Hotel Abades Reina Maria Guadix

... a chain European clothing store that Torrey likes) and we all headed to bed exhausted from the day (though minus the triptophan induced coma of a typical Thanksgiving sleep).
The four of us woke up early the next morning and raced over to the bus station to catch our bus back to Madrid. Luckily the night before Mom and Torrey were able to book the last 2 seats on the bus so we were all able to make ot back to Madrid safe and soundly. For Scott's last night here in ...

... the pond. The American author, Washington Irving, explored the palace in the 1800s (after it had fallen into disrepair) and stirred up interest about it with his Tales of the Alhambra. It is a truly magical place.

It's hard to list highlights – every room had details and stories about which many books have been written. Some views that stuck with us, though, include:

• the Islamic writings sculpted into the walls
Granada, Andalusia, Spain and Canary Islands jennyandpaul2

... is typically Moorish; ornate archways, mosaicry, marble by the bucket load and water features everywhere. An absolutely enchanting and dramatic structure overlooking Granada. We spent the best part of the day there, and very much appreciated Amanda and Gavin´s jovial company (thanks guys). Following the Alhambra, we headed down into the old town and commenced a night of beers, accompanied by free tapas. Each round consisted of a beer with a ...

... When I get to Barcelona I plan to stay at the INOUT hostel which is run by people with developmental disabilities. It costs about the same as it would to rent a place so I guess I'm not losing money. I will chat them up and see if I can't come up with an arrangement with them work wise. I am a little doubtful because the government is involved. I will stay there until I find an apartment or an alternative place to crash. And also look for jobs. I hope that my mostly ...

... we only had that night, and a little bit of the next morning before heading back to Salamanca, so if I wanted my gazpacho, I would have to find some that night. I spotted a café that sold gazpacho on our way to the panoramic view site, but the group had moved ahead, and I didn't want to risk getting lost in an area I wasn't familiar with.. at night. So whilst everyone else was spending a bit more time at the viewing site, I sprinted back down to the ...

... The Generalife On Sa***************ed down to Almuñecar on the Southern coast of Spain to get some sun! It was amazing to lie by the beach for a whole ...

... of Lions, which is what I wanted to see most was "under renovation" until 2009. So, my main attraction became the free tapas that Granada is famous for. Every time you order a drink, you get a plate of free tapas! Bar hopping led to plates of bread, olives, omelettes and stuffed mushrooms galore. Simon kept reminding me that they weren't technically "free" (always the practical one) but at 1.30 Euro a beer, it ...

... for Granada 10, one of Granada's newer discos. We decided to go and left the bar around 2AM because the disco does not open until then! The first thing we saw was a coat check, which I thought was pretty awesome! When you walked in you saw one main bar with couches outlining the walls, then you proceeded down 10 or 11 stairs to the dance floor where there were smaller bars on ...

... were absolutely gorgeous with their combination of Spanish renaissance and Moorish architectures. We spent several hours exploring the place and snapping tons of photos. Later on we walked around the quaint boulevards of the central area of Granada. Overall I very much enjoyed the town, it had a very quaint charm about it and was much more slower paced and relaxing than Madrid. It was the type of place I could see myself living.

... go to bed until they open shop again after about 6pm. I noticed that it is only dumb tourists such as myself who are walking around outside during siesta time. Driving on the highways here is a free for all. I´ve never driven on the German Autobahns but I´d venture to say it is similar here. The speed limit is just a suggestion. You can go as fast as you want! And people do! I´ve driven up to a max of ...