Spain Series - the Mezquita at Cordoba

The exterior of the Mezquita, and the horse-drawn carriages outside, awaiting customers.  At the background is the Torre de Alminar, the bell tower built on the original site of the minaret.

More than 850 columns of granite, jaspar and marble support the roof, the forest of arches and pillars creating a dazzling effect. 

The magnificent altarpiece of the cathedral, built in the heart of the reconsecrated mosque during the 16th century.

The cathedral choir stalls - a truly splendid carving by Pedro Cornejo in the 18th century.  In almost every catherdral, there are these elaborately crafted choir stalls; what sets the Mezquita apart is the Andalucian sun streaming into the cathedral, and the relaxed regime which allows visitors to photograph this stupendous display of craftsmanship. 

One of the pieces in the Treasury.  There can be no doubt about the wealth of the Catholic Church, and the power it wielded over the nation state and the people at one time.

Spain Series - Leon Cathedral

This 13th - 14th century Gothic cathedral, in its golden standstone, looked bereft of visitors on a wet and dull winter day. 
Inside, it boasts hundreds of magnificent stained glass windows, depicting an enormous range of subjects, from biblical scenes, hunting scenes, religious themes to arrays of flowers and shapes.  The glasswork is glorious! 

The West Rose Window depicts the Virgin and Child, surrounded by twelve trumpet-blowing angels.

Spain Series - The Guggenheim at Bilbao

The Guggenheim at Bilbao needs no introduction.  Every angle, every nook and corner of the building declares the genius of Frank Gehry, the architect.  The images here cannot do justice to this unique and magnificent creation.

Thames Path

The Thames Path from Hammersmith and Fulham to Putney was almost deserted on a dull and overcast Saturday; the winter ghost giving up its last breath to the budding crocuses and daffodils; the pathway sprinkled with a few sinewy and dedicated joggers.  I came here, to the River Cafe no less, to meet up with a friend whom I had not seen for a year, and to share the palpable excitement of her daughter's upcoming wedding in the summer. 

Inside the much over-rated River Cafe located at Thames Wharf.  Despite its fame, or because of its fame, there were no signs above the entrance to indicate its presence, just a long line of windows where you can see casually dressed diners enjoying themselves.  The food is home cooking, but the price is couture.  

A touching reminder of the mortality of life.  The River was quiet, there were no rowers from the nearby rowing club, no boats, no river traffic.  The bouqet looked desolate.

The River Thames at dusk, seen from the Putney Bridge. 

Spain Series - Paradores

This time, we stayed mostly at paradores when we traversed Spain from north to south.  These government owned accomodation, described in official literature as "luxury accommodation in castles, palaces, fortresses, convents, monasteries and other historical buildings" were certainly worth a visit if only for the architecture alone.

Paradore Limpias - Hotel Palacio de Equilior in Cantabria.  The palace was constructed in the 19th century, and was once used by King Alfonso XIII for his ministerial council meetings.  Despite the rather imposing building, the bedrooms were modest.

Paradore Alcala de Henares, outside Madrid.  The parador has been converted from the Dominican Collegiate-Convent of Santo Tomas de Aquino, a 17th century building.  Inside, the decor, furniture and furnishings are pure 21st century.

The residents' lounge at Parador Alcala de Henares, a perfect place for an appertif before dinner or some tea or cofee after dinner.

Parador Jaen - Hotel Castillo de Santa Catalina.  Perched on a cliff with panoramic view of the city of Jaen on one side, and the hills of the Sierra Morena on the other side, this castle attracted tourists from all over Europe as well as Japan.  Despite the imposing architecture, the interior was tired and at places even shabby.

Parador Ronda, situated in the former town hall, a stone throw away from Puente Nuevo where tourists flock to gaze at the 120m deep gorge.  From the bedrooms, guests can see the hills and valleys of Ronda, basking in the warm winter sunlight.

 

Paradore Zamora - Hotel Condes de Albay y Aliste, once the palace of the Count of Alba and Aliste in the 15th century.  The cloister and the gallery above have now been incorporated into the living space.  Inside, the place looked frayed and used.  The food was big on quantity but poor on quality. 

The grand staircase was adorned with tapestries, suits of armour, rugs and heraldic banners.

The magnificent Parador Leon, once the San Marcos Monastery, was founded in the 12th century to provide lodging for the pilgrims travelling to Santiago de Compostela in Galacia. This is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful Renaissance buildings in Spain. 

Inside, imposing cloisters overlook the gardens.  All the public rooms boast tapestries, paintings and carvings. Impressive.

Spain Series - Glimpses of Everyday Life 03

A bank of bikes for hire at Seville.  Unusually, there were no punctured tyres among this lot.  They reminded me of Boris bikes, recently introduced to London.

Two men chatting at the town plaza at Zamora.  Probably because the Spaniards mostly live in apartments in city and town centres, a lot of pets were small dogs.

A congregation celebrating mass at the San Esteban Cathedral at Salamanca.  Judging from the attendance at this and other churches, there are still a large number of practising Catholics in Spain.

Harvesting oranges at Cordoba, Andalucia.  Not only were the oranges picked, the trees were also given a haircut.

A pair of helmets attached to a motorbike.  How charming, and one wondered who the owners were... 

Two small dogs came face to face in strange territory at Salamanca, central Spain.

Spain Series - Glimpses of Everyday Life 02

Shopping for Christmas decorations from a street vendor at Jaen, Andalucia. 

Little boy stroking the donkey in the creation of a Nativity scene in the centre of Ubeda, Andalucia.  He flashed a smile and then shyly took off in his bike.

On the trail of an oliver truck during the olive harvesting season in Andalucia.  It called for plenty of patience.

A man's best friend guarding his master's store at a square in Albaicyn, Granada. 

A couple strutting their stuff near the Mesquita at Cordoba, Andalucia. 

Spain Series - Glimpses of Everyday Life 01



Rider and horse
in the village of Santillina del Mar,

northern Spain.







 Pet Ambulance, Alcala de Hanares, outskirt of Madrid

Some headless showman, outside Palacio Real, Madrid.  What a sense of fun!

Christmas market, Plaza Mayor, Madrid.  There were decorations to be had for 1€.  And plenty of plastic Santas climbing ladders: a popular decoration widely seen throughout Spain, hanging either off windows or over balconies.

Spain Series - Sculptures

Richard Serra's The Matter of Time at the Guggenheim, Bilbao was at first glance a series of swirly patterns made from rusty steel. On closer inspection, this statement piece had a hypnotic effect on the viewer and invited the curious to wander amongst the huge and often claustrophic circles.

Jeff Holzer's Electronic LED sign columns at the Guggenheim was a mesmerising technical wizardry: the digital texts on each column ran in opposite direction to each other.  It was irrresisitible for the viewer to walk through the beams to the other side, with an eerie feeling that a time and space barrier had been breached.

Jeff Koon's The Tulips outside the Guggenheim.  A beautiful, transparent colour coated chrome and stainless steel sculpture.  Stand in front of each one and you see your own reflection, bended and twisted, just like the reflection you see in those funny mirrors in fair grounds.  These flowers gave me a sense of childlike wonder.

An unusal light fitting at the Parador Alcala de Henares. It could be a courgette flower, an upside-down mushroom cloud, an UFO, a spaceship, or anything that a diner could care to dream about.

A sinister sculpture in Leon, depicting alienation, forlorness, and despair.  It was urban street art at its most frightening.  Apart from the dozens of noir paintings of Jesus Christ on the Cross that I saw in  art museums and cathedrals throughout Spain, this sculpture had the effect of grabbing me by the throat and made me feel breathless. 

San Jeromino Penitente, a sculpture by Juan Martinez Montanes at the Museo des Bellas Artes at Seville. Known as the God of Wood, this 17th century sculptor from Jaen executed his sculptures in wood, which was then painted, polychromed and gilded.  The realism was truly remarkable.