wanderlust

I arrived early this morning in Granada, after two weeks in Barcelona, Porto, Lisbon and Madrid. Each of those cities is in possession of something unique - monuments, people, food, architecture - and exploring the sidestreets became a habit.

Of the four, I must admit that I fell the most for Madrid. I believe this is in part because I can communicate easier there than in Portugal - but also, Madrid is both home and nearby to many of the iconic Spanish institutions I studied in high school and college. Toledo, El Escorial, El Prado, leading us to where I am now - Granada, home to La Alhambra.

I have not actually been INSIDE La Alhambra yet; I explored its outer walls today, the city of Granada, and caught up on my sleep after a very early flight. However, I have four more days here and plan to do a full exploration of the palace, and hope to escape into the countryside too to capture some images of the beautiful Andalucian landscape.

Tonight, I had the most lovely dinner in a small square on the backside of the large central Cathedral in Granada. It is not the food that made the moment remarkable; it was the small string trio playing on the church steps; the light breeze blowing through small streets, cooling the city after a day of 95 degree heat; and the flicker of candlelight as the sun began to set against a Cathedral backdrop, seemingly lighting it ablaze in hues of rose and persimmon.

With that, here are some images - along with their stories - to whet the appetite.