Incline up–take a stair step; incline up–take a stair step…not a gym machine, but honest to goodness narrow street stairways that just went up and up and up.

There were obvious advantages to climbing the narrow passageways of the Albaicin quarters, the ancient Moorish area, in Granada rather than using a gym machine. First and foremost are the amazing views along the way! White-washed streets with intersecting alleyways with more steps upward leading in new directions; then a small plaza with little Moroccan restaurants and a quiet wall fountain; more stairways leading in multiple directions (choose one); a long and barely two person wide alley lined with shops selling tea blends we have never seen before or spices of every description open to the air and giving off amazing aromas or North African clothiers and Moroccan restaurants–brightly colored and dark and North African pastry shops with sweets dripping with honey and almond or coconut or apricot cookies; then churches–old with golden altars and painted ceilings and ancient wooden doors and large plazas with jaw-dropping views of snow-covered mountains and the still standing Moorish defensive walls jutting into the hills where gypsy homes are fashioned into the hillside caves, and across the valley, the mighty Alhambra in majestic display–what pleasant views!

Another advantage are the pastry shops–eating fabulous sweets and exercise all rolled into one–what a deal!

Yet another advantage is the open air and flowering trees and chirping birds.

You will never see me on a stair master, but I’ll climb the Albaicine any day.