What's in a name....well.......The Alahambra

Granada, Spain

What's in a name..well a lot.  We arrived at our beautiful hotel in Granada.  Wait, did I say hotel.  It was a Palace.  Yes, two rooms at the Alahambra Palace were waiting for us. 

from the terrace of our hotel

Upon checking in, we were so pleasantly surprised at the beauty of this hotel.  Located just outside the Alahambra walls,  it had spectacular views over the city of Granada.  Our room had a Moorish-inspired decor, keeping with the Alahambra Style.

Let's talk a little history...  Our tour guide, Maria, walked and talked for 3 hours as we followed her every step and listened to her every word.  The thick Spanish accent did not detour us from grasping the essence of her story of the Alahambra.  Only the little side photo opportunities at every turn left us trailing a little behind.  Since, the Alahambra could be (in my eyes) one of the Wonders of the World... let me try to share a little background.   The name Alahambra comes from an Arabic root which means 'red of crimson castle.'  Perhaps due to the hue of the towers and walls that surround the entire hill of La Sabica which by starlight is silver but by sunlight is transformed into gold.  But there is another more poetic version, evoked by the Moslem analysts who speak of the construction of the Alhambra fortress 'by the light of torches",  the reflections of which gave the walls their particular coloration.  Created originally for military purposes, the Alahambra was a fortress, a palace and a small city, all in one.

The family together, YEA!!!

Cannons... yep, the boys at battle....

A little break from our tour

Thank goodness for Andrew's strong shoulders.  Asher spent most of his time taking in the views from up above.

A swim anyone?

The boys with a View

So nice to have Max back after 7 weeks of sleepaway camp.  I couldn't get enough of him!!

Or... was it that I couldn't get enough of 7 weeks without my husband???

After our visit to the Alahambra, lunch was in order.  Whatelse...pizza - for the kids while  Andrew and I enjoyed our usual Serrano Hams, authentic Andalucian cured meats with a side of green pitted olives dressed in olive oil (Asher's favorite).  However, food was not the highlight of our lunch.  Giving Andrew raspberries all over his body to make him laugh without a breath was our highlight.

Getting up at 7:00 and taking a run was one of my highlights of our Granada stay.  Peaceful and Beautiful.

More photos right before the sun came up.

Good bye Granada, Hello Seville......