Well today was the big day, we are off to see the famous Alhambra, a large structure sitting on a hill overlooking all of Granada. It is a combination of fort, and a series of palaces built both by Moors and Christians. The last Moorish occupant was Boabdil and it was he who surrendered Alhambra to Isabella and Ferdinand in 1492 as the last step episode in the reconquest of Spain by Christians.

As I have noted earlier we had a little difficulty with tickets to this place and even after finally getting tickets we still had trouble understanding how the ticket and access to the various parts of the Alhambra actually worked. But like many things in life having now visited the place and "done it" - we better understand. General access to the Alhambra does NOT require a ticket. But access to the Fort and the GeneralLife areas of the complex require a ticket for either the morning or afternoon session. Access to the Palacios Nazaries requires the same ticket but has a specific entry time for that particular palace.

The battlements of the fort give a truly wonderful view over the city. One of the features that we noticed from the fort was how quiet and empty the streets of Granada were, this was a bit of a surprise to us as on our previous days visits to Granada the place was absolutely packed. We could now see of course that the crowd was a result of the easter celebrations.

Over all the Alhambra is an impressive complex, the sheer scale is inspiring and the various gardens delightful, but without a doubt the Palacios Nazaries is the jewel in the crown. A wonderful complex of rooms, courtyards and walkways all decorated in Islamic style all kinds of geometric motifs and passages from the Quran adorning walls and ceilings.

Certainly an exhibition of art and skill not to be missed if one is ever in Spain.