Mezquita - Cathedral of the Lady of the Assumption

The stunning views of the Mezquita continue as you progress into the inner section of the mosque where the Renaissance-styled Cathedral of Cordoba rises out in the middle of the Islamic prayer hall.

Mezquita - The Great Mosque of Cordoba

The first glimpse you get inside the Mezquita ranks among one of the most stunning views you will ever see (at least for me!). Rows upon rows of double alternating red and white arches made from pieces of the former Roman Temple that stood here gives off a feeling of wonder and awe, especially as it seems to go on endlessly in every direction.

Outside the Mezquita

Having visited Notre Dame of Paris, Strasbourg Cathedral, Barcelona's Sagrada Familia, Basilica di San Marco and many others, I can certainly say that Cordoba's Mezquita ranks as one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Europe. Although the exterior may seem a bit plain, it certainly hides well the surprising eye-opener you'll get when you step inside.

Lunch in Cordoba

After an amazing experience in Granada, the next day was another day trip from Sevilla to Cordoba. This time out focus was the famed Mezquita of Cordoba. Before we got there however, lunch came first!

Alhambra Fortress

After our tour of the palaces of the Alhambra complex, we headed west towards the alcazaba (citadel) at the west end of the palace/fortress. Took a picture of the buildings below:

Alhambra Palace

Although the entire Calat Alhambra fortress and palace complex is open for visitors, the palace section requires a separate ticket to visit which would be best bought far in advance. Entries are timed so that you can only enter at a certain time window so get them early!

The Nasrid Palace & the Gardens of the Alhambra

Granada has a gorgeous landscape as you look over the city from the Alhamba. Cypress trees dot the landscape in between the numerous buildings that cover the city. And with the cool, fresh breeze under beautiful blue skies, it was the perfect day to explore one of the most beautiful historic sites in the world!

Tales from the Alhambra

Spain is an amazing country with a colorful and vibrant history. It was too bad I had so little time to explore but even so, there was no way I was going to miss the Alhambra in Granada.  It is worth noting for first-time visitors that you will most likely not be able to get a same-day ticket to the Palace in Alhambra.  Be sure to book your tickets early online here in advance otherwise your trip there may be a dud. If you are informed that you can pick up the tickets when you arrive onsite, don't worry as you will be able to pick them up at the machines near the entrance of the complex.

Lunch in Granada

If you plan on doing a day trip from Sevilla to Granada, be sure to leave plenty of time in the morning and the evening. While there are trains running between the two cities, trains typically take about the same amount of time as the buses which are often cheaper. We ended up taking the bus which set us back 36 euros each for a return journey.

Once you get to the bus station in Granada, you can ask around at the information desk for more information about places to explore - but if you're here to see the Alhambra, you'll need to take another bus, which stops right outside the bus station, into the city center to get to the palace. Each bus ticket was pretty cheap at 1.2 euros each.

Eco Alcala Suites Review

In Madrid, I stayed at the Sercotel Eco Alcala Suites.  This was near the eastern side of the city, about 5 minutes walk from the Ciudad Lineal metro station. The walk there is actually a bit more difficult than it looks on google maps as there is a steep decline down to the hotel. This isn't much of a problem going *to* the hotel from the metro station but going *from* the hotel every morning to the metro is a bit of an exercise!