La Alhambra - Granada

Before leaving London we bought tickets to La Alhambra in Granada. We decided this was a 'must see' and that it would be one of our day trips from Malaga (we had planned to make a day-trip to Sevilla as well but we never actually made it).

On Wed. morning, we got up early to start our day. We thought Granada was about an hour from where we were staying but it turns out it was closer to two. Alhambra tickets are for specific entry times so we were stressing a bit about arriving in time. Luckily we made it with a couple of minutes to spare. This picture of C is just before we were let in to tour Nasrid Palaces.

La Alhambra is a fortress and palace complex rich in Islamic architecture.

The grounds are beautiful and the carving detail is just exquisite – from the walls to the ceilings.

You are not allowed to touch any of the walls (really, anything) which meant that J and I had to keep a close watch on the kids and hold their hands through the entire tour. This photo is my favorite from our trip to Spain.

At one point K decided he didn't want to walk and that he only wanted to be held by mommy. The net result is that we zoomed through the palaces. But what we did see was still breathtakingly beautiful.

Once we were back outside we stopped for a snack break, walked around a bit more (by this time C had fallen asleep in the stroller) and then decided it was time to grab some lunch.

We drove down the hill to the town of Granada to find a place to eat. Granada is a charming city, one that you don't want to drive in. As we drove down the streets they would start getting narrower and narrower...it was as if the walls were closing in around us. It's no wonder why everyone drives small cars in Europe. Luckily we found a parking garage where we ditched the car and then explored on foot.

Calle Campo del Principe is a pedestrian only walkway lined with tapas restaurants each with their own section of outdoor seating. The perfect lunch spot.

We were fascinated by the misting system that was rigged up. Every few minutes, mist would rain down from above. Very refreshing.

A tiring but good day adventure. Click Here to see more pictures of our visit to La Alhambra and Granada.