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Seville: Day 2

Today was all about Alhambra. We took a combination of taxi, buses, and train to get to the Arabian palace and were guided around the medieval city. If you're planning on going, you definitely need reservations. By the time we got there at 11, all tickets were sold out because they cap the number of people allowed into the palace at 7000 per day.

We were surprised that the high-speed train stopped at Antequera and all passengers were ushered off the train onto buses for the rest of the way to Granada - apparently they are doing construction on the train lines, so be aware that your travel times may vary!

Walking around the city, I was surprised at how well maintained everything was - the aqueduct system is mostly operational, with water flowing through to drive the many decorative fountains throughout. All the main buildings are intact, with a lot of restorative work done for flooring and to preserve the intricate details on the walls/windows. The government has even turned a few buildings into hotels, to allow a unique experience for guests who want to stay on site. From the palace, you are able to see the entire city, which used to be home to the thousand people who lived in Alhambra.

Granada itself was very clean and had many beautiful buildings, reminding me of Avignon - another walled city. Also similar to Avignon, Granada has the old city "within" the walls and the newer city outside those old walls.

We made it back to Seville in time for dinner at Vineria san telmo - a tapas bar not far from Alcazar. The pan-fried octopus was my favorite, along with their version of banoffee pie. Yum!

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