During the night the weather changed.  Instead of the blue sky of Saturday, we were greeted on Sunday by a mixture of snow and rain.  Despite the weather, we still continued with our plans to see the magnificent Alhambra representing the peak of Moorish architectural achievement in Spain during the 13th and 14th centuries.  The Alhambra consisted of three parts:  the royal palace (Palacios Nazaries), the fort (Alcazaba), and the sultan�s summer home and gardens (Generalife).  Most spectacular was the palace.  Unlike the Catholic church, Islam forbade human images.  Instead, intricate and exquisite geometric and floral patterns and designs, combined with verses from the Koran, were created throughout all the rooms and areas of the palace.  The effect was awe-inspiring.
Afterwards we walked down to the main plaza.  Today no one was there due to the weather.  What a difference from yesterday.  Because of the rain, we observed a few sights in the late afternoon from inside the city�s warm minibus.  Noticeable in Granada were the large number of Gypsies, supposedly around 50,000.  They came from India via Egypt during the 15th century.  Our bus took us up to the Sacromonte district where most lived.  Once back in town we walked through some of the tiny shopping lanes nearby the plaza; the smell of incense was prevalent.
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