(11/04) Leaving stunning Seville behind, we headed to Granada, a city on the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains (the snow covered peaks were from the distance). The drive to Granada was interesting in that we passed miles and acres of olive trees planted neatly in rows along with fruit trees and shrubs. Spain is the sixth largest global producer of fruit and vegetables. Granada is known for the grand examples of medieval architecture dating to the Moorish occupation as seen in the hilltop fortress complex of the Alhambra.

The Alhambra is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. This most famous monument of Islamic architecture is one of the best preserved palaces of the historic Islamic world, offering a flair of Spanish Renaissance architecture.

Originally, the site was designed as a military zone but became a royal residence and court of Granada between 1238 and 1358 by the founding king Mohammed ibn Yusuf Ben Nasr or Alhamar. The name, Alhambra, in Arabic means “the red,” most likely derived from the reddish color of the tapia (rammed earth) in which the outer walls were built. Incidentally, this paradise on earth was built on top of Roman ruins.

Here are some pictures from the massive gardens, filled with hundreds of species of plants, acres of cypress trees, and breathtaking soothing fountains. This audio guided part of our tour took three hours in itself; I am sure we missed several gardens. Truly a horticulture’s dream!

In 1984, the Alhambra was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. A UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) World Heritage site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention as marked by UNESCO.

The next part of our tour continued inside the palace itself. Any description I could give would not due justice to the opulence of the palace, the wealth of materials used for its arches, murals, and mosaics, and the sheer vastness of the property itself. Alhambra is a man-made masterpiece.

Our day ended with a show of the “flamenco” dance. Flamenco is an art form based on several folkloric music traditions of southern Spain. To me, the dance mirrored how a matador would perform during a bullfight.

Finally, congratulations to my niece, Patricia, who ran and finished the New York City marathon for her first time on November 5th. Well done!