Castles Just Keep Getting Better - The Alhambra

So, Sintra Palace in Lisbon really blew me away, but our trip to the Alhambra was a once in a lifetime experience.  I swear, our trips to castles just keep getting better.  Built by the Moorish people in a time when the Arabs ran Spain (up until the 1400s!) the Alhambra has some of the best preserved Arab architecture in the world. Who knew!

Visiting the Alhambra was a spiritual experience - connecting with such a deep history of the Iberian peninsula.  The architecture was stunning and the designs built into the walls in carving and stucco was incredibly impressive.  A friend once described it as a jewelry box on a wall and he was totally right.  All I can is - wow.

The day we visited it poured down rain - Harrogate style.  So ignore the bad hair, wet shoes, and soggy-ness.

The good news about the weather...the space was very empty! Below are some of the castle ruins:

The view from the garden house of the castle...check out the carvings!

My secret garden...

These carvings are mostly out of stucco...and amazingly intricate:

Inside the palace:

Water garden installation:

Just stunning...wishing we could come back again soon!