6/13 Lee and I were off for the 2 1/2 hour trip to Granada aboard the Andalucia Express train which cost 11.75€. There were great panoramic views leaving Ronda before reaching grove after grove of olive trees. Closer to Granada there were many fields of silver birch trees that looked like they were being grown as a timber crop. I enjoyed the comfortable train journey, as always, and we arrived right on time.

We caught a city bus to the center of town to look for a place to stay . Rick Steve´s and the other guidebooks gave us many options. We checked out several all on the same block and selected the Pension Viena which looked recently remodeled. For 40€ we had a nice, clean room and our own bathroom right across the hallway. Everything looked brand new which is very unusual for a place that usually handles backpackers.

Lee and I walked to the nearby Caja Grande bank at Plaza Isabel Catolico to buy our Bono cards. For 26.50€ we would get admission to every museum or sight we wanted to visit as well as a city sight-seeing bus and 9 trips on the local bus. The bank would also schedule our visit to the Alhambra since advanced reservations are required. Our Alhambra appointment was for the next day at 12:30 pm.

We were right in the heart of Granada so we crossed the street to see the cathedral. Unfortunately the cathedral observes siesta and was closed. Instead we thought it would be a great time to take our city sight-seeing tour while many places were closed. The sight-seeing bus was right in front of the cathedral so we hopped on and got our prime viewing seats on the outdoor upper deck.

It was a gorgeous, sunny day so I enjoyed getting a tour of the city before we started venturing around. We were given headsets to listen to the presentation in English. It didn´t take long to see that Granada is an incredibly beautiful city with flower-lined avenues, many urban parks and fountains, and a pedestrian-friendly center . The Sierra Nevada mountains are the backdrop for the city which is bidding to soon host the winter Olympics.

Large trees line virtually every main avenue in the city providing much-needed shade. We saw a gorgeous bullring although I don´t think it is used anymore for bullfighting. Everywhere we went were pretty flower-lined esplanades and outdoor cafes. The 1 1/2 hour tour gave us a terrific overview of the city so we decided to spend an extra night in Granada.

On the tour we had seen the Parque do los Ciencias which looked like a fun and educational complex. Lee loves most things science-related so I thought this would make for a good afternoon. We took a bus there and tried to blend in with thousands of young school kids on field trips. Fortunately the captions on each exhibit were in English and Spanish. There was so much to see with each exhibit being hands-on and interactive.

The Parque was really incredible . I observed how the kids could climb on and explore each exhibit rather than read a caption for a static image through glass as I did when in school. The kids were so excited there and really were enjoying themselves and hopefully becoming a little more interested in science even if they didn´t realize it.

We went to a Birds of Prey presentation which we had thought would be an IMAX film. Instead all of the seating was outdoors and we saw actual live birds that would be used in the show. Beforehand we viewed the birds behind a rope 6 feet away with no other barriers. The standing-room-only show had a bird handler explain the birds (in Spanish only) and their habitats.

Other handlers would come out with the birds perched on their sleeved arms for various demonstrations. An owl swiveled it´s head 360 degrees and then demonstrated it´s great vision by seeing a tiny piece of meat from atop a building. The birds all flew around the complex during the demonstrations but had apparently learned that they would get fed by returning . I just was impressed by all of the training it must have taken with the birds.

After that show Lee and I continued to check the outdoor exhibits which were almost always hands-on. I would usually have questions about how or why something was the way it was and Mr. Joiner would revert to his teaching and explain the concepts to a definitely non-AP student. The Parque had a high observatory tower which we went up to get a great view of Granada and its population of 300,000.

Lee seemed to have really enjoyed the Parque as did I. We then hiked down the street to a Carrefour store that I wanted to see (still in search of PowerBars). No luck finding PowerBars but I did find green apple and licorice Mentos which I had never seen before. The licorice Mentos pose no threat to Twizzlers! After a search to find the correct bus and bus stop we returned to Plaza Nueva and had a pleasant dinner outdoors at Donna´s pizza.

We saved the best for last as virtually every guidebook recommended Los Italianos for ice cream and it just happened to be around the corner and only a couple of blocks from our hostel . For 2€ you could get 3 scoops which were placed vertically in the cone rather than in scoops. The ice cream was just amazing! It is all made there in the store with a choice of 25 or so flavors. Maybe we´ll have to try it again!

6/14 Lee and I had air conditioning last night! It is quite a luxury in Europe (especially in places our cheap budgets permit). I´m sure Lee will be glad when I run out of PowerBars since they are often his alarm clock in the morning. I´ll be doing my morning stretches while enjoying 2 chocolate PowerBars for breakfast. Unfortunately the PowerBars are in these very loud foil wrappers. I think I have enough to last until Barcelona when I can restock hopefully (sorry Lee).

The hostel is quite nice although the beds are hard and to say the shower is tiny would be an understatement. Lee and I are on the slim side so I have no idea how a larger person could even begin to use this shower. It is difficult to get in and close the folding door first of all . I was trying to wash my feet when I leaned back and managed to move the water temperature lever to all cold. It took a bit of trial and error to finally figure out how to deal with that shower.

Lee and I began our sightseeing today by taking the Alhambra minibus up the hill to the huge complex. We paid 3€ each for the audioguide which really helped since there were spots throughout the Alhambra where you could get detailed narrative in English to help you understand what you were seeing.

Our first stop was the Generalife Gardens. These gardens were begun in the 13th century but have been modified over the years. They originally contained orchards and pastures. In the Koran paradise is described as a shady, leafy garden refreshed by running water where the ¨fortunate ones¨ may take their rest. It is this image that was used when designing the Generalife gardens.

The Generalife was the summer home of the sultans and today consists of a luxuriantly imaginative series of patios, enclosed gardens and walkways . Words can´t accurately described the serenity and beauty of the gardens while photos only give you a glimpse of how magnificent and stylish these gardens are. They lie at the highest point in the Alhambra complex with scenic views over the entire city of Granada. Two of the highlights of the gardens are the Patio of the Cypresses, a dark and secretive walled garden of sculpted junipers, and the Escalera de Agua, a staircase with water flowing down its stone balustrades.

From the gardens you enter the Generalife itself which was the country estate of the Nasrid kings. Here they could enjoy tranquility high above the city and be a little closer to heaven. Just inside we saw what is considered the most perfect Arabian garden in Andalucia. Many buildings used interior gardens and courtyards to light the surrounding rooms. The Generalife is only a 3 room summer palace with the emphasis having been placed on the surrounding gardens which provided us with many excellent photo opportunities .

We next walked downhill to the Alcazaba which is the oldest and most ruined part of the complex. It does though offer awesome views of the city. What we see today is from the mid-13th century, but there was probably a fort here during Roman times. The Alcazaba tower back then defended a town of 20000 Muslims living within the Alhambra walls. In 1492 the Christians defeated the Moors ending 7 centuries of Muslim rule in Spain. Much later, Napoleon stationed his troops at the Alhambra, contributing substantially to its ruin when he left.

Lee and I then had our scheduled appointment for the Palacios Nazaries, the crown jewel of the Alhambra. Built mostly in the 14th century, the Moorish royal palace provided us room after room of how the elegant, refined Moors lived. They were not living paycheck to paycheck! The rooms were decorated top to bottom with carved wood ceilings, stucco Koran-enscribed walls, ceramic tiles and filigree windows. It is just mind-boggling to imagine how the palace looked back during its use.

Each room in the palace had a different name and function back then. No expense was spared as illustrated in the Grand Hall of the Ambassadors where 8000 inlaid pieces made of cedar of Lebanon were used to construct the ceiling. Another intriguing room is the Washington Irving room where the author wrote Tales of the Alhambra while serving as US Ambassador to Spain in 1829 . He lived at the Alhambra then when the palace was just home to gypsies and donkeys. After the publication of his book there was a renewed interest in the Alhambra causing it to be recognized as a national treasure.

I tried to take as many pictures as I could to capture some of the beauty of the palace but it was a futile task. I really admired the symmetry repeated throughout the palace in every element of the construction. The palace is quite large and to imagine all of the work that went into each ceiling, each wall, each floor (and many centuries ago!) is just one of the reasons the Alhambra is being considered as one of the new wonders of the world (to be announced in Lisbon next month).

The final stop for us was the Charles V Palace which is attached to the Palacios Nazaries. Charles V built his new home here after the Christians defeated the Moors, destroying part of the Muslim palace in the process. The only part of the small palace that is distinctive is the large circular courtyard making this Spain´s most impressive Renaissance building (there´s not much competition) .

Exhausted Lee and I headed back downhill to town for a visit to the cathedral (also covered by our Bono ticket). As in Seville, the interior of the cathedral is cavernous. The perimeter chapels were not distinctive although the main chapel was pretty and very ornate. Despite being large, the Granada cathedral is not considered one of the most important in Spain.

Next door though is the Capilla Real which is the top Christian sight in town. This lavish chapel contains the bodies of Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand. Five hundred years ago, this was the most lavish interior money could buy. The king and queen actually spent a quarter of their wealth to have it built. It was completed in 1521 with their tombs being made out of Carrera marble.

The high altar within the Capilla Real is one of the finest Renaissance works in Spain. Also of note was a small glass pyramid in the treasury which holds Queen Isabel´s silver crown, ringed with pomegranates (symbolizing Granada), her scepter, and King Ferdinand´s sword. Next to the pyramid was Isabel´s prayer book from 1496 which was huge and had beautiful illustrations and fancy calligraphy. Lastly was a fancy box supposedly full of jewels given by Isabel to Christopher Columbus to finance his journey to America.

Another distinctive area of Granada is the Albayzin which is Spain´s best old Moorish quarter . A fortress was first built here in the 13th century and there were once more than 30 mosques in the neighborhood. Lee and I walked several times through the neighborhood, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with steep and sinuous streets, Arab-oriented shops, and a distinctly different feel from the rest of Granada.

After a really long day Lee and I enjoyed an outdoor cafe, Alhambra Pizza Restaurant, on Plaza Trinidad. Dinner was good but we were really looking forward to a return visit to Los Italianos for dessert. We tried their Birthday Cake ice cream which was pretty close to an actual piece of ice cream birthday cake inserted into a cone. I´m simplifying it but it was delicious!

6/15 Being on the go all of the time, I haven´t missed the gym one bit. It´s great being able to have those many hours to explore some cool new cities. Granted we haven´t seen a gym or pool (that we could swim at) so even if I had wanted to workout there would not have been an opportunity . I´ve sure gotten my share of walking, uphill and downhill, in. It´s too bad Houston doesn´t offer the same opportunity to walk and constantly pass shops, sights, people, etc. that can keep your interest (and not die of sweat exhaustion in the process). The cities here are really designed for pedestrians which is one of their best attributes for tourists.

With the extra day in Granada Lee and I decided to do laundry. We took all of our nasty-smelling clothes to a laundromat where we threw them in the wash and had a employee there transfer them to dryers so we could go to a cybercafe. We returned to fold up the clean clothes with the whole cleaning costing 21€. I returned to the cybercafe while Lee ventured to the university to swim in their 50 meter pool. He came back disappointed later to report that the pool doesn´t open until next week. Bummer.

Lee then decided a siesta was in order as I continued my struggles with trying to upload photos to this site . Each cybercafe has computers with different software which seem to require a different process to be learned each time in order to successfully add information to the site.

I walked back to the hostel by way of St. Ann´s church and the Paseo de los Tristes. This area below the Alhambra along the Durro River was not as crowded as nearby areas and had a more laidback feel.

Lee and I ended up having dinner at FrescCo which is similar to Sweet Tomatoes but in a European version. We were early by European standards and the only ones there. The items they put on salads was interesting as was what they didn´t. The pastas were pretty typical as was the fruit selection. The pizza, however, was rectangular with different varieties on the same pan. I had a slice of onion pizza and a slice of corn pizza. I had never seen corn pizza included on any menu and it tastes just like kernel corn put on a pizza. It was different but not something I´ll make a special request to get again . The restaurant was nice and clean with the meal set at a fixed 9.90€ all inclusive.

We ventured back to the hostel to pack up everything once again. We had gone to sleep when about 12:30 we both awoke to loud disco music (I´m dating myself since I think it´s now called dance or house music). The experience immediately brought back memories of Berlin in 1990 when Tim, Sandy and I had a similar experience. The music was quite loud but I did recognize some old songs and soon drifted back to sleep. Thank goodness the club wasn´t open on Wednesday or Thursday!

6/16 Lee and I took a bus to the bus station which is a long way from the city center. We caught a 9am bus to Nerja for 8.60€ and what we hope will be a relaxing visit to the beach!