I decided to do a quick trip to Granada, to see the Alhambra again....with its famous gardens and buildings, it was really a beautiful landmark to visit. The city of Granada lies along the Genil River at the northwestern slope of the Sierra Nevada, 2,260 feet above sea level.
The city's name may have been derived either from the Spanish granada ("pomegranate"), a locally abundant fruit that appears on the city's coat of arms, or from its Moorish name, Karnattah (Gharnāṭah), possibly meaning "hill of strangers."
As the seat of the Moorish kingdom of Granada was the final stronghold of the Moors in Spain, falling to the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II and Isabella I in January 1492.
One of Spain's most frequently visited tourist centers, Granada contains many notable architectural and artistic monuments. The city is the see of an archbishop, and at the center of the city stands the Gothic Cathedral of Santa María de la Encarnación, containing the Royal Chapel (Capilla Real) with the tomb of Ferdinand and Isabella and a display of heraldic decoration. The cathedral is profusely ornamented with jasper and colored marble, and its interior contains many fine paintings and sculptures.
My tour guide took the group around the tight pedestrian streets of Old Town and I enjoyed the colorful walls and gardens. The city is one of the few in Spain, where you get free tapas with every drink ! read more