Cordoba

We took the Renfe train from Granada to Cordoba... After the Al Hambra, Cordoba was a bit of anti-climax, but the mosque was beautiful! Allama Iqbal (Pakistan's national poet) read namaz there and wrote a poem Masjid-e-Qutuba. The mosque at Madina is modeled after it. The Mezquita is now a cathedral but I think they ruined the original Islamic architecture :s...

Seville and Granada

We left for Seville on Wednesday evening and arrived at the Hotel Rey Alfonso X... Luckily, the receptionist spoke English and was able to guide us. Seville is a lovely town with lots of orange trees, tourists and young people. Restaurants and quaint little shops are open till 8pm (the rest of Europe shuts down at 5pm) and the atmosphere is lively and happening :)

We went to visit the Seville Cathedral and the Real Alcazar.

Inside the Cathedral

Hammam at the Real Alcazar

Our next stop was Granada... The Al Hambra was on my "list of places to visit before I turn 30" and Alhamdulilah, this came true (thank you Allah Mian and dear Mr. F for making it happen!). The architectural details and the amount of work that must have gone into perfecting each and every tile and carving is amazing... A must-visit for anyone who's remotely interested in structural art and architecture... I wish I could be there alone though... minus the annoying tourists with their cameras, just being able to revel in the beauty and glory of the place!

Entrance

Carvings of ayats from the Quran

A roof at Al-Hambra

The Three Ages of Man and Death

The Three Ages of Man and Death was a painting I saw at the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid and it still haunts me... It basically shows a baby sleeping, a young woman in the prime of her youth and an old woman trying to expose her as death (the skeletal old man carrying an hour glass) leads her away...

I'm already dreading old age and I hope and pray I'll be gone before I'm dependent on others to take care of me... and I pray God grants me full possession of my faculties. Imagine how frightening it would be, to not be able to recognize your brother or sister or forget where you live or how to eat a sandwich!

Other really interesting/disturbing paintings were Magdalena Ventura (The Bearded Woman) and The Birth of the Milky Way by Rubens... Rubens painted a lot of nekkid women and men with leaves on their private parts... my fifth grade humor kicked in and I sat on the one of the benches at the Museum and giggled until I was in hysterics and tears botched up my face... yes, I'm weird!

Euro Trip Part I

I left for Dusseldorf on 30th September and daddy dearest dropped me off at the airport... Packing was quite a hassle since there was no electricity and I had to use my cell phone torch to locate items and fold my clothes :-p

Update:

My legs are aching and I'm really tired but Alhamdulilah, the trip was fantastic. Abbu dear, thanks for the best present EVER! Felt like a princess in business class though a little intimidated by all the suited-up business men :p. Flight was on time and I made it to Dubai, Terminal 4 in good time. It was super busy though because a lot of connecting flights leave around the same time and the place was packed with Desis. I couldn't even use the bathroom because of the long waiting lines! I watched Monte Carlo, The Trip and Something Borrowed and ate 2 breakfasts and a lunch. Emirates food is ok... (Etihad is much better!)

Mr. F was there at the airport waiting for me... he was wearing a violet shirt with a bright green hoodie and yellow shoes.. I almost didn't recognize him! We took the train from Dusseldorf to Cologne and checked into our hotel City Hotel Europa which is decent although the room itself is tiny!

Since it was early evening, we walked around and then took the train to Frechen for dinner where I had pizza and Mr. F had donor kabab. We had breakfast at the hotel where I loaded up on baked beans and granola. Around 11 am, our former German boss, Dr. H came over and brought his son Oliver and girlfriend-in-law Clarissa and they showed us around Old Cologne and took us out for lunch... we went to see the Colonium and went inside the Dom cathedral which is the main monument of Cologne, then we walked and walked and walked. Had grilled salmon with lemon sauce fresh from the River Rhine... yummy! In the afternoon, Dr. H took us to see the mines and power plant... also passed a wind farm and some sheep and horse farms. Now we're back at the hotel, totally drained with no energy! Tomorrow there's a marathon, so Cologne is packed with tourists. Weather's been gorgeous so far... nice and sunny with just the right amount of chill... more tomorrow!