Granada dos

We started the day walking in heavy rain with our guide for a 30-minute orientation to the main sites. Once released, Eddis and I went into a shop for tea and pastry. We came out into more rain and spent some time in the lovely Corte d'Ingles department store. Much to admire. Came out into more rain and settled into a lovely restaurant for lunch.

Eddis posing with my salad. I also had a cream of courgette soup that was amazing. After lunch the sun was out! Our next stop was the souk, where we bought souvenirs. Then we visited the royal crypt, a massive room attached to the main cathedral. There had to be at least six massive altars covered in gold. Lots of 15th Century Flemish paintings of the crucifixion. Two massive marble carvings of royalty lying in state. Then you go down a set of stairs to see five coffins in an arched brick chamber under the floor holding the marble sculptures. Queen Isabelle and King Ferdinand and I assume various offspring.

We didn't visit any other churches, cathedrals, monasteries or convents (of which there are many) because we find the decadent decorations inspire something other than devotion.

We walked back to the hotel and met up with Janet, the only solo traveller on our trip of 23. Eddis stayed at the hotel, I went back out with Janet and we walked along a promenade next to a river below the Alhambra. The rain had stopped and it was lovely.

Next we wondered around the streets of Albaicin, after stopping in this square.

One of the amazing things about the palace is that it fell into total neglect after the defeat of the muslims. Not a penny spent on it by the Catholic government. Then Washington Irving, who served as American ambassador to Spain in the 1840s, wrote a book called Tales of the Alhambra. It was a Romantic history of the palace and, not in any particular hurry, the Spanish government decided to fix the place up beginning in the 1930s. It's amazing so much of it remained intact.

I was too tired by evening to go out looking for an Irish pub. Eddis and I had dinner in a restaurant next to the hotel and called it a night.

17 March