I did battle with the shower this morning and lost. It was a complex little arrangement which was devilishly difficult to turn on, but once on it had been turned on it had a mind of it’s own. Snaking through the air, it was determined to flood the entire bathroom. But not only the bathroom, but also the floor of the hallway and through into our bedroom as well.
Once that mess was cleaned up we proceeded with our day. Our first stop today was the Cathedral. On the inside it is all splendor in white and gold, with massive pillars marching down the length of the church holding up the ceiling. There were four massive pipe organs, set high above. The floor was a black and white checker board in need of some repair. The overall impression was that there was lots of space, like a palace room.
We had booked tickets to see the Alhambra complex in the afternoon, and to kill some time we relaxed by the river and watched the cats. There are cats everywhere which is rather pleasant, not so pleasant was the guy strolling around draped in several large snakes. These caused Justine to become temporarily speechless.
Alhambra consists of three distinct and separate areas, Generalife (the gardens), Alcazaba (the towers and fortifications), and Palocious Nazaries (the main Palace). Our first visit was to ‘Generalife’, which was a garden of high hedges and waterfalls. A fantastic garden, but what entertained us the most was the Audioguide. What a load of flowery bollocks. It was so over the top that we only listened to half of it, but they were wonderful gardens, with lots of water flowing everywhere, and very serene. The layout was very formal and structured. It was nice being up there in the heat of the day as there were many little shady spots to rest, and always with the sound of water over stone nearby.
Then it was over to La Alcazaba. This is a series of towers, dungeons and fortifications that had been built and blown up by several armies (including Napoleon). It was in a very sad state of disrepair after centuries of damage and pillaging when Irving Washington discovered it and lived here in the 19th Century. It was under his initial guidance that this whole complex is being brought back to life and restored.
Further up the hill you come to Palocious Nazaries. The first impression of this is the plaster work with the Islamic patterns and writings. It is here that the Moorish influence over this part of the world is obvious. Every wall, every dome, every pillar and archway is decorated in their style. It is a large, extensive palace. It was a journey into another time and another world, of a bygone era. This journey offers a realization of just how close we are to Africa and how the Moors ruled this place for over 800 years. Unlike anything else that we have seen in Europe, and in that sense quite unexpected.
Once that mess was cleaned up we proceeded with our day. Our first stop today was the Cathedral. On the inside it is all splendor in white and gold, with massive pillars marching down the length of the church holding up the ceiling. There were four massive pipe organs, set high above. The floor was a black and white checker board in need of some repair. The overall impression was that there was lots of space, like a palace room.
We had booked tickets to see the Alhambra complex in the afternoon, and to kill some time we relaxed by the river and watched the cats. There are cats everywhere which is rather pleasant, not so pleasant was the guy strolling around draped in several large snakes. These caused Justine to become temporarily speechless.
Alhambra consists of three distinct and separate areas, Generalife (the gardens), Alcazaba (the towers and fortifications), and Palocious Nazaries (the main Palace). Our first visit was to ‘Generalife’, which was a garden of high hedges and waterfalls. A fantastic garden, but what entertained us the most was the Audioguide. What a load of flowery bollocks. It was so over the top that we only listened to half of it, but they were wonderful gardens, with lots of water flowing everywhere, and very serene. The layout was very formal and structured. It was nice being up there in the heat of the day as there were many little shady spots to rest, and always with the sound of water over stone nearby.
Then it was over to La Alcazaba. This is a series of towers, dungeons and fortifications that had been built and blown up by several armies (including Napoleon). It was in a very sad state of disrepair after centuries of damage and pillaging when Irving Washington discovered it and lived here in the 19th Century. It was under his initial guidance that this whole complex is being brought back to life and restored.
Further up the hill you come to Palocious Nazaries. The first impression of this is the plaster work with the Islamic patterns and writings. It is here that the Moorish influence over this part of the world is obvious. Every wall, every dome, every pillar and archway is decorated in their style. It is a large, extensive palace. It was a journey into another time and another world, of a bygone era. This journey offers a realization of just how close we are to Africa and how the Moors ruled this place for over 800 years. Unlike anything else that we have seen in Europe, and in that sense quite unexpected.
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