Part 2 of our European Adventure (click here for Part 1):

Paris, for all of its beauty and well-earned praise, had begun to wear on us after two weeks of January cold. And so, like birds migrating south for the winter (or all midwestern grandparents everywhere, renting condos in Ft. Lauderdale to escape the snow) we fled the city rush and the rain and headed on a whim to Granada, Spain.

You know those times at social engagements where So-and-So is talking about their recent trip to Blah-Blah-Blah and keeps insisting that you "just have to go there" and everything inside you is thinking "really? I have to?" totally unconvinced? And then there are those times when a dear friend is talking about a very life-changing trip and they start by saying "it was just...just...aaahh I can't even explain it" and you know that they're for real and start looking into plane tickets? Well, let me play the part of the Dear Friend, and let this be the latter scenario. Granada was life-changing.

Nestled in the foothills of Spain's Sierra Nevada mountains and an hour from the Mediterranean Sea, Granada is a fascinating clash of European and Arab influence, having been conquered and held by the Moors for seven centuries and then re-conquered by the Spanish kings. Terraced gardens and secret courtyards lie scattered throughout the older parts of the city; there is a constant sound of running water from the fountains and reflection pools around every corner. And above it all looms the Alhambra, a fortress and royal palace fit (quite literally) for kings, and conveniently the view we woke up to every morning and went to bed looking at every night from our Airbnb rooftop patio. For 8 days we basked in the Spanish sun, enjoyed tapas and wine during afternoon siestas, wandered through the winding streets of the old district, and watched flamenco in the very neighborhood it originated in. Below are some of our images from our time in Granada, and if ever we go missing for a month or more this would be the place to start looking. ¡Adiós!