Today begins the eco-print course. We have a great space to work in at a place called Casa Bernabe high up in the hills above Xativa. And good materials to start. I am happy with my first piece in wool. Checking out supplies. We make good use of the clotheslines. Xativa is famed for its …
My train does not leave for Xativa until 4:30pm today so I have some more time to explore Valencia. It’s Thursday, the day the Water Tribunal for the Plain of Valencia meets at Noon at the Apostle’s Gate of the Valencia Cathedral to made decisions on the distribution of water in the area. It is …
Today, I visit the City Hall, which is almost right around the corner from my lodging. Its facade shows signs of attack from the Spanish Civil War. I wish I knew more about this period of Spanish history. Actually, I know very little about Spanish history, but what little I’m picking up here is fascinating. …
Today I’m going to visit the Prado. I had not been able to get tickets when I first arrived over a week ago as they were all sold out. I am now able to visit the famed museum. I meet the tour guide in front of the Memorial to Goya statue. There are only three …
Today’s my first day without the tour group. I check out of the Barcelo Tower Hotel but stay in the waiting area until I can check into my lodging. The Barcelo Tower has been a treat, my room on the top floor has views over Madrid. My new lodging is quite the come-down. I immediately …
Today I visit the Royal Palace in Madrid. Since they were all booked up when I first came to Madrid with the tour group, I bought a ticket then for my return. It is a massive building built in the early 1700s by Italian architects. It has three floors above ground and five below. An …
This morning on the way to Toledo, we spot fortresses, castles and towns built to defend Toledo. For many years, Toledo was the wealthy capital of Christian Spain. Rows of olive trees cover the hillsides. We take a panoramic tour around Toledo in the bus, passing by the Alcazar, first built by the Romans and …
After visiting the Alhambra on the hill in the morning, we have some free time to visit Granada in the afternoon. I roam around and come across this guitar maker, whose sign says Paco Santiago Marin, Constructor de Guitarras. The door is slightly ajar to his very small workshop so I peek in. He is …
This morning we start through the gate to the Alhambra, which our guide emphasizes is its own city surrounded by fortresses located on a hill above Granada. It was built by the Nasrid rulers of the Emirate of Granada in the 13th to 15th centuries. Above the Muslim-style gate is a Madonna, placed there after …
The Tower of La Calahorra guarding the Roman bridge crossing the Guadalquivir River was built by the Muslims, then modified in 1369 by Christian King Enrique of Castile to defend Cordoba against his brother Pedro I the Cruel. The details of Spanish history go way beyond my understanding, but surely they are full of trauma …