The Alhambra

WOW. This beautiful place was a Muslim palace/fortress on the hill where the kings lived until, as the last Muslim stronghold, they were conquered in 1492 by the Catholic kings, Fernando and Isabella. It is very large, with three or four general areas, including the towers, gardens, and actual palace. It stands on the hill overlooking the city, and it wonderfully represents the mixing of histories and cultures, because as the Christians reconquered, they found it so breathtaking that they moved in, and over the course of a hundred years or more they made many changes and modifications to bring it more in line with their tastes. Now you can visit this jewel of the ancient world, and everybody should (and they mostly do, the only place where I saw a comparable amount of tourists to the Alhambra was the Prado in Madrid).
 

Here we were taking a break (one of many), and I just noticed the magnificence of overlooking the outer wall, divided by a moat, and broken up by the periodic defensive guard towers. This is a great example of how it was not just a royal palace, but also a fortress to ward off invaders. These are the two friends who accompanied me through Sevilla (the second time) and Granada.

This is from one of the fortress towers, overlooking the city. It is a spectacular view! The Alhambra was made famous by Washington Irving, an American romantic writer who stayed here for a year in the mid to late 19th century. The audio guides are written in his reflective poetic style, so here I am, contemplating the "melancholy decadence" that this place were to suffer if not for the noble heritage and idyllic elements of water and lush vegetation found in the gardens and courtyards (it was hard to strike this pose among the breathtaking beauty and vistas of the area).
 

After a long 4.5 hour tour through the Alhambra, I noticed that my long slender audio guide had a striking resemblance to Skywalker's characteristic weapon. So...