Girls' trip through Spain: Scrapbook Part 2

After Madrid, Anna and I went to Toledo for two days, and then to Granada.
Toledo is a really cool smaller medieval city on a hill with a great cathedral right at the top. It used to be the capital and the city's history, as well as its architechture, has experienced Muslim, Christian, and Jewish influences.

The cathedral square, kids playing ball.

Toledo is a city on a hill. Here's a view from the top the hill.

Inside the cathedral: Crucifix over the High Altar.

Mary with her child(ren).

Granada

The highlight of Granada for us was visiting the Alahambra (although we also found a really good teahouse). The Alhambra is a kind of royal complex on a hill above Granada that consists of an old fort, a Moorish palace, a (Christian) Renaissance palace, and huge garden area. Granada itself is a cooly unique city. It was the last Moorish hold-out in Europe before the Christians took it in 1492 (I guess that was really a banner year for the Spanish Monarchs).

Sculpted trees and shrubs along the path to the Alhambra palace.

The Islamic architechture in Southern Spain is so beautiful. I think that part or what makes it so eye-catching is that it just looks really different from anything else in Europe (or the US for that matter). I don't know how well the details in these arches will come across on the blog, but really, it's incredible.

Uh oh, look what I found at the Alhambra...You know it's a quality place when there are orange and white cats around.

Chamber inside the palace (the second row of windows is actually just light coming in from the windows on the opposite wall.
Arches and columns in the Lions Courtyard at the palace.

Garden with orange trees near the Palace

Oh boy! Time to take the night train back to Barcelona! The Granada-Barcelona night train service is pretty posh. We got free toiletry bags and a sink in our compartment! Cool!

You wouldn't believe the people they let onboard the Spanish trains...