Alhambra, Part 2

Continuing our visit to Alhambra in Granada, Spain…

I am happy we reserved our tickets on line before arriving here in Spain. I say that because there were long lines of people (even before the gates opened for the day!) at the ticket booths. As we had booked on line we could move to a different area where we used an automated machine to get our passes. Hardly anyone in that area so we were among the first to enter the grounds today!

The pathway leads us through this lovely area. (Hint: Click on the photo to enlarge it.) We learn that we are walking through what used to be the medina (town). I had not realized that, in its prime, Alhambra was a complete city…not just the palaces and fortress we are heading towards.

Aside: So many facets to history, aren’t there. One can learn the dates and read about the events, but to walk through an area that once was filled with the hustle and bustle of everyday life and see there is nothing there now, one  tries to picture what it would have looked like and what it must have been like to live there. That leads to thoughts about the human aspects/consequences of history…tragedy seems to be part of all human history, doesn’t it. And unfortunately the trend continues to this day.

We walk through lovely gardens, past two hotels (yes, there are two hotels right on the Alhambra grounds!), old archways that frame lovely scenes.

Next to the Palacios Nazaries is the Palace of Charles V.

Very different style than the Nasrid palace…but that is to be expected, isn’t it.

Leaving the Palacios Nazaries after our tour…

…we have decisions to make. Which way shall we head next?

Washrooms! Yes, where are they? There’s a sign so let’s head that way.

(Don’t laugh. There were no public washrooms, that we saw,  inside the palace!) Wait for me by that orange tree.

Now we are close to the Alcazaba and our ticket is valid for a visit there so let’s go through the checkpoint and visit the fortress.

There is the watch tower (Torre de la Vela). The flags are important, but right now I can not remember the historical significance of them !

How many stairs do we have to climb to get over there?

(Answer: I made it, so it can not be too many! They are narrow steps though.)

It does get hot out in the sun, doesn’t it!

Leaving the Alcazaba we walk through a commercial market area. There are “tourist prices” here so, if you are able to, visit the shops on the little hill just outside the entrance gates for better prices.

The day is wearing on and it is much more crowded now. We seem to be continually following tour groups led by an umbrella!

Heading for the Generalife we leave the main grounds of Alhambra (wonder if our ticket is good if we want to re-enter today?)

Generalife. Here we find the summer palace (cooler up here) and the gardens (vegetable gardens) that supplied the city.

There is running water…brought in from the mountains by an aqueduct. Since this part of Spain is a desert , water was key to life in Alhambra.

Lovely views from here…and it truly is cooler up here. More important is the sound of running water. What a difference that makes!

Quite a day wasn’t it. I am so glad we came and took our time visiting this UNESCO World Heritage site.

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