The Alhambra Grounds
So finally I am inside the grounds of the Alhambra—hallelujah! The uphill journey with my high heel wedges on unpaved road felt like eternity but I never learn. You know, those days really exist when you don’t want to question vanity at all, even if there is a consequence.
Now I need to get to the ticket office ASAP but I have no idea where it is. In my Spain travel guide it says the Alhambra is open until 20:30, so that is good. While scanning the grounds, I saw this girl helping a couple, she has a name tag, and they were pouring over a map, obviously she works for the tourist office. The couple thanked her and left. Finally, it’s my turn.
“Hi, can you help me find the ticket office please?”
“Its right down there; follow that road and you will see the ticket office.”
“Thanks!” I replied and turned away, hurriedly following the direction she just gave me.
“Sorry, wait! The ticket office is now closed. It is open until 19:00 only. You can come back tomorrow.”
Have you ever seen something that you hoped for destroyed—I mean explode, figuratively speaking right before your very eyes? I felt like I was watching a horrifying scene in my own movie, the subject of my affection: my beloved Alhambra and Generalife, shattered before me and the wind is blowing away all its bits and pieces, blowing everything far away from me, as far as possible and all I could do is scream—all this in slow motion action by the way. I know, this is so drama and so not me but can you imagine, I am in Granada, I am standing on the holy grounds of the Alhambra and I cannot see the grand exotic palaces and the exquisite gardens???!!!
The Alhambra is popular for wedding pictorials.
The Alhambra indeed closes at 20:30 but the ticket office closes early at 19:00, and the girl said it would take at least 3 hours to visit everything. We have driven more than 200 kilometers to come here and we are leaving tonight, and I have missed it. So very sad, I couldn’t believe I have missed this opportunity! I so want to kick myself, like slap myself a hundred times until I am numb from doing it.
I AM SO SO SAD.
Anyway, I must stop crying over spilt milk, with the time left, I spent it walking around the Alhambra grounds, the area open to the public. I took advantage of what I can pick up and enjoy, from what that is all left.
Wall detail and a tower (I have no map so cannot ID them).
Middle foto is inside a shop, you can see the Arabic stucco carvings (plaster work) on the walls and ceiling.
Lovely courtyard with a fountain in a hotel inside the Alhambra. The hotel is housed in a historic building.
Alhambra public grounds.
A carving detail in the middle foto.
I have forgiven myself already (and the Dutchman as well). Let us just look at this as another opportunity for me to come back here, Spain is just 2.5 hours away, not really that far. As well as I have visited Dar M’Nebhi Palace and Ali Ben Youssef Medersa in Marrakech last year so that kind of eased up the pain a bit.
Travel Period: August 2010
.
Now I need to get to the ticket office ASAP but I have no idea where it is. In my Spain travel guide it says the Alhambra is open until 20:30, so that is good. While scanning the grounds, I saw this girl helping a couple, she has a name tag, and they were pouring over a map, obviously she works for the tourist office. The couple thanked her and left. Finally, it’s my turn. “Hi, can you help me find the ticket office please?”
“Its right down there; follow that road and you will see the ticket office.”
“Thanks!” I replied and turned away, hurriedly following the direction she just gave me.
“Sorry, wait! The ticket office is now closed. It is open until 19:00 only. You can come back tomorrow.”
Have you ever seen something that you hoped for destroyed—I mean explode, figuratively speaking right before your very eyes? I felt like I was watching a horrifying scene in my own movie, the subject of my affection: my beloved Alhambra and Generalife, shattered before me and the wind is blowing away all its bits and pieces, blowing everything far away from me, as far as possible and all I could do is scream—all this in slow motion action by the way. I know, this is so drama and so not me but can you imagine, I am in Granada, I am standing on the holy grounds of the Alhambra and I cannot see the grand exotic palaces and the exquisite gardens???!!!
The Alhambra is popular for wedding pictorials.
The Alhambra indeed closes at 20:30 but the ticket office closes early at 19:00, and the girl said it would take at least 3 hours to visit everything. We have driven more than 200 kilometers to come here and we are leaving tonight, and I have missed it. So very sad, I couldn’t believe I have missed this opportunity! I so want to kick myself, like slap myself a hundred times until I am numb from doing it.
I AM SO SO SAD.
Anyway, I must stop crying over spilt milk, with the time left, I spent it walking around the Alhambra grounds, the area open to the public. I took advantage of what I can pick up and enjoy, from what that is all left.
Wall detail and a tower (I have no map so cannot ID them).
Middle foto is inside a shop, you can see the Arabic stucco carvings (plaster work) on the walls and ceiling.
Lovely courtyard with a fountain in a hotel inside the Alhambra. The hotel is housed in a historic building.Alhambra public grounds.
A carving detail in the middle foto.
I have forgiven myself already (and the Dutchman as well). Let us just look at this as another opportunity for me to come back here, Spain is just 2.5 hours away, not really that far. As well as I have visited Dar M’Nebhi Palace and Ali Ben Youssef Medersa in Marrakech last year so that kind of eased up the pain a bit.
Travel Period: August 2010
.
