Today was amazing. I love southern Spain. I started the day with La Alhambra. This is a fortified set of palaces originally built by the Moorish kings, the Nazarí. The construction started in 1237 with the Palace of the Nazarí. This area is naturally fortified as the kings built on one of the taller hills in the area. Even with this height they added walls and areas that could be watched, guarded, and defended. As time went on each Nazarí ruler added a little more to the palace, creating some of the most iconic areas of the Alhambra, the Comares Palace and the Lions Palace. Unfortunately, the patio where the fountain of the lions is, is under construction. They are replacing the water source to improve its function. In the rest of the Alhambra there is water every where: fountains, ponds, etc. Later when the Catholic rulers (Isabel and Ferdinand) took over they also took possession of the Alhambra as their own. In 1526 Carlos V added his own palace and gardens to the area. This is considered to be one of the greatest works of the Spanish renaissance. I wouldn’t want to guess at the size of this place and I walked a large majority of it, a lot of up and down, but it was well worth it.

Then later I took a cab into the Muslim area of the city, Albaycín. I took in a flamenco show while tasting typical Spanish fare. The show was similar to what you can see at Don Quijote Restaurant in Valparaiso. The dancers always impress me with their concentration and quick foot work.