The Alhambra. It will be one of the great joys in my life to remember walking past a line of what must have been 500 people and directly in with our reserved tickets. Suckers. Once inside however... well, I can only say that royalty has always lived here. So beautiful is this area, that it was the last bastion of Moorish influence in Spain for nearly 500 years... and yet when it finally fell, the Spanish did not destroy it... they moved in. The tiles, the intricate artwork, the columns and the use of water so important in Moorish culture makes this area truly something that must be seen to be believed. I have seen the works of many famous architects and artists on this trip, we have visited churches and monuments that both humbled us and put us in awe. The Alhambra stands atop them all as the pinnacle of beauty. It is huge, it is magnificent, it's a damn city. You. Must. See. It. Seriously, you simply haven't lived until you have. After the Alhambra, somewhere around 3pm i...
Lisbon is the birthplace of Fado, and to come here and not experience it is a mistake that will leave you poorer for it. Refreshed and mildly cranky, we trucked out to find a Taxi in the cobblestone square once used to welcome traders from all over the world. Determined, we made the tourist mistake of saying we did not want a tourist experience and wished to enjoy a traditional Fado performance. Naturally, our driver took us immediately to the place that all the tourists who say that go. We sat down at first, amidst what we thought were locals with a sly smile on our faces delighted in our ability to be better than the average tourist. The arched red brick roof distracted us, as did the food, so it took a short while to notice that we were directly beside a very large table of loud and unsurprisingly obnoxious tour-bus group. Suitably amused with ourselves we resolved to ignore them while eyeing their wine for any possibility of heisting it from their table. The lights dim, and we ...