Enter your search terms Submit search form

We also are proud to offer the brand Organic Style which, in addition to eco-elegant flowers, offers a whole range of other items like gourmet gift baskets, décor for the green home, eco-chic apparel and natural pet products. One thing they both have in common though, Organic Style and Organic Bouquet are eco-friendly and green!
Just click on the link above now.

“The Spanish Sketch Book, or the 4 Amigos Go to Spain” ©

By Arlene Wright-Correll

All watercolor paintings by Arlene Wright-Correll

In our old age, for the past several years, Carl and I have taken holidays with my brother, George and his wife Barbara. We have been all over the world and the American Southwest with them. We have seen wonderful things and have had great times. Thus, each year, we (Carl and I) literally save our pennies for one big 2 week trip some place with them. George, though about 3 years past retirement, is still working and we plan everything around the vacation time he can get. We have done cruises, Europe, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, the American Southwest and have gone in all different modes of travel, including renting a big motor home for 16 days.

Carl and I have done day bus trips and I like them because Carl and I both get to sightsee when someone else drives as opposed to Carl driving while sightseeing and me never seeing anything because I have my eyes on the road. George and Barbara have done several extended Germany bus trips with their gang of friends who fill up an 80 passenger bus and literally have control of what they are doing, so they have good bus trip memories.

With that in mind, plus we are all getting long in the tooth, we four decided that we would avail ourselves of the offer by “Vacations to Go” and take a 14 day Spain Globus Bus Escorted Tour titled, “The Spanish Fiesta”. Little did we know!

At this point, let me say that had it not been the 4 of us who make our own good time, we could not have endured this trip. We saw lots of wonderful things, but we were flying past the things we really would have stopped to see had we been driving. 250 to 300 miles a day and it was on the bus, off the bus, on the bus, off the bus. Plus the tour guide ticked me off about the 4th day, and ticked each of us off at various times, did not make for great relations.

Most days it was up by 6 am, luggage in the hall no later than 7 am, breakfast at 7 am, and on the bus at 8 am. Barbara is not a morning person! Nor is she a breakfast person! Both Barbara and I are diabetics so we have to eat at certain times and in Spain as in most of the Mediterranean countries, everything closes down from about 1 pm until 3 or 4 pm. Siesta! Also most restaurants do not serve dinner until 8, 9, or 10 pm. Plus Spanish people, including almost all of the 84 tourists on this bus trip, party all night because they have big naps in the afternoon. There were lots of people sleeping on the bus every afternoon. The 4 of us could not stay awake past 9 pm without great effort.

All and all, we had a great trip, but it was Carl and mine first extended bus trip and it will be our last. I think George and Barbara concur. Thus it was hard for me to write about this trip. Every time I started to think about it, I got irritated???. That is until August 27th, 2005 when I started to think about doing some paintings of the trip. I had recently done one about our visit to the Spanish Square in Seville as you will see later on and we were pleased with it. I decided to do a second one as a painting essay of our trip. The map above shows our route. We flew into Madrid, headed north, and looped around the coast and back through the middle again to return to Madrid in order to fly home.

Hence, the “Spanish Sketch Book, or the 4 Amigos Go to Spain” © is born! This will be a work in progress as I have no idea how long it will be to write this and paint what I remember. Along the way, as usual, I kept a diary about our days. This article contains some excepts from it.

6/15/05 Carl and I left for Louisville airport real early. We are real anxious for this trip and are looking forward to it. We left Louisville at 6 am, changed in Atlanta and met George at the Islip airport at 2 pm. He had the champagne chilling in the refrigerator!

We arrived at George and Barbaraís in Sayville, NY 2 days before the trip and we got to visit and get ready for the trip, plus go to all the great restaurants they have in their neighborhood, plus get to eat some great New York Pizza!

We had an opportunity to visit with our niece, Lorijean and her daughter Gialian. Gialian, who is 12 years old, had just received a lovely and elaborate community service award, signed and given to her by President George Bush. Three other signatures were also on it, including John Glenn and Bob Dole.

Barbara and I visited, George had to finish some work and Carl walked into the village of Sayville to window shop and to buy some goodies that we can not get in our area.

That evening George took us all to a lovely restaurant in Oakdale called Mamaís and we had some fine Italian food.

6/16/05 This morning Barbara, Carl and I drove around the old parts of Long Island while George was finishing up his work. We found our old house in Bohemia which we sold in 1967 and it looked a lot different. The John Pearl Grade School is still functioning. Donald and Donna went to school there when they were 6 and 8 years old. We drove over to visit Barbaraís 92 year old mother, Winnie. Her sister Judy was there also and we had not seen her since 1968. A pleasant surprise for me was a large oil painting I had done of a wooden bridge back about 1965. I had totally forgotten I had painted that. There it was on Winnieís wall in her living room where it has been ever since the day she acquired it.

We went back and we treated dinner that night at a great Chinese restaurant in their area.

Day 1, Friday, June 17th, 2005

The next morning, George drove us all over our ”growing up” neighborhoods. What a lot of change and growth. I would never have recognized most of the places he showed me.

We enjoyed a nice New York Pizza for lunch and then headed out to JFK. We boarded our overnight flight out of JFK in New York at 6:15 pm. It was a long flight, especially for Barbara and me.

Day 2, Saturday, June 18th, 2005, we arrive in Milan, Italy at 7:55 am and have to make a mad dash to catch the 10 am connecting flight out to Spain. That seems like plenty of time. However, in Europe it is not and especially when the air line is Al Italia. Plus this airport makes OíHare and Atlanta seem like a breeze!

Nothing is orderly. They do not board by sections or by row numbers, they just say, “boarding” and it is a mad dash with about 200 people or so, with their carry-on luggage, trying to board a plane!

We finally arrived in Madrid, Spain where we cooled our heels in the airport for almost 2 hours while a couple was trying to retrieve their luggage lost in Paris. George does not have the patience of a saint. Finally, both of us told the tour greeter to get us unto a bus and deal with the lost luggage couple separately. We four were beat on our feet! “Let them take a taxi to the hotel”, says George. While waiting to get out of the airport we met Val and Verna from Australia, A Cuban couple from Michigan, Margo from Cambera, Australia. We finally arrived at the Hotel Aqura in Madrid.

We have side by side, but not adjourning rooms where we all get to take a nap before the orientation meeting reception that evening. All except George, who is our “scout” and checks out everything before we go to wherever we go. He let us know that there was a big Gay Rights demonstration in down town Madrid that evening. At dinner we met a young Cuban man who escaped from Castroís Cuba, also 4 ladies from California, of which 2 were originally from Guatemala 40 years ago.

The dinner was good and consisted of salad, chicken & ice cream cake for desert. Afterwards the 4 of us walked to a nice sidewalk cafÈ that George had found earlier and we sat with our beers, talked and people-watched. The weather is hot, but very dry. Madrid is growing and bustling. Lots of building going on and most people live in high rises which are being erected by the dozens, daily.

Day 3, Sunday, June 19^th,

^{We are up early, luggage out, and down for a hearty buffet breakfast at 7:30 am. The bus left at 8:30 to give us a tour of downtown Madrid and itís highlights such as Don Quixote Square, The Royal Palace which has 2800 rooms, Plaza de Isabella II, and the Real Mayor, just to mention a few. We also went to Puerta de Sol, Plaza de Espana with its monument to Cervantes, the Parliament, Cibeles Fountain, Elegant Calle Alcala, and Paseo de Castellana.}

 

^{In the afternoon we went to the Prado were we saw the works of Velazquez, El Greco, Zurbar·n, Murillo and Tizian, as well works by masters of the Flemish school. It was a brilliant experience.}

^{That late afternoon there was an optional tour to El Escorial and the Valley of the Fallen. However, we were pooped out by then.}

^{Day 4, Monday June 20th, 2005.}

^{“If it’s Monday, it must be Segovia”}

^{Segovia is Spain and Castile at its best – twisting alleyways, the highest concentration of Romanesque churches in all of Europe, pedestrian streets where no cars are allowed, the aroma of roast suckling pig around every corner – all surrounded by the city’s medieval wall which itself is bordered by two rivers and an extensive green-belt park with miles of shaded walks.}

^{Here we are, Barbara, Carl and George in front of the city’s 2,000 year old Roman aqueduct cuts right through the center of town. Its symbol has served as the mintmark on all coins struck in Segovia for over 400 years. I am the picture taker and it was a hot day. Too hot to walk around and as usual we arrived at the time of day when everything was closing down for siestas. Only 53 miles separate Segovia from Madrid by road. The Navacerrada ski resort lies exactly halfway in between the two cities at more than 7,000 ft. elevation. Then it was back on the bus and on to Burgos.}

^{Burgos served as one of the capitals of Castile (Castilla), the historic heart of Spain and was the birthplace of the Spanish 11th Century hero El Cid. The city’s remarkable Gothic cathedral is a building of exceptional beauty, and one of the country’s largest. It is here the tomb of ‘El Cid’ lies. The Old Quarter preserves Renaissance churches and palaces. The San Millan Suso and Yuso monasteries are also worth a visit while in Burgos.}

^{15km east of Burgos there is a totally different attraction- the Atapuerta archeological site. It contains prehistoric tools and bones of the earliest humans in Europe, living some 800,000 years ago.}

^{Burgos is a charming historical town. We walked around it. Again we were there during the siesta hours when most everything was closed. We really disliked this part of the Globus tour. There is a little park in the center with a bronze statue of a Shepard or saint and George sat on his lap since there was no room on the bench after Carl and Barbara were on it. I snapped the photo, but took artistic license and painted myself into the picture. “Taking a Rest in Burgos”}

^{Back on the bus and on to Victoria. It was too modern for all of us. It rained hard right after we arrived, so we were unable to get into the old historic part of town.}

^{Like every other village and town in Andalucia, RincÛn has its fair share of fiestas and festivals. The feria takes place in July and last for five days, coming to an end on the 16th, the day of the Virgen del Carmen. A folkloric spectacle of flower-decked thrones and boats, sailors and fishermen, cheering and veneration, rocket flares and fireworks, this is a festival not to be missed.}

^{We stayed the night at the Hotel Gastiez which was very nice. It is interesting to note that all the hotels we stayed at were 4.5 & 5 star hotels. All the rooms were lovely and most had the most magnificent tiled bathrooms or Aseo as they are called. But all the rooms are smaller than American hotel rooms and most of them have inadequate air conditions. Also the minute you take your key out of the wall slot all the electric and the a/c stops. We figured that out quickly and kept one key in the slot and used the other to get in and out with.}

 

^{Back on the bus and we head for and stop in lovely San Sebastian, the “Pearl of the Cantabrian Coast” and Spainís gastronomical capital, before arriving in Pamplona, at the foot of the Pyrenees. We bought some wonderful bread and cheese in an underground market. Each day we have our wine on the bus. Not everyone, just us. We buy 2 or 3 bottles every other day and drag it with us. The wine is so inexpensive and good. We got some great red wine on sale for 79 cents a bottle and 2 bottles of Cava for only $2.19 each. Cava is Spainís answer to champagne.}

 

^{While in San Sebastian, I went into McPepidoís (McDonaldís) and used the menís room since the ladies line was incredible and besides there was no one in the menís room!}

^{We arrived in Pamplona which is the capital of Navarra and the end of the Basque Country. Yes, this is the town of the “Running of Bulls”, one of the most famous events in all the country. Great American writer Ernest Hemingway loved Pamplona for this spectacle which is part of the popular festival of Sanfermines, as he loved bullfighting in general, and this town is one of its centers. We were too early for the annual running of the bulls.  However, I could just envision this painting of us there with George saying, “For God’s sake, Barbara, get the hell out of the way!”}

 

 

^{The most dominating features of the city include the stone bridge (Puente de Piedra), the original was of Roman construction, although re-built several times, it stands proudly over the River Ebro at it’s widest point. Today’s bridge was last built in 1813 and features Italian, Basque and French architectural features.}

^{The Basilica of our lady of El Pilar (El Pilar), stands at the foot of the bridge and is the most important structure in the whole of the region. This impressive structure was built in 1681 to commemorate the legendary appearance of the Virgin to the Apostle, James, on the site of a previous Visigothic church to Santa Maria.}

^{Back on the bus through the rustic Catalonian landscape as we head towards Barcelona, Spainís second-largest city and the host of the Olympic Games of 1992. We had a great time the last time the 4 of us were in Barcelona so we were looking forward to it again.}

^{During the drive in we saw whole villages with many houses and a big center church in each one that could be purchased for 10,000 to 15,000 Euros. Most of the homes were handyman specials.}

 

Here is the Mercat de la Boqueria a large and colorful market on the Ramblas. This is our second visit to this market in two years and we are always dazzled by the brilliance of color from the fruits and vegetables in its stalls.

^{We passed on the city tour since we did that last time we were here and also on Gaudi stuff in a “been there, done that” attitude and the Monserrat Monastery tour during our 2 day stay here so we could just be travelers for awhile instead of tourists! We sit in sidewalk cafes on the Ramblas and watch the world go by. We stop in the late afternoon for tapas.}

^{We stayed at the Hotel Ambassador for 2 nights, which is 2 city block from where the bus can drop us off. What a walk with carry on stuff. The shower in our room is terrible and again the a/c leaves a lot to be desired. Again we are fed chicken and potatoes and the chef is not to be complimented.}

^{Arlene,  Carl,  Barbara, and George strolling along the Ramblas}

^{The 2nd night we decide to find a restaurant and we tried Shrimp Paella which leaves a lot to be desired the way it is authentically made in Spain. With that in mind we canceled the Torremolinos dinner which is supposed to be famous for its paella. I figured out why so many people eat outdoors of the restaurants. When one eats inside, one is charged for table cloths, napkins etc, per person and that is above your meal plus the tip.
Day 8 June 24, 2005 Barcelona-Valencia.}

^{The hotel redeems itself this morning with a Cava (champagne) breakfast. My kind of way to start the day and George agrees with me.}

^{The morning drive is along the coast past Tarragona and Castellon to Valencia, once a royal capital and now a sunny garden city surrounded by orange groves. The Tarragona and Castellon countryside is loaded with artichokes, rice fields which are planted in March and harvested in September. They grow Saffron rice and Valencia Oranges. We see many acres of very old olive trees and almond trees which were all hit by a rare frost this past winter. We discover when one sees square turrets on castles it indicates they were built by the Arabs. Christians built round turrets.}

 

^{Valenciaís Roman, Moorish, and Spanish history come alive on our afternoon tour. We start out with a panoramic drive past landmarks such as the Town Hall, La Lonja, the Bull Ring, and the massive gateway towers of Serranos and Quart. We also visited LA SEO CATHEDRAL and the FALLAS MUSEUM.}

 

^{We depart Valencia heading toward Granada. We move further along the coastline to Alicante then inland towards the mountains where we see Troglodyte cave dwellings hollowed out of the soft tufa stone near Guadix and Purullena come into focus as you travel through one of Spainís most characteristic landscapes. Rugged Mora Pass finally leads us to the splendors of Granada.}

^{Granada was first settled by native tribes in the prehistoric period, and was known as Ilbyr. When the Romans colonized southern Spain, they built their own city here and called it Illibris. The Arabs, invading the peninsula in the 8th century, gave it its current name of Granada. It was the last Muslim city to fall to the Christians in 1492, at the hands of Queen Isabel of Castile and her husband Ferdinand of Aragon.}

^{One of the most brilliant jewels of universal architecture is the Alhambra, a series of palaces and gardens built under the Nazari Dynasty in the 14th C. This mighty compound of buildings ñ including the summer palace called Generalife, with its fountains and gardens – stands at the foot of Spain’s highest mountain range, the Sierra Nevada, and overlooks the city below and the fertile plain of Granada.}

^{At the centre of the Alhambra stands the massive Palace of Charles V, an outstanding example of Spanish Renaissance architecture. Other major Christian monuments found in the city are the Cathedral, including the Royal Chapel where Isabel and Ferdinand lie buried, the Monastery of La Cartuja and many churches built by Moorish craftsmen after the Reconquest, in Granada’s unique “mudÈjar” style. The hill facing the Alhambra is the old Moorish casbah or “medina”, called the Albaicin, a fascinating labyrinth of narrow streets and whitewashed houses with secluded inner gardens, known as “c·rmenes”. The Plaza de San Nicolas, at the highest point of the Albaicin, is famous for its magnificent view of the Moorish palace.}

^{The name Alhambra comes from an Arabic root which means “red or crimson castle”, perhaps due to the hue of the towers and walls that surround the entire hill of La Sabica which by starlight is silver but by sunlight is transformed into gold. But there is another more poetic version, evoked by the Moslem analysts who speak of the construction of the Alhambra fortress “by the light of torches”, the reflections of which gave the walls their particular coloration. Created originally for military purposes, the Alhambra was an alcazaba (fortress), an alc·zar (palace) and a small medina (city), all in one. This triple character helps to explain many distinctive features of the monument.}

^{There is no reference to the Alhambra as being a residence of kings until the 13th century, even though the fortress had existed since the 9th century. The first kings of Granada, the Zirites, had their castles and palaces on the hill of the Albaicin, and nothing remains of them. The Nasrites were probably the emirs who built the Alhambra, starting in 1238.}

^{The founder of the dynasty, Muhammed Al-Ahmar, began with the restoration of the old fortress. His work was completed by his son Muhammed II, whose immediate successors continued with the repairs. The construction of the palaces (called Casa Real Vieja, “old Royal House or Palace”) dates back to the 14th century and is the work of two great kings: Yusuf I and Muhammed V. To the first we owe, among others, the Cuarto de Comares (Chamber of Comares), the Puerta de la Justicia (Gate of Justice), the Baths and some towers. His son, Muhammed V, completed the beautification of the palaces with the Cuarto de los Leones (Chamber of the Lions), as well as other rooms and fortifications.}

^{The Alhambra became a Christian court in 1492 when the Catholic Monarchs (Ferdinand and Isabel) conquered the city of Granada. Later, various structures were built for prominent civiliansí also military garrisons, a church and a Franciscan monastery.}

^{Emperor Charles V, who spent several months in Granada, began the construction of the palace which bears his name and made some alterations to the interior buildings. These measures were to cause interminable controversy often motivated by political agendas. The remaining Austrian kings did not forget the monument and have left their own more discreet impressions on it.}

^{During the 18th century and part of the 19th, the Alhambra fell into neglect and was to see its salons converted into dung heaps and taverns, occupied by thieves and beggars. “Thus bats defile abandoned castles, and the reality of Spanish criminals and beggars destroy the illusion of this fairy palace of the Moors;” writes Richard Ford. As the crowning blow, Napoleon’s troops, masters of Granada from 1808 until 1812, were to convert the palaces into barracks during one retreat they mined the towers and blew up part of them. Two of them, the Torre de Siete Suelos and the Torre de Agua were left in ruins. And so the incredible neglect continued, until 1870 when the Alhambra was declared a national monument. Travelers and romantic artists of all countries had railed against those who scorned the most beautiful of their monuments. Since that date and up to now, the Alhambra, protected, restored, cared for and even improved, has been preserved for the pleasure and admiration of all.Alcazaba}

^{This is the oldest part of the Alhambra, reconstructed upon the ruins of a castle in the 9th century. The most solid towers are those of the Homenaje situated to the south, and the Quebrada at the northeast angle. The most elaborate interior is the Torre de las Armas. However all are surpassed by the impressive Torre de la Vela. Its bell is rung on special festive occasions by young girls in the hope of warding off spinsterhood – dated though this sounds these days! This is the tallest tower of the walled enclosure, and the panorama seen from here extends towards unlimited horizons. Its silhouette is a significant symbol to the people of Granada.}

^{At the entrance of the Alcazaba is the delightful JardÌn de los Adarves, also called Jardin de los Poetas. From its battlements our gaze is drawn to the towers of the hill in the foreground. They are the Torres Bermejas (red or crimson towers), the “castle of great worth” of a famous border ballad. Their bewitching name is evoked in the music of AlbÈniz or JoaquÌn Rodrigo. La Casa Real (The royal house or palace)}

^{This is comprised of several palace groups with a series of courts and structures surrounding them which were born out of transitory or ornamental necessity. Since the 16th century these Nasrite alc·zares (palaces) have been designated the Casa Real Vieja (Old Royal House) in order to distinguish them from the Christian buildings.}

^{The Alhambra contains the three divisions usually found in a Moslem palace, including a reception salon and the royal apartments Chamber of the Lions. This spectacular chamber is the work of Muhammed V and illustrates the most beautiful possibilities of Granada Moslem art. Throughout this chamber a subtle air of femininity and daintiness is sensed, in keeping with the function of these private apartments, devoted to the placid enjoyment of home and family life. The Court of the Lions is characterized by its profound originality, a harmonious merging of East and West. It has been compared to a grove of 124 palm trees, most with double columns, around the oasis of the central fountain with its twelve lions. The twelve-sided marble fountain rests upon the backs of the lions. Water, so essential as a decorative element acquires here an exceptional importance. It ascends and spills from the basin, which has been compared with the ‘sea of bronze’ of Solomon’s Temple, to the mouths of the lions, from which it is distributed throughout the courtyard. A lovely qasida (ode) by Ibn Zamrak circles the rim of the basin.}

^{Four large halls border the courtyard. The first, entering from the Court of the Myrtles, is the Sala de los Moz·rabes, whose name is perhaps derived from the three stalactite arches which form the entrance to the Court of the Lions. To the south is the Sala de Abencerrajes, famous in legend with a gateway decorated with lazo (ornamental knots). Light penetrates the hall through 16 graceful fretwork windows. On the east side is the Sala de los Reyes which is unusual and resembles a theatrical set, divided in three sections which correspond to three lovely porticos, separated by double arches of moz·rabes (stalactites). North of the Court of the Lions is the Sala de las Dos Hermanas, so called because of the two large marble flagstones flanking the central fountain and spout. The adjoining hall is the Sala de los Ajimeces with two balconies overlooking the Garden of Daraxa. Between these two balconies is the Mirador de Daraxa, dressing room and bedroom of the Sultana and a delightful retreat in this secluded section of the palace, in the style of a bay window or mirador.}

^{The last hall gives access to the Peinador de la Reina, also called the Tocador. An open gallery and an airy little tower, it was once designed as the residence of the Empress Isabel and later of Isabel of Parma. Some restored frescoes portray scenes of Charles V’s expedition to La Goleta. In the Christian Alhambra within the Alhambra enclosure there are also monuments which are exclusively Western. For example, in the Jardines de los M·rtires there was once a monastery of the barefoot Carmelite order. The Church of St Mary is built upon the site where the royal mosque formerly stood. The Monastery of St Francis, which is now a parador, was erected upon an Arab palace and has the additional merit and sentimental value of having housed the temporary sepulcher of the Catholic Monarchs – Ferdinand and Isabella, until their transfer to the Capilla Real. Palace of Charles V The Palacio de Carlos V or Casa Real Nueva as it is better known, was commissioned by the Emperor in an endeavor to emulate the Palace of the defeated Moslems and also to provide for himself a habitable residence. Construction was started in 1527 under the direction of Pedro Machuca, who had studied with Michelangelo in Italy. The palace is built in the form of a square and comprised of two main parts: the first, in Tuscan style, and the second with Ionic pillars. The Sacromonte hill, which overlooks the city from the North, is famous for its cave dwellings, once the home of Granada’s large gypsy community.}

^{The name Granada is ancient and mysterious. It may mean “great castle”, for the Roman fortress which once stood on the Albaicin Hill. When the Moors came here, the town was largely inhabited by Jews, for which they called it Garnat-al-Yahud – Granada of the Jews. The Jews are said to have been one of the first peoples to settle in Spain, even before the Romans.}

^{To me, this was truly worth the whole trip. Generalife of Granada}

^{The word ‘Generalife’ has been translated as ‘garden of paradise’, ‘orchard’ or ‘garden of feasts’.}

^{After the city was conquered, the Generalife was granted by the Catholic Monarchs to the Granada Venegas family. The promenade leads to the Patio de la Acequia which is the most celebrated spot and the heart and soul of the palace grounds. On the western side there is a gallery of 18 arches. The northern portico is called the Mirador and has five arches in front, slender and stylized and three behind made of marble with stalactite capitals. Through the north portico is the Patio de los Cipreses, with a pool in the centre.}

^{The distribution of the small ponds is charming with their frames of oleander and myrtle.}

^{A stone step leads to the Upper Gardens which were once olive groves and today boast a handsome esplanade and modern gardens. Here is the unusual stairway with its cascading waterfalls which was described by Navagiero as early as the 16th century. The stairway leads to a modern, uninteresting edifice of several stories. At the far end is the large open air stage where the annual International Festival of Music and Dance is performed.}

^{This was a hard day of walking for me and especially for Barbara. George had to take her back to the bus in a taxi.}

^{Day 10 June 26, 2005 Granada-Torremolinos.
In the afternoon it was a short drive down to the Costa del Sol and our hotel in Torremolinos. We had balcony side by side rooms that overlooked the Mediterranean Sea and we all got a chance to sit outside and sip wine and enjoy the view. When we first arrived there that beaches were packed but by 7 pm there was no one on them. The Costa de Sol is a very popular resort area.}

 

^{Gibraltar is rich in history; to the early Greek and Roman’s Gibraltar was one of the two Pillars erected by Hercules to mark the edge of the world. For many citizens of the USA, the “Rock” has been permanently marked into their childhood through repeated viewing of an insurance company advertisement that touted the company to be” as stable as the Rock of Gibraltar!”}

^{Here is George with a Barbary Coast Ape in front of the Mosque on the Rock of Gibralta.}

^{Many people don’t feel a visit to Gibraltar is worth the time as it’s not Spain and it’s not really like visiting the British Isles. Still, Carl and the others found their visit to the Rock of Gibraltar to be a welcome relief from touring another Cathedral or Castle.}

 

 

^{We had a local expertís account of the Andalusian cityís role in Roman times, its conquest by the Moors in 712, and its contribution to the discovery of the New World. We saw MARIA LUISA PARK and the Plaza de EspaÒa, the Gold Tower on the Guadalquivir River, and the fine baroque building that is now the university but used to be the tobacco factory of Carmen fame. We visited the CATHEDRAL with Columbusí tomb, the worldís largest Gothic edifice. Finally stroll through the narrow lanes of the charming Santa Cruz Quarter. The rest of the day was at leisure.}

^{We had an authentic Andalusian night out when we went to see flamenco show. We were enthralled with this show. It was amazing.}

^{According to legend, Sevilla was founded by Hercules and its origins are linked with the Tartessian civilization. It was called Hispalis under the Romans and Isbiliya with the Moors. Its high point in its history was following the discovery of America.}

^{Sevilla lies on the banks of the Guadalquivir and is one of the largest historical centers in Europe, it has the minaret of La Giralda, the cathedral (one of the largest in Christendom), and the Alc·zar Palace. Part of its treasure include Casa de Pilatos, the Town Hall, Archive of the Indies (where the historical records of the American continent are kept), the Fine Arts Museum (the second largest picture gallery in Spain) , plus convents, parish churches and palaces.}

^{It has hosted two international exhibitions (1929 and 1992) and is the administrative capital of AndalucÌa. The quarter of Triana on the other side of the river, La Macarena, Santa Cruz and San BartolomÈ, the street of Las Sierpes, plus La Maestranza bullring, MarÌa Luisa park and the riverside walks are all representative images of Sevilla}

^{Here we are at the Spanish Square or the The Plaza de EspaÒa}

^{Laid out in 1929 for an abortive ‘Fair of the Americas’, the Plaza de EspaÒa and adjoining Maria Luisa Park are among the most pleasant – and impressive – public spaces in Spain. They are an ideal place to spend the middle part of the day, just ten minutes’ walk to the east of the cathedral.}

^{Today, the plaza mainly comprises government offices while the surrounding moat can be best appreciated by renting out a rowing boat. A vast semicircular complex with fountains, monumental staircases and a mass of tile work, it is quite spectacular.}

^{There is a tiled alcove named after each of the provinces of Spain. Visitors like to have their photo taken in their home province.}

^{Carl, Barbara & George ñ Barbara & me ———– Barbara & Carl —-me ——— George, Carl & Barbara.}

^{Seville has a rich and fascinating history. The Romans governed the whole of Spain for more than six centuries. Their first colony was Italica which may still be visited today.}

^{The Romans changed the face of the countryside and towns, building aqueducts and long straight roads to link the major towns. Today some of the best preserved artifacts from this period can be found at the city’s magnificent Archaelogical Museum.}

^{But it was the Moslem civilization which was to have the most lasting impact on the city. Their reign lasted for nearly 800 years in Andalucia from 711 until 1492 when the Catholic monarchs defeated the Moslem kingdom of Granada.}

^{Some of the city’s most magnificent buildings stand as a legacy to this era, including the Torre del Ora, Torre de Plata, Giralda, Patio de los Naranjos, the area of Triana, the Macarena Walls and the Alcazar. Later the the mudejares used their skill to create beautiful Moorish-style buildings, such as the Palacio Pedro 1, part of Seville’s Reales Alcazres. There are several Mudejar churches dating from this period, including the Iglesia de San Marcos, the Iglesia de Santa Catalina and the Church of San Pedro.}

^{Interestingly, Mudejar architecture continued long after the Moslem period, one of the best examples being the Casa de Pilatos, one of the most beautiful buildings you can visit in Seville. The city walls and gates offer an insight into the history over the ages.}

^{After the fall of Granada to the Christians, Spain entered an era of expansion and prosperity. The conquest of the New World made Seville one of the most affluent cities in Europe, but much of this wealth was squandered on wars by the Hapsburg kings. The 13 year War of the Spanish Succession saw Bourbons on the throne in place of the Hapsburgs and, under the Treaty of Utrecht, the loss of Gibraltar to the British. Later ties with France dragged Spain into the Napoleonic Wars.}

^{Following the Battle of Trafalgar, the Spanish King, Carlos 1V abdicated and Napoleon Bonaparte placed his brother, Joseph on the Spanish throne. The Peninsula War ensued and, with British help, the French were driven out of Spain. After the Bourbon restoration, Spain weakened by further strife, began to lose her colonies.}

^{By the 18th century, Spain had fallen into economic decline and in the 19th and early 20th centuries poverty led to political conflict and ultimately to civil war.}

^{Many of the more recent historic buildings date from the 1929 Ibero-American Exposion of 1929, including the Plaza de EspaÒa and the Parque Maria Luisa.}

^{In 1992 this event was repeated when Expo took place again in Seville, attracting thousands of visitors from around the world.
Day 13 June 29, 2005 Seville-Toledo-Madrid.
The lush valley of the Guadalquivir River gives way to the arid landscapes of Don Quixoteís La Mancha.}

^{We stopped in the quaint little town of La Mancha. This region, also quite large in size, is located south of Madrid and occupies what was the southern part of the ancient kingdom of Castille, including the area known as La Mancha, universally famous as the setting for Miguel de Cervantes great novel “Don Quijote de la Mancha”. There are 5 provinces in La Mancha. Toledo, Cuenca, Ciudad Real, Albacete, and Guadalajara}

^{Todayís highlight is Toledo. Spectacularly situated on a granite hill surrounded by a loop of the Tagus River, the ancient Castillian capital attracts more sightseers from all over the world than any other Spanish town. Toledo, the capital of this Autonomous Community, is without a doubt one of the densest monumental cities in the world.}

^{Nearly all the different stages of Spanish art are represented in Toledo, which has Moorish-Mudejar-Jewish buildings, such as the Transito and Santa Maria la Blanca Synagogues; Gothic structures, such as the splendid cathedral: and Renaissance buildings. In the 16th century, the city became home to El Greco, and Toledo has many of his paintings, among which is “The Burial of the Count of Orgaz”, his masterpiece which is housed in the Mudejar Church of Santo Tome. Among its many museums, of special note is the one located in the old Santa Cruz Hospital.}

^{A resident expert was ready to take us to the Moorish bridge, an early SYNAGOGUE, the 13th-century GOTHIC CATHEDRAL, and the church of SANTO TOM??? with one of El Grecoís most famous paintings. This is a beautiful place. However, Barbara and I were getting worn out and told the fellows to go on by themselves and we would find a sidewalk cafÈ outside the walls. Carl elected to stay with us. George visited one of the Damascene steel workshops. We feel bad that we missed all the small winding streets this city is noted for. A real labyrinth where one can become easily lost. But we enjoyed our little wine tasting rest and did our own walking outside the walls.}

^{Day 14 June 20, 2005.
We are up at 3 am, our luggage out by 4 am and on our way to the airport for a early flight retracing our steps back to the good old US of A!}

^{Since we had free round trip tickets from Louisville to NY, we could only return on July 3 or July 10th. George and Barbara were on their way to the PA place for the 4th and invited us. By now we were beat. We could get back on the 3rd in time for Jeffís birthday and the 4th here in KY if we flew out of Newark, NJ. However, that meant 3 nights in a hotel.}

^{For the first time I went to Priceline.com and put in what I wanted to pay and how long we needed to stay. The price was right on a hotel we found with a shuttle to the airport and because we were staying more than one night we got a great price break and an upgrade.}

^{George drove us to our final destination which was the Springhill Suites and we were delighted. We were given a $300.00 per night full suite for only $45.00 per night. Great service, great space, great incredible breakfasts that kept us full until dinner. They had a little market place kiosk in the lobby with tons of microwavable food to cover us for supper. We had 3 bottles of good Spanish wine we had brought back, so we never left the hotel. This hotel was considered a 2.5 star hotel in the USA and it had the Spain 4.5 & 5 star hotels beat by a country mile.}

^{We arrived back in Munfordville about 2 p.m. of the 3rd and we sure were glad to be home. We had a great trip, but everyone is saying never again, at least not with that kind of escorted tour bus trip. George says we go back to renting cars, I say George is the designated driver; Carl says he is never leaving the United State again, and Barbara says maybe Montana next year!}

 

^{“Tread the Earth Lightly” and in the meantimeÖ may your day be filled withÖ.Peace, light and love,}

 

^{Arlene Wright-Correll}

^{I grant “ONE-TIME” publishing rights}

 

^{©Copyright www.learn-america.com All rights reserved.}

 

 

Sign up to receive our newsletter!

 

^{Back to Main Art Page}

 

Buy & Sell Art at the Yessy.com Art Gallery

It is fun and easy to sell your stuff on ebay.

 

Get a FREE PayPal account now!

Got something to sell or looking for something? USFreeads has produced good results for us. Try it. Free Classifieds from USfreeads!