Granada

Granada is the furthest point south in our journey. It is in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains - which contain the highest point in Spain and the most southerly skiing resort in continental Europe. As we drove into Granada in 34° temp we could still see the snow on the top of the mountains. After 5 days relaxing by the sea it felt like arriving in a different country as we drove through Granada's busy cosmopolitan streets.

We were having a tapas and beer, deciding in which bar we would watch the match when Bob commented on all the birds flying round, I think he said "its a wonder they don't crap in someone's coffee" next thing he feels a splat on his head! Its a pity we left our hats in Javea, but if I remember correctly, that's a sign of good luck. Did it mean that Belgium (our adopted team, because we like their beer) would beat USA? We settled down in a bar with Belgium fans on one side and Americans on the other.

The Americans we have come across so far on the tour, we have found to be quite knowledgeable about 'soccer' however not in this case. It was quite interesting listening to one American explaining to his friend what extra time was all about! We got a few "shoot it" if they came close to scoring and when they fell behind there was a chant of "we believe we will win". However they didn't shoot it nor did they win, so alls well in the end and for the fist time in the world cup a team we have supported has won a game! Thank god for that bird, although its going to get messy if that's the routine before every Belgium match.

On Wednesday we went to the Alhambra, we set off early and were fortunate that there was some cloud cover making it ideal for exploring. It really is a stunning place to visit with the Moorish Architecture and gardens. Its difficult to absorb the full beauty of the place because it's so busy, but its a must see if you are in Andalucia.

After the Alhambra and an explore round Granada we relaxed by the hotel pool and had a little snooze before heading back into town. We found a tapas bar called La Riviera selling a range of beers from different countries. We had 5 beers - Voll Dam, Grimbergem Optimo Brumo, GrimbergenTriple, Erdinger Weissebier and Delirium Tremens, all with a generous, different tapas with every beer (no need for a meal), excellent value, good food and great beer.

Off to Seville today, my hair needs cutting so looking for a barber, and then flamenco tonight (we won't be dancing). Looking forward to marmalade for breakfast!