L
eaving Barcelona all too soon, I headed to Andalucia, having never before traveled in south Spain. I was told that la Alhambra is
the place to go, so I hopped a train to Granada.
With so much Moorish history, the Alhambra has a quite a distinct Arab influence, from its market products to its palace decor... spices line the streets and arabesques, an Islamic art form applying repeating geometric patterns, decorates the walls of the Alhambra, meaning "red fortress," named for the red clay from which it was con
structed in the 14th century. Outside the fortress, most curious are the caves along the old fortress wall, formerly inhabited by the gypsies or Gitanos. Currently many are still inhabited. I accidentally walked into several yards and nearly walked into the doorway of a house, mistakenly believing I was on a path down the mountain! After a tour of the grand palace itself, a fortress that has housed both Muslim and Spanish Christian rulers, I left the land of flamenco and gitano culture for Madrid...
Pictured: spices from the local market, Spanish ceramics with Moorish influence, a cave house, Mari sitting across the valley from the fortress, and a typical house of Gra
nada, decor and fountains inside La Alhambra, Mari at one of the Alhambra courtyards, a window view of Granada, and two scenes from the train ride to Madrid: the "man of the mountain" 
and "castle on a 
hill."
L
eaving Barcelona all too soon, I headed to Andalucia, having never before traveled in south Spain. I was told that la Alhambra is the place to go, so I hopped a train to Granada.
With so much Moorish history, the Alhambra has a quite a distinct Arab influence, from its market products to its palace decor... spices line the streets and arabesques, an Islamic art form applying repeating geometric patterns, decorates the walls of the Alhambra, meaning "red fortress," named for the red clay from which it was con
structed in the 14th century. Outside the fortress, most curious are the caves along the old fortress wall, formerly inhabited by the gypsies or Gitanos. Currently many are still inhabited. I accidentally walked into several yards and nearly walked into the doorway of a house, mistakenly believing I was on a path down the mountain! After a tour of the grand palace itself, a fortress that has housed both Muslim and Spanish Christian rulers, I left the land of flamenco and gitano culture for Madrid...
Pictured: spices from the local market, Spanish ceramics with Moorish influence, a cave house, Mari sitting across the valley from the fortress, and a typical house of Gra
nada, decor and fountains inside La Alhambra, Mari at one of the Alhambra courtyards, a window view of Granada, and two scenes from the train ride to Madrid: the "man of the mountain" 
and "castle on a 
hill."
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