Southern Europe

Today started with an early morning, about 4 am. This was to watch the UFC that was in Australia, making the time difference horrible. But I forced myself through it because it was an amazing card with plenty of Aussie fighters. Not to mention, one of my favourite fighters was fighting against one of the fighters I dislike the most. Unfortunately, the fighter I wanted to win was a HUGE underdog, paying $6 odds. The first two fights were huge first round knockouts from an Australian and a New Zealander, getting the crowd, and myself, incredibly excited. But, due to watching in my bed, with a room full of 7 other people, peacefully sleeping, I had to control myself slightly. That was quite easy for the next fight, as the crowd favourite Aussie got obliterated by a Russian giant. Controlling my excitement became harder, however, as the main event started. Sean Strickland, the underdog and the guy I wanted to win, essentially walked down his opponent for the full 25 mins, barely taking a hit and fighting an incredibly well coordinated encounter. He was smart, avoided hits and counter punched, only throwing hands when he knew he could land and escape any counter. By the time the fifth round ended, I was so excited to see him as the champion. The 5th ranked contender overcame all the odds to clearly and definitively beat the champ. When he was awarded the belt, I could barely control myself. Given that I was then running off an incredible amount of excitement, I struggled to get back to sleep. It would have been smart for me to go and wander, but there was nothing open for another couple hours, not even cafes. So I tried to sleep to no avail, dosing off for 10-15mins at a time before waking up again. Eventually, though, I figured it was time to see the town. There was plenty to see, and I only had a day to see it all.

My first stop on my walk was the Monastery to Saint Jeronimo (Monasterio de San Jerónimo). This was cheap and very cool, coming with an audio tour that helps paint a picture as well as give background in the purpose and history of the building. Interesting facts like the tower that looks over the monastery was destroyed by Napolean Bonaparte during his conquests of europe in order to use the materials to build a bridge and bring his troops across. This was eventually rebuilt, and you may be able to see the different colours in the tower in the photos, but it's a cool fact nonetheless. It is a beautiful monastery with multiple levels that surround a patio of orange trees in the middle. Quite a strange design but awe inspiring regardless. I then went literally across the road, maybe 50m, to the Santuario de Ntra. Sra. del Perpetuo Socorro Granada. This was also quite cool but far less noteworthy. Finally, I put on an audioguide of the city and began to follow their route around the city. They explained that the suburbs of Albaicin and Sacromonte are the best to properly experience the Muslim influence over the city. The buildings are all white, with rocky streets, brown tiled rooves, gardens, and vine thickets growing all over the walls, with the flowers giving it a hint of colour to contrast the white and brown buildings. It was cool to experience a city within a city because it was so different from the rest of Granada. Not only this, but this suburb is where the best viewing platform is to see Alhambra, the main tourist attraction in Granada and maybe southern Spain. The Saint Nicholas viewpoint gives a perfect side profile of the Alhambra, perched utop the hill. And it looks incredible from there. Locals playing music and flamenco dancing makes this one of the most beautiful suburbs in Spain. At least that I have seen.

But all this just got me excited to see the beast across the valley, the Alhambra. It is a MUST when in Granada, and I wasn't about to miss out, so I started the journey down the valley and back up the hill to see what was on offer. It was a bit of a fuck around however, as when I went to line up for tickets the lady told me that they were sold out for today and you can only buy tickets for the gardens. I was pretty disappointed so went off to figure a game plan. I wasn't sure if I would be staying another night in Granada, so i had to sort something out. I ended up going online to see what tickets were available, and I could see tickets available for the 10th of September (today). So I bought them, went back in line and showed her the ticket and she let me through. I was told, however, that the access to the palace can't be until 7 pm, so I had to kill sometime before that. As such, I did the garden part of the site before heading back down the hill for some lunch. I then got this huge rib sandwich that filled me to the brim while I watched the basketball world cup final. It worked out quite well. I could eat, have a drink, and watch the final while I waited for the time to align for the rest of the Alhambra tour. Eventually, it was time to head back up the hill and continue my visit. It did not disappoint either

Although the gardens were great, the Alhambra was amazing. You could walk around for ages just exploring what was on offer. This was unfortunately not one of those times where the audio tour was free, and in fact, it was 6 euros, so I said fuck that and just walked around. But it was amazing nonetheless. I have so many photos from today that it was impossible to fit it into 20, but I will have to share the rest when I'm home. The views from the top were remarkable. The town looked so beautiful, but especially the Muslim suburbs that I had explored earlier in the day. The palaces were so unique and different it was hard to believe they were all situated within the one fortress. It even had a second garden, smaller but equally nice. Finally, though, 7pm hit, and I got to visit the Nasrid Palace, the main attraction of Alhambra, and I was blown away by the details of the building. People today would struggle to construct something so precise. The walls and archways through the doors cascaded with tiny depictions of smaller archways, maybe a few centimetres big. I can't really describe it. The corners that connect the walls to the ceiling weren't sharp. They were simply rounded but made up of tiny archways. It was so cool. This was a Muslim construction and, as such, was far different from the churches I had been visiting previously. There was no artwork on the walls. The walls were the artwork. Instead of painting people or things they made fascinating designs that extend the whole building - every inch of wall was a complicated and intricate series of alternating patterns that creates a building that feels like it's alive and moving as you walk through it. It is truly a unique spectacle. It almost looks rough and worn from afar and only when you get close do you realise that every little nook and dent is in fact a part of the design and had been put there intentionally, all intertwined and connected as a series of patterns. Even more beautifully still, they incorporate Muslim words and phrases into the walls, blending in with the patterns and shapes. How something like this could be so perfectly maintained is beyond my belief. Especially when you think about construction starting in 1238. Nearly a thousand years ago and it stands more clear and well constructed than most things built today. The Nasrid Palace was completed in the 1600s, but the whole site is in immaculate condition. It is mind-blowing and easily the most impressive part of the site. I have hundreds of photos I would love to share but won't be able to do, so I will make a post in the group chat whenever I can because 20 photos doesn't do it justice. 2000 photos wouldn't even do it justice.

But finally, with exiting the Nasrid Palace, I had completed my big day of walking and travelling and, as such, headed to my hostel to sleep. I ended up extending as I still hadn't explored much of the historical centre, nor did I see the Granada Cathedral, which is supposed to be amazing. As such, I figured I'd give myself another day to chill a bit and finish off the final items of Granada.Read more