Epic Spanish Adventure: Granada

I have more photos and adventures to share with you, but my work life has stymied my attempts to post. Basically, this week, I was offered an intensive class to prep someone for the TOEFL exam. In the midst of this, my mother and aunt arrived in Spain on their way to Germany. This meant that every hour gap I usually had to myself was instead spent teaching or visiting family. The student was great and the intensive is over, so now I can sleep!

After we saw the sights in Sevilla, we went to Granada. Granada is only a 3 hour train ride away, but still in Andalucía. This was another Moorish city that King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella conquered during their reign. This city was the farthest south they went.



The most famous site here is the Alhambra. This was formerly a Moorish palace, but after their defeat from the Catholic monarchy, it was taken as a palace. In this palace, Christopher Columbus formally requested funding for the voyage to the New World. The Alhambra is quite a popular tourist spot where many come to see the beautiful Moorish architecture and manicured gardens.

In the downtown part of the city, there's a statue that commemorates Columbus's request. Here you see Columbus before Queen Isabella.



Here are some photos of the details in the Alhambra.











I found this quite interesting. Apparently, Washington Irving, who we all know for his book The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, had come to the Alhambra and written stories here. Here's the plaque stating that he resided in this room while writing his stories.



In the heart of Granda is Capilla Real, the final resting place of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. There you can see the intricate mausoleums made in honor of the royal family. In addition to the king and queen's coffins, you can also see the resting place of Queen Juana I (daughter of Ferdinand and Isabel) and King Felipe I and their grandson Miguel da Paz, who died at age 2. I wasn't allowed to take photos while in the cathedral.

During our entire stay in Granada, we were able to enjoy amazing tapas! Yes, the tapas in Madrid are delicious, but what's great about Granada is that you get a hefty portion with every drink you order! For the 24 hours we were in Granada, we never ordered food-we always ate more than enough tapas which came with our food. This made for cheap eats with a wide variety of traditional Spanish dishes!

Here are some examples of the large plates we would get.



This was called fried pumpkin. Quite good!



And who doesn't love a little paella with some sangria?



So, the last few photos have made me hungry! I must go and cook. We hope to squeeze in one last journey in Spain before we return to the United States! We're keeping our fingers crossed!