Parts of Portugal & Spain and then the Fasa Valley of the Dolomites

[RB]

I have posted a review of our Coimbra hotel here http://www.australianfrequentflyer..../riverside-suites-coimbra-portugal-61711.html

[FONT=&amp]Coimbra[/FONT][FONT=&amp] to Lisbon[/FONT]
There are 2 railway stations at Coimbra. A 10 min walk from our hotel reaches the 1[SUP]st[/SUP] station & then a 3 min train ride gets us to the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] station & our next train to Lisbon. Again not good signage & I am sure the rail workers would appreciate an upgrade- many other European countries have train maps on the platforms so you know where to stand etc.
We had booked Lisbon (5 nights) before we were aware it was hosting the Champions League final- had no impact on us anyway. We travelled 1[SUP]st[/SUP] class on this ride as there was only a handful of Euro difference. There is plenty of baggage space straight above our seats. The seats (booked online in Aust before we left) are great-singles at the end of the carriage on each side of the aisle & with a window each.
After leaving on time we soon see a few bigger farms, the soils look less fertile in some spots & the dominance of grapes is certainly over. Small settlements are scattered through the whole journey. About 30 min out of Lisbon we see a huge area of irrigation & the largest dairy delivery factory I have ever seen (the type where the trucks back up to individual loading docks). Also near Vila Franca De Xira station there is the beginning of the Tagus river estuary and a military museum & airfield where I glimpse 4 or 5 old military aircraft.


Around Lisbon

We had a great time here & I think it was certainly helped by our choice of neighbourhood-Alfama. It is quite noticeable there are many cranes in operation here (as with our previous stops in Porto & Coimbra) so the GFC slump is being overcome to some degree.
We are in the Alfama district, the oldest in Lisbon & consider we have good access to all we need. There are plenty of cafes/bars/restaurants in the nearby streets, there are restaurants down on the water a 5 minute or so walk & then towards the Lisbon centre (20 minute walk) we also have plenty of alternatives. The district escaped destruction during the 1755 earthquake & true to its roots still supports the fishermen & the poor. There are signs of refurbishment & the restaurants supporting Fado are here. The 1[SUP]st[/SUP] afternoon we go grocery shopping for at the supermarket and then wander around, have a couple of drinks & then have dinner at home & watch the Champions League Final- no great celebrations in the district although we saw some local fans heading out.
Day 1 we spend getting acquainted with the Alfama district. The day is fine & sunny & forecast to stay that way for our entire stay. We head uphill for a couple of minutes to the National Pantheon-Sunday is a free day & the 180 odd steps gets us a great perspective of Lisbon as well as great views of the dome. While up here we get to see the cruise ships that are currently docked in Lisbon, see a few flights arriving & also notice the ferry traffic. During our wanderings (not particularly arduous) we also see the Lisbon Cathedral, St Anthony church, St Vincents monastery, the Graca Church (great choir) & the astounding Miradouro view point. Throughout the walk we see vast examples of tile panels. We crossed the line of the famous No. 28 tram & also encounter a small cluster of market stalls that have good variety in hand made crafts.
For dinner we wandered & chose an Indian/Portuguese spot. We then walked further downhill where the Fado bars abound-there is no shortage of offers for dine & listen deals. Our listening from the street as we walked around convinced we are not up to a full night of Fado. On the way back to the apartment we buy drinks off a Bangladeshi guy who has been in Lisbon 2 yrs- he sells 1 litre screw top beers for 1.8 Euro & they are super cold.

Photos below are of Lisbon Pantheon, view of city taken from Miradouro view point, taken from Pantheon our apartment is basically in the middle near the jacaranda & cruise ship is Costa Mediterranea, locals take the opportunity for a free read and a restaurant cook busy at a street bbq

 

[Anna]

Sounds like you did a similar train trip from Coimbra to Lisboa as I did. My hotel was right near the station (the one in town, not the mainline one).

Lisboa had a huge number of tourists when I was there. I counted 35 tour buses at Belem and the queue to get in to the Palacio de Jorge (or whatever it is called) was so long I couldn't be bothered and went to look at the view from the free lookouts instead.

Here is my accommodation in Estoi near Faro

 

[RB]

Day 2 we venture to Sintra. Definitely a place I would not drive to after seeing the traffic/parking hassles! For us from our Lisbon apartment, it was a quick downhill, then flat walk to Rossio station. Here we got day rail tickets & jumped on 1 of the trains to Sintra-they run every 15 minutes and take about 30 minutes-no hassles for a seat. From there it was turn right out of the station, walk a minute or so & wait for the 434 bus. For 5 Euro you get a circuit ride that takes in the Sintra National Palace, Moorish Castle & Pena Palace. The buses run every 15 minutes on a hop on hop off basis & we encountered no overcrowding on them. To enter the 3 actual sites we paid another 26.5 Euro but thought we got good value. The Moorish Castle provided some great district views but be aware it is a windswept area & you may need a couple more layers of clothes than what you leave Lisbon in ( none of the day is particularly suitable for people with mobility problems). At the Castle, built by the Moors from the 9[SUP]th[/SUP] century onwards, you clamber around a variety of lookouts & enjoy nice walking through well maintained gardens-the crowds here were well spread out & quite a few people seemed to skip this in favour of the other 2 spots. Pena Palace is UNESCO Heritage listed & expresses 19[SUP]th[/SUP] Century Romanticism. The palace stands on rock and there seems to be a few styles but the highlight is the great number of Royal collections.
Back down at the Sintra National Palace we first visit the gardens through a separate entrance- very few people seem to be looking here, but we enjoy the narrow paths & pristine condition of things. In the Palace itself, (after being greeted warmly by a host who expressed a love of Australian relaxed accent) we manage to position ourselves between tour groups so we can set our own pace. We move between rooms such as the Magpie room, Swann’s room and the Arab room and again saw great relics. The Lisbon earthquake caused damage but the conical chimneys that dominate the town skyline certainly took our attention.

Photos are 1/ Moorish Castle 2/ View of Moorish Castle taken from Pena Palace 3/ View while walking up to Pena Palace (some people caught a mini-bus/train) 4/ Just 1 of many photo opportunities at the Palace 5/ View of the Palace from the Castle

 

[RB]

Photos are 1/ swan room 2/ magpie room 3/ a small view of a quiet section of town taken from the gardens 4/ part of the kitchen at the Palace 5/ Sintra train station ticket office

 

[RB]

Back in Lisbon we check the squares around the Rossio area. As per photo the Square near Rossio(actually a flat surface) with the strange optical illusion surface painting is disconcerting. Down towards the waterfront there is a lot of dismantling going on of the site that was used for the promotion of the Champions League Final. Also at the waterfront there are memorial boards drawing attention to the 40[SUP]th[/SUP] anniversary of the revolution of 1974-75.

Day 3 we again walk around the city. We venture into the Cathedral. Nice enough, more understated than most of the churches we had visited and you are quite likely to be sharing time there with a pushy bus group. Not much of a walk away was Sao Jorge Castle-very worthwhile. Another relic of the Moors, it has a commanding position. The square right at the entrance has impressive panoramas and although the castle is now basically just walls and towers, there is easy access up to walkways on top of these. There is a moat (now dry) that is crossed by an impressive stone bridge. The bonus of our visit was an amazing show put on by a show-off peacock. While there were many peacocks around, one distinctively coloured bird insisted on an extended fanshow from atop a wall & then down amongst the visitors. There is also a small archaeological museum that housed an impressive collection.
The renowned flea market is sited just above the Pantheon and operates 2 days a week. Our Tuesday visit left us a little underwhelmed. There is certainly a mass of traders but we felt the numbers were certainly skewed towards those selling absolute junk rather than those displaying hand made goods.
We lunched near to our apartment at Uncle George. This café has apparently traded for 39 yrs. The walls are adorned with great old photos showing the buildings as they once were. We had great soup, a sandwich & a freshly squeezed orange juice.
Our dinner that night marked our first Filipino food of the trip. The Hollywood Grill has adopted a smart business plan. They offer a free pick-up service to the cruise ship crews. Also included is an international money transfer service, a shop, phone cards, Filipino cuisine & a variety of booze that obviously caters to the preferences of the crews. Our Pancit sa Hipon (prawns with noodles) & Prato Dia (a pork & rice concoction) were a welcome change from what we had experienced so far. There were good staff & we had an interesting discussion including how they fly back to the Manila via Dubai on Emirates with regular deals apparently offering cheap fares.

Photos are 1/ the surface painting in Rossio Sq 2/ Santa Justa Elevator as seen from Sao Jorge Castle 3/ a very proud peacock 4/ one man's trash Lisbon style 5/ Rossio Sq as seen from Sao Jorge Castle

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Wow!! Great report. Thanks for sharing.

 

[RB]

Day 4 started a little overcast but no rain ensued. This was a big walking day but was a great day out in Lisbon. As we walked to Cais Do Sodre station for the start of our day noted how much more in flower the jacarandas were compared to when we arrived. At Estoril we got off the train & walked to Cascais via the waterfront. This was an area of good people watching (quite a few topless blokes walking with a permanent full flex!) and there were a few stand up paddlers just out from shore. Cascais seemed a nice enough tourist spot but there was obviously a lot of catering to British tourists with the bars & menus firmly aimed at them ( thinking of fish & chips & curries here). Again this was an incredibly clean location. We had a flat walk around Cascais & the boat harbour area- as with the rest of the world very few of the boats are being used! There were a couple of sand art guys at work & one seemed very talented (see picture). We contemplated a bus to Cabo de Roca (most westerly point of Portugal) but with bus only running every hour we decided to return to Belem. We had to take a train to Oeiras and then change but it was an easy task.
Photos below 1/ this just appealed to my sense of humour 2/ Zoom & you can see how the pool is being filled 3/ unfortunately the landscape photos don't seemed to show up as well on this site as my computer-not sure what I a doing wrong 4/ plenty of spare spots for day rent 5/ nice safe harbour & brilliant clear water

 

[RB]

The area around Belem was fantastic. We walked the waterside of the Tagus River to join the masses around Belem Tower and the Monument of Discoveries, both great photo spots. Docas has been developed as an area for many bars and restaurants. We then crossed the main road & visited the Maritime Museum, Jeronimos Monastery and the tropical garden. For us the Maritime Museum was a fantastic highlight. The start is marked by a huge map of Portuguese explorations and models of the major players. There were so many great displays of Portugal’s dominance of the seas-apparently there are 17,000 items displayed here-maps, globes, canons, model ships and maritime uniforms. At the finish there was a great collection of royal barges & 3 historic aircraft/seaplanes.
From there it was a train back to Cais Do Sodre station & a further walk back to our apartment to wind up the activities of a fantastic day.
Pizza from down the road at Primo Basilico topped things off.

Photos are 1/ Belem Tower 2/ the Maritime Museum 3/ The Padrão dos Descobrimentos-monument celebrating the Portuguese Age of Discovery 4/ Primeira Travessia a steel replica celebrating the 1st crossing of the Sth Atlantic in 1922 5/We fluked a look at the changing of the guard

 

[RB]

A few photos taken from within the Maritime Museum. Being a frequent flyer site I thought these photos (not in the order of the explanation photo) plus one of one of the royal barges on display was appropriate

 

[RB]

[FONT=&amp]Lisbon[/FONT][FONT=&amp] to Tavira[/FONT]
This was mainly arepositioning transfer but we enjoyed our short stay at Tavira.
Our transfer started with a quick downhill walk then a metro ride to Zoo station. We must have walked out the wrong exit as we saw no signs to the new bus station, but on arrival we could see signs to the metro! The station itself is very impressive for its organisation with plenty of boards showing bus numbers, times destinations and is incredibly clean. The bus itself is impressively new, seats are very comfortable (sold by seat number but this is ignored on board) we have a hostess who sells pod coffee and a limited menu, there is free wifi and a movie is showing on cabin screens.
We see a lot of change as we leave Lisbon. The are some grapes grown on very soupy looking soils, it becomes much drier, there is some large scale irrigation by self propelled sprays, there are cattle in numbers and then there are areas of cork, oak & pine trees amongst rolling hills.
The road surface is superb, dual lane divided highway hosts minimal traffic (mainly anonymous white delivery vans) and there is no highway advertising blighting the scenery. As a 1[SUP]st[/SUP] we see signs showing distance to towns & what the fuel prices are at those spots! As we reach the Algarve area we see shade houses, orange orchards, a flat & a generally flat & featureless landscape and some stone fences.
At the end of our 4hr transfer we are greeted by 26c temps

Photos below 1/ scenery shot from the bus 2/ view of the Gilao river 3/ small square in Tavira- certainly not overrun by tourists 4/ some idylic settings 5/ extent of the tides seen here

 

[RB]

I have posted a review of our Tavira hotel here http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ws/residence-mares-tavira-portugal-61805.html

[FONT=&amp]Around Tavira[/FONT]

The old town is a charming little spot. Again there is no rubbish to be seen with a regular street sweep happening. Near the Gilao river (huge tides as it drains to the Atlantic) that divides the town centre we wander past plenty of touristy shops and see plenty of churches, working fishing boats, town squares with locals mingling with the tourists (don’t seem high in numbers) & enjoy the slow life! Again closely spaced bridges connect all the activities. With it still being low season not all the transport is in full swing so given just the 1 day we do not venture to the famous beach area-we just walked out to the ferry spot & had a look around. There appears to be quite a deal of soil rehabilitation taking place along this very low lying area. The restaurant choice is broad with many Indian options alongside Japanese, pizza etc and the reliable local options. Our choice of grilled & fried fish for dinner proved to be a winner!

Photos 1/ river view from a churchyard 2/ street scene across the river 3/ fresh fish dinner 4/ the short ferry ride to the beach 5/ these guys provided intrigue for passersby

 

[RB]

Tavira to Seville
Although our transfer from Portugal to Spain was a fairly short hop there was plenty to see & a lot of change. The bus left Tavira 15 minutes late & on our run into Seville I thought he was trying to get a trumpet arrival ala Ryanair. The bus itself was a bit older & no wifi onboard.
The road was again in great order with divided multi lanes and still there was very little traffic. The freeway had gardens down the middle virtually all the way- Oleanders all the way, similar to Taomina Sicily
We saw many orchards, sunflowers, olives & wheat being grown with the dry climate not having a noticeable impact on the low rolling hills. Again there was a massive dairy products outlet on the city outskirts. Traffic wise the run into Seville was fantastic with just 1 set of lights about 1km before the station.


Around Seville
As with Tavira, the light here is vivid and I am not sure how some of the locals & tourists survive without sunglasses but our cameras seem to be enjoying the sharpness! Despite all the sunshine, solar energy uptake seems very limited. The women are still in their super tight jeans & high block heels. Our late afternoon arrival meant we had a quick shower then wandered up the end of the street. Here we located the Dos de Mayo, a restaurant referred to by a previous occupant of the apartment. It is a very slick operation with good drinks & a wide choice of Tapas available. All our choices are good & we enjoy the people watching as we dine outdoors. It is certainly a case of eat late & small portions (but multiples) here! My 1[SUP]st[/SUP] encounter with Cruzcampo beer is one of enjoyment.

Photos show some of the buildings we encountered in Seville

 

[RB]

I have posted a review of our fantastic Seville apartment here http://www.australianfrequentflyer....iews/apartment-32-calle-miguel-cid-61837.html

Day 1 a Saturday we take advantage of the local (1 minute walk) bread & fruit stores to get our breakfast organised. As we walk around we find things much more crowded than we had been experiencing. We visit Alcazar (think mosaic tile overload) & are amazed by the vastness of the royal palace ala Moorish fort. The many gardens provide much needed space. We didn’t take the audio guide-maybe you leave less knowledgeable but I see so many tourists rapt in the communication rather than enjoying the wandering. We then had a bit of a wander around Barrio Santa Cruz before our wandering got us over near the Spanish Square & the garden areas of Maria Louisa. There are certainly plenty of hidden streets & plazas! We also visited the Pabellon Domecq- a similar style to the Royal Pavilion it dates from the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. Around here we get caught up with big crowds waiting for a parade that is part of the Five Flags Festival, a heritage celebration of Pensacola history. The walk along the riverside takes us through the El Arenal area & we pass the bullfighting arena, Real Maestranza Bullring & Museum-apparently the oldest in the world. We also get to see Torre del Oro & the Opera House. We finally manage to locate the supermarket that is a Mercadona chain member-hidden on a level below the street in a general shopping centre. As with Portugal a standout is the cheapness of some great cheeses. Bodegon Alfonso X11 was our bar & tapas choice after reading some Fodors threads & it was great food & people watching-just 50 metres away was an outdoor dinner/concert with a fine soloist & a flamenco performed by an older couple! Then it was back to enjoy our terrace as it had finally cooled down from 35c. Today it was noticeable that there are more pan handlers here, the Spanish seem to be less inclined than the Portuguese to assist and are certainly less likely to speak to you in English (not their problem I know). There seems to be a greater variety in the breed of dogs here, we even see quite a few greyhounds, however it is quite noticeable that the owners are not as diligent as the Portuguese at picking up after their pet.
First 4 photos are of Alcazar and final photo is of the flamenco couple

 

[RB]

Day 2 we headed off for the La Macarena area-Windows phone with the Here Maps works very well. This is a walk through quiet neighbourhoods on a Sun morning, not much happening other than coffee drinking! We see the Cordoba Gate, the old city wall but we are too early for the Basilica to be open. Our meander back to the apartment takes us pass plenty of other small churches, suburban squares, small general stores & kids kicking soccer balls around.
Despite what we had read, entry on a Sunday to the Cathedral & Giralda was not free. Indeed there is a bit of a line and it takes 20 minutes to get to the head of the queue. The cathedral of Seville is the biggest Gothic cathedral and 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] largest church in the world. It is a very impressive building. The building used to be a mosque, but after the Reconquista the Spanish used the mosque as a church. When the mosque started to decay, the Spanish decided to demolish it. The story goes that the Spanish then decided to construct a church ´so large that future generations will think we were mad´. The result is a massive cathedral, it is 126m long and 83m wide. The Giralda is a 105m high decorated tower on the northeast side of the cathedral. It used to be the minaret of the mosque and was built between 1184 and 1198. The colours of the towers change with the light. It has claims to being the most beautiful buildings remaining from Islamic times. The upper part of the tower is built in the 16[SUP]th[/SUP] century. At the very top is ´El Giraldillo´ a 16[SUP]th[/SUP] century bronze weathervane, which became the symbol of Seville. Apparently the sultan ordered that 35 ramps be put in place (instead of steps) so the muezzin could ride a horse to recite the call to prayer. The ´Puerte del Perdón´ is at the exterior of the cathedral and this gate is one of the legacies of the Islamic mosque.
The Tomb of Christopher Columbus was inside the cathedral but not particularly marked from what we could see. There is confusion about whether the bones in this tomb are actually of Columbus. Rumour has it that it may be his son Diego who is lying here. However, recent DNA investigation proved that the bones lying in this tomb may actually be from Columbus. The story doesn't end here, Columbus has been moved 4 times since he died, and there is a possibility that somewhere the bones got mixed up because the investigation also showed that bones found in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) may also be of Columbus.

Photos
1/ a small part of the old city wall 2/ a side gate of the Cathedral-photo taken to give an indication of size 3/ inside the cathedral was sensory overload & it was difficult to photograph with our cameras 4/ part of the city as seen from the tower 5/ view of bullring from the tower

 

[drron]

Really enjoying the pictorial tour.
Now have to mark down Portugal on to the bucket list.

 

[RB]

Our Day 3 in Seville was a trip to Jerez de la Fronteira (home of sherry wines!)- Mrs RB is a very keen dressage competitor so it was off to see Real Escuela Andaluza De Arte Ecustre.- a school of equestrian skills. Being a Mon it was the chance to see training take place. The visit exceeded expectations with everything from breaking in of the carriage horses, novice dressage horses, the airs above the ground and a little Spanish Walk thrown in (all at one time in the same arena!) & a really informative and relaxed tour of the stables & tack room (kept at a steady temperature to preserve the leather) which catered for all levels of expertise. There was a fantastic museum (some history & uniforms on display), & the impressive carriage museum. There were plenty of opportunities for photos except in the main indoor arena and the stables.

We had a walk to the train in Seville & also at Jerez. The train was a painless experience - no wait for ticket buying, clear display boards, modern, middle distance train (hit 160km/hr) allocated seats, station announcements in Spanish & English. There was some great viewing- quickly in the rural areas & farms, orchards, sunflowers, wheat, olives & veggies all grown on very flat land. There was some extensive irrigation & finally we saw a few solar energy farms. Our walk through Jerez was flat & again a beautiful clean city. The people here seemed friendlier & more polite than Seville - perhaps not so worn down by tourists!

On the way back to our apartment we passed the Metropol Parasol (150mX70m and about 26m high), a striking structure that claims to be the larest wooden structure in the world- but I am not sure the Spaniards believe they eventually got value for money. It was good to see a variety of neighbourhoods just walking from 1 activity to another.

Photos below
1/ a very professionallly run enterprise 2/ this is a Przewalski horse, a breed that is 12,000yrs old & a key link to the evolution of horses. Apparently they are the last species of wiild horse-as distinct from others that are descendants of domestic horses that have become wild 3/ these carriage horses were certainly having their stanima built up 4/ I am informed this is a very impressive display 4/ part of the Metropol Parasol apparently had a final cost around 100 million Euro-wikipedia has some interesting info

 

[RB]

Seville to Granada
We had pre-purchased Alsa bus tickets online while still in Aust. Another well equipped bus & we were expected to sit in the allocated seats-but just managed to get a spare seat each! Left right on time and took about 20 minutes to get through the city & many roundabouts & flyovers to get onto the A92. Many spots had a 120km/hr limit, others 100km/hr. I noticed on the outskirts of Seville that diesel was 124.9c Euro. Again there were oleander gardens all the way in the centre of the 4 lane freeway. This was a very scenic trip- originally many paddocks of 100’s of HA of plains growing sunflowers, orange groves, wheat and olives all grown as dry farming. Traffic was again thin & sometimes there were only a handful of vehicles per minute. After an hour or so it became all olives - Spain will certainly never run out! We started a steady climb and began to see a few distant wind turbines. After about 2 hrs out of Seville we started to see some grapes, corn, general cropping, irrigation and even a couple of solar farms of a decent size. About 70km out of Granada there was a huge road/bridge building project underway that is spanning a massive valley. As we got closer to Granada it changed again to all olives. As we neared Granada we got great views of the snow caps on the Sierra Nevada.


Around Granada
[FONT=&amp]We had a late lunch at a small bar/café and have a bit of a walk around a few of the many squares close by. Siesta hours means we miss the supermarket 1st up but it is only about a 10 minute walk back later. The 3 supermarkets up in Albaicin are actually very small. We score the packet cappuchino that we use on holidays and some yoghurt & fruit for breakfast along with some beers & wines for enjoying on our patio. Our night is a walk to the Mirador de San Nicolas lookout area for photos of the Alhambra lit up & then a meal in a small square - there are plenty of bus/walking trips moving around & using the area as a good lookout spot. [/FONT]

Photos 1/ our approach to Granada 2/ farmland & new roadworks between Seville & Granada-shame about bus window reflection 3/ Partial view of Alhambra from "our" backyard 4/ & 5/ shots taken from Mirador de San Nicolas

 

[RB]

I hve posted a review of our Granada accommodation here http://www.australianfrequentflyer....-and-reviews/boabdil-house-granada-61899.html

[FONT=&amp] With another fine day upon us we use our washing machine to get up to date, visit a few of the lesser sights (cathedral, Palace of Los Cordobas etc) and a general walk down the main thoroughfares.
[/FONT]We picked up our Alhambra tickets for tomorrow (booked in advance while in Aust) & found the web criticism of the staff at the downtown office to be unfounded. There are spots at the Alhambra that don’t require a ticket so we decided to walk up & get the lay of the land before our main visit tomorrow. It is a bit of a steep walk up from a town square but took us less than 10 minutes to get up to the Palace level. We enjoyed a relatively quiet walk around Carlos Palace & its Alhambra Museum, a few viewing areas (a couple looking back towards our house), the Wine Gate, Justice Gate and the Islamic Baths.







[FONT=&amp]
[/FONT]

 

[RB]

The day of our “full on” Alhambra experience was a great day. While still in Aust we booked our tickets in advance (as strongly recommended everywhere) through the Ticketmaster site - we were a little suspicious that the buying experience triggered a problem with our credit card & a very long thread on Trip Advisor indicates many people in Aust are have having hassles (seems an Amex is the easy solution). BUT all is soon forgotten once you are underway. We were up early to walk to the site and complete our look at Alcazaba. This is the oldest part of the Alhambra & served the purpose of a fortress. There are various towers that give you the fantastic views back over Granada and the surrounding countryside as well as the rest of the complex and its walls. Our early start meant we had only 1 other çouple for company at one stage at Torre de la Vela so some great viewing and photo opportunities. We had opted for the 10am slot for the Nazrid Palaces. We lined up in a short queue after the 9.30 slot went through. Right on 10am we were ushered by excellent staff into the 3 palaces with the hordes. Dating from the 13th & 14th centuries, these were the pinnacle of the day with great architectural and cultural treasures that assault the senses. There is delicate lattice work in the columns, cupolas, patios and arches, intricate carving on all the walls & ceilings and the Court of the Lions was fantastic. Internal gardens & running water play a huge part in the makeup-pools and fountains and intricate historic watering systems abound. Perhaps photos (although most are filled with other people) tell the story best.
After the Palaces it is out to the Generalife. The roses and gardens dominate here in what is basically a series of large gardens with surprise views of the surrounds around every corner. The Water Staircase is a highlight and the amphitheatre would be a magnificent spot to attend a concert.
On exit we located the Cuesta del Rey Chico path to walk down - this bought us out closer to our base, was less crowded & had some different views of the walls & surrounds than what we experienced yesterday.
On impulse we rode a cab up to Sacro Monte Abbey- most of the building seems to be in a state of disrepair although there is work being done. The Atrium & main cloister were viewed through a shut gate (although there was a 1 hour tour due to leave at 12.30 for 4 Euro) & then we took the walking path down through the Sacromonte district. It was good to see some of the caves, great views down over Granada (the Cathedral & Alhambra show up very well from here) & then past the Museum that is temporarily relocated part way down the hill. We investigated Plaza Largo pre 2pm and discovered a vegetable market and a nice fish market (2 beautiful bits of salmon for 5 Euro for dinner!). This was a bit of a tame finish to what had been a great day out!

Photos below & next few posts are from our Alhambra visit & finally the Sacromonte area

 

[RB]