Free Grub in Granada

Granada is where you really fall in love with Andulucia. Even before we arrived we knew it would be that type of place where you keep extending your stay with the hostel reception every day. Everyone we spoke to raved about the place. The free tapas, the Alhumbra (another archtectural masterpiece neither of us had every heard of), the Flamenco, the old town and the general laid back attitude were sure to suck us in. And they did!

Nestled in a valley of the snow-clad Nevada mountains this was the last sanctuary for Muslims after the fall of Cordoba and Seville. The Moorish influence is obvious everywhere, not least of all at the magnificent Alhumbra. The major drawcard for tourists in Granada (and the most visited attraction in all of Spain) is the Alhumbra, a fortress and palace built for Granada's Muslim rulers from the 11th to the 15th century. Its simply breathtaking, and approaches the same level as Angkor wat in Cambodia or the Mayan ruin complexes in Central America (albeit not so old). It's often described as one of the greatest accomplishments of Islamic art and architecture but until now was completed unknown to us both! Suffice to say the visit was amazing and I got so carried away my DSLR battery went flat about half way through! I was initially disappointed but then realised it just gave me an excuse to return the next day and see it all again.

Other highlights in Granada were the free tapas (just order a beer, wine, soft drink at a cafe/bar and you get a little plate of food for free), the Flamenco and the Albayzin (the old Moorish quarter. We also stumbled upon a free concert on night one and were treated to some newage Spanish/islamic bands complete with belly dancers.

And thanks to Pat who pointed out I had comment's disabled on this blog. They're now enabled so you can post something back to us if you feel like it!