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| Courtyard of the Myrtles in the Palacios Nazaries. |
After a delicious (and too fattening) breakfast of churros and hot chocolate (more like hot pudding) in the Plaza de Bib-Rambla, I caught a bus up to the Alhambra, the Moorish palace/fortress of the 13th and 14th century with an incredible (sordid, cruel) history, later to become a symbol of the defeat of the Moors by the Christians in 1492, the end of the Spanish Reconquista. This is truly one of the greatest sights in Europe and has become one of my favorite places I've visited in Europe.
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Entrance to the Alcabaza fortress,
the original Alhambra. |
Reservations need to be made well in advance (I made mine a month before leaving). The Alhambra is an experience. It is a fascinating, jaw-dropping, thought-provoking place that pictures could never do justice. It makes one ponder the beauty and cruelty of mankind in the name of religion and ideology. I visited several sites there: the Palacios Nazaries (palace), the Alcabaza (fortress), Generalife Gardens, and the Palace of Charles V.
I made a final walk up to the lookout at San Nicolas to see the grand view of the Alhambra again. It was 9:30 at night and still not dark. The overlook was alive with energy; men were singing over visceral guitars while onlookers gathered around, shouting, singing, dancing to the music. Would-be flamenco dancers, as in a trance, gave themselves up to these traditional rhythms.
More Images from the Day
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| Detail of a ceiling, Palacios Nazaries. |
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| Embellished doorway, Palacios Nazaries. |
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| Courtyard of the Myrtles, Palacios Nazaries. |
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| Detail of Ceiling, Palacios Nazaries. |
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| Arches in Courtyard, Palacios Nazaries. |
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| Doorway outside Grand Hall of the Ambassadors, Palacios Nazaries. |
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| Grand Hall of the Ambassadors, Palacios Nazaries. |
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| Detail of arch near Courtyard of the Lions, Palacios Nazaries. |
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| Courtyard of the Lions, Palacios Nazaries. |
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| Arches, Courtyard of the Lions, Palacios Nazaries. |
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| Ceiling of the Hall of the Abencerrajes, Palacios Nazaries. |
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| Detail of a ceiling, Palacios Nazaries. |
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| Arched doorway from the Hall of the Abencerrajes, Palacios Nazaries. |
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| View to the Alcazaba fortress and Palacios Nazaries from the Generalife Gardens. |
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| Courtyard in the palace of the Generalife Gardens. |
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| A wall of the Alcabaza Fortress. |
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Wall of the Alcabaza Fortress as seen from a tower. The palace
of the Generalife is the white building in the background. |
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| Presumed quarters of the commoners of the Alcabaza Fortress. |
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| Overlooking the quarters from the high tower, Alcabaza Fortress. |
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| Looking toward the Sierra Nevada mountain range from the high tower, Alcabaza Fortress. |
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| Pillars in the courtyard of the Palace of Charles V. |
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