Spain part 5

DAY 14: Our second day in Malaga...it did not start off well. It started with a complete loss of water in the hotel room, which makes it very difficult to shower, brush teeth, flush the toilet, etc. Luckily I had enough water in my water bottle for teeth brushing and to take my pills. When dad and I stepped out to use the Internet it was pouring down rain. But after a siesta, things started looking up! The sun came out (always a plus for touristing), so we went to Alcazaba-Gibralfaro, a walled fortress dating back to the 11th century. It was originally the palace of the Muslim rulers in the city and consists of two separate areas: the palace at the base of the hill and another walled fortress at the top of the hill. From the top fortress you can look out at panoramic views of all of Malaga, from the sea to the mountains. The palace itself contained three separate courtyards, one containing orange trees, a second with a pool, and a third that we were unable to access. Alcazaba was built mostly of limestone and crumbles easily, so apparently it requires frequent rebuilding. In the upper portion, reconstruction of a courtyard was underway. Once I get pictures added it will be much easier to understand the grand scale of the fortress, it was really incredible. Plus hiking up the hill to the higher portion was a great workout! Unfortunately it highlighted the lack of training I´ve been getting in. Dang!

DAY 15: Dad and I took a bus from Malaga to Granada. We had hoped to take a train...the train system is much nicer because its faster, you get to see more countryside, and it has a cafeteria and working bathrooms :) The bus ride took about an hour and forty-five minutes, so it wasn´t bad at all. We didn´t get to see a lot of Granada, but I could tell it is very beautiful. Apparently Granada was the last remaining Arab city in Spain, and it is clear that it has a lot of Arab influence in its food, shops, architecture, etc. Dad and I went to our hostel, then out for dinner. I also finally splurged and got a pair of jeans (for 16 €!) because the hiking pants I brought are literally hanging off me right now. I must have lost weight at some point between the travel and colitis. Cest la vie! The restaurant dad and I went to for dinner was great because (1) the food tasted good (2) it is close to our hostel (3) it doesn´t charge for bread and (4) they actually give you a complimentary dish! Muy excellante! (ok, I think I may just be making up Spanish now...)

DAY 16: Our first full day in Granada. Dad and I started the day by going to La Alhambra (a very famous, much larger version of a walled fortress and palace like the place we went to in Malaga). At least our PLAN was to go to Alhambra. La Alhambra sits on a hill above Granada and consists of a palace, bathing area, patios, a fortress, a cathedral, and many gardens. After touring part of the palace of Carlos V, the bathing areas, the cathedral, the museum and some of the gardens, we learned that we needed tickets to enter the remaining areas. The ticket situation was quite confusing because we entered in what looked like a main entrance, but tickets were sold at the complete other end (and far back area) of Alhambra. We walked around to the other side and found that the automated ticket machine wasn´t a fan of dad´s credit or debit cards. The cash purchase line was extremely long and hadn´t moved forward in the time we had been waiting, so we decided to nix the rest of the visit. If this had been our first stop on our vacation, I´m sure we would have waited, but we have already seen so many amazing things! Plus the part of La Alhambra that we did see was beautiful, again with strong Arab influence and intricate tile and engravings. Instead, dad and I went to a restaurant for lunch where I had delicious pork loin in fig sauce. Mmmm, it was sooo tender and juicy and flavorfull! I just LOOOVE good food! Dad and I then walked along a street called Carrera del Darro, a beautiful cobblestone street that runs along the river. It was full of old residences pained white, with clothes hanging outside to dry, bicycles parked along the side, etc. Again, the Arab influence was present in the architecture and souvenier shops...many shops contained gifts from India instead of Spain. For dinner, dad and I went to a delicious restaurant called Ermista. I got tapas (small dishes) of codfish in garlic and chile sauce, and serloin in brandy (which actually tasted an awful lot like maple syrup). But the HIGHLIGHT of the day was finding dad´s book in the local bookstore!! We got a picture of course :)