Wanderlust and Words

I admit! I have been overly optimistic when setting my monthly themes. It’s the end of January and 3 of my books about Portugal and tiles/mosaics are still unread, so I’ve decided to lower the bar this month.  Hodge podge is a Nova Scotian casserole that relies on seasonal vegetables to make a simple but delicious one-pot meal. It sounds like a great way for me to make use of some of the local root vegetables that are currently in my fridge. And I’ll try to do the same when making my book choices by emphasizing the books that are already on my bookshelves, both physical and virtual.  I am longing for tropical climates and lush, green gardens so I plan to read a travel book and a book of gardening stories. I’m also looking for some simple wisdom so plan to reread either Winnie the Pooh or The Wind in the Willows. I’ve found some gardening programs on Acorn TV and hope to explore history and evolution of the British garden from the 17th to the 20th century with Monty Don....

Mediterranean Sunshine and Grapes I am infatuated with Spain and wine. So when Doug Reichel ( Doug Reichel Wine Marketing Inc. ) suggested that I try Altos de Luzon, a wine from southeast Spain, I leapt at the opportunity. And I’m glad I did as I enjoyed the wine and will buy it again. Spanish Wine Spain produces a huge amount of wine, but most of it is sold in Europe. Some regions, such as Rioja, have gained an international reputation, but there are other wine regions which fly under the radar. One of these is Jumilla, in southeast Spain, slightly inland from the Mediterranean. Altos de Luzon (Jumilla 2005) is one of several wines produced by Bodegas Luzon winery, which was founded in 1916 by a group of winemaking families. The Luzon vineyards are located in the Jumilla region, south of Valencia and inland from Murcia. It’s a sunny, hot, dry mountain plateau. Grapes have been grown here for over 2,000 years, starting with the Phoenicians, the Romans, and the Moors. Soil and C...

I will be showing slides of my holiday in southern Spain on Friday, October 9 at 2 pm at the main downtown branch of the Saskatoon Public Library. I am so happy to have this opportunity to share some of the sensual delights of Andalucia – houses and streets decked in flowers; perfumed gardens with dancing fountains; Roman mosaics; the ruined arches of the 10th century Moorish palace of Medina Azahara; the intricate stone lacework of the Alhambra Palaces; the Renaissance architecture of Baeza and Ubeda. Not to mention sunshine, outdoor restaurants, and olive trees. I realize the slide show is during work hours, but I'd be delighted to see some familiar faces in the audience.

I stayed at the Hospederia Luis de Gongora , Horno de la Trinidad 7. I really liked the location as it was close to both the main tourist sights (la Mezquita, la Juderia, Alcazar) and the principal shopping district, but it wasn’t inundated with crowds of tourists. I could observe people going about their everyday business – taking their children to school, going to work. The single room was small with poor lighting, but there was a tiny patio on the main floor and free wifi. It was clean, attractive and only cost 40 euros a night. I try to immerse myself as much as possible in the life of local residents so I avoid tourist restaurants. I found two restaurants that I really liked. Ziryab Taberna Gastronomica (San Felipe 15) was a small, very modern restaurant that had just opened. They had an excellent selection of wine and lots of interesting tapas, including some vegetarian options. Café Gaudi (Avenida del Gran Capitan, 22 – across from El Corte Ingles) has a lovely art deco interior...

The following notes are logistical footnotes which may be helpful to fellow travellers. They accompany earlier blog postings (see below) written when I was in Andalucia. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you would like additional information. Baeza I spent 4 nights at the Hotel Fuentenueva (Calle Carmen, 15) in Baeza. It’s an older building that has been renovated with a very modern look, which was fun. The ceiling in my room ascended two stories over the bathroom, and I had a wonderful view from my window over the tiled roofs and churches of Baeza. There is free wifi and an attractive lounge/library if you want a quiet place to sit. The hotel is midway between the downtown core and the bus station, which was very convenient as I took buses to and from various locations every day. I had two, excellent meals at Antica Roma, an Italian restaurant (Calle de San Francisco, 39). There was an elaborate décor with Roman statues and frescoes. The pastas were excellent, and there were various v...

The Hospital de Santiago in Ubeda (Jaen, Andalucia, Spain) is a very large Renaissance building designed by Andres de Vandelvira, who was responsible for so many of the lovely buildings in Baeza and Ubeda. It has a beautifully proportioned inner courtyard, but the truly outstanding feature is the staircase leading to the second storey of the courtyard. The walls are covered with beautifully painted frescoes, and the ceiling is glorious. I was very interested to see the coloured tiles on the tower as this is not typical in Andalucia. It reminded me of photographs I've seen of churches in Dordogne, France - I wonder if there is a connection? If anyone knows, please post a comment.

Ubeda is just 14 kilometres from Baeza (Jaen, Andalucia, Spain) - in fact, you can see Ubeda from the mirador in Baeza. It's a larger community, with a proportionally greater number of Renaissance buildings. There are approximately 6 really lovely 16th century buildings surrounding the Plaza Vasquez Molina and many more elsewhere. They are very solid buildings but beautifully proportioned and some of them have very elaborate sculptures around the arched doorways. Here are just a few photographs to give you a taste of the architecture. I hope you can feel the heat in the photo of the blue door. And, in the second to last photo, please note the rings where you can hitch your horse. I was unable to take photographs, but I would highly recommend visiting the Sacra Capilla del Salvador. It is surprisingly large for a private chapel, and I appreciated the relative simplicity of its lines. The natural lighting was beautifully incorporated into the design. There is an interesting combinati...

I took the bus and spent a day in Jaen (Andalucia, Spain). My first stop was at the Cathedral. European Catholic churches make me uncomfortable. They rely on gilt and gore to awe and frighten their congregations. It obviously works for a lot of people, but I feel a greater sense of holiness in a plainer environment without all the decorations and all the images of Christ's suffering and the martyrs' bloody deaths. As I walked up through the older part of town, I chanced to see a poster for an exhibit at the Escuela de Arte across the street. It was an exhibit of "abanicos." I wasn't sure what that was, but it turned out to be a display by graduates from an art class (Escuela de Arte de Cadiz) specializing in fans. Their goal is to build on the history and tradition of the fan in Spain and to move it forward into the modern era. The fans on display were delightful, and I really enjoyed looking at them. My next stop was the Palacio de Villardompardo, a beautiful old...

The cloister of the cathedral in Baeza (Jaen, Andalucia, Spain) is very different from the cloister of the San Jeronimo Monastery in Granada. The columns are rough and squat. The garden is confined to some potted plants. And yet there is a certain rustic charm, and I found it very pleasing.

Baeza is a fortified town and was originally surrounded by a thick, tall wall for protection in the ongoing wars betweens the Christians and the Moors. The wall is still a very visible presence in the town. You walk through the gates to move from one part of the town to another. Houses have been built adjacent to and incorporating the wall. And you can go for a walk around the outskirts of the town following the outlines of the wall. A walled city is a foreign concept to North Americans where the cities are wide open and sprawl out into the surrounding countryside. I rather like the wall. It provides a sense of security and identity. I was also delighted by the views over the olive groves below the hilltop town from the mirador. And surprised, but equally delighted to find that there was a flock of sheep and goats grazing right outside the town and within two blocks of the cathedral. Olive groves as far as the eye can see. I am beginning to really enjoy olive oil; it adds a very distin...

Baeza is only a short distance from Cordoba and Granada, but it feels so different. Gone are the white stucco walls and flowers and well-dressed women to be replaced by solid stone buildings and a small town atmosphere. Baeza is a community of approximately 15,000 people settled on a hill overlooking the olive groves of the Guadalquivir valley. In the distance are the lumpy, low Cazorla mountains. Baeza is a commercial hub for the surrounding farming area so you'll see dusty 4WDs and even ATVs driving up the main street. However, it's also a UNESCO world heritage site (along with the neighbouring town of Ubeda), so there are lots of tourist buses and souvenir stores. Baeza's strongest economic period was during the Renaissance (1500-1600) when the residents built some magnificent churches, universities and palaces. Later generations didn't have the money and resources to replace them so they have remained more or less intact. But there is a real mix of architecture that...

The Alcazar are the royal palaces of the Catholic kings in Cordoba and Sevilla. Both have extensive gardens. The Cordoba garden is more formally laid out with a series of water basins and fountains surrounded by flowers. The scent of stock perfumed the air, and the sound of water was soothing. A very, very peaceful spot despite the crowds. The Sevilla Alcazar gardens are larger and less disciplined. There are paths winding between lawns and trees with some flowers and fountains near the palace. There was a pair of peacocks screeching loudly and a mother duck worriedly hurrying her flock of 9 tiny goslings away from all those big, scary humans.

I am a morning person so on holidays it didn't surprise or upset me when I was always back in my hotel room early in the evening ready for an early start the next day. I wasn't sure how I would cope with the Spanish habit of eating at 2 and 10. Surprisingly enough, I love it. I am realizing that one of the reasons I never went out on my own in the evenings when travelling was fear. I wasn't sure it would be safe. In Spain, it's different. Two evenings this week, I went out to dinner after going to a concert. Last evening I ate after I had arrived back by train from Sevilla. It was fun! And it was very safe. There were families with babies and toddlers roaming the streets and eating in the restaurants. People, people everywhere - especially Friday night. The streets were so crowded and the stores were packed. Of course, the other joy for me is that this is an outdoor, pedestrian culture. In fact, cars in downtown Cordoba are a huge mistake. The streets are so narrow and...

Andalucia is in so many ways such a pleasant place - the sun, the flowers, the outdoor terraces. But I'm also deeply troubled and unhappy by overlays of religion and culture in such an ancient land. It is easy in Canada to espouse ecumenical, multicultural beliefs. You can hold some comfortable ceremony that doesn't interfere with how you live your life. Andalucia displays, in very concrete terms, some of the faultliness that underly the transition from one culture to another and from one religion to another. I visited the Mezquita in Cordoba this afternoon. It is a strange juxtaposition of Islam and Catholicism. When Abd al-Rahman fled Syria and conquered southern Spain, he built a mezquita to celebrate. And he built it on the site of a Visigoth temple. The mosque was expanded over the next two centuries and I wish I could have seen it. The mosque was open to the courtyard along the north side. Inside were row upon row of columns and double arches. A vast space that at its lar...

There are two cultures which have provided the basis for the Andalucia of today - Roman and Arab. As I toured the archeology museum the other day, I wondered what strange odds and ends they would dig up and assemble to represent 20th and 21st century culture. The Roman mosaics are beautiful. So are the Arab-influenced tiles or azulejos that can be found everywhere - from modern-day advertising and signage to centuries-old tiles. Here are just a few examples.

I just can't get over the magnificent displays of flowers absolutely everywhere in Cordoba. Here are shots of two entries in the Patio Festival. I found the private indoor patio overwhelming and claustrophobic - all it lacked was a few gnomes. But the geraniums toppling off the balcony and down to the ground were exuberantly, gloriously wonderful. The bright reds and pinks work so well in Spain under a hot blue sky against white stucco.

I went to a fantastic concert last evening in the Gran Teatro of Cordoba. It's a lovely theatre - large enough but not huge so it remains somewhat intimate. There are 5 balconies arranged in a horseshoe above the main floor. They're divided into loges by railings and the second row of seats are high chairs with a ledge for your feet (not particularly comfortable - if you wiggle too much, you'd topple over). The Orquesta de Cordoba played two works by Ney Rosauro, a Brazilian musician and composer. One had a solo part for percussion on 5 large kettle drums. The second, with the soloist Rosauro himself, was for orchestra and marimba (not sure of the translation - it looks like a giant zylophone). Rosauro's music is based on Brazilian folk songs, and it's toe tapping, wish I could get up and dance music. Absolutely brilliant.

In 936, Abd al-Rahman III began building Madinat al-Zahra, a new capital city, in the hills 5 miles west of Cordoba. It has been described as one of the world's wonders and compared to the hanging gardens of Babylon. There were 3400 marble columns and the king's salon had walls of translucent marble and crystal. A large bowl of mercury could be tilted to create an ever-changing light show. The ruins were re-discovered and are being unburied and recreated. It's an enchanting, evocative place to roam.