This was our day to visit the Alhambra palaces and gardens. It was due to be hot but we set off in the morning as our booked time for the Nazarene Palace was at 10am. We planned to leave earlier but I was feeling a bit tired so had extra time in bed. That didn’t leave us long to grab some food. We got coffees and a cheese and ham brioche thing in Plaza Nuevo and then started the walk up to Alhambra. We bought 2 bottles of water which we were able to refill during the day from drinking fountains.

It was leafy but steep and we tried to walk fast in case there was a huge queue. There wasn’t but there was a cool, shaded terrace where we could queue. There were some great views out over the old city.

I thought I could see our apartment but it was wishful thinking. I suspect we were looking in the wrong direction in any event.

We toured the Nazare Palace without audio guides but there was signage here and there. I suspect there would have been information overload otherwise in any event. It is certainly an amazing place.

The plaster work is intricate and beautifully crafted. It was done in plaster moulds and then attached and finished with a different plaster, much like we do now. They used wooden props to keep it in place while the fixing cement hardened. The paintwork and tiling is also beautiful.

In places there is stained glass and the palace has examples of later extensions and modernisation.

The Alhambra complex was first begun in 1238 by the first Nasrid emir who was also the founder of the emirate of Granada. The main palaces were built by later Muslim rulers in the 14th century. The site then became the royal court of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain following the expulsion of the Islamic rulers in the crusades at the end of the 1400s. The entire place, and gardens, are a world heritage site and there has been extensive restoration work done since the late 1800s. It’s a collection of 6 palaces within the original city walls and then outside is this country estate called the Generalife, which is surrounded with wonderful orchards and gardens with fountains and other water features.

We stopped at the America Hotel for a drink and something to eat. Mike ordered the ham plate and got a plate of ham. Fortunately I ordered the tomato salad and Barb shared some items off her tuna salad. It all went well with Coke Zero.

It truly is a fabulous complex and thoroughly worth a visit. Though it would be challenging for those with a disability or limited fitness. You need to drink lots of water!

I noticed that not only do the police have guns (and tasers and batons) in Spain, so do the security guards at train stations and in the monuments. I have been trying to photograph one but didn’t want to be too obvious and get accosted as a potential threat but managed a photo of the guy inside one of the palaces as an example.

We rehydrated after the visit, which took 6 hours from entering until leaving. We also had yummy ice creams!

Dinner was at a random place we found. The food and wine was great but the young men providing service have a lot to learn. Our waiter didn’t get all of our order, (there was no cod main for me) and we saw him and his colleague getting a lecture from the maître d a while later. Not sure if it had anything to do with us, but we had a different waiter from then on and he was excellent.

The cod, in tomato sauce with capsicum was absolutely delicious when it arrived 🤗.