Granada - grey skies, but great city

A change in the weather has been a welcome relief with temperatures of 20 to 26 degrees, grey skies and rain overnight - but not today. Granada is situated in the region of Andalusia at the foot of the snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains. It was the last Moorish capital on the Iberian peninsula and is full of Moorish palaces and Christian Renaissance treasures. Granada is a blend of the old and the "new". The Hop-on-hop-off bus transported us around this interesting city, full of contrasts. Apart from The Alhambra, the cathedral was a stand-out. Dating from the early 16th century (shortly after the Catholic rulers Isabella and Ferdinand wrested control of Granada from the Moors), it is enormous inside - as we have come to expect - with two huge organs and their massive pipes suspended high above our heads, and you can only imagine the sound that would issue forth from them(see photo). We also visited the Capilla Real and its crypt, containing the bodies of Isabella and Ferdinand. The Sacristy contains their crowns, sceptre and sword as well as a Boticelli painting. We visited two more churches - Santa Ana 1537 (Moorish/Christian in style) and San Gregorio, built on a Christian burial site during the times of the Nasrid King. Before lunch we walked through the Garcia Lorco park which also contains Lorco's former summer house. Lorco was a famous Granadan author and playwright who was unfortunately shot dead by a firing squad during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) for saying the wrong thing. We stopped for tapas in the area near the university and learned that in Granada tapas plates are complimentary with every drink purchased. They are generous servings with ingredients such as deep fried king prawns or calamari, with salad and chips. We explored the old Moorish region and the labyrinth of narrow streets in the Arabic region, stopping at a teteria (tea-room) for Tunisian tea (green tea with mint and pine nuts)and a milkshake which included rose petals and crushed almonds, accompanied by delicious crepes with strawberries and chocolate. Tomorrow - Cordoba.