Hi folks,
Just returning from our two week trip to Andalucia.

Briefly, family arrives from SF, Calif. We fly immediately to Málaga. Four tickets, 104€ inclusing all taxes and charges on Air Europa. Good deal, but bring on your food and drink!

Taxi to Bus Station (Wait can be long) and then Bus to Granada. Nice bus ride.

Granada was freezing!! mid 20s at night. Stayed at Macias Plaza on Plaza Nueva. 68€ for souble. Great location. Very unfriendly staff!!

The Alhambra with little kids...My little one has the dinstinct honor of having vomited (no worries, she is only 3 and we were prepared with paper towels and wipes) in two of the most enchating locations in the Alhambra (pool of the El Palacio de Comares) and the Sala de los Embajadores. As I said, was unfortunately very cold. Take note of where all bathrooms are beforehand. They could use just one more as the haul from beginning to end requires great discipline for the kids.

Taxi from hotel to the Alhambra was fixed price, but as per usual in Spain, it varied! About 3€. The little bus was 1.15€ and is a wonderful little journey as it also goes to the Albaycín.

They loved the audio guide. Get them their own. The kick knack store at the Puerta del Vino was a lifesaver as were the hot chocolate machines.

For my wife and I, we were amazed at the beauty. Cannot get over the use of the water. Brilliant.
Carlos V's monstrosity? Que feo! Worse than the chapel in the Mezquita in Cordoba. What were they thinking?!

We went two consective mornings. First morning was overcast and cold. Not so enjoyable. Second morning: brilliant sunshine...ideal for the Alhambra, as the sunlight does magical things through the filagree work in places like El Palacio de los Leones. We were so glad we had that second day.

My wife also went up at night. She gave it a big thumbs down. She was one of onyl a handful of people who went. Apparently, the folks doing the lighting have never gotten work at a rock concert! She said they simply used regular lamps. Also for the most part, the place was pitch black! My guess is that one day a creative mind will turn the Alhambra into an exnchating night visit complete with enchanting tales of the Alhambra. But now? It is being WAY undersold. But so, so glad I read Irving's book before I left. But even in the daylight, no trace whatsoever of efforts to make the Alhambra experience that much more magical. Not yet at least.

We also had a chance to go the Albaycín. Was bitterly cold, so we moved qwuickly into a tea shop near the Center for Islamic Studies. Have to admit, did not feel 100% welcome as an American, but I guess that is understandable. In general I love the tea houses. Very cool and the kids loved the little chairs )similar to shat you see in Taiwanese tea houses).

We went to a vista, the Plaza de San Miguel or something like that that had great views of the Alhambra. It was a bus stop on the 31/32 bus. From there we walked down the hill back through a really cool street, that looked like we were in Northern Africa, back down to the Plaza Nueva. Neat things being sold.

Overall, I think Granada needs to be seen in warmer weather (not the case for Cordoba or Toledo). The Alhambra is a must. We were so bent on getting there early that it ran counter to our enjoyment on the first day because it was overcast and so cold. So if you guy for more than one day, mix the times so that you can see how the place looks with different lighting form the sun.

I would also spend more time in the Albaycín. Finally, I did not find the people that friendly, which sort of suprised me coming from Madrid--where I think the folks are very friendly, esp. for a big city.

Next up, Tarifa...

Were you in Granada during Semana Santa? If so, how was it?

I'm itching for a return visit to Granada. I spent 2 nights there in Sept 2001 and loved it.

OK, call me the "I told you so" Pukemeister. Little kids on jet lag puke if you go too far too fast. Sorry for your little one, but (from a scientific standpoint ) it is interesting to hear another anecdote of this nature. My method is to arrive and park one night. Then take off for the next stop.

But your trip sounds great. Can't wait to hear about the rest of it and wish I was there. Andalucia is the best!

Love your comments about Carlos V's palace and the Mezquita in Cordoba. I felt the same way. After years of looking the the picture of those intriguing striped arches of the mezquita in my art book, I was so disappointed to find all the other 'stuff' that had been crammed into an otherwise beautiful and graceful building I use the buildings to point out to my students the different mindsets of the people who built them - sensuality vx. austerity.... What WERE they thinking!!!
We just got back from Granada. I spent three hours standing in a cooold line at 8am to get tickets for the ALhambra (Our group was too big to get them online...) It's always a WOW! and worth the frozen wait.

Nonsense! Carlos's palace is a wonderful Renaissance affair, one of its kind in Spain. As for the Cathedral in the Mezquita, it's sublime and, though the effect is jarring, the clash of Christianity and Islam was too. I'm a fan of both, I must admit. But don't pay any attention to me. If you haven't been, go and see for yourselves!

Hi Barry,
Sorry, but given the effort to design the Alhambra with what nature offers in terms of water and gradients, an unfinished, poorly designed and non-integrated second-rate Renaissance palace, however well intentioned, simply doesn't do it for me. "Clash" is right, but not exactly the intent of the architects of the Alhambra. For Renaissance, I'll stick with a visit to Firenze.

Would also be nice if one day the sight line of the Mirador de Lindaraxa could be restored so we can be even more enchanted with what the gaze that inspired the beautiful poetry around the window must have been like. After all, the wall blocking the view is no longer need for defensive purposes! Who knows? Perhaps in a few years this can be done virtually!

Hi CathyM, went the week before Semana Santa. We were in Puerto de Santa Maria for the SS procesions. That was fun. Because of the size, we could get really intimate with the processions. I loved the access. One thing though with kids, meals had to be planned as the crush of people and a limited supply of people led to predictable consequences.

Jana, perhaps only as a parent can I say this, but we all had a good laugh with the puking. Our little one is the most robust and her reaction to puking is one of a curiosity than anything else--thank goodness. So fortunately the impact of the jet lag turned out to be benign. But your advice was well received. The schedule we had to get in everything and meet up with Auntie and get them all on their plane from Madrid on Easter Sunday required that first LONG day.

Wow! I am surprised it was still so cold. Those almost sound like the temperatures that we had when we were there in January! Presuming you mean mid-20's Farenheight :p

We also got to the Alhambra fairly early (9:30 but given the shorter days, thats pretty early). We were little popsicles the whole time we were in the Palacios Nazaries. Bad hot tea out of a vending machine never tasted so good!

Don't forget to post more about your trip!