Tuesday 11th January 2011

Got up early, well about 7.30am, still dark! Set off for Granada and the Alhambra, which is a Palace built by the Moors when they occupied southern Spain. The journey took us on a dual carriageway from Malaga, north into the hills and then east to Granada. As we climbed the temperature dropped and the weather changed to grey cloudy skies and drizzle. At times we were driving through the clouds which were low. It was strange driving on a major road  which constantly changed direction, you were either going up, down or round a bend. Sometimes they combined them both, so after a long steep downhill section you had a sharp bend before climbing back up, you certainly don’t get bored! Once at the top of the hills it was a vast area of gently undulating land covered in olive trees and farms. The road is obviously a major route as large truck stop areas had built up with hotels and restaurants.

The Alhambra was well signposted and we followed the ringroad around Granada straight to it. As a backdrop you had the snow covered mountains of the Sierra Nevada. The tickets cover morning or afternoon and give you a time for entry to the main palace, before and afterwards you can visit the other buildings and the gardens or “Generalife” as they are called. The Palace was great, the detail in the plaster and ceilings was incredible, it had a wonderful feel to it with courtyards, gardens and fountains everywhere. The design and layout was very impressive, with spectacular views of the city and mountains. But at the same time you could imagine people living here and enjoying it, although it was a bit chilly!
We had a great day and the sun came out in the afternoon whilst we were walking around the gardens which made it  warmer. We agreed it would be great to come back in the spring when its slightly warmer but still not too busy.