Images from Spain, including Granada, Cadiz, Ronda and the Costa de la Luz

The Alhambra Palace

The Alhambra towers above Granada's old town, immune to the bustle and change in the city below. It ranks among the most impressive sights in Europe, much as it seemingly has nothing to do with the continent, and everything to do with Africa and Islam.
Its survival to this day is all the more poignant when one considers most of the palace's stucco work was never meant to last for more than one summer.
In the gardens of the palace, you can truly appreciate how the Moors brought paradise to earth with their use of water, while the repetitive and mesmeric effect of the decor transports you magically away from the whirrs of cameras and the drone of tour guides.

The Alhambra Palace The Alhambra towers above Granada's old town, immune to the bustle and change in the city below. It ranks among the most impressive sights in Europe, much as it seemingly has nothing to do with the continent, and everything to do with Africa and Islam. Its survival to this day is all the more poignant when one considers most of the palace's stucco work was never meant to last for more than one summer. In the gardens of the palace, you can truly appreciate how the Moors brought paradise to earth with their use of water, while the repetitive and mesmeric effect of the decor transports you magically away from the whirrs of cameras and the drone of tour guides.





The Albaicin is the oldest inhabited part of Granada. The quarter sprawls over the hillside opposite the Alhambra, a maze of narrow streets, whitewashed walls, cypresses and sweaty inclines. The church tower on the right > here affords fantastic views of the palace (as above). It's a great place to while away an evening with a cheap bottle of red wine as the sun sets on the Sierra Nevada beyond.