Ooh Andalucia, it is all rather lovely! The jewel in the crown for me was Granada. Not only was it utterly surprising and intriguing but also unlike any other place I have ever been. We stayed in a traditional Andalucian house set around a court yard quite like the one we stayed in in Seville but in Granada we were slap bang in the middle of the Arabic Quarter. The Moorish Alhambra loomed in the background and the new city sprawled out below. The quarter itself was a mind bending squiggle of cobbled streets filled in parts with a souk like atmosphere with traders selling incense, teas and brightly coloured cloths and embroidery. We stopped for a refreshments after spending a good half an hour walking what we then learned was pretty much a big circle and had some humous and falafel in a little restaurant that looked like it had been plucked right out of Morocco.

Eventually finding our hotel we made like the locals and had a siesta before heading up the hill to a special night time tour of the Alhambra. The Alhambra was the seat of Moorish power in Spain and it remains as a dramatically beautiful monument to that time. Granada was one of the last strongholds of Islam in Spain and was finally taken in the 15th century. The Alhambra, however, was preserved. As the sun went down we began our tour. The whole place was flood lit highlighting the details carved into the archways and the walls. Bright geometric patterned walls, intricate carved Arabic script, celings like the night sky and then airy, open, perfectly proportioned courtyards where you could just imagine people reclining and having the time of their lives. I was enchanted.

Another wonderful find in Andalucia was flamenco. Forget the mad dresses and maracas this was a whole other deal. We stumbled across a live show in Seville and our tour around the Alhambra was accompanied by the sound of a show going on in the grounds of the palace. The passion and power in the singing, the way it expresses history and culture and the range of human emotion was captivating and almost impossible to adequately describe. It has to be seen and heard and where else to do it but the home of Flamenco itself?

We are now on board a train bound for Barcelona and then in two short days we are back in France. More than that, today marks the half way point in our trip! I can't believe it! Still, much more to come, many more adventures to be had. Barcelona, we are on our way!