A nearly 2 hour drive Northeast from Marbella took us through rolling hills dotted with olive trees to Grenada. When I was deciding where to study abroad, I had the choice narrowed down to Valdivia, Chile or Grenada and obviously Chile won out. I always wondered what my experience would have been like in Spain. With more time and without a baby, I would have loved to explore more of Grenada, but we were on a single minded mission to see the glorious Alhambra.
Built as a small fortress in 889, it was expanded over the years by the Moors and was made into a royal palace for Yusuf I, Sultan of Grenada in 1333. While parts of the architecture were decidedly Spanish, the overall feeling of the palace was Islamic and not like anything the Durneys had seen before. Photo opportunities were aplenty and I have tried my best to edit them down! We would enter one room in awe only to go to the next and be even more impressed. The most dramatic part was the marble courtyard flanked by hundreds of pillars with a central fountain featuring 12 lions. The views out into the surrounding countryside complete with snow capped mountains weren't too shabby either! Oh, and the tile work and carvings and woodworked ceilings!! I could go on and on!
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| Note- the Alhambra is not stroller friendly! |
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| Snow capped peaks |
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| Jude working his way to the Spanish ladies |
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| Little flirt |
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| Totally overexposed, but I love it just the same |
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| Hard to get good pictures with this squirmy bug! |
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| Adios, amazing Alhambra! |
