Alhambra - Granada
Our alarm clock rings early and shortly after opening the buffet we are having breakfast. At 9:00 a.m. our time window starts in the Nasrid Palace and we must not miss it, otherwise, the ticket expires.
As soon as we have called the taxi, it is already there, and through narrow streets and alleyways, it goes steadily uphill. From a hotel in the city center, you could theoretically also walk up on foot, though we would not recommend that. But there are also small buses that drive up.
We reach the entrance of the Alhambra before the official opening, but it does not take long and we can get in. We are advised to go straight to the Nasrid Palace, but we planned to do that anyway.
There are already lots of people there, all of them had to line up and then show their tickets and ID cards again.
One has to say that it is a good idea to set up time windows here. Since the rooms and corridors are not very big, the number of people that are let in at once is pretty much the maximum. But as long as there is no travel group occupying an area, it works quite well. The further one gets, the more the visitors spread out.
We walk through elegant rooms with playful architecture. Everywhere fine stucco that reminds on the stalactites of a cave, and windows whose decorations cast wonderful shadows. But the predominant impression is white or better bright with fine structures. As soon as one leaves a room, the view opens up for an inner courtyard with fountains and plants. Water flows and splashes everywhere.
Later, in one of the many gardens, you can find a tile pattern to touch, good idea.
After leaving the palace we walk back to the gathering place in front of the entrance. Here is also the access to the Alcazaba, the citadel.
Some areas of the Alhambra can be visited without an entrance ticket by choosing the access over the Torre de la Justicia. But everything that is interesting can only be visited with a ticket and thus, it is repeatedly scanned at different places.
We have a brief look into the big inner courtyard of the Palace of Charles V., but we do not visit the museum of the fine arts that is accommodated there. We are rather attracted to the gardens of the Generalife.
At many different spots are blossoms, tulips, ranunculus, ornamental cabbages, and even peonies are in full bloom. In addition, roses are already blooming on some walls that are protected from the wind. It must be wonderful to walk around here when the roses are in full bloom. But right now the oranges are blooming and in addition, their decorative fruits shine in the tree.
We hear how a guide tells someone that on the area we are looking at, there is flamenco dancing in August from 10pm on while it is still 30° Celsius. Certainly nothing for us. We like the 24° degrees better that we now have around noon.
We have been here for 4 hours now, have hardly missed a tower to climb, and have seen almost all areas. Now we have had enough and start our walk down to the city center.
