Side by Side

The old and new side-by-side in Cork, Ireland. A fairly common sight in Spain as well, for someone from a relatively young country as the US living in Europe the contrast never really gets old.

Capra.

By the time I'd zoomed in several times, the photo didn't come out great; but you get the idea.  Two animals looking down on us from the very top of the ridgeline.  They stood in place for quite a while and allowed us to take pictures and get out the binoculars as well.

I'm not positive, but I think these are Western Spanish Ibex, a somewhat rare breed of mountain goat.  Photo below of the they look like close up.

Not my photo.

Refuge.

Much like in the Swiss Alps, the Spanish have built a series of refugios (literally - shelters) along their trail system.  A great place to get out of the cold, have lunch or even spend the night if your own a longer trek.  This particular refugio even had a small bar serving beer and coffee.

Foothills.

A beautiful, but cold, early morning hike. Just 45 minutes north of Madrid, the Guadarrama hills get quite a bit of snow each year. This area is a national park and climbs quickly along a stream.

Did I mention it was cold? It was cold. But the frost melted quickly and left me with a chance to see several of these tiny frozen pools.

Overlap.

It should not have come as any surprise, what with the history of overlapping cultures, but I found myself marveling at the Spanish Flameco songs, and how very much they sounded like Muslim calls to prayer or Jewish songs.

Defense.

From the castle overlooking the town of Granada below. 

Redesign.

A detail on the side of Charles V's castle built in the middle of the Alhambra after the "reconquista."  These were interspersed with the more traditional lion heads.

Steamy.

Islamic law requires that one wash their hands and feet before daily prayers, a chance to cleanse the body before cleansing the soul I suppose.  Every gas station along the highway in Saudi Arabia had a prayer room with a small area to wash hands and feet attached.

The former mosque at the Alhambra Palace had a steam bath for those going in for prayers.  Given the choice, I'd probably rather be in the spa.

A look up at the steam vents in the ceiling of the old bath house.

More Details.

Much Islamic art is based on the concept that it is forbidden to create images of humans or animals, and thus there is a great focus on calligraphy and other abstract design.

 Inside the Alhambra, a few details of the wall engravings.

 

Walk into room. Tilt head back. Stare at ceiling. Don't move for several minutes. Continue to have no idea how they built this room. Repeat

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The Details.

The palace is covered in intricately carved walls, and is also open to the sky. These little birds have made themselves right at home.

 

Alhambra.

 

As the Catholic kings of Spain fought to take control of the Iberian Peninsula from the Muslims, the last holdout of the great Islamic Emirate was the Nasrid palace at Granada, the Alhambra.

After the Muslims (and Jews) were all killed, converted or fled from the peninsula the Catholics got right to work destroying much of the artwork in the palace.

Spread over several acres, the palace and its surrounding grounds have been partially restored and are now a World Heritage Site.


 

NOTICE.

All employees must wash hands after DJing pizzas.


(Also, gross.  Is this making anyone want to eat at this place?)

Good God.

Down a side street in Granada, having a drink and a snack. The bar's interior was just every so slightly religious-themed.

The Pyrenees. (Without war elephants)

They say that Hannibal marched his army of war elephants over the Pyrenees and later through the alps to attack northern Italy. Tough guy (and tough elephants).

It took us about six hours to drive from Madrid up to the mountains, and we had the benefit of several tunnels cut into the mountains and an all-wheel drive Japanese car.

Deep in the Spanish Pyrenees, about 15 miles from the French border, we spent a long weekend at Baqueira Beret, the largest ski resort in Spain. The mountain is actually three mountains, and was way more than I could cover in just two days on the slopes.

Great snow and lots of opportunities for steeps and cliffs. It snowed the entire time we were there (which is not a bad thing in my book), but it means now photos from the actual slopes. After a day of skiing, Lydia and I drove through the valley with a few stops along the way for pictures.

Dam Staircase.

Well you know, because dams are cool looking. But also, because of the stair case dug into the rock facade. They weren't so much worried about hand rails at that point.