9/2 - 9/11 back to spain

On our way to Barcelona, we had planned a couple of days in Granada. Well, that turned into nearly a week. Unfortunately that wasn’t because we fell in love with Granada, though we did in the end. Pretty sure it was the flan and pretty sure it was Salmonella. It made our ferry ride from Morocco seem like a cruise. So it was our hotel room for nearly four days (good thing we’re not on a tight schedule) and then we finally made it to the reason Granada seems to exist—ALHAMBRA. The last Muslim stronghold in Spain, it’s an amazing Muslim palace with rooms and rooms of intricate carvings, immaculate gardens, and reflection pools, fountains, and streams in all the right places. Clint describes it as a place he could return to every day and I definitely agree. It is the perfect design for a house. Maybe some day we’ll have a house and use it for inspiration!

After Granada, our last stop in Spain was Barcelona. Yet another place we could have used a hotel reservation first. It seems like it’s become the weekend destination for all of Europe. For us, it was lots of Gaudi— especially the Sagrada Familia (his famous unfinished cathedral), which is architecturally amazing (though I wonder if they wouldn’t have been better off leaving it unfinished). We loved the cathedral (great view of the city from the roof) and the excavations that have been underneath the city that revealed the Roman city. We had a great view of the city from the cable car that crosses the bay. And perhaps our favorite spot was the Maritime Museum that captures the history of Spanish seafaring. Nerdy, we know, but it’s housed in this amazing building that was used to build ship galleys beginning in the 16th century. Highly recommend it if you ever get to Barcelona.

Alhambra fortress walls - look at the colors!
Alhambra reflecting pool
Intricate ceiling
Beautiful... (And Clint was obsessed with the fish in the ponds)
Alhambra fountains
Alhambra view over the picturesque Granada
On to Barcelona! (Behind me is the museum about the history of the city, which actually takes you underground to the Roman foundations and other ruins)
From the top of the old cathedral
Same, but looking towards the Mediterranean
Clint and Sagrada Familia - the Gaudi side
Our beloved naval museum
More naval museum, yes!
View from the cable car over the Barcelona harbour
My bearded husband's self shot from the cable car