Play these as you read: Volare - Gipsy Kings/ Entre dos Aguas - Paco de Lucia

We flew into Madrid, showered at the airport, picked up our rental car and headed to Granada. Kids - do not try this at home (I recommend staying one night in Madrid if you do an overnight flight from the States or take the train vs. drive). We stopped every hour on our route to check out a new cafe, refuel our focus and Google any landmarks we could catch along the way.

Alcazar de San Juan - A small, but nice little sleepy town. We arrived at an odd hour in the day for restaurants, but struck gold when we found Hotel Venta El Molino was getting ready to serve lunch. We were starving squirrels at this point and I think the staff saw the desperation in our sleepy eyes. We drank more caffeine, had a light snack, chuckled during our broken conversation and then we were on our way. We learned this town was within Castile-La Mancha which was the setting of "Don Quixote" and grabbed a cute brass souvenir of Don Quixote and Sancho. There was also a minimum credit card transaction amount, so it helped us get to the minimum (guilty).

Molinos de Alcazar de San Juan - Dating back to the 16th century, these windmills on top of the hill look down at Toledo. People back then would pay to build one with a pension of fanegas, or a Spanish bushel of dry capacity and in this case wheat. It's free to enter and a quick walk around the grounds.

We arrived to Granada in the evening and grabbed dinner at our hotel in Centro Sagrario where I drank my first tinto verano, a refreshing spritzer of red wine and lemon soda. Let me tell you I am the last person to drink soda, but this was next level YUM and my drink of choice for the rest of the trip.

The next morning I got up early for breakfast. I patiently waited for my husband to arrive under a large orange tree that carefully shaded me from the hot sun. After breakfast we were ready for our unforgettable tour of the Alhambra.

Alhambra* - Breathtaking, the perfect word for this historic site. Originally a fortress in AD 889 and then renovated in the mid 13th century by Nasrid emir Mohammed ben Al-Ahmar. In 1333, Yusuf I, Sultan of Granada made it a royal palace. Alhambra translates to red castle in Arabic as it was constructed from the red earth surrounding it.

As you tour the palace, you’ll notice poetic and religious symbolism everywhere. There are a number of rooms that have fountains, pools and water channels running throughout the floor which display creativity and complexity in their irrigation system that will leave your jaw dropped. Around 1492, the Catholics were reclaiming Iberian Muslim territories, destroying texts, buildings and at this time the Nasrid dynasty of the Alhambra. What’s amazing is that history was still preserved in writings and stories on the walls of the Alhambra for us all to see today despite its past.

TIP: We purchased our tickets through our hotel and used the audio guide so we could glide through the halls at our own pace.

Generalife* - We opted for a guided tour here and it was perfect. I don’t usually favor guided tours, but the guide we had was worth it because he pointed out things that we may have overlooked in an audio tour. He cracked jokes and truly gave us a history lesson in design, architecture, royalty and religion. We found out that in the summer, the court would move to this cooler palace that is know to be one of the few surviving moorish gardens today. It’s been said that Muhammad V was hanging out here when a rebellion against him happened within the Alhambra led by his stepmother resulting in her son Ismail taking the throne. I believe this is when Muhammad fled to Morocco with his besty historian and poet Ibn al-Khatib for three years and then came back to reclaim the throne during political unrest. Ibn al-Khatib was promoted to Vizier when they came back from exile, but was pushed out and then passed within a few years, but that’s another story.

Albaicín or Albayzín - Step into what medieval moorish streets looked like here and explore the shops sprinkled throughout the cobblestone streets in between the Carmenes or traditional houses with gardens and vines. You’ll notice that this area has a number of hills and the streets have grooves that can pass water and other things through like a draining system. Please wear comfortable shoes.

Cafe 4 Gatos - Stop here for a light breakfast or tapa in the Albaicín. You’ll notice it will be filled with locals vs. tourists, so you know it’s the real deal. Be sure to get the 4 gatos on the carta (menu). It is the quintessential bite of baguette bread and tomato spread called pan con tomate. The tomato spread is so fresh and tasty you won’t be able to replicate it at home.

Sacromonte - Catch a flamenco show in the caves on the outskirts of Granada where the gypsies settled following the Christian conquest In 1492. The buildings are tucked into the hills of Valparaíso dotting the steep slopes. We went to see an unforgettable show late in the evening at Venta el Gallo which was a spot recommended by our hotel.

After Granada, we wanted to make our way to the southern part of Spain. We hopped in the car with our friends and of course stopped along the way to take in more sites and eat.

Olvera - There’s something called the “white towns route” where all of the towns in the provinces of Cádiz and Malaga are full of white homes with red or brown roofs and color shines through the natural greenery, olive groves and flowers woven throughout. We visited Olvera, a town in the Cádiz province that has the most magnificent neoclassical church, Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación on the top of the hill. The church was completed in 1843 and is not currently open due to a fire in 2004 that left it in need of extensive repair so we skipped around the outside edges. The church sits next to the Castillo de Olvera, an Arab castle that was built in the late 12th century as part of a defence system. You can walk to the top of the Castillo, but beware folks that are afraid of heights. I later found out that the Celts may have inhabited this area originally called Caricus and the people were then called Celtiberians.

Bornos - A beautiful drive from Granada to the southern part of Spain. Sunflowers hug the road for miles. Roll your window down, take in the fresh air or stop and take some photos.

After a few hours in the car, we finally arrived in Jerez de la Frontera, a beautiful coastal town. It is here that I discovered my love for Domecq’s Iberico Bellota ham and seafood paella lovingly prepared for 3 hours.

Bodegas Fundador - My New Yorkers will see Bodegas and think tiny corner stores in the city. In Spain a Bodega is a winery. This is the oldest winery in Jerez dating back to 1730 with magnificent architecture and rows of barrels resting on cool stone ground. It was here that the first Spanish Brandy, Fundador was created by Pedro Domecq Loustau and sold in 1874 marking its spot in history. You can take part in a guided tour, discover your love for Brandy and Sherry and may never leave.

*Information also gathered from the Islamic Arts and Architecture as well as Alhambra de Granada

pan con tomate y tinto verano por favor