Granada

Granada, our favourite Spanish city! (and we´re not just buttering up Juanvi)

Joanna drove us and we got there relatively early, especially for us (being on the road by midday is an achievement, so being at our destination shortly after lunch is a serious result). It was hot, but not quite as mad as Sevilla - still wouldn´t fancy working in the afternoon - lunch and a siesta seem much more sensible! The clio was a bit of a sty, so we a good old relax, sorting through and repacking things, and slowly putting the tent up, with plenty of sitting in the shade to be done. With the loss of the laptop, there is now space for a 3rd person in the car at least... We went for a long walk to find a good internet place (there was an update...), and by the time we got back we just had some food (including free tapas) at the camp restaurant. Can´t do mad stuff everyday, and relaxing days are definitely enjoyable.
Whilst we were internetting Juanvi got in contact and volunteered his sister as a Granada guide, so our next day was sorted.

We met Rocio at two and headed straight for a drink and some tapas ... our kind of lady! It´s a hard concept to grasp coming from Britain where everything costs something ... but the tapas with your drink in Granada is free. After another wee sit down Rocio`s friend, Laura joined us and we moseyed off to soak up the city`s atmosphere. First on the list was a monastery which now appears to be a nunnery! Either way, it has a stunning chapel where Juanvi was confirmed and wonderfully cool courtyard with orange trees in the middle.


Monday means that many of the tourist places were closed so we had to make do with looking at the outside of the basilica, later on the cathedral and the tombs of The Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella. We also took a wander through the stunning Arabic quarter which looked out onto Granada`s mighty Alhambra ... more on that later.

We rounded off our day with Rocio and Laura with some more tapas and a look at another stunning church hidden behind a simple facade on one of the main streets. Legs had had enough so it was cheerio to the girls and back to the campsite ...

Day three in Alhambra started with a morning of achievement, achievement, achievement! We divided to conquer, Ben getting the more exciting tasks. He went to get the car window fixed, although we had grown quite fond of the cardboard window! Joanna was on hand washing duty. Not much to say about that, except if you ever catch her complaining about using a washing machine, give her a stern look and a waggle of the finger!

Right, so Alhambra. If you ever get the chance visit this place. Whatever we write here won`t do it justice (neither will the pictures, when we eventually post them!) It`s a gargantuan complex of palaces, gardens and fortresses and seeing is believing dating back to 8th century after the Moors had invaded Spain. It became a vital post in the empire and the last stronghold. The Moors turned it from a barren hilly area to lush green vegetation with amazing feats of irrigation. Many rulers had built, rebuilt, modified and made the complex majestic and there is a campaign to rightly include it the new 7 wonders of the world.