IN GRANADA

Terry and I traveled to Granada yesterday, a charming city of 400,000 about 90 km northeast of our home base in Torremolinos. The bus trip took us by olive groves that stretched as far as the eye could see as well as past sleepy towns nestled at the base of verdant hills.

Once in Granada, we visited the Cathedral of the Incarnation, a formidable  structure built in the 16th century . Inside, gold plated altars, unique statues and beautiful frescos abounded. In fact, some of the sculptures were created by proteges of Michelangelo.  After about an hour or so, we were churched out and were eager to exchange the cool drafts of the cathedral for the sunny skies above the city square.

Our afternoon was spent touring the magnificent castle of Alhambra, a Moorish fortress built in the 13th century by Muslims whose rule in Spain dated back to their conquest in 711.

The 75 acre site includes a moat, lavish gardens, an inner palace complete with harem rooms, even an aqueduct system. 8,000 visitors take in this last bastion of Moorish hegemony that lasted until 1492 when it fell under the control of King Ferdinand and his wife Queen Isabel.

The entire day was a history lesson and reminded me both of the creative genius as well as the lavish excesses of so many before us.