A three star hotel this time - the Anacapri.  Walked around Albaicín, a medieval Moorish quarter (a World Heritage Site with the Alhambra). The streets are really tiny. We saw a truck trying to make a delivery but it got stuck.  (See photo!)

We climbed the stepped street to Plaza San Nicolás and the mirador (lookout) where there is a great view of the Alhambra, the city and the hills behind - a prelude to tomorrow’s visit.  We returned via the Calderería Nueva with all the small Arabian style shops and teterias (teashops) with hookahs. We could be in Morocco! Lots of tourists from all over, including other parts of Spain.

Day 2

Breakfast at the hotel was a bit of a zoo due to a youth tour group but staff managed to replenish the buffet after their onslaught! We wandered the cathedral and university sections of the city and had our lunch at a bar near the hotel. When our free starter came, we realized that earlier we had seen the huge two-handled paella pot being carried through the streets into the restaurant by two waiters.

We had booked the Alhambra online from home with a 4:30 reservation for the Moorish palace. We started our visit around 2pm with a tour of the Alcazaba to see the watch tower and fortifications. Then we visited the Carlos V palace which had a Washington Irving exhibit. Irving had made the Alhambra famous with his stories. Finally we got to see the Palacio Nazaríes. The palace is very beautiful but also very crowded. And sadly, the lion court was under renovation. No lions! After that, we made a brief visit to the Generalife gardens. The Palacio Nazaríes is very splendid but the experience was rather a let down. People had said you would never forget seeing the Alhambra. We’ll remember the Alcazar in Sevilla for longer. Check our photos to decide for yourself!

Had supper in a Moroccan place, Restaurant Arrayanes. They did not serve alcohol but we enjoyed minted lemonade. Richard had tea served from a height into a glass, with the Arabic flair. An exhausting day. Visiting the Alhambra is a complicated business, even with tickets booked months before.