The Incomparable Alhambra

View of the snow covered Sierra Nevada mountains from the rooftop of our hostel
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One piece of advice to anyone who, like us, travels from Marid to Grenada by bus - try not to sleep through too much of the trip - the scenery is really worth seeing. As you drive into the Andalucia region you sense and see the changes - vines, olive groves by the thousands, and endless rolling hills. We felt like we were entering rural Spain proper - a feeling underscored by the breathtaking canyon roads that lead into the region.

The first thing that struck us in Granada was the vista - the Sierra Nevada mountains cradle the city with soaring snow capped peaks visible throughout the year. Once we arrived we caught the number 3 bus (the 33 also goes the same route) from the bus station to the Cathedral stop. From here we walked the 5 minutes to Plazza Nueva and found our hostel (see seperate review). After checking in we walked back down to the cathedral and into the side streets and markets. Granada is known as the city in Spain with the best tapas (snacks served usually for free with drinks) anywhere in the country - both in terms of portion sizes and variety - so we chose a tapas bar recommended by the hostel staff and tried our luck. The reality of our experience is that (on the tourist trails at least) bar staff serve people who order drinks alone the least interesting tapas first - and usually the least fresh. Once you actually order a plato (plate with a selection) the attitude changes (since you rise above the masses trying to get a free dinner) and the food improves markedly. Our plato of hot taps was great - and for 9 euro fed us both admirably (bacon, blue cheese, spanish tortilla, beans, croquettes, bread, olives etc.). After dinner we set out to walk up the Mirador de San Nicolas - a section of the city above the old Moorish quarter (the Albayzin) with the BEST views of the Alhambra and the perfect spot to get great sunset pics with the snow-capped Sierra Neveda mountains in the background. After the walk back down we found a cafe to enjoy another Spanish hot chocolate - the best yet!

Granada's rooftops
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Tuesday was our Alhambra day. The Alhambra, for those who don't know, is one of the most impressive and awe-inspiring achievments of Islamic art and architecture in the world. It is a fortress, a palace, a series of gardens, a museum, a living work of art and several chapters of history all rolled into one - and it alone is worth visiting Spain to see. You can't just arrive and expect to get in however. There are 8000 tickets available per day - with most being pre-sold weeks or even months in advance online at www.alhambratickets.com or by telephone. If you find, as we did, that your chosen day is already sold out - don't despair - they keep about 300 tickets aside each day for morning entries and about 1200 more for the afternoons - just make sure that you are at the ticket office by not later than 07:15 in the morning to join the lines or you will miss out (we suggest you set aside 20 minutes to walk up the hilll from plaza nueva rather than take the bus - its a stunning walk). We got tickets for the morning - and there were about 100 still left after us. We took the audio guide and spent the next 9.5 hours walking around. Words cannot describe the experience - suffice it to say that our pics tell only a fraction of the wonders. The Generalife Gardens alone took about 2 hours to explore. Once back down the hill we spent some time resting and booking accomodation for Seville and Tarifa - then grabbed a quick bite in the square and a hot chocolate then back to bed. Great day!