Granada, Spain

The main thing to see in Granada is the Alhambra.  It is a HUGE site and it only gives out tickets for certain entrance times.  We had quite the experience there...oh boy!

Thankfully we were ahead of schedule so we weren’t late getting to Granada, but we did have to pick up our tickets to Alhambra by a certain time and our opening to Alhambra was at 4pm.  So thankfully we got there just in time for Paul to go pick up the tickets and for us to get what we needed from the car and meet him at the entrance. 

So after waiting in line to get the tickets, we met him and then waited in line to get them scanned and go in.  Well the line to go in was kind of strange—it wasn’t just a single file line because there were groups and people just going in and the guy didn’t take our tickets even though we were next in line.  They scanned our tickets but we realized that one of them didn’t have a bar code so it couldn’t get scanned, therefore that person couldn’t go in.  We thought it was Glenn’s ticket and we kept trying to ask that since he was free, did he really need a ticket?  He kept saying that it needed a bar code so he could scan it.  He wasn’t understanding and he told us that we needed to go back in line to get another ticket.  But we just waited in that line!  I don’t remember all the things but I got pretty frustrated.  Paul and Glenn went back into the first line, my parents had gone in and then waited for us, and I went to an information place to ask him to see if he could help us.  I tried explaining it to him and maybe I wasn’t doing a good job because I feel like I was getting the same response.  He walked with me over to Paul to look at the tickets.  Then he said that the one with the bar code was for Glenn and so the reason why we needed to get another ticket was because it was an adult ticket.  It had printed wrong—and it was just frustrating that they didn’t catch that before giving them to Paul.  When we got to a lady to ask her for a new ticket, it took a few minutes because she had to check things and get a supervisor or something to check it too.  And then we had to go walk around to the entrance again.  Paul and I were finding all kinds of things wrong with their system and our experience kind of tainted our time there.  But we tried to enjoy it as much as we could.

My mom waiting just after the entrance for us to get our tickets all worked out.

Our tickets didn't allow us to see everything on the Alhambra site.  We did get to see most of it, but actually the most famous part wasn't included in our tickets. :S  That was another thing that was annoying, but we saw what we could and tried to be happy with that.

Generalife

This area included the lower gardens, the Generalife Palace and the upper gardens.  It was constructed as a leisure area for the monarchs that ruled here.

Some views looking towards the other parts of Alhambra.

We continued to walk around to the other end of the entire property.  Mom was pretty worn out and she stayed in the garden area while the rest of us ventured on.  

We saw the mosque baths...

...and the church of Saint Maria.

Alcazaba

We then finally made it to the Alcazaba.  It is one of the oldest parts of the Alhambra and the military area.

It was a pretty warm day and Glenn had been so good to walk everywhere...so when he asked if he could get an ice cream treat, we said yes.  They were selling them from a kiosk just outside the open doors to this area.  So when we then tried to all walk through, the lady stopped us and said we couldn't come in with food.  But it was outdoors, so it wasn't even really coming IN.  Arg!  That was the last straw for me here.  I let out a loud exasperation and just walked in with my dad.  Paul stayed with Glenn out so he could finish eating.  Seriously, though, Dad and I didn't go inside anything in that area, not unless you count the staircases as being enclosed.  But whatever.  People can smoke wherever and leave their cigarette butts everywhere, but my son can't eat ice cream OUTSIDE?  Whatever.  

 Views from the top and overlooking the city below.

So despite all the things that went wrong, we enjoyed the Alhambra.  But I sure was ready to be off my feet.  We walked for several hours and it was warm and pretty exhausting.

And I was totally bummed that we didn't get to see the palaces.  This red arched building is what I imagined when I thought about Alhambra.  And I didn't even get to see it--I had to take this picture from the internet.  Oh well.  I got to see a lot of other Islamic arch ways. :D