Trip Finale (Spain & Portugal)

So I have finally finished editing my photos from the last several days in Spain and put this blog post together.  Sorry it took me so long, but I have been a little lazy in getting all the information put together.  At any rate, here it is.

 In the last several days spent in Spain we were able to experience some of the best of this country.     Located atop a rocky hill with difficult access in Grenada, Spain; the Alhambra was originally constructed as a military complex and palace residence.  Although Muslim rulers of the 9th century began the construction of the complex there is no record of it being used as a royal residence until the 13th century.    The (Moorish) Muslim influence can be seen even today in the types of arches and ceilings as well as the magnificent tilework throughout the palace.  In 1492 the Catholic Monarchs conquered Grenada and the Alhambra became a Christian court.   

 

The Alhambra is probably most famous for its massive amounts of intricate tilework and plaster carvings that cover the walls, pillars and ceilings of the palace.  The carvings into the plaster have poems and scripture from the Islamic faith and there are even portions of the Koran carved into the walls and ceilings.  The tile mosaics are particularly stunning.  More on the tile in just a moment.

Palace mouser

View from one of the palace balconies

The Muslim builders of many of the palaces in Spain including those of the Alhambra did not believe it was proper to make pictures of living creatures.  This strongly influenced much of their architecture.  They did not decorate with paintings, murals, or carvings of animals or people.  Instead they carved verses and poetry into plaster and developed elaborate tilework mosaics to decorate the interior walls and surfaces of their palaces.  The tiles were made from larger glazed pieces of ceramic that were meticulously snipped and shaped into smaller pieces such as squares, triangles and stars.  These smaller pieces were then fit together into plaster in intricate designs.  It reminds me somewhat of quilt pieces put together on a wall instead of on a quilt top.  The most common colors were white, red, green, blue, and yellow.  The tradition of this art form has been practiced for centuries by master craftsmen called "Maalan Ferach".  It has been passed down from generation to generation with training beginning in early childhood.  Everything is done by hand in the traditional craft.  Today of course there are modern technologies that have entered the process; however a few craftsmen are still learning to produce these tiles and tilework by hand.  Here are some examples of the mosaics from the Alhambra Palace.

Craftsmen cutting small geometric pieces ( squares, rectangles, stars, etc.) from larger glazed tiles.

The small pieces piling up.  These will then be used to create mosaics by putting them together in certainly patterns.  The process is intricate and time consuming.

The mosaics are just amazing

I find this architecture just fascinating not just in its complexity but remember many of these mosaics are hundreds of years old.  To have survived since the 1300 and 1400s and still look so beautiful is astounding.

While in Grenada our group was entertained one evening with a Flamenco performance.  Flamenco dance was developed in the gypsy neighborhoods in southern Spain most notably in the Grenada region.  It flourished in the 1700-1800s.  During the early years of this musical/dance form many mid to upper class Spaniards considered it deplorable and vulgar.  This was likely because it was historically preformed by the ostracized Gypsy population taking place most commonly in seedy urban areas.  Despite their efforts to eradicate the tradition its popularity grew especially with romantic writers and visitors from other  countries.  Over time Flamenco has become an art form that epitomizes Spain.  Even the Spanish have embraced it.  Flamenco is recognized by UNESCO as part of the World's Intangible Cultural Heritage.  There are several school that teach Flamenco in Spain and it is now preformed with national pride.  Here are some of the pictures from our performance.

Another highlight of our visit was an equestrian show featuring the Andalusian horse.  This is a specific breed of horse whos ancestors originated on the Iberian Peninsula of Spain thousands of years ago.  Over centuries it was bred for traits such as prowess and intelligence.  It is strong and compact yet elegant.  These magnificent creatures were prized by all who owned them.  They were extremely versatile being used for riding, pulling carts and farm equipment, performing, and particularly as warhorses.  The Romans used them to pull their chariots and for mounted cavalry.  Julius Caesar praised them for their talents on the battlefield.  In 218 BC Hannibal used them to cross the Alps into Italy.  During the 1800 and 1900s the breed was threatened because many of the horses were requisitioned or stolen for wartime use.  Napoleon's invading army stole hundreds, maybe thousands of Andalusian horses.  One herd was hidden from the invaders and subsequently used to renew the breed.  Today they may be most famous for their use in performing dressage.  We were able to see several perform with and without a rider as well as dancing choreographed with a flamenco dancer.

 

The last several blogs are the highlights from our Portugal and Spain trip.  It really was a wonderful trip, our first to Europe.  We are spending the last of the summer months in Jupiter, FL at Admiral's Cove.  Keith is playing golf and I am doing my best to learn tennis.  I also have been taking a beginners pottery wheel class and participating in the photography club here.  So we are keeping busy.  Keith and I took one other summer trip to the British Virgin Islands in July with Keith's brother Scot, wife Suzanne, and another couple.  I will post a blog in the next several weeks with the BVI pictures.  There will be some friends visiting in the next several weeks so look for some of those photos as well in September and October.