We passed vineyards, olive groves and impressive rock walls as we headed across southern Spain.

Tavira was a pleasant stop for lunch by the Gilao River.

A lovely room in a charming building greeted us in Seville.

We took a looong walk along the pretty Guadalquivir River, seeing the sights and locating the Torre del Oro (top right).

More walking brought us to Maria Luisa Park and the beautiful Plaza de España where government buildings form a semi-circle, with large towers on either end. In front there is a large fountain surrounded by a round canal and pretty bridges. The artwork and design of the plaza were stunning.

We walked down pretty paths and marveled at the architecture of the Seville Cathedral as we worked our way back to our hotel and found a small restaurant with the best meal yet on our trip: delicate monkfish over cauliflower puree for Kathy and Iberian pork shoulder (from acorn-fed pigs) for Kenton. Deliciosa!

We continued on to Granada, noting the huge, flowering bushes planted down the middle of the Autovia throughout our drive. Later, we were told that the bushes were oleander, which need very little water and bloom throughout the dry summers of Spain. (They have the added benefit of being poisonous, so animals avoid them and stay off the roadway.)

We drove up into hills and located our accommodations for the night: the Alhambra Palace Hotel, just a short walk from the actual palace that we planned to visit. The gorgeous room and views made us feel like we were actually staying in our own castle!

We had time for a quick snack and drink on the terrace before we walked over to our tour of the Alhambra complex and its palaces and gardens.

Our large tour group was led by Asier, a very eloquent and knowledgeable guide. Asier told stories from Spain’s history as he walked us through beautiful gardens and the Generalife Palace, a summer home for the kings of Granada in the 13th century.

Next we saw remains of a small town and the round palace of Carlos V from the 16th century.

And then on to the Moorish designs of the Nasrid Palace, built in the 13th century.

And finally onto the beautiful Alhambra Palace with its mix of Islamic and Spanish Renaissance architecture.

The weather had gotten hotter and the crowds touring the palaces of Granada were the largest we’d dealt with so far. But it really was a wonderful stop, and we only wished we had planned to stay longer!