Granada
Written by Geoff Forster
Granada: We had been planning to visit Granada and the famous Alhambra since we moved to Andalucía.
We'd visited towns to the west and south of Granada in Granada province but we'd never made it to Granada itself.
We had my mother staying with us in late September and planned the trip to coincide with her holiday.
We checked the train timetable from Estación de Cortes to Granada and made plans to take the 08:05 which would get us into Granada at around 11:30. The rail journey across Andalucía is said to be very picturesque and we were all looking forward to an exciting day.
We got up early and left Benarrabá at around 07:15 giving ourselves plenty of time to get to the station. 
We arrived at Estación de Cortes at 07:40 I got out and checked the station doors ... firmly shut! There was a notice on the door in Spanish listing train times so we sat in the car and waited. A number of students turned up heading to college in Ronda. At 08:00 we got out and walked around the station building and got onto the platform.
The students were talking in a group, then another girl and older man turned up, looked at the notice and told us the train was cancelled.
Feeling a little gutted at our day being ruined by RENFE and at getting up so early for nothing, we trudged back to the car. We either went home and wasted our 11€ each advanced tickets or Jane had to be persuaded to drive 3 hours each way through Andalucía and then through a city she hadn't driven in before.
Well the guilt trip laid on poor Jane worked and we were soon heading to Cortes de la Frontera then onto Ronda. In Ronda we took the road to Campillos, we drove as quickly as possible through the smelly pig farms near Teba and headed along the A382 and then the A92 to Granada. 
The Alhambra is on the Eastern side of Granada and we were approaching from the west. So trying to avoid making poor Jane drive through Granada, the navigator (me) decided we should carry on passed the first few turn offs for Granada and go round the northern edge of the city ... oops.
Soon we were heading towards the Jaen province which I would like to visit one day but not this day. So a 10km detour saw us heading back towards Granada.
We ended up on the Granada - Motril road and seemed to be passing through a smoggy industrial area, again we ignored signs to Granada centre hoping for a Alhambra sign. It looked as if we were passing Granada by so a collective decision (this time!) saw us leaving the Motril road and heading into Granada ... oops.
Granada reminded us of Barcelona. Wide streets, lots of lovely buildings, lots of pedestrians and lots of cars. We drove for around five minutes hoping for an Alhambra sign and then there it was.
Once on he right road we passed the University and headed out of Granada to the Granada - Motril road we had just left! If we'd stayed on it for one more junction we would have seen the sign for the Alhambra!
We followed the regular signs and were heading up towards the Alhambra when a man jumped out into the road, he was waving his arms about, directing us to a piece of wasteland near a Venta (roadside bar/restaurant) he told us the car park for the Alhambra was full and we could/should park here. A little apprehensive about this we parked and got out. Our Spanish helper was soon across asking us for 5€ for parking on his wasteland! Not happy with this and more than a little annoyed at his little scam we drove off and found the official Alhambra car park just over the hill, which has ample parking spaces and was certainly nowhere near full!.
The Alhambra car park is shaded by nicely planted trees, concreted like a proper car park should be and has attendants. It cost around 7€ for the five hours that we were parked. Well worth the extra 2€ for the safety and not having to walk up and down that hill!
We walked down to the entrance/ticket area, handed in our booking receipt and were given our tickets. We queued for around five minutes.
We spent around five hours walking the grounds, palaces and looking at the amazing views of Granada, a wonderful day out.
I've split the photographs into four main sections.
Grounds and Views
The Nasrid Palaces
The Alcazaba
The Generalife.
You have to come here!!!