In Granada, we went on many small tours during the week after classes. On one of my first days, we visited the Alhambra during one of these excursions. We first went through the oldest building, the fortress.We first entered the old fortress, where we were given a great view of the historic Albaicín neighborhood in Granada. We may not have gone up to the top area, but we still were given a great view.Walking through the fortress, we saw where some of the old buildings were. We learned a bit about daily life and how the dungeons in the ground worked.We then made our way into the Palace of Charles V, where construction began in 1527. Over the years, construction was paused multiple times until 1637, when it was abandoned unfinished. In 1923, however, its restoration was started, and it was finally completed in 1967.We then made our way over to the gardens in the Palacio del Partal Alto. It was interesting looking back on photos post-fieldwork, where we learned about the plants in the area and seeing how many trees are in the area now compared to when it was built.On another day activity, we visited the Catedral de Granada and the tombs of the catholic monarchs. Inside the older area with the tombs, we weren’t allowed to take photos, so most photos of the older portion I have are from the outside.In the plaza area outside the cathedral, they had shades put up for Corpus Christi, which was the week after. It was interesting to see all the preparations in place before the major religious holiday.We then went inside the main chapel area, where over the years, you can see different architectural styles due to how long it took to build. The pillars were made from limestone, not just for the color but also for antimicrobial tendencies to prevent the spread of illness.
