Pomegranate

Granada (Spanish for pomegranate) is a really neat place. We took a walking tour this morning. I learned that this was the last strong Islamic hold in Spain. The Muslims were finally kicked out in the conquest in the 1400's (1492-February, if I remember correctly). While much has burned down or remodeled since that time, you can still see remnants from the "old days". For example, the old mosques were converted to churches with their minarets converted into bell towers. We visited the old market place which is a maze of alleys, too narrow for even the smallest European cars, in the center of the city. The original market place burned, but Granada rebuilt it and tried to keep much of the same flavor. Now however, it is mainly a market for tourists. Shops and stands line the little alleys selling their cloned Chinese goods-African drums, Australian boomerangs...whatever your heart desires with "Granada" written on it!

After the tour through the market, we entered the Medina-the old section that had walls around it. Parts of the wall from the 10th century can still be seen. The Medina is built on a large hill and also has windy streets and alleys. To navigate, one must think in terms of up the hill or down the hill. At the very top there was a wonderful view across a valley of the Alhambra. The Alhambra is the old palace of Granada. Tomorrow morning we have a tour of it.

This afternoon we're going to visit the cathedral and then wander the city! It is nearly lunch time, however, so I must go downstairs to meet my new friends! In case you do the math in your heads, yes, it is 2:30. In Spain, lunch is from 2-4ish, and dinner is anywhere from 8pm-1am. Young children can be heard playing in the streets until 3:30 in the morning.