Granada

Granada is very special. Although we were there only a couple of days ago, it feels a world away. Granada is in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada-a spectacular setting. And our experience of it was dominated by our visit to the Alhambra, the 14th century palace city of the Moorish rulers. Decorative features follow a similar style as the Alcazar in Sevilla with the tiles in the lower half of the walls, the carved alabaster/plaster on the upper half and the the carved wooden ceilings. Gentle water features dominate throughout. The Generalife, the summer palace, is higher on the hill where there is always a cool breeze. We didn't need the cool breeze as it was a fairly cold day, but Granada has very hot summers so no doubt would be welcome then. Beautiful gardens, an open air theatre and ancient trees. Along with stunning views. According to the Islamic faith, buildings were not constructed with permanence in mind. Hence the 'soft' materials used in their buildings. Despite this, the level of craftsmanship is superb.