Pictures and Stories About Bicycle Adventures

Moring Comes

Above Left: The breakfast area.

Above Right: Terry is plotting the day's events. We were told to be ready for pickup at 0830 to tour the Alhambra Palace, we were more than ready.

We waited and waited for our pre-arranged morning pickup, we were picked up by a Alhambra Palace Tour Company Bus at exactly 0900. We were taken to their office which was only 300 meters away (had we known we could have walked there at an earlier time and been ON-TIME). We were processed along with 20 other bus people and then WE WERE GIVEN OUR 0900 ADMISSION TICKETS at 0910. WE WERE ALREADY LATE.

The Alhambra Palace Grounds were across the street but the Alhambra Palace Tour Entrance itself was close to 800 meters away. Terry and I walked very quickly, got lost, and then arrived at a long line of ticket holders at the Palace Entrance. I saw the Gatekeeper walk off as we arrived at the rear of the line; we quickly surmised that the official entrance had a computerized/optical card reader that only allowed guests to enter at their Stated Card Entry Time and up to 30 minutes later. Upon realizing this, I grabbed Terry's hand and we aggressively went to the front of the line (all the waiting line people had 0930 Entry Tickets), I told everyone as we were running by them that we were late. With apologies, we charged through the line to the computerized/optical card reader. We held up our Entry Card/Tickets and the Optical Reader Machine lifted the gate bar and let us in. OUR OFFICIAL ENTRY TIME WAS 0929.

... Then All Became Calm

Above Right: It was Washington Irving's effort that saved the Alhambra Palace from ruin. George Washington Irving used to reside in Granada and he wrote his novels from his Granada residence which was very near the Alhambra Palace. It was Washington Irving who wrote to friends and politicians about this special place in Granada, Spain, that was a former Moorish Palace and its state of disrepair that should be treated as a World Treasure.

Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 - November 28, 1859) was an American author, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" (1820), both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.. His historical works include biographies of George Washington, Oliver Goldsmith and Muhammad, and several histories of 15th-century Spain dealing with subjects such as Christopher Columbus, the Moors and the Alhambra. Irving served as the U.S. ambassador to Spain from 1842 to 1846. - Wikipedia

The Gardens and Grounds of the Alhambra

Palace of Charles/Carlos V, Holy Roman Emperor
(On the Alhambra Grounds, now a Museum)

Above: We visited 2 museums, No Pictures Allowed.

The Palace of Charles V is a Renaissance building ... located on the top of the hill of the Assabica, inside the Nasrid fortification of the Alhambra. It was commanded by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, who wished to establish his residence close to the Alhambra palaces. Although the Catholic Monarchs had already altered some rooms of the Alhambra after the conquest of the city in 1492, Charles V intended to construct a permanent residence befitting an emperor. The project was given to Pedro Machuca, an architect whose biography and influences are poorly understood. At the time, Spanish architecture was immersed in the Plateresque style, still with traces of Gothic origin. Machuca built a palace corresponding stylistically to Mannerism, a mode still in its infancy in Italy. The exterior of the building uses a typically Renaissance combination of rustication on the lower level and ashlar on the upper. Even if accounts that place Machuca in the atelier of Michelangelo are accepted, at the time of the construction of the palace in 1527 the latter had yet to design the majority of his architectural works. - Wikipedia

The Hotel Alhambra Palace
(Our Place of Stay)

Above: Our Hotel and View (Hotel Alhambra Palace). We are reorganizing and trgreshing at our hotel (across from the Ahambra) and then heading for downtown Granada.

Downtown Granada

Above: Some streets have sun shades, they make a huge difference on hot sunny days.

Above Left: Electric candles.

Above: African influences.

Above: We ordered Paella de Arroz Negro (a 'Must Taste' while in Spain).
The blackened color comes from the Ink of Octopus. It was actually quite tasty.

Above: Pan (Latin, French, and Spanish for Bread).
A 'Pannier' is a Bread Carrier (French derived).

Uptown (Uphill), Old Arab Quarter (Mostly Upscale Shops Now)

Above Left: Té (Tea).

Above Right: Spices.

Above Left: Muralla de la Ciudad (City Wall).

Above Right: A view eastward toward the west end of the Alhambra Palace walls.

Evening at the Alhambra Palace Hotel

Above Left: We're on the 6th Floor Overview Deck of the Alhambra Palace Hotel looking for some light snacks (tapas).

Above Right: The Cooling Misters were Turned-On.

Above: Our View South, Granada (I missed some sky grid in the composite image and I touched it up with MS-Paint).

Above: Our View Southwest, Granada.

Above: Our View Southeast, Granada.