Granada is known for one of the greatest accomplishments of Islamic art and architecture ¨the Alhambra¨. The intricate wood carvings and mosaics in the palace date back to the 11th century and are stunning. So popular is the Alhambra that we had to book tickets over the internet in advance. The site contains a fortress, palace, patios and gardens and gives a good insight how life was for the Muslim rulers of 11th to 15th century Granada.Granada is also a place ...

On to Madrid the capital of Spain, but a fairly laid back capital. Our room was on the 8th Floor with a fabulous view but our hostel was in a seedy part of town with some "interesting" ladies hanging around all hours of the day and night. There was a very social atmosphere with the hostel having its own bar and snacks and very cheap prices. We even had flamenco dancing lessons in the hostel bar. We looked around at a few of the sights but took it a little eas...

Overnighting in Lisbon, we did a quick look around then the next day our Busabout bus took us to Salamanca a famous university town of Spain. The university is recognized all around Europe as being one of the best. The uni students have a ritual after exams end of painting slogans with stencils on buildings around town with BULL´S BLOOD! Yes Bull´s blood. It is after all the heart of bullfighting country. There is also a building with intricate carved designs...

Sometimes when travelling, and especially when on the Busabout circuit, we can only allow one night for a destination that deserves much more. Summer in Europe does allow for extended daylight so with an afternoon arrival, if we hit the ground running we can still get some sight seeing achieved. We stayed one night in Seville, home of oranges and specially cured ham. Walking the streets until dark, we then settled into a tapas bar to enjoy the tasty morsels with...

We spent 4 days in the South of Spain but this entry is about Valencia in particular because we are going back to Madrid, Granada and Seville later on our way to catch the ferry to Morocco so will write about those places then. Valencia is Spain´s third largest city, and is very beautiful and prosperous looking. We were stunned by the amount of marble everywhere. In the city centre the pavements are all marble and not just laid normally but with intricate desig...