20th October 1985 : southern Spain

Caption: Granada and the Alhambra Palace (photos taken 26 years later with very different technology)

Woken by my full bladder and Vicki serving Ben coffee in bed – but too warm to leave my sleeping bag so snoozed until I couldn't wait any longer. Crawled from my tent beneath a streaky dawn sky and an orange ball of sun.

Long, climbing drive, initially with truck canopy down to protect us from the cold. I snoozed, then started reading Dian Fossey's Gorillas in the Mist, her enthralling narration further fuelling my eagerness to leave Europe and land in Africa.

We lunched beside a quiet road that suddenly became the local thoroughfare, with three civilian cars, police vehicles and a small tractor forcing us to rearrange our stools. Then we drove on, through hilly country patchworked with different coloured soils and crops, and rows of olive trees stretching up cleared hills.

Arrived in Granada at 3pm and headed straight to the Alhambra, the late 14^th century Moorish palace that perches above the city. Exquisite carved stone and decorated pavilions with walls covered in autumnal shades. Beautiful alcoves and wood-inset ceilings. Lush gardens running with water filled with goldfish and lotus. Roses and morning glory climbing the walls.

Back to campsite for hot showers and laundry. Sat around waiting for Ben to clean his teeth but gave up and went to bed early, sleeping in Adri’s tent.