Exploring Alhambra Palace

We drove to the city of Granada this morning and spent several hours exploring the gardens and palace of Alhambra.    The outer walls themselves were fairly plain and quite fortress like, but the inside was overwhelmingly intricate.  The lace-like walls were the most striking aspect of the rooms that surrounded courtyard after courtyard, most with fountains or gazing pools.  The gardens were extensive, though not particularly spectacular in this season - though I can imagine that they are amazing in bloom.  We have spent the day reading "The Tales of Alhambra for Children" revised from the original by Washington Irving, who lived in the palace for awhile.  Delightful.

: There are always gifts in the strangest places when traveling with small children.  We entered the palace playing that we were the royal family and I soon spotted a ceramic bowl on the floor and suggested that it was for our royal dog.  Jonah loved the idea and soon spotted another 'royal dog bowl'.  We found thirteen 'royal dog bowls' through the palace.  They were empty and I'm not sure what they are for, but I snapped a picture of this - the thirteenth and last we found.