Granada

since i've been slacking... and i'm leaving for italy in a few days.. i'm trying to update about all my little viajes in the next few days...

so on the same weekend we went to Cordoba, we also went to Granada.

Granada was another beaauuuuutiful city. The most striking thing was the ALHAMBRA, which i've finally learned is the arabic word for castle. In their culture, the architecture is way different because they put all the artwork and structural detail on the inside. Our guide told us it's bc it's more special for those who actually get to see it (royalty& aristocracy). The details on the walls are amaaaazing. There's also tons of water/fountains inside bc in the Southern Spain (Andalucia), there wasn't much water. If you ever wondered why an oasis is considered paradise, it's bc water represents luxury.

SQUARE not-so-fancy outside

round inside! here's all the UC kids =)

The walls inside. It means, "God is the only winner."

me&anto

If you're not into history, I'd stop reading here. But, one of the really cool things about the Alhambra is that it's at the very top of the hill. Perfect for a castle, right? Anyway, the king could always look down into the city and see what was going on. He even had windows that he could look out, that nobody could see into. Granada was a medieval city, so in the city below the castle the streets are arranged like a maze. When intruders tried to attack, the citizens had a huge advantage bc they could easily navigate the streets. Here's the view:

Another interesting fact.. the reason why Spaniards drink in the streets and eat so much jamon is because during the Inquisition everyone wanted to prove they were Christian. and in certain other religions (i forgot which..) they aren't allowed to drink alcohol or eat pork. so everyone would celebrate and openly "prove" they were Christian. aka i'm going to have to BOTELLON (drink in the streets) - FYI. tall plastic cups are the new red cups...

also, since i'm low on money.. i didn't exactly get to see the tombs of FERDINAND II and ISABELLA I (the king and queen that sent Columbus on his journey to find America), but i took a picture of the outside.. lol

hopefully, it wasn't too impressive....