Sunday, June 27, 2010

The Diversity in Architecture in Spain

Here are a collection of photos showing different types of architecture in Spain. The first picture is one of the courtyards and towers in El Escorial, a monastery and royal palace outside Madrid. Many of the Spanish Kings and Queens are interred in the pantheon area of this impressive complex. We took these photos a decade ago, before modern digital photography, so they are not up to our normal standards.
We were in Grenada on Christmas Day and most places were closed, including the Alhambra, so we took a drive down to the coast. We cam across this village, Salobrena, on the Costa del Sol. It was a charming little place and we found a nice inn for a Christmas Day lunch.
This is the main courtyard of the Alcazar in Seville. It is a large palace complex used by the Spanish royalty when they are in Seville. It has many influences from the days of Moorish rule of Spain. It was in a room on the right side of this courtyard that Christopher Columbus obtained the approval and financing for his voyage to the New World from Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand.
This is a portion of the inside of the Mezquita Cathedral in Cordova. Yes, this is a Roman Catholic cathedral. The building used to be one of the largest mosques in the world until the Moors were defeated about 700 years ago. In the center of the forest of Moorish arches, the Spaniards removed the roof and erected a Gothic cathedral. They left the Moorish architecture in most of the rest of the cathedral. This is one of our favorite buildings anywhere. It is unique.
This tile work decorated the front of a restaurant near the hotel that we stayed at in Madrid. It is at a square that has lots of restaurants and was a favorite place for matadors to spend their free time.
This is the tile decor inside the restaurant. I don't know about you, but this might cause me to change my mind about having another glass of wine.

8 comments:

brattcat said...

I think I would change my mind about dining there at all. Good journey, as always.

Unknown said...

Pity the Alhambra was closed, it's amazing... The restaurant façade is fantastic and the interior reminds me of the Dia de los Muertos. Maybe Mr. José Garcia Delgado is (was?) mexican.

Dave-CostaRicaDailyPhoto.com said...

JM,
We were able to visit the Alhambra on the day after Christmas. It was my second visit there, and, yes, it is an amazing building and grounds. From Granada, we drove to Cordova, then Sevilla, then Lisbon, and to Madrid for New Year's Eve. It was too quick of a trip.

glenda said...

The cathedral is pretty amazing, and what an interesting history. Would love to be a fly on the wall at the restaurant full of matadors.

Jim said...

You've brought back some great memories of my Spanish trip.
Sydney - City and Suburbs

Unknown said...

afeter checking this blog and To the people that want to travel to Spain and especially Andalucía I give you a good tip. There is a great hostel where you can crash! In the White Nest Hostel in Granada, recently opened, you can find a young international group of like minded people, in fresh vibrant surroundings. You will have a great time to remember your entire life…..Based at the foot of the Alambra, the area is both central and historical.Full of tapas` bars really close and everywhere!!. I recommend you to stay in Hostels Granada and experience the life of Albayzin, Sacromonte and the heart of Granada itself.

Ola said...

The decor in the restaurant is exceptional and so Spanish or even I would say so Latin:)

MurciaDailyPhoto said...

What places so pretty you visited on your trip to Spain. If someday you return to our country, I recommend you to visit the Region of Murcia, where you can find architecture from the era of Carthage, Roman, to this day.

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