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Iberia

April - May 2022
A 38-day adventure by skip's retirement travel Read more
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  • skip's retirement travelIberia
    Day 2

    Bocairent, El Palomar, & Valencia Campo

    April 25, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    The Campo is a rural area. I had the good fortune to stay with friends in El Palomar. The name of this small village suggests it was originally settled by Moors.
    The 1st picture is a look at the countryside of the Campo. The 2nd and 3rd pictures are in El Palomar. The leaning stature of the tree refers to the annual village festival where a tree is cut and set up, roughly the equivalent of a maypole in the UK. The silhouette cutouts reflect some of the festivities.
    The 4th picture looks up the hill to the medieval town of Bocairent. That picture was taken from the bridge in the 5th picture. The 6th picture is of the main square of Bocairent.
    The 7th picture is a long view if the hillside that is laced with caves used as dwellings by the 1st settlers and probably as places of safety during attacks. I didn't get to visit these.
    The 8th picture is another ancient bridge, but I can't remember which town it's near.
    The last 2 pictures are both ancient laundries. The 9th picture is a communal washing area where laundry is done as people gather there. In the last picture, the local irrigation channel runs past the houses. These widows are set so someone can stand comfortably to wash in the irrigation water. If you look closely, you might see the small extensions from the sides of the channel just downstream from the windows where a board could be placed to back up some of the water.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelIberia
    Day 4

    Valencia, Old Town

    April 27, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Valencia, in southeastern Spain, has the reputation of being one of the best places to live in Spain. In my time here, I found no reason to dispute that and many reasons to affirm it. The city is located on the Turia River that provides for irrigation of a naturally fertile area.
    Valencia was founded by the Romans in the 2nd century BCE. It was under Moorish (Muslim) rule for about 500 years.
    The 1st 2 pictures attest to the importance of the river and the Moors. The 1st is a statue in Virgin Square. The large guy with the cornucopia (you can make out the top) stand for the right ver and the 8 statues stand for the 8 irrigation communities along the river origanially built by the Moors over 1,000 years ago. The 8 empty chairs are for the leaders of the 8 irrigation communities' representatives who sit as a tribunal to judge conflicts in the irrigation system. Originally started by the Moors and kept by the Christians, this is the oldest jurisprudence system in Europe.
    The 3td picture is also at Virgin Square. This is the Total Basilica of our Lady of the Desemporados (homeless, hopeless) the patron saint of Valencia.
    Like must medieval cities, Valencia had walks. All the remain are 2 gates. The 4th picture is the Serrano's gate. The 5th picture is of El Rio, the nickname for the Turia Gardens. After destructive flooding, the city moved the river out of the city. The former riverbed was made into a long park, a bit if which is good n the 5th picture.
    The 6th picture is in Saint Nicolas di Bari church. It is often referred to as the Sistine Chapel for obvious reasons. The are several paintings by Goya here.
    The 7th picture is of a government building in the old town. It was built in 2 stages. The 1st was built several hundred noted years ago and the 2nd in the last century. Essentially, the building was doubled by adding a mirror image of the 1st half using the same materials and construction techniques. If you can't tell, the near portion is the addition.
    The 8th and 9th pictures are of the Central Market. This is considered an important example of Spanish modern architecture, especially with the central dome.
    The last picture is the appropriately named Round Square.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelIberia
    Day 4

    Silk in Valencia

    April 27, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    A few years ago I traveled overland from Xi'an in China to Istanbul along the Silk Road (see a whole lot of previous posts). So I was fascinated to learn that Valencia was a big player in the silk trade. It seems that the Moorish traders brought mulberry trees and silkworms to Valencia and found the the local climate fit the needs of the trees and silkworms. The rest, as they say, is history.
    The castle-like building in the 1st picture is La Lonja, the silk market here. It was built to impress merchants with the wealth and power of Valencia, and I think you will see that they succeeded. In fact, Valencia dominated that trade in the western Mediterranean.
    The 2nd and 3rd pictures are 2 gardens within La Lonja. Notice the oranges on the tree. Oranges, like mulberry and rice are not native here. They were all introduced by the Moors.
    The 4th picture is the stunning trading hall with spiral columns, decorative ceiling and the rest. This is the most impressive trading hall I've seen. The 5th picture is in the upper story. This is the entry to their smaller trading area and where disputes were settled seen in the 6th picture. Note the coat of arms above the door.
    The rest of the pictures are in the silk museum. They display many artifacts from the centuries of the silk trade here plus some modern silk work. The last picture catches 2 looms, one from the 14th century and one from the 18th century. The one to the left and farther back is the old one.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelIberia
    Day 5

    Cathedral of Valencia

    April 28, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    The cathedral is located on Virgin Square next to the basilica (see another post). The importance of this church is largely due to one of the relics kept here. That relic is in the 1st picture, and the 2nd picture is a broader look at the chapel that holds it. This is the chalice or grail that the Vatican says is the real one. I'm told that there are about 25 similar relics, but archaeology and lab testing indicate that of the 25, this is the one most likely to be the correct one. The cup in the upper portion dates to the correct period. The rest of it is later additions.
    During the reconquest of Spain from the Moors, when Valencia was taken in the 13th century, all physical traces of the Moorish period were destroyed. The cathedral is built on the spot where the main mosque was located which apparently sits on top of a Roman temple. The 3rd, 4th and 5th pictures are of doors built at different times and in the different architectural styles of the time. The door in the 3rd picture is the oldest and is in the location of the main entrance to the former mosque. The other doors are Gothic and Baroque.
    The 6th picture is the nave of the cathedral looking towards the chancel. The rest of the pictures are some of the side chapels and show some of the extraordinary art here    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelIberia
    Day 6

    More Valencia

    April 29, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    There is much more to Valencia than the old town. These pictures are a look at more of this city and it's character.
    The main festival here is Las Fallas that takes place in mid-March. On Saturday, some of the Fallas groups dressed in their traditional clothes and walked through the city streets with their bands playing. The 1st picture is a glance at one of those groups.
    Las Fallas isn't the only festival here. Also on Saturday was the Carnival de Ruzafa where groups centered around immigrant communities also march and dance through the streets of the Ruzafa neighborhood. A glimpse of that is in the 2nd picture.
    Among the most recognizable buildings in Valencia is the City of Arts and Sciences. The 3rd picture is the oceanographic building, and the 4th picture looks at a couple more. These are also places I walked to but didn't visit.
    The 5th picture is the music palace, a large music, arts and exhibition space. You might recognize the foreground as part of El Rio, that long park in the former riverbed (see another post).
    The 6th picture is iconic Spain. This is the Plaza del Toros, the bull ring that dates to the mid 19th century. To me it's reminiscent of the coliseum in Rome, though much smaller. Events here are seasonal, mostly during Las Fallas and in July.
    The last picture is in the plaza at the city hall. This is the largest plaza I've seen here.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelIberia
    Day 9

    Old Town of Barcelona

    May 2, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Barcelona was founded by the Romans about 2,000 years ago under the name Gerona. Not much remains from the Roman tmees, but one significant section of the Roman wall and city gate is part of the cathedral walls (see another post for the cathedral).. That is the 1st picture. 2,000 year old stone work still being used. The Roman engineers were amazing. The 2nd picture is directly across the square from the 1st. This art, that wraps around the building, is claimed by Pablo Picasso as his work. It may be the only free to view Picasso anywhere.
    The 3rd picture is the Music Palace, another Catalan Modernist building. The 4th picture is what remains of one of the oldest synagogues in Europe. The Shephardic Jews were expelled in 1492. So this predates that.
    The 5th picture used to be a large public market. However, during some construction, a lot of ancient ruins, including some dating to the Romans, were found. So the market was closed and moved. The result is a large archaeological museum.
    The next 3 pictures are in a significant church in the old town. This is Saint Mary of the Sea. The church dates to the 14th century during the height of Barcelona's maritime prosperity. The building is Catalan Gothic. The door is a rear entrance, not the main door.
    The last picture is a typical street from the time when the city was confined within the walls. Limited land for new construction caused buildings to be built above, such as over the street, like this one.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelIberia
    Day 9

    Sagrada Familia

    May 2, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família (now that's a mouthful) has become one of the most famous buildings anywhere. Designed by Antoni Gaudí and still under construction, the stunningly unique church continues to inspire awe, at least it did in me.
    Construction began in 1882 under a different architect who resigned a year later when Gaudí took over. The design concepts and models he developed still shape the design, even though he was directly involved in maybe 20% of the actual construction.
    The 1st picture is another taken from Montjuïc (see another post) to set the church in its context. The next 2 picture are of the 2 completed facades. The 2nd picture is the nativity facade that Gaudí himself built. The 3rd picture is the death facade that focuses on the passion of Christ that has been completed since by others. The 3rd and final facade, the Glory facade and main entrance is in construction now.
    All the rest of the pictures are inside that church. First a word about the stained glass that I'm told was all done by an abstract artist. The 3rd and 4th pictures were taken from the same spot, just 180° offset. It struck me that one side of the building had mostly blue and green hues in the glass while the other side has mostly red and orange.
    The rest of the pictures are different views of the sacred space. I confess that I am unable to capture to magic (yes, I know that's a theologically inappropriate term) of the space. To quote a well known and time worn phrase: ya gotta see it to believe it. My travels have taken me to scores of churches around the world. None have struck me as deeply as this.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelIberia
    Day 11

    Girona and the Costa Brava

    May 4, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Girona is a city northeast of Barcelona near the French border. If you're a Game of Thrones fan, it may look familiar. (Season 6 I'm told.). If you read Roman history or historical fiction, you may recognize it as Gerunda.
    The old city has been well preserved, making this an important tourist stop even before Game of Thrones.
    The 1st picture will look familiar to GoT fans (season 6, I'm told). This is the cathedral in Girona. The 2nd picture is the main entrance to the cathedral. There is a bit of Moorish influence here
    The 3rd picture is along the old Roman road, the Via Augustus, that ran through the town here. The 4th picture is a typical side street in the old Jewish quarter.
    If you look at the construction techniques, this bridge in the 5th picture may look a bit familiar. It was designed and built by Gustav Eiffel many years before his more famous tower. The entire bridge load is carried by the superstructure you can see. The only substructure is the abutments. The 6th picture is the main square in Girona.
    The 7th picture looks at the agricultural landscape of Catalonia between Girona and the coast. There is a hill town called Pals where that picture was taken along with the 8th picture. This church of Saint Peter is a Romanesque building dating back 1,000 years.
    The last 2 pictures are at the Costa Brava which most simply is the Mediterranean coast of Spain running south from France. Both picture give a sense of what this region looks like. And the seafood is good!    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelIberia
    Day 12

    Montjuïc

    May 5, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Montjuïc is a broad, flat hill where the River Llobregat enters the Mediterranean Sea. Its strategic location became fortified, including by the Romans, and the the city of Barcelona began here. The current castle/fortress atop the mountain dates to the 17th century. The 1st 3 pictures are of the fortress: the wall, main gate and moat; the parade square inside the main structure; and a bit of the outer battlements that are now being gardened.
    The 4th picture looks out over the commercial port from the castle battlements.
    Much of the top of Montjuïc today is a park. The last 2 pictures show a couple examples of what is in the park: one of the walking paths and a fountain. There are extensive gardens here, too, but they were all being heavily worked on--probably spring cleanup and planting.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelIberia
    Day 12

    Cathedral of Barcelona

    May 5, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, as it is formally known, was begun in the 13th century with construction continuing for several hundred years as additions were made. It reached its current form in the late 19th century when the neo-gothic facade was added (the 1st picture). The 2nd picture shows the part of the cathedral walls that are part of the 2,000 year old city walls built by the Romans.
    The 3rd picture is of the nave just inside the entrance. The wall in front is part of a surround in which is a set of choir stalls. The 4th picture is in front of that enclosure looking at the chancel. The 5th picture is even farther forward and includes the crypt with the tomb of St. Eulalia. Eulalia was a 13 year old girl who refused to recant during the Diocletian persecution and so was killed. She is co-patron saint of Barcelona.
    The 6th and 7th pictures are a couple examples of the many side chapels here.
    Off to the side is a cloister with a fountain and water feature where 13 white geese are kept. It is said that there are 13 to remember Saint Eulalia's age when she was martyred.
    The last picture is a view from the roof of the cathedral. Wouldn't you know it? I entered the cathedral from a sunny day. By the time I got to the roof, it was raining.    Read more

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