Inside the palaces, intricate stone work around the doorways and walls)


(Inside the palaces, fountains and water combined in the middle of this courtyard surrounded by detailed archways)


(Inside the palaces)


(Palace gardens)


(Generalife gardens)


(Generalife gardens)

Since we got up early to get a jump on the Alhambra we decided to properly respect the siesta time here and rested until the afternoon with a visit to the main cathedral. The cathedral was built in the 1500's by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella with the aim that Granada would be the capital of Spain and that kings and queens would be buried in this cathedral (neither happened). The result is still a stunning cathedral inside.





To end the day we grabbed some tapas and beers in a nearby plaza with the aim of catching the third match (Spain vs South Africa) of the Confederations Cup. Spain won 2-0 and placed top of their group. They play in the semi-finals on Wednesday at 8:30.

FJ