Day Three - Granada

sorry I don't know why it ended up side ways and I can't figure out how to flip it or remove it

The man making the cool wooden, bone, metal pieces

ruins left from times of war

inside the Alhambra

Once again we got up and ready to eat breakfast around 7 in the morning. And once again a feast. We wanted to be a little early for our tour group so we might be able to choose our tour guide, or not choose Miguel. We are headed of the Granada today to visit the Alhambra. When we arrive to the lobby we ask how many buses and who will be the guide of each bus. There will be only one bus and our guide is, you guessed it, Miguel. We are thrilled. We hope on the bus and head out. Oh great, the same spill as yesterday. Spain has the best wine, everyone should drink wine with lunch (but not to get drunk, just two glasses it is healthy), the olives are the best, the olive oil is the best, the blah blah blah. I should have it all memorized I have heard each thing repeat four to nine hundred times for the second day. I was just glad that he didn't like to repeat himself. Then it would have been a terribly repetitive day. We did learn he is divorced and remarried and some other stuff I quickly forgot. Too bad he wasn't more like-able, he knew tons of information, it just got lost in the "stop, listen to me, is everyone listening to me." I didn't we were back in school. The lady next to us on the bus was a riot. She kept commenting on how she felt like a naughty school girl getting chastised by her teacher. Any who, back to the story, We stopped at a rest stop bathroom, cafeteria, shop place off the side of the road. We had 20 mins. for a break and Miguel was timing us. (Really he told us that) It was nice to use the rest room, get some much needed caffeine, snacks, and even a little olive oil lotion (which my kids are hording, especially Noah who has a thing for all things soap and lotion). Then back on the bus and off to the Alhambra. We find out we will be split into two groups and are figuring a way to maneuver ourselves in the group without Miguel. Pleasant surprise there are two different guides that will be taking us on the tour, NO MIGUEL!!!

We start the tour off in the gardens which are beautiful. We get to learn the history of the place, which most of it I have forgotten (our guide was wonderful, but I really had to concentrate to understand her English). I know the castle was first built by the Islamic people and the taken over by the Christians. It was beautiful. The details in all the work was amazing. It seemed as if the was a step back in time when the Christians took over. There is a distinct difference between the intricate work of the Islamic people and the typical Christian architecture. Really you just have to see it in person. It was amazing to me too, that they have to turn people away every day because they only allow so many people in at a time, because space is limited, and you have a certain time that you have to be there by or your ticket become void and you SOL. There was so much history in this small palace. I definitely want to read more about it. Maybe then I could go into more detail. For now, it was amazing and beautiful will have to do. Scott love all the wood work, the thought into the structure (there were stalactite looking things hanging from the ceiling to reduce the echo and keep the privacy), the toilet holes in the ground, I could go on and on. One of the most interesting parts was when we stopped in a shop and watched a man make these intricate works of art. They would lay out a design and then fill the spaces with wood, bone and metal. There were many small, symmetrical pieces too. He showed us how he would glue long sticks of bone, wood and metal into a design and then slice it like salami so that they would be symmetrical. They were beautiful. I wish we had time to look around a buy a few things. Unfortunately for some people, Skip and I can't remember her name, they got lost from the group at the end of the tour. We were short on time and Miguel was impatiently waiting for us. They took count and realized the two were missing. Miguel hopped of the bus and then the bus pulled away. Everyone on the bus was dumbfounded that they were just going to leave the two there. I'm sure everyone had thoughts of "I wouldn't want to be left behind, and What is going on". Luckily the bus turned around, I think he just had to keep the flow of traffic going, and when we got back the two missing people had found their way back. Miguel was not please though, and everyone felt for the couple (needless to say at a quick pit stop they quickly grabbed a beer to calm the nerves).

After we were done there they took us to a bull ring to have lunch. It was delicious. We started off with tomatoes and cheese, which is big there, and then had green olives (freshly picked). Then they brought out slices of bread drenched in olive oil and toasted with an egg, asparagus, ham topping. This was my favorite part. The main course was either ham or chicken. I wasn't really in the mood for ham so I ordered chicken. When they brought it out I thought perhaps I ordered wrong. It was a whole chicken, for just me, spread eagle on my plate. She was not modest at all. All the women had a look of "Oh great" on their faces, including and especially me. I didn't want to be rude so I dug in and it was delicious. After that it was back on the bus and off to the hotel for another round of Phase Ten (come to think of it this may be the first night of game and tomorrow the second, I really don't know. I believe we had two nights of games, but then again that late at night I can't remember much except the runs killing Mom).