Fancy some warmth?

I'm still going on about Spain in October.  It's worth noting that in terms of value, this holiday was great - every time I look at the pictures, I feel the warmth and enjoy the splendour all over again.  I'm so happy that we got a chance to go to Granada and visit the Alhambra.  I said in an earlier post that because it's a World Heritage Site, it is very well looked after and there isn't much opportunity to linger...and that's true.  And I did feel it was all rather over restored and well, homogenised.  However, it still made me gasp, and the gardens were just wonderful.  Even for reluctant gardeners like Mr Dunnit and I.  

Looking up, from the Arabic Quarter in the town.  We eschewed the tourist bus and 'hiked' up.  It was a pretty steep shingly road.  I felt intrepid.  And warm. And breathless.

Looking down on Granada from the Sultana's gardens - those Yew hedges are very slow to grow...imagine being the first one to cut them!

Not native or original planting, but oh so pretty - and remember - it's the middle of October at a fairly high altitude!  The roses were really perfumed.  Joy.

No idea what this is.  It was soft like velour.  Almost like a floral version of a foot!

There was no danger of photographing any of the shaded spots without people in them..they were cool! The spots.  But probably the people were too, I just didn't know them.

Water played a popular role in Arabic and later Spanish formal gardens....for cooling rather than irrigation.  And despite being on the highest part of Granada, water at the Alhambra is derived from Springs below the castle.  Yes. Below.  The original builders were civil engineers of some incredible skill.

And another example of genius with water - the cooling staircase...water rushing down a rhyll on either side made the section of staircases distinctly cooler than any other part of the gardens. And then recycled. The water on the steps is from idiot tourists like me putting their hands in it to see how cold it was.  'Freezing' is the first reaction.  And then a quick jump to the middle is the second - the water is coming down so fast that when you put your hand in it....it breaks the flow and sprays all over you.  Yes, mildly embarrassing. But I'm so used to that!
There's yet more pictures from this holiday; mostly random architecture that I liked. You should pray that I experience some wintery sun so that I don't have to keep forcing photos of good weather days on you!