Hello!
How is the Alhambra, and specifically, the water gardens of Generalife, in the winter (Dec)? We are trying to decide between visiting the Alhambra in the winter, as opposed to the summer. Any thoughts/comments are appreciated. Thank you.

I visited the Alhambra and the Generalife in early January and was enchanted with it. I've also visited in summer and thought it was more beautiful then. However, in January there were no crowds and I was left pretty much alone to muse over the past and daydream. I would recommend buying a copy of Washington Irving's "Tales of the Alhambra," as I think that it added to my enjoyment.

"Tales" was mildly irritating in that the Moors were pictured as wonderful and the Christians as greedy and unattractive, but I liked it anyway.

Obviously more people in summer but it can get very cold some winters. Ice is not impossible.

The gardens will be barren and almost no flowers, but the palaces shall be there as beautiful as ever, and with no crowds. You may find as well cool but sunny days.

"Tales of the Alhambra" is a beautiful book, really helps your imagination to think of the people that lived in the Alhambra.
Pegontheroad...do you know something about the Spanish history of that time (the real one, I mean) ? Believe me..the picture of Irving was not so different from reality, yes, a bit more romantic in the way he explains it..but he doesn't lie.

I read a couple of books on Spanish history before I traveled in Spain in 2004, but I haven't gone into it to any great extent. One of the books was so detailed that I don't remember anything of it; the other seemed to be pretty well balanced, maintaining that the stereotype of the noble Moors and the cruel Christians was inaccurate.

Obviously you know more about your history than I do.