Granada and El Alhambra

We've spent the past week in Spain outside of Granada, a city near the southern coast of Spain.



Locals call this rock formation the Friar, our host called it the Monk. What do you see?



The Sierra Nevadas. Or at least part of them. Apparently the mountains provide some rather exhilirating hikes. We chose to enjoy them from a distance.



This is Chomsky. He was our trusty guide on our hike, until we came across anything larger than a moving leaf. At which point he retreated back to the house.



The view from the house, which is why we didn't leave for a week.



Just some of the fountains and gardens at El Alhambra, a fortress and palace for the region's Muslim leaders from the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries.



The palace was filled with intricate carvings and mosaics. The building itself is considered to be one of the most romantic in all of Europe.



Here, the light is filtered through beautifully carved windows overlooking the palace gardens. Looks kind of like a face, doesn't it?



Every room was covered with carvings like these.



Here you can also see an example of the incredible mosaics made out of tile that covered many of the palace walls in intricate geometric patterns.



These flags were flown over the fortress. Look closely and you can see the sun!