Three photo galleries, three palaces, three countries, three architectural styles.
Nasrid Palace, 13th century, Moorish architecture, Granada, Spain. (top)
Hampton Court, 16th century, Tudor architecture, London, England. (middle)
Chateau of Versailles, 17th century, Baroque architecture, Paris, France. (bottom)
When we visit a museum, my friend and I always play “pick one”: pick one from a showcase of French silver table service; pick one from a room of Greek statues; pick one frm a hall of mouth-watering tapestries.
Your turn – you will be locked inside a palace for a month. Based only upon architectural attributes (not food or weather), which of these three palaces would you choose? Why?
Lastly, the Chateau of Versailles –
MK pix 
Hands down Moorish architecture for me. I know it became so much of a basis to many others, but there’s nothing quite like it.
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I love it myself, and the more I see of it, the more I like it. Each of the three palaces has a different feel, and I like the sense of openness and airiness and celebration of light and water that we find in Moorish architecture. It’s uniquely well suited to Southern California, don’t you think?
Your comment reminds me of the wonderful example we have here in SoCal. If you’ve never been, give a visit to the Brand Library in Glendale. It is the former home of a wealthy doctor/art collector. Totally Moorish!
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They’re all more than a little pretentious in what they represent, or once represented, but that behind us, they’re all quite majestic and stunningly spectacular. My preference, however, is for Nasrid Palace, its welcoming interior courtyard, the grand view of the overlook, and finally the refreshing swimming hole. 🙂
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To me, the Nasrid palace is elegant but simple at the same time. In the other palaces I notice the rooms & walls & ceilings, but in this one I notice the space.
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Alhambra, hands down! 🙂
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Thanks for your vote! Moorish architecture is irresistibly intimate, isn’t it?
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All a bit too ornate for my taste, but the Moorish digs at least have a sense of openness.
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🙂 I agree – the Moorish rooms feel as if you’re not separated from the outdoors and you’re not separated from the nearby rooms either. I could live there a month, no problem.
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Alhambra, I’ve always wanted to go back there and look at all the tiles in details and sit in the garden to listen to the songs of Nightingales.
Versailles, maybe. I some don’t like the history of how Paris was starving while the King and the Queen were feeding off the poor.
Hampton Court, I’ll pass.
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I could happily return to the Alhambra also! I would like to just study all the ways that the light comes into the rooms, while I listen to the burbling water in the fountains.
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The Nasrid palace, for its lovey mosaics, architecture, and exotic flair! The least stuffy of them, the most unusual place to explore. And I love the fountains 😉 Thank you for the tour! WG
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The Nasrid Palace is an expression of paradise, isn’t it? Our word comes from the ancient Iranian pairi-daêza – a walled enclosure. The rooms of this palace celebrate the inner space of peace and light, and the central courtyard celebrate the earth’s bounty. A paradise indeed!
Thank you for your visit!
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I’ve been to England and France, so I’ll take Nasrid – The architecture looks so different and pleasing to the eye. When do I leave?
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Let’s see… since it’s pretty far south, I suggest you take the month of October. Yes, I think you’ll like it in Granada in October. I know you’ll be happy. Bon voyage!
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Nasrid – because of the light, grillwork, carvings and mosaics. And of course, the courtyard gardens!
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It just feels like a place one can exhale, doesn’t it? I love the magic of a large interior courtyard filled with the sound of water and the fragrance of plants.
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Ahhh!
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I looked at all 3 palaces….and I chose the Nasrid palace as soon as I saw it.
Interesting now, reading through the comments, that everyone seems to be drawn to the same palace. I wonder why that is. All three have there own unique charm.
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We all have objective reasons for choosing the Nasrid palace, but I think (for me, at least) there’s also the subject reason – I can most easily visualize myself there – as if it’s a better “fit”. I don’t think that the good fit is 100% attributable to my own objective observations. It just feels better. I wonder if it’s the same process when buying a new house? For me it is.
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