Granada - I'm falling under your spell

Stunning views over The Alhambra

The drive from Malaga to Granada traces its way through spectacular mountain scenery - craggy peaks, winding rivers, endless rows of olive trees contrasted by the intense green of winter wheat.  

Tall Bergamot orange trees stand stately in copses and in the distance snow caps the highest peaks of the Sierra Nevada range. 

One of numerous intricately
decorated interiors

This part of Andalusia is steeped in history, influenced over time by the Phoenicians, the Romans, the Carthaginians, the Moors and the Arabs - and of course providing the setting for all those Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns.

One of The Alhambra's 
many gardens 

We were on our way to Granada and The Alhambra, the iconic “red one”.  

The complex dates back over 800 years and started life as an Islamic fortress later reinvented by Isabella and Ferdinand in the 1400s when Catholics replaced Arabs as the governing force.  

As with all cultures, The Alhambra eventually fell into disrepair and several centuries after Isabella and Ferdinand it was “rediscovered” and has been undergoing continual restoration.  Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site The Alhambra is one of Spain’s top tourist attractions - and we were to appreciate just why.

Centrepiece of the Court of the Lions

The grounds are sprawling with palaces, mosques (that became churches) and extensive gardens and water features. 

Not to be missed is the Court of the Lions, only fully restored three months ago to its original glory with all its water features in full working order.

The views over The Alhambra’s buildings and gardens, with Granada and its mountains beyond, is picture perfect. Was it my imagination, or could I actually hear back in my subconscious the melody of “Granada, I’m falling under your spell”?