3rd May
Grenada is our destination today with a stop to explore Priego de Cordoba.
Situated on the eastern side of the Sierras Natural Park, Priego de Cordoba is a town considered to be one of the most majestically beautiful in Andalucia. Baroque architecture predominates – so much so that the town is known as the ‘Baroque Jewel’ of Andalucia.
After admiring the town and it’s buildings, we continued our journey towards Granada driving through endless miles of well kept olive and orange trees and by mid afternoon the snow capped mountains of the Sierra Nevada mountains were in view.
Granada is situated in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It’s known for grand examples of medieval architecture dating to the Moorish occupation, especially the Alhambra, a sprawling hilltop fortress complex encompassing royal palaces, serene patios, and reflecting pools. Also known for the fountains and orchards of the Generalife, the summer palace and country estate of the Nasrid rulers.
We headed for the centre of town and after having a bit of a look around stopped for a rather indifferent lunch at one of the sidewalk cafes.
It was on one of the main streets opposite a lovely park and, being a festive day, many of the women and girls had dressed up for the occasion.
Not to be outdone, the men had groomed their horses and were putting them through their paces and generally showing off their horsemanship.
We stayed watching for a while until it was time to checkin to the Alhambra Palace Hotel – a stunning five star hotel situated only meters from the Alhambra and overlooking the whole of Grenada.
4th May
The day to explore the Alhambra and the Generalife gardens. Many of the group had joined the tour for this reason and there was a general air of excitement at breakfast.
A World Heritage site, the extraordinary Alhambra is regarded as being the Moors’ greatest legacy in Europe. Perched on a hilltop overlooking the city, this fortress and palace of the Nasrid sultans is a fine example of intricate stuccowork, elegant archways, and intimate courtyards.
The Generalife became a leisure place for the kings of Granada when they wanted to get away from the official affairs of the palace. In the Generalife there is no kind of decorative excess or points of interest in its architecture. Unlike the Alhambra, all the buildings of the Generalife are quite solid, but in general poor and simple. This indicates an intimate and peaceful atmosphere that the kings were looking for when they retired to these gardens to rest. There are only some decorative motifs of plasterwork, which are not very varied, but are exquisitely fine and tasteful.
We all agreed that these two gardens had been the highlight of the trip so far