Granada 19th June

Karen and I meet at 7:00 and walk up to the front gate of the Alhambra. It is a good walk up a lot of stairs but I am still fit and it is no problem. We get a little lost heading for a building that turns out to be a hotel so we take to the main road and feel alarmed to see there are others already there but we are not far along in the queue. It is 7.20 am and the gates don't open till 8:30! Karen goes for coffe and produces an apple. I have a bottle of water only and no breakfast so coffee will be welcome. I chat to a young woman behind me, Alicia  from New York and soon we are both lamenting the need to book ahead for so many things these days when we would like to be more spontaneous.
By the time we get to buy our tickets we are a threesome and so we all go in together. 

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Karin on the left and Alicia on the right.

Me in all my sartorial splendour. I am turning into a Maggie Smith look alike.

This is the most beautiful place. The gardens are exquisite and the palace breathtakingly beautiful. The history here is so rich and colourful. I could imagine beautiful women wafting around in silk and mint tea taken in the salons and gardens.

The summer palace and garden

The palace and it's interiors

We are all impressed. I am starving now so we interrupt our sightseeing to eat something. 

Alicia has to check in with her office in New York so she departs and Karin and I continue exploring. I have taken so many photos! Karin and I head off for lunch eventually, now she is starving.  We are both tired so make plans for a 7:30 meeting and dinner. I need to print my boarding pass for  the flight to London and check an account so I return to the tourist office of Play Granada earlier. This is who we did the tour with and they offer free wi if that is strong and works consistently. After some anguished moments I eventually get the Ticket and realise I need to move to Malaga on Saturday because there are no buses leaving early enough for me to catch a flight. I hurriedly book a room at the Zeus Hotel Iin Malaga.  Lesson number 100(? By now) when you make flight bookings make sure all your connections exist first. The downside of being on the move and intermittent wifi is the lack of solid time to do these things.
Eventually after wonderful help from the young staff we are all sorted, Karin too had some queries.
We decide to explore some of the side streets for a suitable tapas place and happen upon Alicia sitting by herself. We join her and have a wonderful, funny, talkfest. It is funny how you can meet some people and there is an instant comfortable rapport regardless of age and you can spend a week with others and never get that chemistry.  We have exchanged emails and I will keep contact. We had such interesting conversations ranging from Germany and WWII to modern women and relationships, politics and travel.

We are surprised by the number of hippies/alternatives living in Granada. The street near us is full of music and clapping while we have our tapas. There are women and children and dogs and men riding bikes down the stairs. It is after twelve before we leave and the streets are teaming. Many are dressed in traditional costumes from the Corpus Christi parade and party. I like Granada and I am glad I stayed more than one day.