DAY 13–MALAGA, SPAIN

We had a walking tour of the Alhambra booked with Spain Day Tours. The Alhambra is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Spain. We were really jazzed about this excursion because it is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of the historic Islamic world, in addition to containing notable examples of Spanish Renaissance architecture.

Well, the trip started out really rough. Upon arrival in most ports, the ship makes an announcement asking everyone to stay put until they are cleared to allow passengers to debark. Being good citizens, Melissa and I always comply and this day was no exception. We were dressed, waiting patiently in our cabin for the announcement. Then my phone rang. It was Spain Day Tours wondering where we were, as the bus was almost full. We quickly joined a throng of people debarking, who, like us, were waiting for the announcement that never came. Not sure what happened there.

We got onto the bus and ran into our friends Kim and William, with whom we had just toured Gibraltar. We also ran into our author friend Nancy, who was on the excursion solo, because her husband John wasn’t feeling up to the long day trip. Nancy hung out with us on the excursion and we had a blast.

The Alhambra had beautiful gardens and has rich architectural and historical significance. Among other things, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella lived there and Melissa and I actually stood in the room where Isabella agreed to fund Columbus’ voyage to the New World. Below are some photos from the excursion.

When we returned to the ship, we had reservations at one of the specialty restaurants, Tamarind. Unbeknownst to us, it was a special night at Tamarind, the only time they serve a set Indonesian menu. The food and the drinks were exquisite. Photos below.