January 9, 2004



Granada

We were up early this morning to see the ancient fortress and palaces of the Moorish sultans, the Alhambra. This monumental fortress overlooks all of Granada from atop a hill. It served as both the summer and winter palaces for the sultan, with separate buildings for the different seasons. There was a city within its walls where both the palace servants and the nobles lived. It has now, however, been converted into gardens over the top of the ruins. These





 

gardens and those within the palaces themselves are still maintained on a daily schedule. There is a plethora of cypress trees throughout the grounds, the most famous of which is in
a small courtyard where the sultana is rumored to have conducted a love affair. Anyone who touches the tree is guaranteed an affair within twenty-four hours. The orange trees send off a strong, lovely odor, though they are bitter oranges and are not eaten. The detail work of the molded ceramic tiles is phenomenal and covers nearly every surface within the palaces.