Moorish dreaming

Moorish plasterwork and tiling in the Alhambra

View of the Alhambra from the Generalife, and the Patio de los Arrayanes, in the Nasrid Palaces

Next stop - Granada. Probably 'the' sight I wanted to see in Spain was the famous Alhambra of Granada, made up of the Alcazaba (fortress), the Generalife (the architect's garden) and the real highlight - the Nasrid Palaces. One of the design features of Islamic palaces is that the relatively simple and plain exteriors hide the elaborate decoration inside, and this is very true of the Nasrid Palaces. Once you step inside, you can walk through room after room of elaborate plaster and tilework, but it never really seems overdone at all. It was just spectacular.

Patio de la Acequia of the Generalife, and flags flying from the Alcazaba

The Alhambra is one of Spain's biggest tourist attractions, and tickets each day are limited. We had to queue in order to guarantee entry, but luckily, we got in almost straight away. Granada was the city in which we most noted the influences of nearby countries such as Morocco. We spent an afternoon in Albayzin, wandering through the market stalls, reminiscent of my time in Turkey, and stopped off in the Kasbah, for some tea and cakes.

View of Albayzin from the ornate windows of the Nasrid Palaces

A decorated doorway of the Alhambra, and the streets of Albayzin, the Muslim Quarter of Granada

Andalucían adventures - Valencia and Córdoba

Valencia - our stopover on the way to Andalusia. Clockwise from left: Our view over Valencia, the Lonja, a World Heritage listed monument, and one of many brides we saw in the old town of Valencia that evening.

The main reason I wanted to go to Spain was to visit the area called Andalucía, the southernmost province of Spain. Andalucía is full of spectacular architecture, which largely represents a fusion between Christian and Islamic traditions, as the area was one of the strongholds of the Islamic empire in Spain. Each of Córdoba, Sevilla and Granada served as the capital, resulting in some amazing sights in each of these cities. In addition, there is always flamenco, great food, and finally some hot summer weather!

Left: The Alcázar of Córdoba, and here I am finding solace in the Patio de los Naranjos

Ceiling decoration in the Mezquita

The Patio de los Naranjos and signature red striped arches of the Mezquita in Córdoba

Typical patio in Córdoba, and view of the Patio de los Naranjos within the Mezquita

Our Andalucian trip started in Córdoba. We took the train from Valencia, taking about six hours to travel through La Mancha (Don Quixote country) and northern Andalucía. We arrived in Córdoba around 6pm. It was a hot day, only a few degrees shy of 40, but once we'd found and settled into our hotel, we set out to see the town. Córdoba was once the capital of the Muslim Caliphate, and is the home of the fabulous Mezquita. The Mezquita was originally built as a mosque, was then extended, and then following the fall of the Islamic empire, a cathedral was plonked in the centre of it. Like many mosques, it also has a beautiful courtyard filled with orange trees (orange tree squares, or Los patios de Naranjos became quite a theme in Andalucía). The other fantastic thing about Córdoba was the old city, full of whitewashed buildings, and small winding streets, that you could just wander and lose yourself in. At this time of year, they are at their best - the front doors are opened to show the beautiful tiled courtyards, and the patios are hanging with pots of flowers. The architecture of the homes in much of Andalucía is very Islamic in origin - the homes were built around a central square, usually with a water feature, as the ambiance of running water is very important. We saw these all throughout the area. While in Córdoba, we also enjoyed a dinner of Paella and Sangría for Mum's birthday - celebrating in style!

Mum's birthday dinner in Córdoba - complete with paella and sangría