Day 54- So many photo-ops, so little film

Yesterday Asli and I woke up later than we had hoped after hanging out with a bunch of other backpackers in the hostel and going out to a reggae bar. Hannah had already set out, so the two of us headed up into the SacreMonte area together.
One must climb many stairs and hills through white buildings detailed with colorful ceramic tiles, but the view is well worth it. From one vantage point, you can see the entire valley, the Alhambra, and the sprawling modern city in the distance. A group of musicians were getting ready to play, and asked Asli if she danced when she said she was Turkish
We met up with a girl from Bavaria who is also staying at our hostel there, and the three of us hiked up higher- in what seemed to be circles- until we reached the actual Sacremonte. People live in cave-homes here, although it is not obvious from the exterior. The outside of the homes are flat and man made looking, but if you go inside the buildings (we went in a cafe to see), the roof is rounded and in some cases, there are several little rooms. The whole place was completely picturesque, and I would have to say that Granada is one of my favorite cities so far.

Today Asli and I visited the amazing Alhambra, which is a palace, fortress, and garden area seated at the top of a mountain, part of the Sierra Nevadas. It has beautiful manicured gardens with sculpted topiaries in very creative shapes and fountains-and pools-everywhere. The theme is water: as a mirror, irrigation, source of life, and hygiene. The palace itself is amazing with details that words or pictures could never do justice. We were there until dark, before coming back to the hostel and catching our overnight train (with seats, not beds, because we didnt want to fork over the 28 euros...) at 10 pm to Barcelona.