Okay….haven’t had much history for the last few entries so strap on your helmet and get ready……page down to the pictures for those that can’t hold out…
Spain, in general, is an interesting country from the perspective of how many different influences and internal conflicts it has experienced over the years. Malaga, our first port of call in Southern Spain, has been notably influenced by the Moors which settled the area over two thousand years ago. The influences can be seen in the architecture, the language and the art. As our very knowledgeable guide pointed out, the Moors and the natives became almost completely intermixed. When the change came to convert from the Muslim religion to Catholicism, it was more one homogeneous group changing their focus as compared to a war between two different peoples.
Spain, historically, has always been made up of different regions. It depends on who you talk to but there are 5 officially recognized languages in Spain today. Spanish (what we teach in school) is Castillian and is spoken all over the country. Four other languages are spoken throughout the county….they are Catalan spoken in Catalunya ( includes Barcelona) and Valencia ( includes Alicante, Valencia city and Anadalusia), Basque in the Basque region, Aranese and Galacian. This diversity in languages simply illustrates the cultural differences (and independent nature) of the people. I speak a small amount of Spanish but find it useless in Barcelona. Catalan more closely resembles French with some words. For example, the word “Cheese” (one of my favorite food groups….please add more) is “Queso” in Spanish. In French, the word is “Frommage.” In Catalan the word is “Formatge.”
Much of Spain’s turbulent background has been driven by religious differences (Christianity or Muslim), Regional differences where the natives spoke different languages or philosophical differences concerning governance. These differences persist today. For example, we were told that Catalunya detests bullfighting (unlike Castillian Spain) yet a bullring was built here as symbol of dominance by the government. The ring had fallen into disrepair. Instead of building a new one, Barcelona opted to convert the inside into a high-tech shopping mall.
Malaga
Malaga is a busy port city of about 600,000 people on the the far south end of Spain. Moorish influences are everywhere. By all accounts, the Moors settled that area in 711. Moors originate from the Berber tribes living in what was then Roman Mauretania (today Algeria and Morocco). Our visit was a road trip to Alhambra Palace (Translated means “Red Palace”) which is in the city of Granada. Interesting point here is that Granada is also a walled city….Alhambra Palace itself is walled and is known as a city within a city. As with several palaces in the region, Alhambra Palace is being restored and had fallen into disrepair in the early 1800s. I was surprised to learn that the American author, Washington Irving is credited with saving the Palace. There is even a plaque and statue on display. According to the story told by our guide, Alhambra Palace was occupied by squatters. Mr. Irving was intrigued by these squatters and wrote narratives of many stories told to him. When he published the work, interest was piqued all over the world and restoration began. Alhambra Palace is now a World Heritage site.
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| Notice the Moorish detail in the figures |
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| Restored courtyard at Alhambra |
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| Outer Wall of Granada |
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| More of the Moorish detail inside the Palace |
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| Who would have thought it.... |
In Alicante we took a side trip to a very charming little town perched in the mountains named Guadalest. Guadalest has a population of 241……which can triple with a couple of tour busses pulling into the parking lot. It is a popular destination as it is very scenic and not too hard to get to. As you can see from the pictures, the city and the church are literally right on the edge of a cliff. Beautiful to see. We had a great lunch in the old town area and really enjoyed the local beer.
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| Landscape reminds us of Southern CA. |
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| Guadalest |
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| Bell Tower that still rings each day |
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| The Local Favorite |
Finally, as I write this, the bailout plan for Portugal seems to be in it’s final stages. Spain’s economy is not far behind. Unemployment through the country hovers at about 20%. In Catalunya it is 18% and Barcelona 17%.....all numbers far higher than just about anywhere in the US. Construction projects, both commercial and residential are completely shut down…many never to be finished. Spain is complex and diverse but friendly and a fairly good value (even on the Euro…..we are really taking a pounding! What happened to the dollar anyway?).
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| Very windy day....good thing I don't have much hair! |
Barcelona deserves it’s own entry and I will post that one soon.
All for now.
Chris and Pat
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