Spain Vacation 2006
Section overview of the album, with links to jump directly to a particular section of the thumbnail photos:

Seville on the first day, Basilica of the Macarena, Cordoba, Granada and the Alhambra, back to Seville, on to Madrid, then to Holy Toledo! and its grand cathedral. Next, a day trip to Avila and Salamanca. Finally, another walk --passeo-- through Seville starting with the "Times Square" of Spain -- the Tio Pepe sign.

 

 

There are two ways to use this Spain 2006 photo album.

The simple way: Just click on the first thumbnail, you'll see a larger view, and then click next or back until you've gotten to the end or just had enough.

To learn details about some of the pictures or themes: Scroll through the thumbnail photos on this page. If you see a small text legend beneath the photo, move your mouse over the thumbnail photo (don't click) and you'll see a text popup with more information. If you see a legend that says "Learn more," click on it and you'll get a pop-up window with more information on another site. Just close that "learn more" window when you're done, and continue with the thumbnails themelves. Please Note: There are no legends or popups on the larger views, only on the thumbnails.

Of course you can jump between the "simple" way and learning the details, back and forth, if you'd like.

Enjoy!

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Seville, about 225 miles south of Madrid. And 1500 feet lower (and thus 10-20 degrees F warmer) than Madrid

Seville, First Day

 

 

 

Basilica of the Macarena, a very emotional and effusive Holy Week float. Effusive and Spanish over-the-top emotion.
Basilica of La Macarena

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Moors built the top part in 1100s; base is Roman and about 1000 years older.

Roman-Moorish wall outside

the Macarena

3-ton float, carred during Holy Week by relay teams of 48 men on each team. That's Pilate's wife in the background, pleading with him not to go through with it as he washes his hands.

Holy Week Float

 

 

 




Weeping over the fate of her Son (hand on chin, earlier photo of float)

Weeping Madonna, La Macarena

 

 




Hanging in the El Corte Engles supermarket. Blackfoot Iberian Ham can fetch $75/ounce. Yum.
Blackfoot Iberian Ham

Hotel Simon Foyer, old city of Madrid where we stayed.
Hotel Simon




Sorry, photo and video forbidden, although I do have a small one on DVD. Fantastic performance.


Flamenco stage


 

 

Fascinating walk through shops and then to the Mezquita
Walk through Cordoba

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Medieval Arab philosopher. Back in the days when Arab, Jewish, and Christian philosophers were almost pals.

Averoees

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Jewish quote: Between Moses and Moses there was no other Moses.
Moses Maimonedes

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Arab inventor of eyeglasses. Now do you see?

Al-Ghafiqi- That's "oculist," not "occultist"

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Christian statues in the Moslem temple (which was built on top of a destroyed Visigoth Christian church. Great metaphor of the Clash of Civilizations.

Start of the Mezquita

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One of the top attractions in the world, maybe number 2 in Spain.

Mosque portion of Mezquita






8 thousand visitors daily. You must reserve your half-hour entrance time weeks in advance. If you miss your slot, you can't get in.

Biggest attraction in Spain.

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Repeated thousands of times throughout the Alhambra. Scary.
Only Allah is Victorious.

















View from St. Nicholas, across the valley towards the Alhambra. Note the next three photos.

View from across the Alhambra

For one of Europe's most romantic viewpoints, be here at Sunset. President Clinton came with his family in 1997, retracing his steps as a student.
Side of St. Nicholas, New Mosque to right

After a gap of 500 years, this new mosque was built in 2003.

Great Mosque of Granada

Columbus with Queen Isabella, reading the terms of Columbus' commission to the new world.
Plaza Isabel la Catolica, downtown Granada

Ride back from Granada to Seville in the evening.

View from the train



Accept a free Rosemary frond, but watch your pocket.

Gypsies outside Seville Cathedral


Misc. scenes from Seveille's Al Cazar. Poorly signed, difficult to navigate, but some nice scenes.

Seville: AlCazar





Does give you an idea what the ships looked like then, and their fragility.

Scenes of ships from Columbus' time



Throughout Seville. Spaniards like their shoes No signs of a gym anywhere. They walk off their calories!

Store fronts







Third largest cathedral in Europe, after St. Peters's and St. Paul's London.

Scenes from Seville Cathedral



Originally part of the prior mosque, has a circular 330 foot walkway for Muslim rider and horse to ride to the top to announce the call to prayer.

Top of the Giralda Bell Tower


Flag of Fernando III, placed over the Mosque-now-Cathedral on 23 November 1248.

Original flag hoisted over the Mosque almost 800 years ago.




Along the Barrio Santa Cruz -Holy Cross- walk

More Seville street scenes.




Spent time in Seville, but her home base was Avila - more about that later.

St. Teresa of Avila




Only the Prado allowed pictures, and then only with some discussion...
Madrid - On to the Prado etc.		 Smart, very smart. About 150 mpg. Coming to the US in a few years.
Smart car.
Just stroll through the Prado with me. Sometimes I'll even precede a picture with a label describing it. This is one of my favorites - Fra Angelico's Annunciation
Prado start.






Maids of Honor. Velazuez is far left, a self-portrait.

Velazquez
Born in Greece, trained in Venice, settled in Toledo-- Domenikos Theotokopoulos - Dominic the Godbearer-- nicknamed El Greco.
El Greco series

























Saturn eating his son Chronos -- in other words, time devours us all.

Goya, dark period



Holy Toledo! El Greco's adopted city, magnificent cathedral.

Start of Toledo tour

Beautiful displays of El Greco, but sorry -- no pictures allowed.

Courtyard of Santa Cruz

Tilted at windmills, but the only ones we saw were modern generating elecricity.
Cervantes



Rated 3 stars by Rick Steves.
Start of Toledo's Cathedral


Many scenes, each celebrating the reconquest of a Spanish city from Islam.

Choir stall scene

Light counterpoint to the reconquista scenes above.
Lightharted scenes beneath choir seats

Belonged to King Louis IX, copied and illustrated between 1226 and 1234 in Paris. Nearly 800 years old!

Facsimile of St. Louis Bible.

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St. Teresa, reforming nun, mystic, and writer. 1515-1582. She reminds me of Tevia in Fiddler on the Roof - talks to God candidly. God said to her that he gave trials to his friends - she said ' that's why you have so few friends.'
Convent of St. Teresa












Pictures plus 'street' names, so even the illiterate can figure out the street name. This is the post office street.

Medieval Street Signs




Phillip III commissioned building of the square in 1619.
Charles III
City-block-sized plaza. Madrid residents voted and selected the burgundy color on the face of the buildings.
Madrid's Plaza Mayor

Didn't see a bullfight so visited this bar instead on the Plaza Mayor. This is Bobby Kennedy with El Cordobes, the Elvis of matadors.

Torre del Oro Bar Andalu



Don Bazan masterminded the Christian victory over Ottoman Turks at the battle of Lepanto, 1571. This ended the Turkish threat to western Europe.

Near Madrid Cathedral, Don Bazan

Built between 1883 and 1993, a splendid neo-Gothic . Tomb of St. Isidro, patron saint of Madrid, who served the poor and handicapped.

Madrid Cathedral of Almudena





Scenes from Spain's Royal Palace


Queens like the best music. This is a 350-year old violin.
Stradavarius
And our 3*, bargain-priced Hostal Lisboa in the heart of old Madrid. Ask me for details if interested.
Goodby Spain