0070: Alhambra, Granada

Photo: trekexchange.com

Tomorrow I am off on a 20-day vacation throughout Spain!! Our first stop is Granada and therefore the Alhambra. From what I have read, there is simply no better place then the Alhambra to step back in time and appreciate the art and architecture of the Islamic people who ruled Spain for hundreds of years. This place looks absolutely beautiful!!

So, a few tidbits just to sound like I know what I'm talking about when I get there :-)

"On a hill overlooking Granada, the Alhambra—a sprawling palace-citadel that comprised royal residential quarters, court complexes flanked by official chambers, a bath, and a mosque—was begun in the thirteenth century by Ibn al-Ahmar, founder of the Nasrid dynasty, and was continued by his successors in the fourteenth century. Its most celebrated portions—a series of courtyards surrounded by rooms—present a varied repertoire of Moorish arched, columnar, and domical forms. The romantic imagination of centuries of visitors has been captivated by the special combination of the slender columnar arcades, fountains, and light-reflecting water basins found in those courtyards—the Lion Court in particular; this combination is understood from inscriptions to be a physical realization of descriptions of Paradise in Islamic poetry."

— Marvin Trachtenberg and Isabelle Hyman. Architecture: from Prehistory to Post-Modernism.

To supply the Alhambra with water for fountains and pools, the Nasrid king Ibn
al-Ahmar diverted the River Darro to the palace hill. The style of the Alhambra
reflects the Moors, who occupied Granada.
Photo: Shutterstock

"They" say this is the best-preserved medieval Muslim palace in the world. Of the early Alcazaba, or fortress, little remains but hulking red ramparts and a bell tower overlooking the fabled city of Granada. 

The Tower of Justice (Puerta de la Justicia) is the original entrance gate
to the Alhambra, built by Yusuf I in 1348. Photo: Wikipedia

As you go in you will first pass through public rooms where the sultans received visitors. Farther inside are the private quarters that were open only to the sultan, his family, harem, and servants (mostly eunuchs...). 

Palace of the Lions
Photo: proprofs.com

Adjacent to the palace is the Generalife, where one of Spain's finest gardens spellbinds with sprays of water, terraces of roses, lily ponds, shrubs trimmed like crenellated castle walls, and shady cypress trees. 

Generalife
Photo: estudiodefotografia-fotografoprofesional.es

It will be amazing to see such a site in person. I will of course post my original shots once I am able to. Until then, Ole Amigos!!

0069: Blue Cheese

Photo: gfefoods.com

Whether you are having it with chicken wings or over a filet mignon or even over crispy potato chips, I love blue cheese... just a few days ago I learned that it is good for you too!!

1. Blue cheese has a blue or blue-green mold in it called Penicillium roqueforti. The mold is related to penicillin and fights harmful bacteria in the body. (Source: ehow.com)
2. Protein is the building block for muscles, cells and organs. The recommended dietary allowance for women is 46g each day and 56g for men. One oz of blue cheese contains 6g of protein... (Source: Livestrong.com)
3. Blue cheese contains a large amount of vitamin A, vitamin B, iron, phosphorus, protein and calcium. Calcium can prevent bone loss, prevent migraines, prevent blood clotting, and can help regulate your blood pressure. The milk protein in this cheese neutralizes plaque acids and also can help prevent tooth decay. (Source: weightloss.cx)

So, blue cheese for everyone!! ok, in moderation... need ideas?

Blue Cheese Chips: warm the chips in the oven (or make them fresh if you know how),
make a blue cheese sauce (I combine blue cheese dressing with lots of blue cheese crumbles
then warm the sauce), pour when you are ready to eat. YUM!!!
Photo: www.bistrobyronz.com

Blue Cheese Filet Mignon: cook your steak to taste then add the blue cheese sauce,
I use a lot more cheese than sauce here then under the broiler...
Photo: www.savoryreviews.com

Blue Cheese Mac n Cheese: definitely add bacon and a glass of red wine!!!
Photo: www.kitchendaily.com

Oh so yummy!!!!

0068: Machu Picchu

A.K.A. "The Lost City of the Incas"

Machu Picchu is a beautiful ancient Inca city in the Andes of Peru. It is 8,000 ft high and one of the most famous and spectacular ruins in the world. This is a place that remains high on my list of places to go and I am thinking that 2012 or 2013 will be perfect timing...

There is uncertainty as to its place in Inca life. Current researchers think that it was a country resort for elite Incas - I like that idea!! At any given time, there were not more than 750 people living at Machu Picchu and far less during rainy season... The Incas started building it around 1430 AD but it was abandoned as an official sire for the Inca rulers a hundred years later at the time of the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Maybe they abandoned it because there was no time to play or to protect it???

One thing that is clear is that it was remarkably well hidden, and well protected. Located far up in the mountains of Peru, visitors had to travel up long valleys littered with Inca check points and watch towers. The Spanish simply missed the site.

The site was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. Since it was not plundered by the Spanish when they conquered the Incas, it is especially important as a cultural site and is considered a sacred place.

Although many people are said to have knowledge of the ancient city as it was referred to in some text found in the 20th century, it was not until Hiram Bingham that Machu Picchu was scientifically discovered in 1911 (he was looking for a different site, sponsored by Yale University). In September 2007, Peru and Yale University reached an agreement regarding the return of artifacts, which Bingham had stolen from Machu Picchu.

Here are some beautiful shots I found on www.machupicchuluxury.com. Placeholders until I can share shots I personally bring back...

House with a view!!!!

Terrazas

Llamas - yep, it had to be a resort town...

There is a quote from an Inca sacrificial victim that reads, "Finish with me now because the celebrations they held for me in Cuzco were enough." It was recorded by the Spanish in the late 1500's. - Source: iTeach - Must of been some party right?!? :-)