Ian: Hello ! We've loved Barcelona so much (twice) that we thought we should see some other parts of Spain. So off we went to see the southern area of Andalucia with it's Moorish influences of architecture and agriculture from the 13th and 14th centuries when Islamic, Christian and Jewish people seemed to get along well.


We flew into Malaga and got a hire car for the adventure of driving on the other side of the road. Then immediately off to Granada ...

* remember: click on the photo to see the full-size version.

It was nippy in Granada as evidenced by the snow covered Sierra Nevada mountain range over-looking the city.

Michael: Above is a view of a portion of the Albaicin, a medieval Moorish district of Granada. Highly atmospheric, it clings to the mountainside and provides great views of the Alhambra as you shall see further on.

Detail from the Nasrid palaces at the Alhambra

The Medina (place of prayer) in the Nasrid Palaces

Granada from the Alhambra

Nasrid Palaces at the Alhambra - too beautiful to describe.

The Alcazaba (fortified citadel) within the Alhambra. Archeological study has revealed a whole series of partly underground apartments and dungeons in the central area - all very well organised the resourced.

Looking from Alhambra over to the Albaicin.

Leaving the Alhambra, we set off up the hill to the Albaicin area...

Coming back down from the Albicin area.

Michael: Puerta de Elvira above, was the principal gate of the Moorish city of Granada



Michael: This is the central courtyard of the palace of Karlos V, the Holy Roman Emperor, built after the reconquista - the re-establishment of catholic Spain after the Moorish period. It is a lavish exposition of classicism and mannerism. To me, it's a bit overwhelmed by the Moorish architecture that virtually surrounds it.

Yes, it was cold :)

Goodnite Granada and the next day we popped into Jaen (pronounced 'cough' with an N on the end)

This is the Castillo de Santa Catalina overlooking Jaen. It's reasonably well preserved and offers beautiful views over Jaen.

Jaen cathedral

Just off to the right was the little bar/cafe where we enjoyed this lovely little sqaure.

On the road to Cordoba, in the middle of what seemed like never-ending olive trees.

The the city walls of Cordoba

These are the remains of a Roman temple in Cordoba, currently under restoration.

We arrived on the night they turned their chrismas lights on.
It was such a nice atmosphere - whole families, older ladies with their best clothes on, all out on the streets.
Yet not an atmosphere of shopping and spending, but just a nice relaxed vibe.

Plaza de la Corredera

I was struck by the abundance of orange trees everywhere (with oranges on them strangely)
yet I didn't see anyone picking them! I love the idea of public fruit!

Michael: Ian was constantly complaining about the fruit - why weren't people eating them? They were being wasted! I tried to explain to him that one would no more think of eating these fruit as eating roses in a garden - they are merely for display and not for consumption. I failed.

The Mezquita, mosque-cathedral

The ever-present pebbled streets - incredible.

Our 'high energy yellow' hotel room in Malaga.

My breakfast of bread and pureed tomato and olive oil - yum !
(perhaps I should've snapped it BEFORE I ate it)

The Santa plague was in full swing.

Where do they get their shop names from ?


and lastly, I just grabbed these shots of this mornings Glasgow frost sitting on the ground and plants.