Granada, Spain
The second city we visited was Granada. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of four rivers, the Darro, the Genil, the Monachil and the Beiro. It was the last Muslim stronghold in Spain before its 1492 fall to Catholic Monarchs, Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand II. In Spanish granada means pomegranate. We caught a 7:45 am train, it was a 2.5 hour journey so we tried tried to catch some zzz's on the way there. We took a quick taxi to The Alhambra Palace. The Alhambra palace is stunning palace and fortress complex built chiefly between 1238 and 1358 under Muhammad I, founder of the Nasrid Dynasty. The complex is free to enter but to enter the palace you must have a timed ticket and carry your passport for identification. Tickets sell out during high season. We entered through the justice gate bringing us close to the The Alcazaba: The oldest part of the complex, built primarily for military defense. Next we visited the Palace of Charles...