Granada to Valencia via Murcia

We had our one of a kind us from Valencia come pick us up at our hotel in Granada this morning.  We planned a stop in Murcia which is about half way to Valencia from Granada.  We had a good, large lunch and then finished the journey where the boys met their second set of Madres.  Sorry for the lack of photos.  I'll right that wrong with our first full day here.

Granada

We took a very early train from Sevilla to get to Granada, drop off our bags at the hotel, and make a morning Alhambra tour.  The extreme heat provided us with a good opportunity to see how the muslim inhabitants knew how to use running water, scented plants and shade to create a micro-climate in the 13 century.  Before dinner we went up to a look-out point to see the Alhambra in its entirety.  There was a flamenco trio playing as we checked out the view.  For dinner, the boys were given money and told to explore the city and to test how Granada still has the old fashion way of serving tapas.

Bolonia

Today we took a bus to a beautiful beach called Bolonia with  stop at the base of Vejer, a pueblo blanco.  This was a spur of the moment trip as the boys chose it over going to Cordoba, which might of been overkill after the Alcazar of Sevilla and the Alhambra which will will see Tuesday.

Italica

A visit to the first Roman city outside of Italy and then a typical countryside bbq was the plan for the day.  Italica, built for injured Roman soldiers, provided a good idea of Roman architecture and our guide that we brought with us had an endless supply of knowledge about Roman history and how it related to this site.  We saw a quick video which did a nice job simulating how Italica would look in its prime.  We also saw throughout the site mosaics and board games carved into the stones.  The bbq was a cut of pork called preso iberica and it was truly delicious.

Cadiz and Jerez

Today was the tour of Cadiz and Jerez.  The boys got to see both cities while climbing a couple of towers in Cadiz (a city famous for its lookout towers) and a sherry winery in Jerez.  One of the towers was the Dark Camera where the mirrored projection showed the boys a live 360 degree view of the city.  First thing off the train, however, is the standard breakfast of Andalucia- toast with tomato puree, cured ham and olive oil.