We're in Granada!
We're staying in the Albaicín neighbourhood which is the medieval part of Granada with narrow cobblestoned streets.
We've also explored Sacromonte: the gypsy district built into the mountains above the city.
Yesterday, we visited the Alhambra - an Islamic palace/fortress built in 1238. It became the royal court of the Reyes Católicos (Catholic Monarchs) (Ferdinand and Isabella) after the Christian Reconquista in 1492. Renovations from the 17th century were never finished and the Alhambra was left in ruins until its rediscovery in the 1820s.
The Generalife is another site from the late 13th century/early 14th century which served as the summer palace for the Nasrid rulers and is only 1km away from the Alhambra. Both of them are absolutely stunning and are a must when visiting Andalucía.
Interestingly, there are a lot of cats around the place...turns out they were brought in to keep the rats away and have all been fed/neutered/vaccinated.
Some advice would be to book in advance - we had pre-booked 9am entry tickets and they were already sold out for the day at 8.30am! And bring physical ID as they don't accept copies.
Later, we checked out the Capilla Real, where the Reyes Católicos are buried. Entry is 5€ (or 3.50€ if you're a student under 25). You can't take photos.
I tried to visit the Granada Cathedral, however, the line was super long and once I had managed to get to the front, the security guard told us that it was closed for the day.
We had tea at an Arabic tea shop, Tetería Bagdad, on Calle Elvira. And had lunch around the corner at Bodegas Castañeda, which is an authentic tavern. In Granada, you get a free tapa for every drink! Dinner will be at Casa Gabriel.
Notes:
- Watch out for women handing out sprigs of rosemary...they're seeking 20€ in exchange for a palm reading.
- Granada is the Spanish word for 'pomegranate' as the Reyes Católicos used this fruit as a symbol of their victory against the Moors. Pomegranate symbols are seen all over the city. Here's my collection:
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