Farsighted Fly Girl

The breadth of the beauty and the richness of the culture that I experienced in Andalusia is overwhelming. I took 732 photos on my DSLR, 200 on my point and shoot camera and 100 on my phone. It was hard to decide what to share first so I thought about the essence of Spanish culture. I observed a great respect and value for family, food and music. So I decided on one of my most memorable experiences, listening to live flamenco in the garden patio of Alcadima Hotel , in Lanjaron. It's a family run hotel that sits surrounded by the Sierra Nevada Mountains, in the Alpujarra region. We were treated to a nine course dinner prepared by the owner himself and served by his son.The lush gardens that encircled the patio are tended by his grandmother. He invited a local flamenco guitarist who was accompanied by his mother, who danced the stomping rhythms along with his playing. If you can imagine the heady sensations of a striking landscape, rich food, warm hospitality and hypnotic music a...

I'll be exploring the mountains, caves and cobblestone streets of  Andalusia, the independent province of Southern Spain, for a jam-packed week. Courtesy of a media trip sponsored by Turismo De Granada  and Iberia Airlines , I'll witness the splendor of the famous Alhambra Palace, pictured above, as well as other Andalusian cultural hallmarks, including flamenco dancing in caves, tasting fresh fish in chiringuitos, the beach bars that line the Costa Tropical coastline and visiting the white-washed mountain villages of Alpujarra. I'm especially excited about tracing the presence of the Moorish rulers from north Africa who ruled the region for seven centuries and left their mark in the architecture, pottery, food and art. Please stay tuned for lots of posts and photos in the coming weeks!