Granada is located in the southern providence of Andalusia. Andalusia used to be the old Muslim stronghold of Spain and its pride is the Alhambra palace. Washington Irving paid homage to this fascinating monument in his novel Tales of the Alhambra. Located on a hilltop overlooking the city, the palace looks something like paradise with its stunning gardens, fountains on and ornamented open air rooms. The most popular part of the Alhambra is the Court of Lions. Named after its exquisite fountain, this is where the sultan enjoyed his harem. Walking around in the palace, one can only imagine the incredible moments enjoyed by those who were here hundreds of years ago. Granada has got quite a nice nightlife as well! If you're going to Spain, make sure to see Granada. If you do go to Granada and don't go to the Alhambra, go to a Mental Institute!

"One should remember Granada as one should remember a sweetheart who has died" -Federico Garcia Lorca (Spanish poet)

So what about the sight-seeing then? Obviously if you're going to Barcelona, you must see Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia. This incredibly huge cathedral was begun in 1882 but never finished as Gaudi passed away in 1926. They are continuing work on the structure which will be apparently finished sometime in the mid 2000's but no one knows exactly what the architect intended to do with this absolutely bizarre design. La Sagrada Familia isn't the only work of Gaudi's Barcelona has to offer. Parc Guell is another unfinished yet superb works. Although only two houses were completed, the park, like the Alhambra, is a fascinating walkthrough. My guidebook, Frommer's 2000 Spain, describes it best as being a "Surrealist's Disneyland" with it's mosaic pagoda and lizard fountain spitting water. One should also be advised not to miss out on the Casa Mila. This is one of Gaudi's most famous apartment complexes that includes vegetable and fruit shapes in it's structural design. The top two floors are open to tourists and then there's the outstanding rooftop, covered with all sorts of bizarre shapes and exquisite decorations. One may think there in some sort of Strawberry Shortcake land up here. This is where Gaudi's mind really went wild!

Our hotel was only around the corner from Barcelona's Bari Gotic (Gothic Quarter). I was a little disappointed that this wasn't where all the Cure fans hung out but pleasantly surprised to find narrow streets and squares leading to ancient cathedrals and buildings that had been there ever since the Middle Ages. The top attraction here is the Cathedral Barcelona which exemplifies classic Catalonian Gothic architecture. This cathedral was built between the 13th-15h centuries and there's plenty of entertainment in the square just outside the entrance where artists, musician and mimes perform festively for the hordes of tourists that flock this part of town. The Gothic Quarter runs parallel Las Ramblas, Barcelona's famous street market place filled with shops and restaurants all in a festive environment.

Ok so what about the nightlife. This is the real reason why us young one's come to Barcelona in the first place right? Just kidding! But one must check out Maremagnum. This is the clubbing haven for local Catalonians. This tiny island has been bridged to Barcelona's vibrant harbor and turned into a shopping mall that is fully equipped with about a dozen bars and nightclubs with completely free entrance! To make matters even better, one can avoid paying club prices for drinks by opting for the much cheaper "cervezas" in the fast food restaurants just around the corner. All these nightclubs start at around midnight and go on until dawn so if you have jetlag, no need to worry! The music is a nice blend of Spanish and English music. Ricky Martin, Julio Inglesias and Jennifer Lopez are played repeatedly as well as some other Spanish dance artists. The top terrace is quite a spectacle with a mini golf course surrounded by night clubs and bars, overlooking Barcelona harbor.

Right; this nightclub had kind of a strange atmosphere to it and relied heavily on organ music.