Sevilla is the capital of the autonomous province of Andalucía, and stands out amongst other luminary cities in the Spanish south. Sevilla was one of the principal cities of the Moors on the Iberian peninsula, and after the reconquest it would play a major role in the growth of Spain's Empire as the launch point for countless journeys to the colonies of the Americas. The mix of Moorish and Spanish culture comes to life in Sevilla, and is encapsulated by the fact that the minaret of the city's mosque, built from 1184-1198, was converted to a belltower (dubbed La Giralda) for the breathtaking cathedral after the reconquest.

Here, the Monkey takes in the splendour of Sevilla's Plaza España, built for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. Unfortunately, the Monkey didn't stop for photos anywhere else in Sevilla, as he got a bit wrapped up in the local sangria scene.

In Granada, another of Andalucía's fabled cities, the Monkey climbed the hills of the Albaicin, an old Moorish district, to get a stellar view toward the greatest of all Moorish monuments in Spain, the Alhambra. When Sultan Muhammad al-Amhar chose Granada as the center of his Nasrid sultanate, he began restoration on an earlier Moorish fort and palace atop the La Sabica hill, and his name was passed to the new palace.

Subsequent Nasrid sultans in the 13th and 14th Centuries went about embellishing the palaceto create a heaven on earth. Intricate carved stone and flowing water are ubiquitous throughout the courtyards and halls of the Alhambra, and within its defensive walls are many serene gardens overflowing with colorful flowers. The palace is a true architectural treasure highlighting the advanced techniques and aesthetics of the Moorish elites, influences which have had profound resonance in Spanish culture ever since.

In the distance, complementing the beauty of the Alhambra, are the snowcapped peaks of the Sierra Nevada.

Another shot of the Monkey at Sevilla's Plaza España.

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